July , 2003
A: FROM MENTOR SUZANNE FRANKS IN KS
: Brittany, there are many answers to your question, depending upon
how you meant it when you asked it. Is it more difficult for women to
succeed in SET fields than in other kinds of careers, like law or
medicine or business? I would say, no. In all these areas, careers can
either be very demanding or very manageable, depending upon how ambitious
you are and how much you want (or are willing) to let your career
guide other decisions in life. Success in any field requires commitment
and hard work. A SET career can take less time (and cost much less) to
prepare for than a career in law or medicine. For example, many SET
jobs may require only a bachelor's or master's degree. This might take
a total of 5 or at most 6 years to get both degrees. A law degree takes
3 years past undergraduate for a total of 7, and a medical degree takes
4 years past undergraduate for a total of 8, then you also have years of
intern and residency. SET careers in industry often have very regular
hours (at least in my experience) and many companies now provide all kinds
of on-site services and things to make it easier to balance work and life.

Or maybe you meant - is it harder for women to succeed in SET careers than
it is for men to succeed in SET careers? There the answer is a little
trickier.
I do not think it is any harder for women to do well at SET careers than
it is for men. We are all humans, with all kinds of capabilities - there is
no such thing as a math gene that boys have and girls don't, for example.
However, women in SET careers unfortunately still have to deal with some
kinds of prejudice and discrimination based on gender, and if you are a
woman of color, there is racial prejudice to deal with as well. This does not
mean you cannot succeed. It just means that, in addition to all you need to
learn and do to be successful in SET, you also have to learn how to deal
effectively with the idiots you may run into along the way, and you will have to
expend some emotional and intellectual energy, and time, to deal with those
idiots.
Men - especially white men - generally do not have to expend this extra
time and energy, so that's an advantage they have. But it has nothing to do
with inherent ability to perform in SET careers. That said, it is also true
that a woman can run into this kind of gender stupidity in almost any career. It
happens more often and is often more explicit in careers where men
predominate, such as SET careers. However, subtle forms of
discrimination, such as one encounters in other kinds of careers, can be just as much of
a problem, and sometimes much harder to deal with.

Unfortunately, being a woman, you will have to deal with the fact that
some folks - men and women - may think you are just not as good as a man, no
matter what you do. That's their problem. Don't let fear of that keep you from
doing something you love. Finally, the single most important thing you
can do for yourself to make it much easier to have a successful and happy
career is not anything you can learn in school or do on the job. It is
this: be very, very, very choosy about who you are willing to let into
your life as a partner in a relationship. The person who is worthy of
your time and love is someone who will happily support you in your efforts
and applaud when you reach your goals. A supportive and loving partner is
invaluable. A partner who does not value your ambition and your goals
for yourself is much worse than almost anything you will have to deal with
at work.
Be choosey. If someone is making you feel like you ought to give up
on certain goals or be less ambitious in order to be loved - run in the
opposite direction and look for someone better!