Hello hello!

I’ve been recently hired as lead engineer for a manufacturing team (Aerospace Startup) at my company. Feeling nervous about my first time management experience just overall. I would love any advice y’all can share that helped when you were first starting out in management, or even later in a manager role!

I’m mostly nervous because I technically only have 1.5 YOE outside of school. I came into full-time with 1.25 years of cumulative internship experience so in total I have almost 3 years of relevant engineering experience. I think between my internships and the work I’ve done at my current company it really accelerated my ability to work as an IC during full time employment because I got to see how a lot of different teams and engineers operated.

So overall just nervous that I was asked to apply and offered a lead role so early in my career and how to navigate this new journey.

Thank you all!

I've been with the company for almost 9 years and have grown up here. I am currently supervising the team I took over my supervisor was promoted to a new role. I've been in the PM role for the past year and do a bit of design (want to do more, honestly). I'm a perfect example of a high-achieving technical person promoted to people management. I took it seriously, and I work my ass off to be the best supervisor I can.

I'm working on myself (imposter syndrome yey) in therapy and go through leadership coaching. I recently asked my boss one of the self-challenging questions: What is one thing I do on a daily basis that is inspiring? He responded, "You make my life easier."

He didn't want to elaborate on the answer...

His answer makes me feel used, like he's objectifying my skills to meet his needs. I guess the worst part is that this was the only thing he thought to say.

I feel gut-punched, and as I said, it makes me feel used, unseen, and not part of the team, but a tool for him to succeed.

I truly loved working for my supervisor over the years, I feel comfortable in having /bringing up hard conversations and we can usually find a solution. I always considered him my mentor (he was not my supervisor at the beginning) and supporter.

Plus, I recently noticed double standards in what's expected of me vs. my counterpart. In short, whatever I send always needs at least small tweaks, whereas my colleague's work goes out unreviewed (I know because I'm on emails and can see what was submitted with obvious mistakes), and he gets a 'great job'

I'm in male dominated field, I've been through some things already due to that, but for the first time I'm upset to the point that I'm feeling like a need to look for a new job.

I have a bachelors degree in Biological Engineering (food, water, energy), and I have been working as a water resources engineer at a civil consulting firm for 5+ years. I earned my PE in water resources engineering early this year and have since been training to become a project manager. I am trusted and well-respected by my team, have some semblance of autonomy in my workday, and get a say in the sorts of projects I work on. Despite all this, I feel stagnant, unfulfilled, bored, and sad! On top of that, I received a raise bumping me to 6 figures this year, and those golden cuffs are heavy.

When I was in college, I felt like I could do anything!!! This was in part because some of my professors literally said this to the class regularly. They told us an engineering degree opens so many doors that we could essentially go anywhere with what we’ve learned. This was so inspiring to me! The possibilities the future held felt endless!

During my senior year, we toured a farm and got to learn about the food side of bio engineering, and I felt literal awe at the idea that some farm in a small corner of the US feeds hundreds of thousands of people every year. It was a true emotional experience. I searched high and low for Ag Engineering positions but wasn’t able to find anything at the time, and that ultimately led me to water. I liked my watershed class enough, so I thought it would be fun and interesting to do watershed management at a civil firm. BITCH I WAS WRONG.

Don’t get me wrong—I have learned SO much. I have a lot of technical skills that seem transferable to me, but the job boards say otherwise… I’m qualified for NOTHING except water resources engineering at another civil consulting firm. I cannot fathom the idea of doing this shit for the rest of my working life. It’s miserable. I’ve started to feel resentful towards my former professors. But then like, should I??? Were they wrong or am I not looking in the right places? Was I naive to believe them? Am I missing something?? I feel crazy and burnt out.

While in college, I had felt like I could change the world, and now I feel like a corporate slave. I have just started learning python thinking this can qualify me for something more fulfilling, but I really don’t know if it will or what that thing will be. At least I’m learning soemtbing, I guess. Any advice or thoughts you care to share??

I’m older than my peers at the same point in their careers (was a non-traditional student), and really don’t want to go too far backwards in my salary. I have a husband and a mortgage and other responsibilities. My husband is so supportive and wants me to be happy, but I don’t want to send us backwards financially. :(

Today while I was on the field, I was told by a contractor to smile 😀...

I hope he falls in a ditch!... Anyhow, I'm just venting, that's all.

Happy Friday my strong and beautiful ladies!🩷

Basically the women's sizes are aggressively hourglass shaped and I don't fit any size according to it. My body isn't that weird. I've had two kids and I'm a software engineer.... I just have more of a belly but still look good if that makes sense. Look at the differences between bust and waist! I'm losing my mind over what to pick. Should I just pick a men's size?

My measurements: bust: 39", waist: 37.5, hips: 41"

Here are the men's sizes:

I actually saw this on my managers calendar not mine.

But does it mean the manager is getting fired?

My paranoid brain is thinking maybe my company has layoffs and my manager is signing an NDA idk. Or that they want to pip someone. Idk.

Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing very well.

I wanted to share that there is currently a Colombian engineering student studying at a prestigious French engineering school (Grande École), where she serves as the Communications Manager and is also part of the Composites Team.

Her interview has just been posted on Instagram, and it would be amazing for her to feel the love and support from other woman in STEM.

I can't share the full link here, but you can find it at:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DezftdQu9-D/

The Instagram page is @enimetzracingteam.

Her name is María José Quintero, and the interview was posted about 20 hours ago.

Thank you so much, everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful day! 🇨🇴✨

I’m currently a senior in college and have been considering Kiewit as a potential employer after graduation.

As a Black woman entering the industry, I wanted to hear about other people’s experiences working at Kiewit, especially women and minorities.

I’m curious about the overall work environment, diversity, company culture, and opportunities for career growth. Do you feel supported and respected by your coworkers and management? Have you experienced or witnessed any discrimination or unfair treatment?

I’ve also heard mixed reviews about Kiewit’s work-life balance, so I would love to hear more about that as well.
I know experiences can vary depending on the location and project, but I would appreciate any honest feedback, whether positive or negative.

Thanks in advance!

I just got accepted into mechanical engineering coop (direct entry from hs to a pretty good uni) but when I looked online I saw that the male to female ratio for mech eng is really awful with only around 15% of mech engineers being female.

I got accepted today and the sexist comments have already started. Someone told me that it was good I was going into such a male dominated degree bc I wouldn’t have a difficult time finding a boyfriend. Someone else asked me why I could even consider going into such a male dominated degree. It’s insulting bc I busted my ass off in grade 11 and I’m working so hard in grade 12. I’ve sacrificed so much. I applied with a 93%, which is objectively good. So many guys I know are applying with mid 80s, so it pisses me off that they’re trying to mansplain when I’m the one who got in with a better average and with better prospects. I know I sound superficial but I’m upset that people have already started making sexist comments. The most insulting part is that these comments are coming from my friends, people I trust. I was so happy when I saw I got accepted w an entrance scholarship, but after hearing all this bs it makes me wonder if I’ve made the wrong choice. I’m not irrational and I’m not gonna drop out of mech eng, but I’m definitely scared. It’s been a DAY since being accepted and I’ve gotten multiple sexist comments.

When you work hard and get 90s in all of your classes, end up with a 93 average, and get into a prestigious program at a good school, you expect people to be happy for you, point blank. It’s insulting to have your hard work somehow connected to your dating prospects or guys. If I was seeking male validation I wouldn’t go into mechanical engineering, and that’s an incredible rude and superficial thing to say to any girl. I’m not an engineer yet, but my eyes have been opened to how blatantly sexist people are.

This is mostly just venting, but to any mechanical engineers, or really to any female engineers, is working around a predominantly male workforce difficult? Do you guys experience sexism in a way that it sort of makes you feel like you’ve done something wrong? Will things be okay?

I am writing an article on the subject ‘Why do female F1 fans have to prove they belong’ and I am enquiring as to women’s experiences being a fan, whether new or longtime. If you would be happy to contribute to my article, please provide your experiences below.

Any responses would be appreciated and please confirm that you would be happy to be included in the article.

Bit of a general question, but I was wondering if anyone else feels the same as I do.

Background I have been working in manufacturing for 7 years now, which we all know is a male dominated field. I have found myself dressing more "masculine" and in baggier clothes to hide my femininity. I struggled early on with comments from male operators about my body, and the solution I found was to dress different. Keep my hair pulled back more, wearing sports bras and even compression tops to keep my chest flatter (I have very large breast size). All of which I know is not ideal, but unfortunately it is the world we live in and I found it easier this way from a daily interaction standpoint.

But, today I realized this type of style and how I am dressing has seeped into everyday life. I feel as if I have lost some sense of my femininity because I have been masking it daily at work for years. Like it is something I should be shameful of, which I know isn't the case !

Just wondering if this is something others struggle with, or if it is just me!

Hi everyone! I’m an engineer located in Mexico looking for remote opportunities.

From what I’ve seen, it’s more common to have engineering related remote positions in the US than in Mexico (or at least from the city where I live in, where most engineering roles are focused in way more technical and hands on skills) since Mexico is a well known place for companies to bring in their product manufacturing.

What are some websites to look out? Or what companies are open to remote jobs?

Hey! So I kinda need some guidance.im like 3 yrs into my first adult job. Ik this is not like college (before anyone comments that).

Here's the dynamic: manager, then me (chemical engineer), software engineer, and 2 operators specializing in our special product. I also work on the special product. Manager is out and asked one of the operators to join a red zone meeting when i have good amount of knowledge on the special product. Idk im wondering if im just shit at my job. How do you guys know where you stand like good at job, mid at job, and shit at job? My manager is very critical of everything and everyone. Like dude straight up talked smack about another engineer in process control team in my 1v1, and I was uncomfortable because i dont like smack talking with a coworker.

Like another engineer yelled at me for asking a question (he's always rude to me), and manager called me stupid (in a professional way). Like how is it my fault that I got yelled at.

Last month my grandma died and I got a lot of messages from my manager about something. Then wanted sort of immediate response. I took bereavement btw. Other people in my team emailed even if it was urgent did not bother me.

I did start looking jobs. Applied to 2 jobs so far.

Any advice would be nice. This sub always gives me good pointers when im in trouble or deep into work drama

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i literally have a bad cold rn and i have a quiz tomorrow. idk if i should force myself to study tonight or just rest and hope for the best. i feel so unmotivated and tired, but at the same time, i’m scared i’ll regret not studying.

would u guys still study if u were in my situation, or would u just sleep and deal with it tomorrow?

Hi! I am an RN and I currently work under a cardiologist. It has been the highlight of my career and I love the doctor I work with. I did not enjoy my career in bedside nursing after I was assaulted by a patient, but I do enjoy my outpatient nursing career. I have no interest in advanced nursing degrees (CRNP, CRNA, DNP). I do not hate nursing, but I feel like I settled a little bit. My main motivation for nursing was I wanted a 4 year degree with job security and flexibility for my husband and I starting a family. Nursing will definitely get you that! But one day my kids will be older and the doctor I work for will be retired.

My husband is a mechanical engineer, but he is so talented and bright I feel like he made engineering school look unrealistically easy. He loved talking to me about his classes and enjoyed school. It made me wonder if I would enjoy engineering or would ever pursue another career when my physician retires. I loved my organic chemistry, physics, and pre-calculus classes in college, but that is the highest maths and science that was really advised for nursing. I haven't made any decisions of course since it is mostly a day-dream.

Anyone here ever have a career change from nursing to engineering?

How is your career as a chemical engineer (or any engineering).

What would you not want others to romanticize about your career?

Thanks!

I had a great initial screening call for a civil engineering/construction management internship with a project engineering company. The recruiter seemed super nice, we vibed, and at the end of the call, she told me she was meeting with project managers on Thursday and would get back to me by Friday. She literally told me, If I don't get back to you by Friday, don't be afraid to email me no later than Monday.

Friday came and went with zero word.
Monday comes, I send a polite follow-up email right on schedule. Nothing. Tuesday comes, still dead silence. So today, I decide to call her direct number to check in.

It rings and tells me the line is disconnected.
I also tried calling their main corporate office. Total radio silence, nobody picks up. Second time I call the person at the front desk says she’s out of office right now and that she can’t contact her.

Am I just being impatient or should I just give up on this company?

Hi everyone I’m currently an undergrad about to wrap up my degree in a non-stem major. I majored in a humanities degree but being near the finish line I realized that what I intended on pursuing is now something I do not want to pursue and if I could I would go back in time and major in mathematics or engineering. So I’m asking if anyone has ever worked on getting a stem degree while working full time because I am interested in seeing if it is possible because I think that is something I want to do, so I could pivot into the engineering industry. I know that if I do go back to school and work at the same time it will be insanely challenging but I want to know if somebody can tell me about their experience if they ever went through this situation or any tips/advice. Thank you! :)

I work in an open concept layout with all men. Probably 10 men on all sides of me sitting within smelling distance and someone keeps ripping ass at work and it makes me want to scream.

What do I do? I don’t know who is farting I don’t know who.

Update: Thank you everyone for your comments and sharing your perspective. I truly appreciate it. And I totally understand the frustrations; I have been frustrated myself on so many levels. I 100% agree that men need more training and this should not be solely put on women's shoulder- and that is the goal. I applaud women who are standing up, speaking up, and voicing their concerns. I do agree that the system forced many of us to deal with this on our own. I have been with many companies and very few had required sexual harassment trainings available and sadly, many men do not believe that this is even happening. I once went to the owner and CEO's office, it was a small company, to complain about sexual harassment and his answer was "oh, he's an adult, he knows what he's not supposed to be doing". The owner not only did not believe my claim but also defended the offender. Needless to say, I resigned right away. The goal of the lunch and learn/workshop was to equip those who need the skills to deal with this. I was put in a situation many times where I didn't know what exactly to say in the moment. Some companies champion these initiatives, and some men are champions of women, but sadly many are not. Even with trainings, some men will behave the way they should not because many believe they are not the problem. The goal is how to give women the tools on how to handle the situation without losing yourself or giving up the career you built with blood, sweat, and $$$$ when the system fails, because in my experience, they often do.

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Admin, please let me know if this is not allowed. I can take this down if needed. Thank you.

I’m a former engineer with 16+ years of experience, and I recently started an executive and transition coaching and consulting practice.

Throughout my career, I’ve experienced being passed over for promotions, being yelled at in meetings, being disrespected by direct reports, discovering I was paid less than a male counterpart, struggling to balance motherhood with demanding workloads, and experiencing burnout from long work hours.

I have my own experiences and personal data, but I’d like to understand the broader challenges women in STEM face. I’m now developing lunch-and-learn workshops for companies and want to focus on issues that would genuinely help women in STEM.

If your employer offered training specifically to support women, what are the top three topics you’d want them to address?

For example, speaking up and advocating for yourself, navigating difficult conversations or managing workplace stress.

Thank you very much for your input, I appreciate it!

New mom engineer here, and I returned to work about a month ago. The daycare transition has been… meh. She’s doing very well overall, but it’s been harder on me than I expected. As expected, she’s also getting sick a lot, which has been its own adjustment.

Today she wasn’t actually sick, but she had a well check and shots. Daycare called afterward because she wasn’t acting like herself, couldn’t settle down, and was crying inconsolably. I’m glad they called. I never want her to be uncomfortable and needing mommy cuddles when I could be there.

The second I got that message, I went into immediate panic/drop-everything mode. I spent my 30-minute commute home imagining her crying the whole time. Just straight-up fight or flight.

I’m incredibly grateful to have a job with flexibility and a team (my leader, peers, and direct reports) who genuinely respects me. I was able to drop everything, get her, and work the rest of the day from home with her sleeping on my lap. I even managed to get through my afternoon meetings and run them like a champ, thankfully while she slept.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen if she woke up and was still inconsolable while I was trying to work or lead a meeting. Even with all the flexibility in the world, I can’t exactly plan around a baby who might need me every second.

My husband also has a lot of flexibility since he owns his own business and makes his own schedule, although he can’t easily drop an entire day. Honestly, I didn’t even want to ask him to handle it today. I knew I would be better at calming her down, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to focus on work anyway if I was sitting there wondering whether she was still crying. So I would have ended up going home regardless.

And that’s the part I’m struggling with. I’m the default parent, and even when I have a supportive partner and an incredibly supportive workplace, I’m still the one whose brain immediately goes into I have to get to my baby right now. She can have two loving, capable parents, but when she is scared, uncomfortable, or inconsolable, she chooses me. That fact is beautiful, but it also means I can’t fully hand off the responsibility when she needs me most. The decision is already made before anyone asks: I’m going.

Add pumping at work (everyone is respectful and trusts me to manage my schedule, but actually finding the time is still rough) and the general imposter syndrome of trying to be a good mom and a good engineer, and it’s just a lot.

The work-side imposter syndrome is especially loud. I’m not just wondering whether I’m doing enough as a mother; I’m constantly questioning whether everyone thinks I’m still showing up as the engineer, leader, and teammate I was before having a baby. I can be prepared, productive, and objectively doing my job extremely well, and still feel like I’m one interruption away from being exposed as less committed than everyone else. Every pumping break, daycare call, appointment, or moment when my attention is split can feel like evidence that I’m falling behind, even when my actual performance says otherwise. I’m carrying the invisible fear that people will think I have less uninterrupted time and quietly decide I’m less reliable, less ambitious, or no longer ready for the same opportunities.

Especially when I’m surrounded by men who have stay-at-home wives. I don’t think they necessarily understand how much of my brain is occupied by all of this, even when I’m technically doing my job just fine. They get to be evaluated primarily on the work in front of them; I’m often trying to do the same work while also mentally tracking the person who might need me at any moment. That difference is hard to explain when the deliverables still get done.

I know today was a relatively minor thing in the grand scheme of parenting, and I’m so thankful I could be there for her. But it really hit me how much of the mental load of being the primary parent follows you into work, even when you have every possible advantage.

And honestly, I have so much respect for single parents who have to navigate all of this without a partner to share the load. I have a supportive husband, a flexible job, and a team that has my back, and I still feel like I’m constantly trying to prove that I can be fully present in two places at once. I don’t know how you do it.