What higher education courses have you taken, where did you take them, and when did you graduate? Still in higher education, what motivated you to choose these courses?
I’ve undertaken Bachelor of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Master of Engineering Science, (Microwave Engineering), and a Ph.D. (RFIC Modelling) – all at the University College Cork, Ireland - graduating in 1998, 2000, 2005 respectively. My motivation was a love of physics and maths in school. The degree appealed because I knew it would be a great opportunity to explore the application of physics, with the prospects of an interesting and rewarding career after graduation.
What was the male/female ratio in your course?
It was around 15 per cent female for the undergraduate course, and similar for my postgraduate degrees, so there was very little gender diversity.
Were you encouraged at school to take up this course? (If so, how and by whom?)
An excellent physics teacher, Joan Costello, in secondary school encouraged me to explore it. On reflection she gave me the confidence to go for it – reassuring me I would be good enough for the course. I lost touch with her after school. I would love to find her and let her know how important it was to me that she built my confidence at that young age.
What engineering role models did you have as an undergraduate and when you first started work?
Most of my early role models were academics including Professor Patrick Murphy, UCC, Prof. Sir Magdi Yacoub, Imperial College, yet as my Masters and PhD were sponsored by industry, I had exposure to role models in large multinational semi-conductor companies, Dr Stephen Seawright, ex-TDK and Mr Aidan Murphy ex-Freescale were particularly inspirational.
What inspired you or drew you to these role models? Whether in academia or industry what always drew me towards these people, was how they engaged with me and my peers. The best leaders have a natural ability to encourage and share their knowledge. They’re very good at inspiring their teams to work collaboratively, they also look to connect with their team as individuals.
What opportunities were there in your chosen career path when you first entered the workplace?
As an engineer there were and always will be ample opportunities, more so as a scarce female engineer. I didn’t enter industry until much later in my career, preferring to stay in research in academia. In electrical engineering there are opportunities available that will interest and excite you. And just to underline that, you can advance at pace if you have a good engineering degree and a little confidence.
What obstacles did you encounter early in your career - either because you were female or young/inexperienced?
I had a bad experience as an intern. After a couple of summers working in an assembly line to make money for university, I thought I was in a great position with a scholarship and internship with a very well-known company. Yet when I got there, I found I was only a number, and spent the next summer, once again, on an assembly line. This coloured my impression of large multinationals, having witnessed first-hand how younger engineers can be treated. As the experience wasn’t wholly positive it did dampen my enthusiasm.
What has been the main change(s) you have experienced over your career in the number of women you work with/work for?
While there’s not a lot more women studying engineering, what is exciting is that employers are much, much keener to recruit and retain women and work much harder to make sure that jobs are attractive to as many people as possible.
How have the speciality areas you studied at university changed or evolved since you entered the workplace?
The nature of engineering is that there are always new problems to solve. For instance, at ADI we are developing ways to transform traditional buildings into intelligent buildings as part of our global goal of achieving a sustainable, net-zero future. Innovative sensing and connectivity technologies can improve safety, accessibility, building management, energy efficiency and occupant comfort. Having said that, the fundamentals of maths and physics remain largely the same. Once you have a solid foundation in those subjects, you will make a good engineer.
What advice would you give students who are considering the degree (or similar) that you took?
If you want a challenging career, where you are problem-solving every day, an Electrical/Electronic engineering degree is hard to beat. There are also very good job opportunities, and generous salaries and benefits to be had.
What advice would you give young engineers entering the workplace today?
Learn as much as you can. Make sure you work on interesting and challenging projects. Don’t settle for anything that doesn’t interest you. Move if you are not getting the opportunities and recognition you deserve. Life is too short. For female engineers, it’s worth researching the company culture and targeting firms with aspirational targets for female representation and career progression.
What advice would you give your younger self contemplating your first job in technology?
Technical expertise is important, yet don’t ignore the soft skills of leadership - communication, influence, and negotiation for example. These are far more valued in industry than academia and can make you stand out from the pack once you have strong technical expertise.
Is there more to be done to encourage and retain women in technology?
Definitely. We need to align gender pay gaps. I would also say more sponsorship of women within companies can be a game-changer, above and beyond mentoring. This is because a sponsor’s primary role is to advocate for you when you’re not in the room. The sponsored person gets better, more stretching assignments and progresses faster.
There needs to be more flexibility in the working week to support working families, and more impact-based recognition. Additionally, we need holistic HR policies ensuring a healthy pipeline of women progressing within the organisation. Junior female engineers really need to see this happening around them.
I know that ADI’s worked hard to retool our recruitment processes, ensuring that ads aren’t gender biased, along with educating hiring managers and having more diverse recruitment panels. In addition, there’s now acknowledgement that often women feel they must tick 100 per cent of the job spec, while men step forward with confidence knowing they tick only 70 per cent.
What - if any - skills or aptitudes do you think women can bring to an engineering team?
Most certainly a higher emotional intelligence, different perspectives, and more mindful leadership - all essential for developing more impactful teams. Women who do progress are in a strong position to sponsor and encourage others. It is often said that a rising tide raises all boat and I see this every day with senior female appointments in ADI. Being a role model myself, and being able to lift other women around me, is hugely rewarding.
Any other comments or thoughts on how the role of women in technology is changing/has changed?
It has definitely improved. We’re seeing more women in senior technical roles, which were male dominated in the past. I see more role models around me now than I ever did when I was a younger engineer. As modern fathers become more hands on, they see challenges for their daughters which previous generations didn’t recognise. This leads to more empathetic male leaders who are positive sponsors of female talent and more open-minded male work colleagues in general.
In my time I have never experienced overt misogyny as a female engineer. I’m more likely to experience mansplaining from a trade professional than any of my male colleagues. Of course, there will always be challenges but, on the whole, being a woman in technology is a very positive experience.
Olive Murphy, Director of Systems Applications & Advanced Technology for Sustainable Buildings & Infrastructure at Analog Devices
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