Traditionally a male-dominated field, the world of engineering continues to see more women become active in the discipline and 2014 was no exception. From Debbie Sterling’s GoldieBlox to Ayah Bdeir and her Lego-like electronics modules, LittleBits, women are succeeding in inspiring girls to become interested in engineering.

When girls inspired by engineering at an early age become old enough to join the workforce, these new engineers honed on GoldieBlox and LittleBits hopefully won’t feel alone. With that said, there is still more work to be done to bring more women into the engineering field. Let’s take a closer look at how to improve the number of women in engineering.

California State University Northridge helping to develop Women Engineers

California State University Northridge (CSUN) suffers from an acute lack of females in their engineering and computer science schools. Only 12.3 percent of students enrolled in those programs were women as of the Fall of 2013. CSUN’s Bonita J. Campbell Endowment for Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) was created with the hope to raise that percentage.

A professional civil engineer, Lilly Shraibati, serves on the advisory board for WISE. She was initially dissuaded from entering the field by her engineer uncles. “Everyone should follow their dreams without worrying whether it’s appropriate,” she countered.

STEM Education remains Vital in Attracting Females to Engineering

One of WISE’s main goals is to encourage more female students to take STEM classes in school; hoping that this engenders the inspiration to ultimately choose engineering as a profession. Finding peers is another key in keeping female students enrolled in engineering classes.

Courtney Yoshimoto, president of CSUN’s Society of Women Engineers club, notes the lack of peers in her program. “Being in school as an engineer, there’s not a lot of girls in your class,” she said. “It’s hard to find study groups and peers that are there to help you out, that’s what I feel has been the hardest part.”

If you are a female looking to enter the engineering field, talk to the experts at The Talley Group. As one of the top engineering staffing agencies on the west coast, and a woman-owned company, the Talley Group offers the unique insights to help you find a rewarding career in engineering — no matter your gender. Contact them today!

In the sports pages, we see many instances of salary negotiation gone awry. One team makes a huge offer for a restricted free agent, and the athlete’s current team is stuck overpaying for a player that they want to keep, but isn’t really worth the high rate.

In an industry where specialized talent is tough to come by, filling jobs can be difficult. Negotiating salaries for these tough to find individuals can even be more difficult. Don’t become that trapped home team. Follow these rules for safe, controlled price negotiations.

1. Thing about how much leeway you have for negotiation: The potential employee has given you their salary range; you have posted your salary range. Benefits should also be discussed. Information is key.
2. The level of the position allows for more bargaining: The higher level or specialized position you are looking to fill, the higher the bargaining scale.
3. Urgency of position: How badly do you need this employee to fill this position? That can put a strain on negotiations, as you will have to allow for a higher salary.
4. What is the market value for the position: You need to be able to create a comparable salary with the market and geographic salary demands for the position.
5. Economic conditions play a role: If the company is doing well, salary negotiation is easier. If you are in a recession, resources can be more difficult to come by.
6. Benefits and bonuses: If a candidate rejects an offer show them the value of the different types of benefits you can offer. Health care and 401K matches are only two types; there are also car and cell phone allowances, paid time off and child care and tuition reimbursement.
7. Capitalization: If you pay too much, everyone will feel uncomfortable. The candidate will feel as though they have to meet super high expectations, which may exceed the original, and you may also feel the need to give them more work than the job description gives. No one wins when only one person wins.

Contact The Talley Group for more help with filling those tough positions.