A Day in the Life of a Female Electronics Engineer

Source: bit.ly/1sVl3p9

Hi! I’m Jenna and I am a female Electronics Engineer. I try to insert as much humour as possible when I utter these words. Technology is known to be a boy’s toy. While growing up I was supposed to play with Barbie while my big bro had a flair for wheels. To my parent’s surprise, I rather chose to lay my hands on switches and cables. When I was 9 I opened our switchboard to fix a glitch when the Christmas light refused to twinkle. I had a mild shock and my father was furious. “Stay away!” he said and I grew up enough to realize that Santa was not to turn up that night. I stayed away from electrical wires and switches. But it seemed that digital electronics would not stay away from me.

• Not ‘Minority’. Be a Livewire!

I excelled in Maths in school and physics problems attracted me like flame does to moths, it may sound a little weird for a girl to love technology. And in Tech school I was pathetically outnumbered by a throng of big boys ahead in desk, I am petite in frame, so I had to crane my shoulder high to catch a glimpse of the lecturer’s face. It may seem like a hyperbole, but it has been the lack-lustre truth of my life as a female electronics engineer. I had to trudge to grip heavy machinery for testing while my rugged mates did the same stuff effortlessly. But throughout my career, one thing I had common with them, was an aching passion to know how stuff work. That’s what kept me apart from being labelled as ‘minority’, that’s what turned me a livewire. Now I call the shots and troubleshoot complex issues in a jiffy!

• Nurture Your Passion

To girls who love 8085 essentials or circuit theories or know what’s inside a microchip as well as the palm of their hand, I would say, step up! If you’re having trouble with on-campus lectures, have a look at our circuit theory video lectures to have certain issues solved. This is your chance to do something different than playing Beethoven or opening a ‘Cookie Jar’ cake shop. I do not look down upon those who select conventional life by virtue of their passion. In fact, there are extraordinary women at the helm of Fashion and Media by dint of their communication and organizational skills which is pretty cool. But I condemn those who shy away of switch boards after a mild shock. Even after having a burning passion to know what’s inside.

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