While there are great rewards for women in an auto tech career—working with your hands, building something from scratch, the opportunity to be an entrepreneur—there are also challenges.
1. Feelings of isolation
One of the biggest struggles is not having the comradery created when working with other women. Social media can help, but that’s no substitute for having fellow women in the room. Many women techs are the only ones in their shop, with no other peers to bounce around ideas with or simply vent their frustrations to.
2. Skeptical male colleagues
There’s no one kind of male auto technician, and so they will have a wide range of reactions to a female tech on their team. Yes, some will be unsure whether you can do the job, but many will be very supportive. Most won’t really care either way as long as you pull your weight.
3. Negative work environment
When times get tough, see if you can find support from at least one person in the shop. Embrace their positive energy and ignore the rest. That negativity is really not about you, it’s the insecurity of your male colleagues bubbling to the surface. If it’s too much, find a shop with a more positive and reinforcing culture. There are great working environments out there, looking for workers like you. Know your limits and respect them.
And remember …
Not everything bad that comes your way is because of sexism. If your first weeks or months are spent sweeping floors, taking out the garbage, and doing simple work like oil changes, don’t get discouraged. Everyone needs to pay their dues, regardless of their gender.
Information provided by the TechForce Foundation
