i'm looking to go into the field of engineering and would like some help.?

Question

as a woman i understand that it can be kind of difficult to get into a carreer that is male dominated but i like the challenge. I am interested to go to a good college such as cornell university or carnegie mellon and would like to know if anyone has any advice to give me.
the type of engineering that i would like to get into is structural. I've always like to know how things are put together and why it is in that way.
i greatly appreciate any type of advice and comments
thank you

Answer 1

Structural Engineering requires detail oriented, original thinking people who set goals and meet them.

I have know several women Structural engineers and would pit them against any male counterpart. Be prepare to study hard, make good grades and put forth a huge effort in order to succeed. You will find that being a women has little to do with your success, your ability and confidence to do the job will by far and away be the biggest factor.

Answer 2

What field really depends on what your strengths are, what type of workplace you want, and how much pay matters to you. It may be a male-dominated field but from what I've experienced it isn't sexist like the investment banking and financial fields, there just aren't many women interested in engineering.

I am currently finishing up a mechanical engineering degree and enjoy the field... you should be very comfortable with math and physics, though. In my intern jobs I had no trouble with being female, but I worked for a Chinese company and a computer company, and they are both generally more progressive. I've heard it's a bit annoying at the larger engineering firms like Schlumberger.

If you're looking to make lots of money with oil companies, I'd go mechanical or chemical. If you REALLY want to make money, double-major in mechanical engineering and business, or get a masters in business.

Computer engineering, as all other computer fields, has about the most progressive pay anywhere- sometimes females are even paid a few percent more than men. As the pay indicates, it's a female-friendly field.

Avoid industrial engineering. The starting pay looks good, but it never goes up. Its basically training for middle management.

Civil and mechanical engineering are fun fields where you can deal with "the way things are put together and why." (If you go civ, be prepared to get in cat fights with the architects! ;) ) Mechanical engineering is very versatile in what it can be applied to- cars, airplanes, computer cases, bridges, etc. You have a wide variety of projects to choose from.

Oh, and if you date within the college, make sure to remember the saying- "the odds are good but the goods are odd ;)"

Answer 3

Civil or Mechanical Engineering would probably be what you are looking for since you like to know how things are put together. What I think is most important is choosing an engineering major that makes you most comfortable, and something you will be interested in. Any engineering major will reward you well financially, but I personally wouldn't choose an engineering field that will bore you. Also, try joing the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) in school, it's a great engineering society specifically for women.
http://www.swe.org

Answer 4

I am glad you are interested in going into engineering. And you'll be surprised to know that in this male dominated career, more women engineers are needed. This is a fact I have learned from studying the trends of workers and American Government demands. Women engineers have higher chances of succeeding simply because there are not enough female engineers. I for one believe there should be more women engineers. So, you interested in structural engineering. Seems to be a trend lately, because quite a number of people want to do the same. Structural engineering sounds like a pretty good choice of a career to pursue. But I see there is a catch to it. A structural engineer can only find a job if there is a large demand for construction of houses or industrial buildings. And you are in luck, as sad as this may sound, you will benefit from the Katrina disaster as many new buildings will be needed to renew New Orleans and other surrounding areas. Other than that, if it's something you really want to do, go for it! Do as your heart desires.

Answer 5

Unlike most professions, engineering is a rather democratic & self-correcting field by it's difficult nature…few can do it in the first place, fewer still are good at it. Those who are good at it change the world forever.

Know your stuff backwards & forward - you will be accepted and perhaps revered by your peers even if you are a double amputee pygmy. Most of all, make math your best friend, not your enemy. Math is the universal language of all the sciences…when it works, everything else tends to also. There are never problems, only challenges…

Make a mental note each time you say or think “There has to be a way…” or “It can’t be done”. Scoring is simple: If you once utter the expression “It can’t be done”….game over, go back to law school.

If you pretend to know your stuff - you are not only useless but a danger to yourself and those that work around you. What evolutionary natural selection didn't take care of, your peers or a court of law eventually will. If you already know everything, you can discover nothing. You are only as good as your last screw-up. There may be a job for you though, building dams in New Orleans.

When dealing with physical principles and the laws of nature, honesty is not only the best policy, it is the only game in town. Those who try to cheat Mother Nature generally don’t live long to tell about it. Work with her. She will occasionally give one a hall pass to make it to the next level, but one had better understand that serious paybacks are in order…find your own way through the mess.

Success is not necessarily knowing the right answer, but how & where to find it within the appropriate time frame. “Darn, we should’ve taken care of that foam problem” was not a good answer for 7 space shuttle astronauts then…it is still not one now.

Lastly, engineering is a profession of passion, not a path to riches. It’s rewards are learning in itself, pride in making things work in the face of overwhelming odds, discovering new things, and passing along the bounty of knowledge to others. Money is nice, but it can make people do stupid things.

When people do stupid things, they get hurt. When engineers do stupid things, a lot of people can get hurt…it’s something to always keep in mind.

Answer 6

Well if it's the structural you need, you might want to pursue a career in Civil Enginering. Many women are in Civil, Computer and Industrial Engineering field. Good luck to you.

Answer 7

Technically, not all engineering is "male dominated" my step-mother works around many female engineers.
So you want to get into structural engineering? That's easy, if you are in high school(at least Freshman or Sophomore) start by taking classes such as CAD (Computer Aided Drafting), wood shop, etc. ANYTHING that has ANYTHING to do with construction or engineering field. If not in high school, well it may be hard but NOT impossible to get into it. Start by working for some type of construction, then let that pay for collage. You may even want to get into a school specifically in the field of construction or engineering.
I assure you that it might be very hard to find a job in construction if your a girly girl, so bulk up a bit if needed and start looking for companies in need for construction workers or field partners.

Answer 8

Glad to hear you're interesting in engineering. From my own experience, women are not less apt when it comes to math and science, they just generally have less interest in it. It's a shame, really, because the more perspectives and ideas we can bring to bear on a problem; the better the solution will be.

Be aware that there really isn't a harder program you can take in college than engineering in terms of mental challenge. You will be stressed to your yielding point. Your brain will plasticly deform. Your mental processes will undergo phase-changes. Study hard and learn your basics backwards and forwards. Try to understand the material rather than memorizing it.

That's all the advice I really have for you, you have to get into it and really apply yourself, good luck!

Answer 9

women structural engineers are very common now in southern california. it is a well respected profession in the engineering/building industry. be ready to invest 5 years in a university for a BS degree, work for 2 to 3 years in an engineering firm and pass a 13 hour exam. then, you can be a professional civil engineer. to become a structural engineer, work 3 more years after you become a civil engineer under the supervision of a structural engineer, take another 16 hour exam, pass it and you are a structural engineer. you can get lots of information at the link to the consumer affairs department of california:
http://www.dca.ca.gov/pels/

Answer 10

There is a specialty in medical engineering but few places offer it. Otherwise mecanical engineering and try to develop better exercise machines.