People say that age is just a number. However, that number often comes with many assumptions, especially for women in engineering. Whether you were the first female engineer in your group 30 years ago or are a brand-new engineer who started in the middle of a pandemic, you may find yourself as the only woman in the meeting having to stand up for yourself more often than you would like. Inquisitive co-workers may ask if you are the new student intern or when you plan to retire. Whatever your age, your contributions are important, and your voice needs to be heard. Both early and late career professionals bring significant perspectives and experiences to the table. This session will look at the challenges that both early and late career professionals face in the workplace and discuss tactics to combat ageism in the workplace.
Learning Objectives:
Describe common misconceptions and stereotypes about early career and late career professionals,
Recognize practices that exclude early career or late career employees from making meaningful contributions
Share strategies to combat the stereotypes and educate coworkers about implicit and explicit ageism.
