The article “Improving Engagement and Career Longevity in Structural Engineering” struck a chord with me. The author’s candidness was perfect. The points were relevant and will help bring to light actual barriers to retainment in structural engineering.
As a 20 something, female structural engineer, this article made my day. About a month ago, I almost left the industry to pursue a stress analyst role in aerospace. I ended up deciding to stick it out in the building industry a little longer. I have worked so hard to get where I am, and it is hard to let all of that effort go. To save money, I completed my master’s degree in structural engineering in a year. To keep up with increasing levels of responsibility, I took the SE exams a year after I started my first job. For me, structural engineering sounded like a great career, as it combined lifelong technical learning and architecture. We play a vital role in the built environment, especially with regard to public safety. However, lingering hardships can make this profession frustrating for female structural engineers. Sometimes it is just hard to deal with the “boys club” mentality of our profession, especially when it comes to CA work, and the poor maternity and paternity leave benefits in many small A|E firms make it feel like I am penalized as a female engineer for starting a family. I have seen female engineers get overlooked for promotions after they have a child, and this is really discouraging. There is a lot of lingering 1950s mentality left among firm leaders, unfortunately, but it is encouraging to see people advocate for good improvements in our profession. I have also witnessed a lot of turnover among structural engineers in the building industry, and it has made me question my own reasons for going into the profession. Addressing retention is good for the profession as a whole because when young structural engineers like me start questioning if we made a mistake in getting into this industry, we jeopardize losing the next generation.
Name withheld upon request