5 Women, 7 Lessons, 1 Global Celebration: Sharing Insights, Success this International Women in Engineering Day

This story starts with five women from #OurJacobs team in Europe with different nationalities, qualifications and career roles, but all with one thing in common: a deep-set passion to learn and develop as people and professionals. To celebrate the tenth birthday of International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), we’re showcasing the diversity that exists within women in engineering and STEAM-based roles.

This year’s central theme is #MakeSafetySeen, but we’ve added a few more. We’re focusing on the role and impact of mentoring, the emphasis on women supporting women and celebrating the diversity within a single group of women.

“Seeing the impact of clear and measurable career progression when we share our experience, learning and opportunities in a safe environment is fabulous,” explains Director of Operations Sarah Shanahan.

While INWED has steadily gained momentum throughout the last decade, more work must be done to increase the number of women entering STEAM roles. Part of the answer includes elevating women in this space and sharing their lessons with the rest of the industry.

“The best way to support women in engineering is to provide positive role models, promote the work women do, celebrate achievements of all sizes, actively support girls going through school and choosing their careers and degrees, and highlight those women who lead and share their experiences wider,” explains Head of Discipline for Water Science & Hydromorphology Dr. Rebecca Westlake.

Our mentors, Head of Discipline for Water Science & Hydromorphology Dr. Rebecca Westlake; Director of Operations Sarah Shanahan; Principal Flood Risk Engineer Rebecca Alexandre; Water & Environment Sector Lead Katarzyna Skibinska; and Associate Director Marjan Moghaddasi share their lessons gleaned from their experiences:

Lesson 1: Speaking out helps protect our people and define our culture.

Dr. Rebecca Westlake: “In making safety seen, we need to speak out and stand up for what we believe, even if it’s not representative of the status quo. In the past, we wouldn’t challenge things that aren’t safe, whereas now, progress has been made at work where you’re actively encouraged to speak up and you know that people will have your back and support safety, whether it’s out on site, in the office or within a project environment.” 

Rebecca Alexandre: “Health and safety is the number one priority. Whether we are professionals or aspiring engineers, we collectively need to cultivate a culture that steps back and takes a visible stance for protecting the safety and wellbeing of ourselves and others.”

Sarah Shanahan: “Find your emotional investment in safety. I never want to be trapped in a position where I say the words: ‘If only I had….’ This motivates and empowers me daily to speak up, both at work and outside, to help make safety seen.”

Katarzyna Skibinska: “Our Beyond Zero ethos shows that safety is not only a set of guidelines and regulations but also a culture we should all live by. As a mental health ambassador at Jacobs, I strongly emphasize that wellbeing is a crucial safety element.”

Lesson 2: Empowering others starts with self-care and awareness.

Rebecca Alexandre: “I appreciate this advice from a fellow woman in STEAM: Take time to replenish, re-energize and refresh yourself. It can be all too easy to give our vigor and energy to work we enjoy, but you can only pour from a full cup. It’s essential to take the time needed to create balance and create time for life’s other priorities too.”

Marjan Moghaddasi: “The best advice I received from my mentor was to ensure that I appreciated my capabilities, achievements and impact on the team. That provides my foundation to create a supportive culture for other women through acknowledging and praising their achievements and by providing mentoring.”

Dr. Rebecca Westlake: “We’re all spinning so many plates, so having positive mental health and wellbeing is crucial. We are often overly critical of ourselves and need positivity, whether offered through a safe space or sharing a positive mindset cue. The best advice I’ve ever received is just be yourself, be kind to yourself and work hard for the things you want in life, and the rewards will come. As part of this, you need to define who  supports you and understand your values and what’s important to you. Aligning with those values will give you greater confidence in whatever you do and help you to empower others.”

Lesson 3: Soft skills are the solution to future disruption.

Marjan Moghaddasi: “The crucial skills we all need for the future start with flexibility, an openness to change in today’s fast-paced environment and a willingness to commit to active, continuous learning. That helps you to upskill over time to be able to solve more complex problems.”

Sarah Shanahan: “Having a growth mindset is a future-proof blueprint for success. Knowing what you want to achieve is great, but how you get there will evolve in time. When we’re willing to explore new skills and are supported by a great network, the sky is the limit in what we can achieve.”

Rebecca Alexandre: “Resilience and the ability to adapt to change is becoming more important, whether technical, social or organizational. We can’t become ingrained or fossilized in one way of doing things. We must expect new challenges, create methods of solving them and identify the opportunities that are partnered with change.”

Dr. Rebecca Westlake: “We all need skills in leadership and development as well as technical skills to fulfill our role obligations. We need to adapt to a changing world and diversify our thinking and development to grow.”

Lesson 4: Mentoring is a two-way street.

Marjan Moghaddasi: “The biggest lesson in my career so far has been to listen to people at all levels and learn from their experiences — that’s helped me continually learn across various skill sets.”

Sarah Shanahan: “Mentoring is a learning relationship that helps long-term career progression on both sides of the lessons. Successful mentoring provides real support and guidance. We get to know each other through quality conversations.”

Lesson 5: Don’t become your biggest obstacle.

Dr. Rebecca Westlake: “The biggest obstacle to growth is likely to be yourself. My biggest lesson has been to realize that it’s possible to achieve anything if you let it happen and don’t self-limit your opportunities. You don’t need to know all the answers or be perfect. Trust yourself and your support, and then run and see where it takes you.”

Rebecca Alexandre: “We need to find a way to enjoy all the tasks that we have to do. Some aspects of our work will be fun, spark our imaginations and tickle our ingenuity, but other parts will be less exciting, and still have to be done! It’s important to not avoid or mindlessly grind and graft through the tasks we dislike — instead, focus on what prized skill you are developing and how it may benefit you and others in the future.”

Lesson 6: Understand your strengths and weaknesses when empowering others.

Sarah Shanahan: “Be aware of unconscious bias. You need to know what yours are and constantly pause to consider if it’s influencing your choices. For example, as a leader, I must find ways to access the talent I personally don’t know yet.”

Katarzyna Skibinska: “Support other women by getting them involved in project or program delivery and share roles with more responsibility. Help them become more recognizable to the team and stakeholders. Outside your company, you should respect other women in the industry, connect with them and support them where possible.”

Lesson 7: Vulnerability and approachability are key to networking.

Sarah Shanahan: “Invest in your networks and deliver on your promises. Establish a common sense of purpose. Be selective with your time. Investing too much of it in relationships that drain your energy will hold you back.”

Rebecca Alexandre: “Be approachable and take the initiative to provide mentoring, practical help, inspiration and praise whenever you can. Don’t put too much pressure on all your interactions. I might do some research beforehand to ask useful questions, but it’s much more important to listen carefully and be ready to share knowledge and resources.”

Katarzyna Skibinska: “You need to create a mindset where you’re constantly thinking of what you can learn from people you’re working with and the tasks you’re involved in.”

Dr. Rebecca Westlake: “Grow a network and trust it. It will evolve as you’ll need various people at different times of your life, but you can’t grow and thrive without that support. The hardest thing is asking for that help in the first place — once you realize and overcome it, it’s the easiest thing in the world. Make more of the Employee Network Groups, connect via LinkedIn, attend organized networking sessions, actively seek out mentors and don’t feel like you need to have it all figured out to have a mentor. It’s okay to feel vulnerable — vulnerability shows strength, not weakness.”

At Jacobs, we understand that “inclusion” is a verb, not a noun. It means being transparent and taking action on our statements, commitments and initiatives that drives meaningful, measurable change both in our company and in the communities that we serve. Discover more about life at #OurJacobs here.