Female Engineers of Color in Early Career: Overcoming Challenges Through Networking and Other External Supports

• In Event: Crafting Success for Women and Girls in STEM

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the challenges that minority female engineers face in their first years of employment, and how their social and professional networks have prepared them to face these challenges. The target population is women of color who are one to five years into their engineering careers. We focus on this population because minority women currently account for only 5% of engineers in the workforce (NSF, 2017a).

Data is collected through one-on-one interviews of underrepresented minority female engineers who graduated between 2011 and 2015. The data are analyzed to identify challenges experienced early in their careers and supports that universities and professional associations can provide to assist them in this stage of their career.

Authors

• Roberta Rincon, Society of Women Engineers

• Nicole Yates