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The annual conference of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is not just an event. It is a symbol — a message to the world about the impact of women in engineering.
I attended my first WE conference, WE22, in Houston as a senior studying chemical engineering at the University of South Florida. A few peers and I shared an Airbnb and booked the only flight available. We were nervous, excited, and optimistic.
For students, the career fair is the center of attention and was my travel group’s focus. I had an offer in hand for full-time employment after graduation from one of the companies attending the career fair, and my two peers were actively seeking offers. My first stop was at the booth of the company that I had received an offer from.
After chatting for awhile, I realized that while it was a fantastic opportunity — it wasn’t the position I was looking for. Suddenly, I needed to pivot and use the career fair to find alternate employment. As we took our final walk around on the first session of the career fair before calling it a day, someone stopped us for a question.
“You girls wouldn’t happen to be chemical engineers, would you?”
This sparked a conversation between the three of us and two strangers who invited us to an event after the conference in downtown Houston, at a beautiful venue with free food and drinks. We accepted without even knowing what company was sponsoring this event.
When we arrived, we heard testimonials from women working in the industry. There were passionate conversations about the impact of women and how this company supported their employees. The event ended, and we left with aching feet from 12 hours in heels and a newfound light in our eyes — chatting in the Uber about all the possibilities in front of us.
The three of us ended up interviewing with a few different companies during the career fair and received a few offers afterwards. I ended up at a completely different company, but I learned about myself, what I valued, and all the potential I had. I was able to practice marketing myself to employers, creating confidence I desperately needed to overcome my imposter syndrome – something many female engineers struggle with.
I started working for Draper two weeks after I graduated college. The lessons I learned while stepping out of my comfort zone at WE22 allowed me to be confident in accepting a quality engineering position. I’ve attended WE23 in Los Angeles and WE25 in New Orleans since working with Draper.
During both conferences, I worked the booth at the career fair. My experience attending WE22 as a student has altered the way that I speak to prospective students and professionals during the career fair. While it is an opportunity to learn about candidates, it is also an opportunity for them to learn about us.
The WE conferences are an opportunity to learn about research, companies, peers, and professional skills. They also present an opportunity to learn about yourself, your preferences, your goals, and your passions.
SWE’s annual conference also offers an opportunity to learn about the city the conference is in. You can feel the energy and power of SWE throughout the city — businesses that welcome attendees, social gatherings after the conference, and the comfort of seeing someone else from the conference when you’re out and about.
There is something special about a gathering of individuals who support the mission of SWE. As a student and as an employee, I always leave WE conferences feeling seen. You can be certain that you will gain friends, knowledge, confidence, and a sense of belonging during a SWE annual conference.
At Draper, one of our missions is to foster a culture that values perspectives and drives meaningful impact through corporate and community engagement. Visit Draper’s website to learn about our STEM education initiatives, employee resource groups, veteran support, and more.
Podcast Episode: Work-Life Balance at Draper
In this episode of Diverse: a SWE podcast, Maureen Masiulis, director of space sensing, domain awareness, and control at Draper and acting vice president and general manager of Draper’s Space Systems Business Unit, shares her STEM journey from robotics in middle school to leadership roles in the aerospace and defense industries.
Hear how Maureen balances career growth with family and personal priorities, plus why Draper’s nonprofit model and programs like Draper Scholars make it a unique place for engineers to grow their careers:
