Farnell celebrates International Women in Engineering Day 2020 by sharing insights from career professionals

Farnell voices group

To mark International Women in Engineering Day 2020, Farnell, a global multi-channel distributor of electronic components and an Avnet company, talked to women across its global operations to celebrate their achievements within the industry and discuss key topics such as gender diversity in the workplace. 14 women leaders working within Farnell joined the discussion from different parts of the world. The aim of the collaboration was to bring forward their shared experiences, journeys and challenges to help aspiring women who want to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) within their career.

Conversations highlighted steps taken to increase women’s presence and prominence in the industry and progress made, but nevertheless, the group concluded that women still continue to remain underrepresented. The women discussed these changing scenarios, how to make strides to close the gender gap and how to fuel the next generation of female innovators. During the discussion, the group shared some tips for the budding women engineers who aspire to work in the electronics industry.

Here are few tips shared by them:

• Gain as much knowledge as you can about new developments, new technology and industry changes - it is imperative to understand the core of the business to make a difference in what we do.
• Believe in yourself - women sometimes underestimate themselves and therefore hold back on taking up new challenges that can help them achieve their maximum potential. The goal should be to continue learning and evolve personally and professionally.
• Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable - many times, you may find yourself in situations where you think you can’t do something, but the truth is that you really can. It’s okay to feel uncomfortable and try things you’ve never done before, because it might turn out that you excel at it.
• Don’t be held back by stereotypes - if it’s something you’re passionate about, stick to that path even if there are challenges. It’s a matter of time, effort, and attitude.
• Get a mentor who can act as a guiding force in your career and help you realise your true potential. Mentors can come in various forms – one could help you understand your own strengths and weaknesses and another mentor could help you build a network within the organisation.

Chris Breslin, President at Farnell, said: “Diversity helps create more robust and flexible workplaces and it’s important that more women have the opportunity to innovate. Overlooking women in the workforce is a loss of talent. We must always strive to lift each other up and promote equality and respect everywhere.”

The discussion also provided insights to help improve diversity and increase female representation in the industry, such as giving girls enough role models to encourage them to join STEM. To find out more about Farnell’s female panel and read their full conversation, please visit the news blog.