Success in Engineering Profession: Gender Differences and Challenges

This essay explores the gender differences and challenges faced by female engineers in achieving professional success in the field of engineering. It discusses the areas where clear distinctions exist in the path of success for both genders.

Running head: SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING PROFESSION
SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING PROFESSION
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING PROFESSION
Engineering is an occupation, which consists of resolving complications with the
utilization of expert esoteric and experiential skills. The study of engineering encompasses
the concepts of arithmetic, technology, fact-finding, draft blueprint, conservation and
fabrication. Every sector and every nation requires the assistance of engineers in order to
function effortlessly and to provide a comfortable living standard to all its citizens. Engineers
are the architects of a modern society. In many instances, it can be heard that the profession
of engineering falls under the domain of males. Males are abounding in this profession with
the exception of very few females [1]. This essay outlines the fact to construct an
argumentative essay with respect to the existing differences between each gender at
succeeding at an engineering career. The essay includes a general conception of unfairness
faced by female engineers and subsequently the areas where clear distinctions exist in the
path of success for both the genders.
Engineering is a field where clear professional distinctions between men and women
exist all over the world. In the engineering schools and universities, men and women graduate
in equal numbers. Additionally, women sometimes outperform men in securing good grades.
However, when they graduate from their engineering colleges, the success path differs
massively. For men, the journey of success is very clear-cut. Primarily, men must get into
good colleges, obtain excellent grades, and secure satisfying jobs and then ultimately find
success by being productive and efficient performers. Contrastingly, women are not so lucky
in this arena. They have to combat many additional issues, which may or may not be related
to their profession. Even in this 21st century society, particularly the subtle societal effect of
patriarchy places undue restrictions on women [2]. This further proves to be a hindrance for
women in achieving professional success as admittedly at present engineering is still a male-
dominated sphere.

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To find success in an engineering career, males must give complete focus on their
careers irrespective of the branch of engineering, workplace style and place of origin. The
notion of equality and the manner of work-life stability practiced by the organization are
comparatively of less importance to males in engineering. In this modern world, men are still
considered to be the primary breadwinner of families and they are expected to contribute less
effort to domesticity. Though this phenomenon is undergoing rapid change due to
feminization, however it will take years or may be centuries to efface it completely. By
overlooking these factors, males can still find success in engineering. On the other hand, to
find success in an engineering career, women must not only focus on giving complete
attention to their work but must also equally find a workplace, which places strong,
emphasize on egalitarianism and women empowerment [3]. This is because unlike men,
women are the primary care-givers in the domestic sphere. Therefore, they have certain
obligations to be performed in their personal life as well. Therefore, men and women differ in
the above aspect in finding success at an engineering career.
To find success at an engineering career, women must be assertive and have strong
personalities. In the engineering world, there is a tendency of men exercising their
domination over the other gender in the workplace simply because men outnumber women in
huge numbers. Women in the engineering sector must know how to make their voice be
heard and listened to incase of any conflict or opposition, which occurs frequently in the
engineering field. On the other hand, males can be of meek disposition and yet find success at
an engineering career courtesy by their merit, brilliance and dedication [4]. Therefore, men
and women differ in the above aspect in finding success at an engineering career.
To find success at an engineering career, males must join a formidable work team. An
exceptional team can inspire its fellow male employees to strive hard and give their best. It is
well known that inspiring company inspires one to perform hard for success. Contrastingly,

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this is not applicable for the other gender. Female engineers must not only choose an
exceptional team, but also a team in which every team members support the image of women
working in a male dominated career [5]. It would be much more advantageous if the team
they choose comprises people of both the genders because then only female engineers can
work harmoniously and achieve professional credit. Therefore, men and women differ in the
above aspect in finding success at an engineering career.
To find success at an engineering career, males are required to work industriously and
contribute massively in enhancing the productivity of their engineering firms. Hard work is
an important requisite if not the most important of all, to enjoy prosperity. On the other hand,
women must not only work industriously but must also work sharply. Women must work
sharp in the sense that they must trust their instincts while doing their job. In the perceptions
of many engineering specialists, female engineers are still considered to be inferior to male
engineers. The above disparity might be due to ingrained gender bias or any other issue but
the truth is clear. It can be the case that the immediate supervisor of a female engineer holds
disfavor against female engineers and think them to be technically and professionally
incapable [6].Therefore, to evade discriminatory discharge or other professional unfairness,
female engineers must strive to put smart efforts in the workplace. Therefore, men and
women differ in the above aspect in finding success at an engineering career.
To achieve professional success at an engineering career, the socio-cultural customs
of the country in which the female engineer is working also affects the success factor in their
professional domain. The influence of the organization has been already discussed. Equally
important is the influence projected by the country in which the organization is situated.
However, it might sound invidious and prejudicial, but the stark reality is that some nations
strongly favor women empowerment while other nations are still entangled in the chains of
medieval chauvinism [7]. Therefore, when a talented female engineer is employed in a

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progressive country, the path of achieving professional meritocracy becomes plain sailing and
less cumbersome. On the other hand, male engineers do not have to expend excess time and
effort in finding a progressive country to work as because males possess the birthright and the
freedom to pursue any occupation of their choice in all the countries of the world [8].
Therefore, men and women differ in the above aspect in finding success at an engineering
career.
Conclusively, it can be said that capable engineers irrespective of their gender are
deserving of professional applause and commendation. All engineers work assiduously and
promote massively to the advancement of the economies of the countries in which they work
and live. Unfortunately, female engineers incessantly face discrimination and sexism injected
by the male colleagues or by the community, at large. This occurs due to perceived masculine
superficiality in the field of engineering. Despite being professionally efficient and astute,
female engineers have to combat huge complex obstacles to reach the pinnacles of success in
engineering.

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SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING PROFESSION
References
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faculty's subtle gender biases favor male students", 2017. .
[3]C. Hoyt, "Gender bias in employment contexts: A closer examination of the role
incongruity principle", 2017.
[4]"‘Yes, I do belong’: the women who stay in engineering", Taylor & Francis, 2017.
[Online]. Available: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19378629.2013.855781.
[Accessed: 01- Dec- 2017].
[5]K. Randeree, "Workforce Nationalization in the Gulf Cooperation Council
States", Papers.ssrn.com, 2017. [Online]. Available: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?
abstract_id=2825910. [Accessed: 01- Dec- 2017].
[6]"Engineering ExchangesSocial Psychological and Personality Science - William M. Hall,
Toni Schmader, Elizabeth Croft, 2015", Journals.sagepub.com, 2017. [Online]. Available:
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1948550615572637. [Accessed: 01- Dec- 2017].
[7]K. Lyness and M. Judiesch, "Gender Egalitarianism and Work-Life Balance for Managers:
Multisource Perspectives in 36 Countries", 2017.

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[8]2017. [Online]. Available: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-
0432.2012.00589.x/fulll. [Accessed: 01- Dec- 2017].