It is safe to say that many of the students here at Stevens Institute of Technology want to be engineers; however, what exactly does an engineer do on a daily basis?
This past Wednesday, the Society of Women Engineers hosted a discussion panel for undergraduates interested in understanding the tasks, challenges, and opportunities for female engineers working at one of the largest companies in the world, ExxonMobil. Tracy Depadova, China Darin, and Jamila Saadi, all current Exxon engineers, each offered their own personal histories and advice for students interested in pursuing an engineering career.
Depadova, with 22 years of experience as an Exxon engineer, received both her Bachelors and Masters in Mechanical Engineering. Currently, she works on an IT leadership team regardless of having little IT experience. “On my team, I offer the customer’s perspective. Sometimes, the IT people forget that there is an end user out there. So I challenge them to find ways to make things easier for the customer.”
China Darin recently graduated from Stevens last year with her Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and is now working on her Master’s Degree part time. She works in the Global Facilities and Real-Estate unit, a department that deals with fire safety, electrics, and other systems “to keep the building running.” She’s been working with Exxon for over a year now, and has had opportunities to work in California, Montana, and now New Jersey.
Saadi, a Civil Engineer who graduated from the University of Kansas, is also working towards her Masters here at Stevens. She is an Exxon employee and works at the Bayway Refinery, where Exxon is responsible for the environmental liability. There, she works as a project manager who helps progress environment remediation.
Each woman had unique experiences and was more than willing to answer questions posed by the audience. When asked if the ratio of men to women working at Exxon was just as disparate as the ratio at Stevens, Depadova responded, “It wouldn’t be uncommon to walk into a room and be the only female there; however, there are various departments such as Finances and IT that attract more women.” Saadi expressed that Exxon “values bringing diversity into their company” and thus has seen an increase in female hires, especially in the past several years.
Students asked other questions regarding the interview process, flexibility in work schedules, and Masters degrees. One female student asked whether or not the women were working in the fields that they had majored in. As a project manager, Darin oversees many different types of systems in her building. However, her passion is mechanical engineering, and whenever she has the opportunity, she does not shy away from mechanical challenges. “I jump at the opportunity when I can use my major.” Depadova and Saadi, mechanical and civil engineers respectively, currently do not do much technical work. Depadova joked, “I’m using my husband’s degree more than my own!” while Saadi said that she is doing more project management, applying her knowledge in various disciplines of engineering rather than just working in the civil engineering field.
An audience member asked whether or not the women found the Exxon environment hostile or supportive when faced with conflict and Saadi, Depadova, and Darin all attested that Exxon fosters an encouraging and proactive culture. Saadi said “We have an open door policy where I work. Everyone is always helpful, and I love answering questions when I can!” When it comes to an international corporation, the main goal is to generate revenue for the stockholders and Depadova has come to see that “everyone I work with has the same focus to make this goal happen.” Being on an IT team without much IT experience has allowed her to challenge those she works with, and she believes that “even if we have a big, spirited discussion, at the end of the day, we get what we need to get done.”
These three women offered true insight and knowledge regarding their careers at ExxonMobil. The Society of Women Engineers, whose main purpose is to empower female students to succeed and advance in engineering, continues to provide opportunities to students who wish to really grasp the complex, exciting, and fulfilling engineering profession.
