WE15

Two weeks ago, Stanford send me to the Society of Women Engineers National Conference 2015 in Nashville, TN (otherwise known as WE15).

Why go to this conference?! Because it's a great time to be Female AND an Engineer.  Here are some highlights from the conference

• Career Paths: 5 Years Out and Where am I Going? During the picture, I was sitting on the floor. Kate Van Dellen had us write down our work tasks, and write them in two categories: 

                 Energizing                                         Draining

Based on this assessment, you could start to figure out whether a technical path or a managerial path is right for you. 

I also learned that work involves 3 things:

The Work Itself       Work Environment      Where I want to Go

Every few months, it's good to rate these three things on a scale of 1-10 to help you determine whether to stay in a job or maybe start thinking about other options (inside or outside the company).

• Unique Challenges for Women of Color in STEM: I really enjoyed this talk, because it taught me two things
• Have a little water with your wine: Don't be afraid to be yourself, but maybe tone it down a little. 
• Your best allies may not look like you. Don't make the assumption that because someone looks like you, it means they'll stand up for you. The vice versa is true.
• Turning Point - Embrace Your Female Self
• Know your pillars - Hers were Finances, Fitness, Family, and Faith.
• Be careful when sharing your dreams with others. They might be jealous. They might be sad. You often can't predict.
• Listen to a book on the drive to work or 10 pages a night. Reading everyday can be the equivalent to a new degree every few years. 
• Can we have it all? Being a Mother and Engineer (boy, I just love panels!)
• You're juggling a lot of balls in the air. You gotta know which ones are crystal.
• Make work work for you - whether want to stay home, work 75%, work full time, not move, etc. - yes, sacrifices will have to be made on both ends - but don't be afraid to ask.

There are a few others that I went to, but these are my biggest take-aways. 

-Serena