Throughout both my high school and college careers, I worked in operations for a large retail furniture company. While I enjoyed my time at the corporation, it wasn’t challenging, nor was it something I was passionate about. However, I found that the core of the operations sector was a place I could excel, leading me to graduate college with a double major in Business Management & Marketing from The Beacom School of Business at The University of South Dakota.
I loved the business sector and all the potential facets it provided – particularly the importance, freedom, and creativity marketing offered. Learning about the psychology of businesses and the mindset of consumers made me fall in love with my program. I knew that pairing this with a management degree would allow me numerous opportunities in a field I would enjoy.
While pursuing my degree, I worked as a Resident Advisor (RA) in the dorms. This position provided an incursion of new skills and gifted me traits about myself that I wouldn’t have learned anywhere else. Student safety and security was one of the many things we were tasked with; including, but not limited to policies, procedures, risk management, law/compliance, communication, and leadership. I loved being an RA and could easily navigate safety and security, but never considered it to be a possible career choice.
Post graduation I received a phone call from a former co-worker of a family member, offering me a chance to interview for a safety professional position at NovaSource Power Services – a large solar O&M service company. I knew nothing about solar, and little about electrical systems. Despite this, the interview panel saw my ambition as an asset, and I remember the VP of Safety assuring me that although I didn’t have the industry knowledge or experience, I had the advantage of “being young, not having bad habits, and having the drive to learn.”
There were many aspects of the position that were not desirable for other candidates. The position would require 50% travel, bringing up difficult conversations, and thinking critically to solve problems. Although these things turned other candidates off, I saw it as an opportunity to learn, teach others, and solidify my abilities as a bridge between management and the field.
Marketing, at its most basic definition, is bringing (aligning) buyers and consumers together. As a safety professional, I would be aligning employees with best practices and fostering a strong culture.
Safety is not proprietary, and incidents don’t discriminate. They can happen anywhere, at any time, to anyone.
The only goal is to ensure that workers go home at night the same way they came to work. There is no benefit in keeping information or ideas that might prevent injury from other departments. It is a shared responsibility across every organization or company that must be held to the highest standard. The human and organizational performance (HOP) philosophy is something that many organizations are implementing, which is about understanding the context and conditions of work. It takes into account how we think, act, view success, and respond to failure. These principles allow us to examine how we work, and better understand gaps that we can improve in our systems and procedures. Along with this, I have the privilege of being surrounded by subject matter experts (SMEs) who are willing to teach me what they know and provide me with the lessons they have learned along the way. We learn by making mistakes, and those who are willing to share the mistakes they’ve made in the past leads to more communication and better teamwork as a whole…especially when working around high voltage.
I’ve had moments of imposter syndrome in this role, wondering how I could possibly learn all the necessary information to do my job in such a short amount of time. What’s benefitted me most has been taking a step back and allowing myself to take courses from professionals, be led by mentors, and grace myself the time and repetition needed in the job. Having a supportive team that is honest and wants to see me succeed was, and is, critical in growing both personally and professionally.
Growing takes time, but the more you’re willing to learn from the resources around you, the faster you can accomplish your goals.
Aside from the challenges of a new job, as a woman I knew it was only a matter of time before I would come across someone who thought I had no place in the position or field. Going to sites, I would receive scowls and side-eyes as greetings. Men would refuse to shake my hand, just because I was a girl. I was often told I was going to be “run off site” if I didn’t leave or conform to whatever their idea of safety was. I’ve been told, “This is the last place a girl should be.” Or, my favorite, “Wouldn’t you prefer a desk job? Something less blue collar.”
As tiresome as these experiences are to endure, I can’t help but smirk knowing, try as they might, I’m not going anywhere. Moreover, I am at the forefront of a growing, women-led population that aren’t going anywhere. It’s not the first time I’ve faced men who don’t like women being involved in something, and it won’t be the last.
Safety is a common denominator across all successful businesses. Protect what matters most – people. No job is so urgent that it cannot be done safely. Some “old guard” mentality that still exists today regarding safety is that it gets repetitive, boring, and old…but so do those who practice it. As I get older and progress in my career, I look forward to applying skills gained and knowledge learned to future jobs.
Power generation is something that will never go away. It quite literally makes the world turn. Technology is ever-improving, which makes safety ever-evolving, as it must adapt to the changes in people and technology. The industry can only move forward as far as those are willing to push it, which is why my role as a young woman in the industry is invaluable. I positively impact a male-dominated field, offering new perspectives and evaluating things that are otherwise overlooked. It’s exciting to be part of an industry that has unlimited potential and growth and provide the perspective that it has so long lacked.
For the new grads and young professionals reading this… have courage and keep going. Be coachable, be willing to learn and fail. When you do fail; fail fast, fail safe, and try to fail cheap. Regardless of all the hardships and challenges you face, there is a place for you. You just have to find it, whether it be by chance or by choice. Find a good mentor or mentors, who teach you at the lows AND highs of your career. In teaching you, they also teach themselves, and there is no greater professional joy than seeing those around us rise.
For the managers who are reading this… give that “kid” the opportunity. Age is no guarantee of experience, and that kid just might be the person who sets your vision on the path to success in ways you didn’t think were possible. I’m forever grateful a VP and manager saw something in me, giving me the chance to prove to them who I am and what I can do.
To the women reading this… have grit. Hold the line in the face of adversity and when you’re ready, push back. Don’t EVER let someone tell you can’t.
