SWE - Spring 2009 - (Page 7)

VIEW FROM THE EXECUTIVE SUITE From Stumbling Blocks to Stepping Stones EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO: Betty Shanahan, CAE, F. SWE SWE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: President/Virginia Connolly, P.E. Medtronic President Elect/Nora Lin, Northrop Grumman Electronics Systems hat may seem to be a stumbling block may be a stepping stone to something greater.” My mother first offered this perspective after my high school application had been rejected despite good grades and exam scores. With this unanticipated setback, I struggled to move forward, relying on my mother’s viewpoint to reframe the situation. As it turned out, the school that did accept me was ideal in many ways, and pointed me to a career in engineering. The current economic crisis is spreading scores of stumbling blocks. Many SWE members are experiencing a sense of loss, vulnerability, and even despair as the jobs, employers, and industries with which we self-identify contract, diminish, or even disappear. In these circumstances, it’s important to transform the stumbling block into a stepping stone by taking advantage of all that SWE has to offer. As a first step, we can define ourselves beyond our last jobs or favorite classes. For the first decade of my career, I was a minicomputer designer and loved it. Like so many of my colleagues, I was unprepared for the rapid decline in the market for minicomputers and those who designed them. Suddenly, it became clear that if I wanted to work, I had to adapt to a changing landscape. With friends in SWE Boston serving as role models and mentors, I took a technical marketing position that led to a “second career” in the business side of technology. This shift was truly a stepping stone to a wonderful line of work that built on my engineering background. SWE colleagues are a valuable resource. Attend a section activity or meet others virtually on My SWE Communities. SWE colleagues will help remind us that economic conditions have a broad impact that is neither personal nor a reflection on your capabilities. Their insights into new industries or career paths can help you see new opportunities. It is discouraging to job hunt in the face of headlines announcing layoffs and other grim news. But many employers are taking advantage of the availability of quality engineers to expand their work forces. Just flip through the pages of this issue of SWE to see the diversity of opportunities that exist. As ads pique your interest, be sure to reference any code that appears in the ad or note that you saw it in SWE — employers do value SWE membership. Companies have posted hundreds of jobs on SWE’s Career Center (www.swe.org/careers) in the last 60 days. Be sure to check out the positions regularly and post your resume for employers who search our database. From multiple personal experiences I have found that frustration, tears, and anger don’t turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones. But perseverance, creativity, and networking do. Make SWE’s network and resources important tools in sculpting your stepping stones. “W Secretary/Fran Stuart Retired Treasurer/Joan Graf Qwest Communications Directors/ Bernice Brody, Professional Development, IBM Melissa Tata, External Affairs, Dell Inc. Siddika Demir, Education, Genentech Erin McGinnis, Membership Initiatives, Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems Director of Strategic Initiatives/Karolyn Tiefenbach, Retired Transoma Medical Director of Regions/Alyse Stofer Speaker of the Council/ Diana Joch Northrop Grumman Information Systems Collegiate Representative/ Brittney Elko The Clorox Company FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact: The Society of Women Engineers 230 E. Ohio St. Suite 400 Chicago, IL 60611 312-596-5223 Fax 312-596-5252 http://www.swe.org E-mail: hq@swe.org Visit our Web site at: SWE (ISSN 1070-6232), Magazine of the Society of Women Engineers, is published quarterly with an extra issue in October by the Society of Women Engineers, 230 E. Ohio St., Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60611. Annual subscription rates: SWE members,$10.00 included in dues; SWE student members, $7.50 included in dues; non-members, $30.00. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: SWE, c/o Society of Women Engineers at the above address. Copyright 2009 Society of Women Engineers Betty Shanahan, CAE, F. SWE SWE Executive Director & CEO SWE SPRING 2009 7 http://www.swe.org http://www.swe.org/careers

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SWE - Spring 2009

SWE - Spring 2009 Heritage Club Contents President's Note View from the Executive Suite Editor’s Page Honoring Women’s History Public Policy Update First Lady: The “Second-Hardest Job in America” Bringing Science and Engineering into Public Policy At the Intersection of Engineering and Public Policy From Research to Reality Coffee Table Dialogues Membership Information & Calendar A&B Winning Essays from the Lava Lounge Engineering World: Issues • Events • Technology • People Point of View: Your Role in Public Policy Career Toolbox: Communicating with Congress; Finding Your Voice Corporate Partnership Council Media Shelf: Women’s History Opportunity Index SWE Scrapbook: Dressed for Success

SWE - Spring 2009

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.