See how women run between Career and Family

Juggling career and family presents women with pressures, choices, dilemmas, struggles, and time crunches. The workplace, society, and women themselves have yet to reconcile the time and commitment needed to pursue a career with the role of mom. While the workplace policies and societal attitudes are evolving, today's women face these issues on a day-to-day basis.

I have some advice, strictly my opinion, to offer from my personal experiences. I am an "older" engineer and was the first woman to graduate from Manhattan College in 1969 with a bachelor of science in civil engineering. I went on to the University of Michigan for a master's degree in sanitary engineering in 1970.

The first piece of advice I have is to appreciate the progress made by women in the engineering field in terms of acceptance. The pioneering phase for women in engineering is complete. In 2001, women represented 20 percent of engineering undergraduate and master's degree students and 17 percent of engineering doctoral candidates. In the same year, approximately 11 percent of the engineering workforce was female (National Science Foundation website, www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/wmpd/ start.htm; each statistic has a separate source).

However, there are now new and different pressures that are equally challenging as those "of old," and we certainly need to encourage women to pursue careers in engineering. The rest of my suggestions can be summarized in four points:

• Consider the balance between work and home responsibilities that will work for you and make you happy.
• Look for an employer that offers and respects flexibility.
• Find a mentor. Be a mentor.
• Reevaluate, reevaluate, reevaluate.

The first piece of advice may sound obvious, but often we're too busy to decide what is important to us, too stressed to figure out what would be an acceptable work/home combination; we're struggling with guilt at work regarding family and battling guilt at home regarding job performance. Everyone needs to establish her individual comfort zone. There will be as many variations as there are individuals. Each needs to be respected and supported. It is also important to recognize that some women at particular times in their lives have limited options regarding work/home balancing-the single mother, for example. Everyone, however, can make choices with respect to personal and professional boundaries.

Second, take advantage of the flexibility available in many jobs. Engineering firms and utilities are looking for ways to recruit and retain qualified and talented personnel. Flexibility with respect to work hours is a relatively easy way to accommodate staff, especially in the service-type engineering environment. Full-time, half-time, part-time, one day a week, and fewer, extended length workdays per week are all possibilities. Other options include telecommuting and leaves of absence. If an "out of the ordinary" arrangement would be helpful to you, ask for it. Create an opportunity for yourself. Proponents of flexible work arrangements link individualized schedules to an increase in employee efficiency.

Firm culture is so critical in making flexible work arrangements successful for the employer and employee. We all, and especially corporate leaders, must first create fair policies and programs that accommodate different career paths. But just as important are the unwritten rules. Executives must set the tone that these flextime policies are acceptable and respected. Look for an employer who not only has these policies and programs, but who also has a culture where utilizing them is accepted. None of these arrangements will entirely erase pressures and conflicts, but they can make the balance more sustainable.

I have used several of these work options during my career: full-time after graduate school, then less and less time as my children were born. While the children were in nursery school, I reduced "work outside the home" to a few hours a month and then stopped work entirely. When my youngest was in third grade, I resumed my career part-time. When I noticed that I was "home alone" at 3:30 because the girls were involved in after school sports, clubs, etc., I went back to work full-time.

Women (and men in increasing numbers) are working on flextime or part-time schedules and are taking extended leaves of absence. Third, gather a support network. Don't do everything yourself. Family and friends are crucial at all stages of family life and career development. Find people who you respect and trust. Mentors need not be of the same gender, generation, or mindset.

Employers can help foster professional development in the workplace by adopting simple mentoring programs. For example, reimburse employees of different levels to talk to students about career options, job stresses, or personal goals. Encourage senior employees to mentor younger employees. Take the time to create an environment where these discussions are accepted. The area of a personal support network is where I have been blessed. My mother, a widow who raised and supported her four children, was an early champion of my decision to become an engineer. My friends' fathers and my relatives tried to discourage me from the "waste of an education, because you will get married and have kids and never use it." My mother was adamant that I should follow my heart.

Finally, it is certain that we change over time. Realize this and embrace it. What was once a good decision for you, your career, and your family may no longer be the right option. Set aside a structured "reevaluation" time-be it according to the calendar, career progression, or family-related milestones. Be proactive in reevaluating. Not making a change is, in and of itself, making a decision. Be deliberate. This last piece of advice is the one that is most difficult for me to follow. My nature is to dwell in the status quo. However, I continue to work on this and appreciate the promptings of co-workers, family, and friends to accept new challenges.

Life is a journey and an adventure. There are countless paths to achieve the same goal. A friend once told me, "You can have it all. Your definition of 'all' just might have to change." I feel that my definition of "all" has expanded over time. I am happy, and I am positive that I "have it all."- FROM -Patricia Ruback Kehrberge - HydroQual Environmental Engineers and Scientists.