How Identity Has Influenced a Senior Project Manager's Career at John A Martin and Associates
Adena's career journey as a woman and immigrant in the male-dominated engineering industry involved overcoming challenges like being underestimated by contractors who "sometimes don't take you seriously," and navigating the initial difficulties of "not knowing what to expect" as a newcomer to the United States and the industry. Consistent effort and building strong relationships ultimately allowed Adena to advance, demonstrating that perseverance and self-belief can lead to success despite facing significant obstacles.
Overcoming Challenges, Women in STEM, Immigrant Experiences, Project Management, Communication Skills
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Adena Geiger
Sr project manager
John A Martin & Associates
UCLA 2013
UC Berkeley masters of science
Engineering - Civil
Architecture, Construction & Design
Operations and Project Management
Scholarship Recipient, Immigrant, Transfer Student, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Being a woman in a male-dominated field: Adena discusses the challenges she faced being one of the few women in her classes and on construction sites, where she sometimes wasn't taken seriously. She emphasizes the importance of women supporting each other and the need for both men and women leaders to create inclusive environments.
2. Overcoming the challenges of being an immigrant: Adena describes the difficulties she encountered as an immigrant navigating the US college system and learning English while simultaneously pursuing her education. She highlights the importance of self-paced learning, consistency, and avoiding self-comparison.
3. Building confidence and networking: Adena shares her strategy for gaining respect and building strong professional relationships. She stresses the importance of self-confidence, effective communication, and actively building connections with the right people to advance in her career.
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a woman and immigrant in the engineering industry, how has that impacted how you've navigated your career?
In the engineering industry, as many people know, there aren't many women. The industry is starting to hire more women, but we're still at about 20%.
When I was in school, there weren't many women in our classes either. At Berkeley, women made up 30% of the class, which was a high number and exciting.
However, being a woman in this field wasn't always comfortable at first. This was especially true in construction, a very male-dominated field where we deal with many contractors.
Frankly, some people don't take you seriously. They might look down on you or doubt your intelligence and knowledge of the construction industry. This has been challenging.
With more women entering the industry and making it more acceptable, things are improving. Women supporting women is key. In my company, there are many more women now than when I started.
Women leaders and male leaders should support women as well. When you have support within your company, people outside will also respect you.
Ultimately, it takes confidence and building good relationships. You have to make an effort to build those connections. It provided me an opportunity to practice that and ensure I was making good connections and communicating effectively.
After talking with people and showing that I know what I'm talking about, they start to respect you.
Being an immigrant was also a challenge for me. When I moved here, I went straight to college, starting at community college. I had to figure everything out from day one because I didn't know what to expect or what to do.
Others had been preparing for college since high school, while I was jumping right in. I didn't know what classes to take and was figuring it all out. My English was also limited, even though I had started learning it before moving.
It took a couple of years to feel comfortable speaking, reading, and understanding things. I found myself comparing myself with people my age.
I felt I had to move fast and keep up with everyone. But it's important to move at your own pace and not compare yourself to others. Push yourself, but compare yourself to yourself.
Consistency is the most important thing. Once you are consistent, you can achieve your goals. You might not start at the same level as others, but you can end up higher than them.