Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)

Most STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) fields are dominated by males — which makes them an excellent career choice for women!

STEM careers can be just right for many women.

Men do outnumber women in most STEM careers. For example, just 17 percent of Chemical Engineers and 22 percent of Environmental Scientists are women. But that doesn't mean it's hard for women to get jobs in those fields. In fact, many companies are actively looking to hire and keep qualified women for STEM jobs.

There are challenges, but help is out there. If you're a woman considering entering a STEM field, don't be put off by some of the challenges you may encounter.

Challenge 1: Shortage of mentors for women in STEM fields.

Research suggests that women have a harder time finding female mentors in STEM occupations. If you work in a STEM field, a more experienced employee in your workplace can show you the ropes and promote your accomplishments. This is important for anyone in any career, but especially for women in STEM, because they are often less likely than their male coworkers to promote themselves.

Solution 1: If you can't find a mentor in your organization, join a professional association.

Many associations, like the Association for Women in Science, the Society of Women Engineers, and the Association for Women in Mathematics have networking and mentoring opportunities (both online and in person).

Challenge 2: Lack of acceptance from coworkers and supervisors.

If you work in a STEM field, you might work mainly or exclusively with men, and you could face difficulty becoming an accepted part of the group. There's legal help if you face sexual harassment or discrimination in hiring and pay and, but it's not always easy to know what to do about subtle or unintentional exclusion.

Solution 2: Work for a company with female-friendly policies and programs.

Many companies understand that it's profitable to keep their talented female employees happy. These companies make special efforts to recruit women, to move them into leadership positions, offer flexible work or mentoring programs. Taking time to research potential employers to find out whether or not they understand and want to minimize the challenges for women working in male-dominated occupations.

Challenge 3: Coping with gender differences in the workplace.

Let's face it: men and women have different interaction styles (as documented by an entire body of research in social psychology). This plays itself out at work. If you're a woman working mostly with men, your daily reality will be different than if you were in a female-dominated workplace.

Solution 3: Educate yourself.

Read up on gender differences in communication. Learn what to expect by talking to women in STEM fields who can share insights. For example, don't wait to be asked before offering an opinion; learn how to handle mistakes, blame, and guilt in a male-dominated workplace; and learn the art of saying no to unreasonable requests.

Of course, not all STEM fields are dominated by men.

Many STEM fields have a fairly even mix of men and women, and others have many more women than men. For example:

• Database Administrators are 37 percent women
• Biological Scientists are 46 percent women
• Accountants and Auditors are 60 percent women
• Clinical Laboratory Technologists are 78 percent women
• Registered Nurse are 91 percent women