I think she's saying she'd like to work in an open and fair environment
which is what I am fortunate enough to share with my highly trained and
professional female counterparts. Thanks for keeping tabs on what I "need."
-----Original Message-----
From: Lenita [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2000 11:39 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; Cisco@Groupstudy. Com
Subject: RE: Cisco for Woman?
Listen and LEARN, R Gore..........you need to pay attention to what she's
saying.........
-----Original Message-----
From: Leigh Anne Chisholm [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2000 11:10 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
Cisco@Groupstudy. Com
Subject: RE: Cisco for Woman?
"R Gore", I'd love to work with you... My dream job is to work with people
I could learn from, and that could learn from me. <sigh>.
As a blonde, blue-eyed, slim, 32 year old female, I have not encountered
sexual inuendo or harassment by fellow networkers, but yes, it happens. As
the only female instructor teaching at a post-secondary level in the School
of Electronics and Electrical Engineering Technology at the Northern Alberta
Institute of Technology, I was asked to go out to all the high schools,
representing the institute and use my "femaleness" to attract female
students to the program. The problem was that enrollment had started to
drop drastically... and fewer students means fewer incoming dollars. They
were prepared to use whatever means available to get students into the
program. I wasn't impressed...
Often however, it's not harassment I encounter, but rather people tend to
treat me as if I don't know anything--I've had a monitor unplugged when on
course by a guy who thought I'd whine to the instructor being unable to fix
it myself. He thought I was just a pretty face (his friend ratted on him
when I quickly discovered the problem).
Yes, females *ARE* treated differently... but for me, it's always been an
advantage. I'm a people person, and I **like** to get to know people - to
find out what they're up to, what challenges they're encountering. Because
I'm female, I'm rare and because of my gender, I attract attention when I
walk into a room full of men. From seminar to seminar, people notice me.
After seeing me several times, their curiosity is piqued, and they'll come
over and initiate a dialog with me, especially if I'm talking with someone
they know. I generally get to know more people than the average
"networker".
Being female has been to my advantage - employers tend to hire people they
know and most of my work experience has been a result of people asking me to
work for them. The key is to treat people with respect--if they return the
respect, grand! If they don't, then they weren't worth getting to know
anyway and you really didn't want to work there...
-- Leigh Anne
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Friday, June 09, 2000 11:13 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: RE: Cisco for Woman?
>
>
> Lenita,
>
> I recommend you seek employment elsewhere and/or counseling...
>
> In my office of 12 engineers, 4 are women. I freely admit that in many
> respects, their networking/technical prowess exceeds my own and I'm not
> offended by that at all. I learn from them and they learn from me. They
> are good at what they do and well respected.
>
> R Gore
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lenita [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Friday, June 09, 2000 9:23 AM
> To: Ms. Maria; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: RE: Cisco for Woman?
>
>
> Let me speak to this from a woman's point of view. Being a trailblazer
> isn't a lot of fun, trust me. You are exactly right, this is a HEAVILY
> male-dominated field, and the best way to think of it as if the field were
> like white-collar construction; lots of male macho behaviour. Some of the
> crap I've heard and been exposed to in this field would automatically get
> people fired in other disciplines, but because they're just boyz,
> well, they
> were just kidding.....
> The level of sexual comments can be quite high - much higher than
> any other
> job I've been in......I mean I've heard some really offensive stuff coming
> out of some male techs some times......
>
> Often assertive women will get nailed (ie - fired, or tagged as
> being a dyke
> for being too assertive.....etc - you know the drill, I'm betting). If
> you're beautiful, 5'2" and submissive, that's perfect for a lot of these
> guys - but what that do for you in your career? The requirement for this
> job, I believe, is for a secure, professional and assertive
> person (notice I
> did not mention gender in my description).
>
> Yes, to some degree some men like diversity, but GOD FORBID that woman
> actually knows more than they do.........
>
> But having said all that, is it a good field for women? YES! There's NO
> reason we can't do the work, and this field, as you already have noted, is
> DESPARATE for female presence.......it's going to happen sooner or later,
> and the pay is decent. You're on the right track. PLEASE keep
> going..........
>
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