Erica Weems

Erica Weems

Title
Test Engineer
Organization
Niitek
Location
VA
Erica Weems
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Biography

I am a Test Engineer with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Engineering. I develop software applications and hardware to test the different components that make up the Ground Penetrating radar systems my company manufactures. One of the things I love about engineering is solving problems. I have a 5 year old daughter and am excited to get her interested in math and science as she grows up. She recently has joined the Girl Scouts and I am a volunteer. I hope to be able to bring fun ideas from a engineering, math and science prospective to the troop.

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Hello, I'm currently in my final year of high school and am thinking of choosing to do engineering in Uni. The problem is my mum is really against engineering because she believes it to be a male orientated job where people work in factories or construction sites? I was wondering if there were more office type jobs in engineering and if it is a suitable job for girls. Also, do you have any advice on how to get my mum to support me in choosing to do engineering? Thanks.

Hi Anna, I can understand your mother's concern. However, after 4 years of college in a male dominated major I think you'll be more than used to working with the fellas and holding your own. :-) More times than not I was assigned to groups and labs in college where I was the only female. So you get used to it. Then you realize you know just as much as they do if not more sometimes. ;-) I think any job can be suitable for a girl if that's the job you truly want to do. But I can only speak from my own personal experience. My degree is in Computer Engineering which basically combines Computer Science with Electrical Engineering. I initially was just going to major in Computer Science until a female engineering adviser convinced me otherwise. I'm glad she did. There were usually two or three girls in my engineering courses, but sometimes I was the only girl in the whole class. Currently, I am the only woman engineer on my team at my company. For me this is an afterthought, because my male counterparts respect me and the skill set I bring to the company. I don't know your interests but I think day to day activities can vary depending on your career choice, job responsibilities, and the type of company you may work for. For me, one day I can be writing a software application in my office, the next day in the lab developing a fixture, the next day on the manufacturing floor troubleshooting a complex system, or the next day traveling to our research and development facility to learn about a new product. I like it that way. I wouldn't want to just sit in my office all the time. I feel that if you are confident, assertive, and know your stuff there is no reason to feel intimidated in male dominated environment. We need more girls in engineering. Hope this helps. :-)