
Women in Industry |
Evelyn Garcia - Apprenticeship
Evelyn Garcia, a maintenance technician apprentice at Cushman & Wakefield, exemplifies the importance of embracing individuality
Women in Industry |
Breaking into a field in which you are the minority can bring up a multitude of emotions; fear, frustration, insecurity, curiosity, excitement, the list goes on. In recent years, we’ve seen an uptake in women joining the industrial and manufacturing fields, which have historically been predominately male industries. I had the pleasure of speaking with Anisha Patel, former Assistant Maintenance Manager and current Talent Acquisition Manager at C&W Services who was not only able to make a name for herself as part of our maintenance team at C&W, but in a leadership capacity, helping to foster a more inclusive culture for her team.
What has been your favorite part about working in an industrial environment?
Learning. Having a network of people with all different sorts of skill sets and different experiences has been an amazing way to continue to grow and learn. Everyone has something different to offer and teach. I also actually enjoy being the minority. It gives me a chance to surprise people. I once walked into a room of trainees and they were surprised to know that I was not only on the team, but a manager. They were all very respectful but it’s just not something you typically see. I love being able to represent women and the impact that I can make.
What struggles have you faced as a woman working in a predominately male field?
I have been fortunate to not have faced direct issues myself, but I know there are many who have. In general, although there are still fewer women in this environment, there is a lot less judgement than there used to be. If you don’t have the right group of people around you though, it can feel alienating being the minority. Again, I have been fortunate to be surrounded by a great group of people and an amazing team and have not had to endure that myself. With that, you still hear whispers of people that can be judgmental. I was once part of a leadership camp where out of 40 to 50 attendees, only 5 were female and at the time that was the most they’d ever had. There were those that whispered in the back that women shouldn’t be there and they’re ‘ruining the industry’, but those have become fewer and farther between.
What have you done to overcome these struggles?
Sometimes you just have to ignore it. Knowing that I may need to work a little harder to prove myself at first fuels me to keep learning and keep getting better. When I hear about those that still don’t believe that women can be successful in this industry, I use it as an opportunity to teach them that we can and deserve it just as much as anyone else.
What have you learned in the process?
If you are passionate about what you do, you care about your people, care about learning and if you have the soft skills, you can be successful in anything. Internalization of values and putting forth effort are the most important pieces. You also need to be willing to adapt. Even if you don’t think you’re qualified now, if you have the passion and the drive to succeed, you will get there.
What is your biggest piece of advice to women trying to start a career in this industry?
Own it. You’ll need to be aware of the reality of the situation and it’s not always as easy in the beginning for women as we are the minority in the field. Be prepared to face some sort of adversity or another. Don’t take other people’s opinions to heart and use it as fuel to outperform everyone. Above all, own the fact that you are a minority and give it a positive spin.
Women are increasingly making their presence known in many fields that have been historically male dominated, not just manufacturing. 48% of lawyers are women, 42% of chemists and 48% of veterinarians, just to name a few (work.chron.com). What I’ve learned from speaking with Anisha along with other women in the industry, is that if you want something then go for it! You are just as capable as anyone and if you’re willing to learn, adapt and put forth the effort, you can accomplish anything.
https://work.chron.com/careers-male-dominated-10935.html