Aisyah Added Thursday, July 31, 2025 at 11:36 PM Is Engineering mostly a corporate job? How's your day like? Hi! I've always been interested in engineering because I thought I would be building and designing things. Until recently where I met someone who is a Civil Engineer (the field I'm thinking about) told me that she 98% work in an office-- in a cubicle-- and that its meetings after meetings. The reason why I'm interested in Engineering is because of the hands on and the variety of projects, I didn't expect to work in an office and I feel like I would die if I do. So how often are you using your ... Answers 2 Jacquelyn Berry, Collins Aerospace Answered Friday, October 17, 2025 at 1:33 PM It really depends on the type of engineering role you get, and the industry. There are a lot of different job types for engineers - design, stress, test, manufacturing, research, specialty analysis (aero, thermal), quality, project. For example, a ... Amber Hall, City of Somersworth Answered Monday, August 4, 2025 at 5:31 PM Hello there! Engineering is very broad, and there are all types of jobs! I spent my first 5 years in design, every day. As you progress in your career, you may choose to get more into project management than design all day! I found that I was losing my ...
EngineerGirl Team Added Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 1:15 PM How do I deal with Impostor Syndrome? Hi, I’m a freshman in high school and I’m interested in robotics. I’m struggling a bit in my engineering class and it feels like everyone else knows what they’re doing. I got extra help on a project with my robotics club but I can’t help but think it’s because I’m a girl who is behind. I feel like I’m walking a thin line and being watched, ... Answers 20 Crystal Ramon-Miranda, Chevron Answered Wednesday, December 18, 2024 at 4:20 PM Recognize and acknowledge your feelings: Understand that imposter syndrome is a common experience and that many high-achieving individuals, including Maya Angelou and Einstein, have felt the same way. Gather accomplishment evidence: Collect tangible ... Adriana Beal, BealProjects.com Answered Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 2:05 PM It may help to hear from people who had similar experiences, so here's mine: When I first started studying Electrical Engineering, I'd get anxious when I saw my male colleagues get their electronic circuits to work much faster than I did. On paper, I ... Patricia Mokhtarian, Georgia Institute of Technology Answered Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 2:03 PM I wish I had a magic answer on how to deal with imposter syndrome. I believe it will diminish for you as you continue to work hard and gain more experience and more confidence. But that may not offer much comfort to you right now! What I can say is that ...
EngineerGirl Team Added Monday, October 28, 2024 at 12:37 PM Do the high stakes of engineering scare you? How do you deal with the fact that engineering designs impact people directly and can change lives? Like what if you accidentally endanger human life or make lives worse? Isn’t that scary? Answers 6 Carla Bailo, ECOS Consulting Answered Monday, October 28, 2024 at 1:30 PM Actually, one of the best parts of an engineering career is the ability to fundamentally improve peoples' lives through innovations and sound design. In any engineering role, there are clearly defined standards that have been developed over time that ... Erin Gately, Iron Mountain Answered Monday, October 28, 2024 at 1:29 PM Very rarely do we design something by ourselves. When designing a product or a process, there will be an entire team involved. The team will look at the engineering design from different aspects such as ergonomics and safety. Marketing will do market ... Kate Fay, Verizon Answered Monday, October 28, 2024 at 1:28 PM One of the great things about engineering is you are never working alone. There are multiple people/ teams involved in a design or process. This provides multiple eyes on a project to ensure everything is going smoothly and will not cause any negative ...
EngineerGirl Team Added Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 1:26 PM I got bullied for wanting to be an engineer - can I still become one? I am 12 years old and I’ve always wanted to be an engineer but in 4th grade I got bullied for wanting to be an engineer as a girl. Do you think I can still be an engineer even though they don’t think so? I don’t want to be bullied. What do I do if I get bullied again? Answers 12 Crystal Ramon-Miranda, Chevron Answered Tuesday, July 16, 2024 at 10:55 AM If you have a passion for engineering, you should definitely pursue it. Engineering is a field that requires creativity, problem-solving, and resilience, all of which can be strengthened through overcoming challenges. Remember, many successful engineers ... Isabelle Cabana, Collins Aerospace Answered Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 1:40 PM YES, you can still be an engineer even though you were bullied for wanting to be one. Bullying for having any sort of interest is bound to happen. It can be quite discouraging and I can’t guarantee it changes as you get older but what I can guarantee is ... Carla Bailo, ECOS Consulting Answered Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 1:39 PM This question resonated well with me as I experienced something similar in my path to being an engineer. You are breaking the "expectation" of what girls are supposed to do. You are also very bright and probably many others are envious of your capability.
EngineerGirl Team Added Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 3:00 PM What's your inspiration? What inspires you to get up in the morning and be an engineer and do the work you do? How do you keep going when you’re not feeling inspired? Answers 11 Carla Bailo, ECOS Consulting Answered Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 3:28 PM Being inspired requires one to love what they do. That doesn't mean that every day you wake up and are excited to go to work. Some days you might have to drag yourself in, but once you get there and dig in, you generate excitement. Inspiration can come ... Kerri Phillips, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory Answered Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 3:27 PM When I decided to go into aerospace engineering, I knew that I wanted to “make a difference” but I wasn’t sure exactly what that difference would be. In graduate school, I conducted research on how to make fault-tolerant flight control systems to further ... Jessica Eskew, Chevron Answered Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 3:26 PM What inspires me every morning to be an engineer is knowing there are problems that I’m needed to solve every day. I am an Engineering and Commissioning lead on a large capital project, so every day there are multiple issues that arise during the ...
EngineerGirl Team Added Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at 8:33 AM What do you do when you fail? What happens next? How do you handle it? Answers 19 Tina Swangphol, Chevron Answered Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at 3:34 PM Think of "failing" as just an opportunity to learn. But you must learn from the situation so that you will not repeat the same mistake. Then, just brush it off, get up and try again. Always think that you can do this, and try harder in another way. ... Kristin Sweeney, US Aggregates Answered Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at 9:22 AM When you fail, which will happen at some point in your career, the most important thing to do is learn from it! Give yourself time to process what happened and what went wrong, then brainstorm ways to mitigate failure in the future. If we treat failure ... Linda Schadler, University of Vermont Answered Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at 9:20 AM I think failure depends on your definition. If you tried something new and it didn’t work – that is not failure. That is exploration or design iteration or learning. There are times that you fail an exam or a course or have a paper rejected. My approach ...
EngineerGirl Team Added Monday, January 29, 2024 at 2:53 PM Is engineering the right field for me? I've been interested in chemical engineering, particularly cosmetic chemical engineering, for some time now. I felt like this pathway would have been good for me as I enjoy science and math and like the lifestyle that it could provide (work, family/life balance, flexibility, hands-on, salary, etc). I'm a little conflicted because I often ... Answers 12 Sandra Hernandez, Chevron Answered Monday, January 29, 2024 at 3:20 PM If you enjoy science and math, I don’t see why you should stress about taking chemical engineering as a major! Engineering, as many other majors, requires hard work, but this doesn’t mean you need to leave your social life behind. Engineering offers a ... Bianca Stamps, Chevron Answered Monday, January 29, 2024 at 3:19 PM While the curriculum involved in pursuing engineering is rather difficult, I have found that it did not make me any less social. In some cases, it made me more social! In my junior and senior years, I worked more in our engineering building with fellow ... Leteshia Lowe Answered Monday, January 29, 2024 at 3:18 PM This is a fair question and I think a lot of people are scared off from majoring in engineering because of this and also fears of the difficulty of engineering classes. First, I would absolutely recommend you pick chemical engineering as a major, since ...
EngineerGirl Team Added Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 2:19 PM What is your favorite engineering project you've worked on? What about the project makes it your favorite? What do you do if you have to work on a project you don’t like? Answers 9 Kerri Phillips, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory Answered Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 2:32 PM My favorite engineering project was associated with my graduate research. I was trying to improve the accuracy of aircraft models under failure conditions (like if one of the control surfaces on the airplane would get stuck and no longer be able to ... Karina M., VIRGIN GALACTIC Answered Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 2:31 PM From aircrafts to spaceships, I’ve been fortunate to work on various projects throughout my career. My favorite engineering project has been designing the cabin and crew windows for Virgin Galactic’s next-generation Delta spaceships. From early concepts, ... Tricia Berry, The University of Texas at Austin Answered Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 2:30 PM A favorite engineering project of mine was trying to figure out how to use a biodegradable polymer (plastic) that my company produced in biodegradable packaging peanuts. My company’s polymer was a biproduct for a main product produced and my team was ...
willow hoyt asked Neeti Sonth, University of Colorado Boulder Added Sunday, January 22, 2023 at 3:06 PM Why did you start Engineering and what was your motivation? Answers 1 Neeti Sonth, University of Colorado Boulder Answered Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at 6:58 PM I have always liked science and maths and I have always been awed by their immense applications. Engineering has made me confident that we can build anything we dream. Humans have always been curious and engineering has made it possible for us to satiate ...
Delani asked Tamara Floyd-Smith, West Virginia University Institute of Technology Added Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 7:14 PM What do you have to do when you work as a girl in engineering? Answers 1 Tamara Floyd-Smith, West Virginia University Institute of Technology Answered Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at 2:53 PM In principle, the job is the same independent of gender. However, as a female engineer, it is very important to identify mentors, role models, sponsors, and other key individuals to help overcome challenges associated with engineering as a historically ...
EngineerGirl Team Added Friday, May 26, 2023 at 10:44 AM How do I work with group members who leave me out? I am a student in a small town and I am a member of an engineering club in my school. I am the only girl there and I kind of feel left out. I have tried to communicate with them to make our work more productive, but it seems they are not willing to do so. What should I do? How can I overcome the feeling of not belonging? Is it always going ... Answers 11 Michaela Mueller, Ryan Biggs Clark Davis Answered Friday, May 26, 2023 at 11:24 AM I also attended a small high school, and I felt excluded by the boys in my engineering classes and clubs. But I was ECSTATIC when I went to college and found other female students who were just as excited about engineering as I was. We stuck together ... Delia Contreras, Honeywell Answered Friday, May 26, 2023 at 11:23 AM Learn to connect with individuals of the team at a personal level. Establish first relationship/friendships based on common likes, it is so much easier to have ‘friends’ or supporters in a team. That has always worked for me. Depending on the industry ... Donna Hull, Verizon Answered Friday, May 26, 2023 at 11:21 AM Inclusion is a big hurdle in society in any realm of your life. The good news is that dealing with personalities, bias, and general stereotypes is more openly talked about and recognized in today's society. A school club should have a teacher or other ...
EngineerGirl Team Added Monday, June 27, 2022 at 10:08 AM What is your lifestyle like as an engineer? I like engineering but don’t want to have to give up lots of other things in my life to work. Do you have to work long hours? Do you have time for hobbies or other interests, or to have a family? Do some kinds of engineers or some engineering jobs have to work more hours than others? Answers 21 Merilyn Chesler, KosherPatterns.com Answered Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 10:35 PM I became an engineer because I like to think -- a lot -- about a problem. Because I think, I sometimes dream about it too. But I have other interests that I try not to think of work after work hours. I have a creativity gene in me, so I enjoy designing ... Kristin Sweeney, US Aggregates Answered Monday, June 27, 2022 at 10:38 AM I enjoy the life my engineering career has given me, it’s opened the doors for lots of opportunities. I would say there have been times when my hours are more than others, but I’ve always been able to find balance. I’ve been working now for over 15 ... Deborah Villarroel-Lamb, The University of the West Indies Answered Monday, June 27, 2022 at 10:37 AM I think any profession, including engineering, will require long hours and deep commitment at points during your career. There will be times that you need to make sacrifices to achieve a project goal by a given deadline, but that is true for anything ...
EngineerGirl Team Added Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 9:26 AM How can I help people as an engineer? Engineering seems interesting but I love helping people so I don’t know if it’s right for me. Does engineering help people? If it does how can I do that? Answers 13 Kay Hatlestad, Trane Technologies Answered Friday, April 28, 2023 at 9:08 AM Helping people is the reason I became an engineer! I’m an acoustical engineer. Some of the things I’ve worked on: Microphones so people with hearing aids can hear a phone conversation even in a noisy room Wall & ceiling design so you don’t hear your ... Kim Linder, Honeywell FM&T Answered Friday, April 28, 2023 at 9:03 AM There are so many ways to help people as an engineer. You can go into areas in which the end users is a person that may need assistance, think devices such as prosthetics or hearing aids or other medical devices, the list goes on. You can work in areas ... Lyn Kyle Manson, Verizon Answered Thursday, April 27, 2023 at 4:54 PM Engineering is a profession that will open doors to many opportunities to help people both directly and indirectly. Like any degree program you learn three things: 1) background information specific to your major, but also 2) how to find and organize ...
EngineerGirl Team Added Monday, February 27, 2023 at 12:28 PM What are the challenges of being an engineer? I’ve heard I can expect to run into challenges by being a girl in engineering. What’s that like? Are there other challenges you run into, in your job or outside of your job, being an engineer? Answers 4 Kristin Sweeney, US Aggregates Answered Friday, March 3, 2023 at 7:45 AM Challenges are going to be part of all our lives, and while I can’t say what challenges you yourself may face, I will say that with every challenge comes an opportunity as long as we flip it on its head. When I was in middle school my guidance counselor ... Donna Hull, Verizon Answered Monday, February 27, 2023 at 2:59 PM CHALLENGE! That is a milestone or achievement for an engineer. Having a problem set in front of you and devising a solution. Many times there are several remedies to that challenge, some more effective than others. As a female engineer, whether working ... Nancy Post, Boston Consulting Group Answered Monday, February 27, 2023 at 2:56 PM Some of the key challenges include being one of few women and having very difficult technical challenges to work through. These same challenges can be considered opportunities! Being one of a few women automatically makes you more visible, so when you ...
Mia Peterson Added Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at 2:26 PM What are the best steps to take after getting your Engineering Degree? How does one branch into different industries with little to no experience in them? I am recent graduate with a Mechanical Engineering Degree and I am a bit lost. As a College student during Covid I didn't have a internship, while in school, so I am doing one currently. How to branch out? How do you make connections? Answers 1 Mercy Asin, MGV Answered Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 4:45 AM The steps I would advise you take would be 1) Register and join an Engineering society in your city, attend their meetings and keep up to date with their posts on social media as some of them usually post graduate trainee programmes organized by some ...
Bryan Added Wednesday, August 31, 2022 at 3:34 PM What is your favorite part of being a engineer? Answers 1 Donna Hull, Verizon Answered Tuesday, December 13, 2022 at 9:55 AM My favorite part of being an engineer is the development of a solution to a problem. I love puzzles and every day I get to gather information and figure out what the best options are to answer the challenge in front of me. Some days challenges are easy ...
EngineerGirl Team Added Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 8:25 AM How can I deal with not fitting in or feeling like I'm not good enough? I thought I wanted to be an engineer, but the other students in my math and science classes seem to know a lot more than I do and I don't really fit in with them. Has this happened to you? It's hard. How can I make it better? If I make it to engineering school, will it still be like this? Answers 9 Karrin Felton, Naval Sea Systems Command Answered Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 8:39 AM Everyone feels like they don’t belong at one point or another whether it be personal (with a circle of peers) or professionally (at work). In those moments, I remind myself that I am made to stand out. Focus on the strengths you have and use them to help ... Jamie Krakover, The Boeing Company Answered Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 8:37 AM I think everyone feels like this at one time or another, and there's actually a name for it called imposter syndrome. I've felt this many times over the course of my career and schooling. But we have to remember everyone learns and grows at their own ... Delia Contreras, Honeywell Answered Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 8:36 AM I totally understand the feeling. When I graduated from high school and went to the engineering school, I felt I didn’t belong because I was very behind. I came from a small town and the high school education wasn’t of great quality. I failed most of my ...
EngineerGirl Team Added Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at 11:15 AM What was your involvement in the engineering community? Were you involved with STEM-related competition teams or stuff like SWE when you were a student? Is this important to being a successful engineer? How should I fit that in with classes and everything? Answers 7 Corinna Lathan, AnthroTronix, Inc. Answered Saturday, September 17, 2022 at 4:41 PM I didn't participate in these types of organization until I was in graduate school and as a professional. I played sports, which for me served some of the same purposes in terms of community and support. But once I got to graduate school I realized ... Haley Antoine, Toyota Motor North America Answered Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at 12:31 PM In high school, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to be when I grew up but I knew it would be something STEM-related! My freshman and sophomore years, I wasn't involved in any STEM activities. We actually didn't have those opportunities at my school. ... Priscilla Bennett, Spire Answered Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at 12:29 PM Like I tell ANYONE interested in engineering or other professional careers, DEFINITELY get involved with the professional organizations at the student-level to learn to network, learn of opportunities, gain insight into careers, apply for scholarships ...
EngineerGirl Team Added Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at 2:48 PM Are there any skills that you think are useful that you weren't taught in school? What should I learn that would help me be successful in college or as an engineer? Answers 8 Haley Maas, Halff Associates, Inc Answered Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at 3:24 PM First and foremost, not all engineering majors lean heavily into a coding environment. However, it will benefit you greatly to take the time to pick up these skills on your own. As the world continues to move towards more automation, the more you know ... Nancy Post, Boston Consulting Group Answered Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at 3:22 PM There are some basics that will help you in almost any endeavor you take on: Create a community for support and networking: this helps socially, but also when you need to brainstorm on a special project or a tough problem or decision. Have an empowered ... Priscilla Bennett, Spire Answered Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at 3:20 PM There are some soft skills that will help you not only throughout an engineering career, but also through just about anything else you tackle in life going forward. There are traits/skills I look for when hiring: integrity, honesty and reliability are ...
EngineerGirl Team Added Monday, March 28, 2022 at 3:43 PM Will I fit in as a "girly girl" in engineering? I have very diverse interests - I like math/programming, languages/humanities, and also art/design – and I’m really interested in engineering right now. But I'm a "girly girl." I wear skirts 80% of the time and love makeup, and I feel like in engineering that means I won't fit in even with other women. I feel like a strange creature for ... Answers 21 Lauren Olsen, Collins Aerospace Answered Thursday, May 12, 2022 at 5:24 PM This is such a great question; it hit home on a subject that I personally have struggled with for many years – if it was “ok” to be both girly and an engineer! The short answer is, it is 100% ok to be both. Embrace your differences! My personal story is ... Ammara Essa, Verizon Answered Monday, March 28, 2022 at 4:24 PM Hi! Let me just start by saying you are my favorite person for knowing exactly who you are and being very cognizant of the world around you. I see parts of myself in you in that I too like art as well science. I love to cook and go mural hunting. I make ... Rachel Zancanella, State of Colorado Division of Water Resources Answered Monday, March 28, 2022 at 4:23 PM I can understand where you are coming from, historically, an engineer would not have been the first guess of occupation for a "girly girl". But times are changing. You will fit in because you will shape the future perception for those that follow you. At ...