What I learned at WE14 (Society of Women Engineers conference)

Last week I attended the Society of Women Engineers annual conference.  I have not been involved in the Society since college, so I was not sure what to expect.  I would like to share some key take aways. 

1.  There are some amazing women in STEM and they are all unique.  The college students that came around at our recruiting booth had phenomenal resumes and were very eloquent.  It made me wonder if I was that impressive as a graduating senior.  The booths themselves at the recruiting event were elaborate and it was cool to see what other engineers were doing.

There was a wide range of women that I heard speak.  Gwynne Shotwell, COO of SpaceX, admitted her lack of work life balance and her love of fashion (which led her to engineering, interestingly enough).  Her experience as a working mom was defined by being divorced with joint custody.  It goes to show you that everyone's story is different.

I also sat in on a panel of leaders speaking about Authentic Leadership.  I think this topic has been widely discussed recently and I think it helps individuals define who they are by what is important to them and what they want to accomplish.  Later in my career I have found companies that fit my values because I know the work I do will compliment my life goals. 

2.  After getting over the awe of those around me, I remembered I am one of these unique, intelligent women.  I also have something to share.  I attended sessions about STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) outreach to girls, as well as supporting working moms. I realized I have experiences that I can use to coach and share my story with others.  I can be a role model for girls, as well as those just starting their careers. 

3.  Finally, I started to think about the potential of all this knowledge and energy.  Together we can do amazing things. The amount of brainpower in that conference building was amazing. I can only imagine what we can accomplish together. SWE has an established history of supporting outreach programs for girls. I attended a Techbridge presentation, which is a non profit based in Oakland that has well defined and easy to access outreach programs. 

I think there is also a need (which is starting to be addressed more) to support STEM career women, especially when ramping on and off for various reasons.  None of us have the exact same situation, but we can share our experiences and coach other women to recognize there are choices for working moms and boomerang careers. 

All in all, it was invigorating to get out of the daily return and network with other technical women.  I am looking forward to getting more involved in SWE and science outreach events.