Rules and Guidelines
Want to participate in the discussions? Please read our Community Rules and Guidelines. Need some help? Visit Support and Answers.

  • State Not Answered
  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 8 replies
  • Subscribers 9 subscribers
  • Views 649 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
You may also be interested in
This discussion is locked.
You cannot post a reply to this discussion. If you have a question start a new discussion

Calvin Asks: How can I be taken more seriously?

CalvinTheEngineer
I’m a female engineer (one of the 9%!) and I’ve just started working in industry for the first time after getting my PhD.


Most of the people I work with are really nice, but there are couple of the more senior managers (both men) who constantly talk down to me, talk over me in meetings and generally dismiss my contributions and don’t take me seriously.


I don’t want to complain to HR or anything – I don’t want to be seen as weak or a problem as I’ve heard some horror stories from other female engineers.


Do you have any advice for me about how I can handle these managers?

 
Need advice but  too shy to ask? Have a question of a ‘sensitive’ nature and would prefer to remain anonymous? Need to get something off your chest but worried about the boss (or your colleagues) finding out? Then ‘Ask Calvin’ !  

Submit your questions confidentially to AskCalvin@theiet.org and Calvin will ask the community on your behalf to give you the anonymity you want to find the advice you need.

Parents
  • 0
    One other thing that neither Bill nor Nancy mentioned is have a word with your line manager. You said that most of the people you work with are really nice in which case it would be a shame to let a couple of (senior) idiots spoil it for you so you should try to find a resolution and your manager should be able to help.

    Like Bill, have known my share of graduates with a PhD who were useless in the real world (but in defence of that, the same is true of some graduates with a Masters or Bachelors degree, and I have worked with a number of people with a PhD who I consider brilliant). While I always try to reserve judgement until I see how they perform in industry, I have known those who have become prejudiced by meeting such people and therefore dealt with later graduates in the way you have described.

    Alasdair
Reply
  • 0
    One other thing that neither Bill nor Nancy mentioned is have a word with your line manager. You said that most of the people you work with are really nice in which case it would be a shame to let a couple of (senior) idiots spoil it for you so you should try to find a resolution and your manager should be able to help.

    Like Bill, have known my share of graduates with a PhD who were useless in the real world (but in defence of that, the same is true of some graduates with a Masters or Bachelors degree, and I have worked with a number of people with a PhD who I consider brilliant). While I always try to reserve judgement until I see how they perform in industry, I have known those who have become prejudiced by meeting such people and therefore dealt with later graduates in the way you have described.

    Alasdair
Children
No Data

Join us to get the best from IET EngX.

Joining EngX lets you personalise your experience so you stay up to date on the topics that interest you, plus you’ll be able to make connections who are looking to collaborate, exchange ideas and more.

Join us Not now

Community Rules & Guidelines