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"Develop a thick skin. Learn to deal with bias and criticism, but don't
lose your compassion or nurturing or the other good things that men may
think are weaknesses. Business needs more of that."
Drafters draw pictures for a living. They create technical drawings by hand and by using computers. Usually drafters specialize in one type of drafting. Drafting specialties include architectural drafting, industrial drafting, and technical illustration/publication.
Leslie Roman has a keen eye, a steady hand and a talent for drawing.
She took that ability, honed it into a marketable skill at the community
college, and worked her way up into a demanding and critical position at
OECO Corporation, a company that designs and manufactures electrical
power conversion products for use in computers, medical equipment and
military applications. As the new product introduction planner, Leslie
takes a project from the beginning, when a customer describes the need
for a product, to the end, when the product is mass produced.
The Industrial Illustration program that Leslie took shares classes with the Drafting program, so Leslie learned mechanical, electrical and plumbing drafting. The program taught students to create precise drawings of objects by hand using math skills and careful observation, and then introduced computers. Upon graduation Leslie worked on her own with help from the college's job placement department. Leslie began doing temporary jobs. For a patent application, one company needed an exact drawing of a machine that made cupcakes!
When Leslie's husband was laid off, she had to find steady work. A friend from the community college told her about a temporary drafting job at OECO. Leslie got the job. Six weeks later she applied for a permanent position as an engineering change coordinator, a job halfway between drafting and administration. She was responsible for making changes in the drawings for work in progress. Soon the new product introduction planner position opened up. Within one year Leslie was propelled into a very different world. She no longer follows work orders to draw a product. Now she meets with engineers and other managers to hammer out every detail, exchanging ideas and solving problems.
The industry is competitive, and to succeed Leslie had to earn credibility and prove herself to her colleagues, mostly men. Gender bias exists in many forms, some easier to overcome than others. "I have to speak twice as loud and twice as often as a man. It's a tight wire to walk: being assertive or being a 'bitch'." Leslie learned to hold her own in the working meetings that constitute a part of each day. She thrives on the challenge. "You have to enjoy flexibility! Most people I deal with work with products already on the line. When they see me coming, they know it's a new product and a problem!"
Leslie advises other women, "Develop a thick skin. Learn to deal with bias and criticism, but don't lose your compassion or nurturing or the other good things that men may think are weaknesses. Business needs more of that."
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