ng the usual tenuring period.
Beneficial changes are also taking place in industry. Lewis sees great value in “institutions or companies, like Genentech, that offer policies and benefits that make the life of a working parent just a little bit easier every day, such as on-site child care, concierge services, financial, legal, dental, and automotive service, emergency rides for commuting parents with sick children, et cetera.” She adds, “This can provide an extra edge that is a huge benefit for working mothers, so they don’t feel that they are forced to choose between being a parent and still having a highly successful career.”
To help women work their way to upper end positions, Lewis says, “I believe mentoring can play a very valuable role. Supervisors in upper management positions can make a difference by providing straightforward feedback to ensure that women understand what skills or talents may need additional development.” Other women in science agree with the value of mentoring. As Lewis says, “Sometimes, we need to be reminded how just a little bit of time can have a big influence on a young person’s life.” To learn more about mentoring, see the Association for Women in Science’s A Hand Up ( http://www.awis.org/pubs/ahandup.html ) and MentorNet ( http://www.mentornet.net ).
Nonetheless, institutions and mentors cannot do all of the work. People must work to improve their odds of getting hired and advancing. “Those who hold top positions understand the value of developing professional competencies, such as management skills and strategic thinking,” says Kameir. “Women who learn to master these skills—while leveraging their own scientific background—are in a good position to take on leadership roles.” In addition, Kameir recommends a career plan “with specific action steps for achieving short-term and long-term goals.” She says that this should include the development of strategic relationships. “If women don’t understand the importance of strategic relationship building, they will work twice as hard for half the reward and recognition,” Kameir says.
In addition, women can even climb up by improving their own expectations. Murray says, “I would encourage women to work on their self-esteem and self-confidence, where we certainly lag behind many male colleagues.” She adds, “Women scientists must learn how to be more assertive, without being overly aggressive, and make the time for networking with both male and female colleagues.”
Also, advancement takes time and persistence. “There are a lot of skills that higher level positions call for that you build up over time,” says Malcom. “You must be able to present well, be clear, be able to communicate in all kinds of spheres—written or oral.” She adds that everyone can benefit from a knowledge of strategic planning, managing people, developing budgets, and understanding the role of policy development.
To develop a network and build skills, Murray encourages all female scientists to join the Association of Women in Science. Likewise, several of the other experts offered the same advice. Murray says, “I have been a member in Palo Alto, California, for several years, and have been impressed by the encouragement this organization gives—helping high school science students, awarding scholarships to community college students with hardships, and being a voice in Washington, D.C., on national issues of critical importance to women in science.”
Getting a Head Start
In the long run, the scientific community could focus on women at even earlier ages. “It is a really crucial issue to get students excited in science and technology before the undergraduate level,” says Breazeal. “How do we attract more girls from kindergarten through high school?” She has some ideas. “You can imagine an online game that could engage kids in doing science and scientific thinking in ways they care about, and they could have fun with it.” But she adds, “It has to be participatory and engaging, and they have to care about it.”
In the end, being successful depends on loving the work. “You might get discour