Viji Raveendran Discusses the Challenges Faced by Women in Engineering

Viji Raveendran has always been passionate about engineering, even as a girl in her native India. Seventeen years ago, after earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Bharathiar University in India, Qualcomm engineer Viji Raveendran moved to the U.S. determined to make a career in the field of engineering.

When Viji Raveendran started her career at Qualcomm, she was surprised that far fewer females were represented in scientific disciplines in the U.S than in India. In India, she was used to a 50/50 split between boys and girls in her high school’s science classes, and girls comprised at least 30 percent of her undergraduate engineering program. At Iowa State University, where she earned her Master of Science degree in Communications and Signal Processing, Viji Raveendran was one of just two women out of a class of 25.

For the past fourteen years she’s been an engineer at Qualcomm where only 10 to 13% of the engineers are women today. As one of those women, Viji Raveendran is a mentor to other female engineers.

She says many factors affect female engineers at companies like Qualcomm and other work environments, including:
Ratio of women to men: If there is a healthy mix of women to men, meaning at least 20 to 30% women, there is more encouragement for women to succeed. There are also more opportunities to form supportive relationships because there will be a greater proportion of women in leadership positions.
Younger, more open team members: Viji Raveendran also notes that support for women in workplaces such as Qualcomm increases when there is a greater percentage of recent college graduates. The environment is more open and there is more interaction compared to when there are a number of older, more traditional engineers in the group. There is less stereotyping and more of a level playing field for women. Women are considered equal peers and as competent and competitive as their male counterparts.
Women leaders and mentors: Women leaders like Qualcomm engineer Viji Raveendran set an example. When there are women in leadership positions, other women are more likely to be encouraged, have better opportunities, and find good mentors—both male and female.
Culturally conservative attitudes: However, women like Viji Raveendran in leadership roles often face more opposition than men, especially due to culturally driven attitudes. Some men do not feel comfortable reporting to women. These attitudes may flare up, particularly when the pressure is on, causing antagonistic reactions and dissatisfaction in the workplace.

Female engineers like Viji Raveendran have to work harder to get ahead in the workplace. For example:
Even though all successful people in the engineering industry are high performers to begin with, Viji Raveendran and other female engineers must put in 150% more effort than their male counterparts to advance to the next level. That means 150% more time, 150% higher quality of work, and 150% more research and analysis. Men sometimes can get by with less.
When a woman asserts herself she is seen as being too strong-willed, but men are simply considered assertive. This is a basic cross-cultural difference in how men and women are perceived. But Viji Raveendran advocates that women should not back down nor give up. They should be persistent in pursuing their goals to forge ahead and always strive to be successful.

To achieve this success, Qualcomm engineer Viji Raveendran states that women must:
Be open to learning and be a sponge.
Have an opinion and stand up for themselves. “Put forth your opinions, but make sure your tone is polite and professional,” she says. She notes that since the workplace environment is highly dynamic, the level of sensitivity varies from day-to-day. The level of sophistication necessary in the delivery varies accordingly.
Avoid being submissive and stand their ground. Viji Raveendran says women need to make their ideas and opinions known, and make sure their ideas don't get stolen by men. She emphasizes that an idea does not always need peer validation to be pursued. “Women engineers don’t value their ideas as much as men do.When you are confident that your idea is good—with sound technical substance and merit—you should stand your ground, however simple or trivial the idea may be regarded by your peers. You must own it, document it, and publicize it through emails to maintain a record and make sure you get full credit.”

Qualcomm engineer Viji Raveendran practices what she preaches, and she has the experience and accolades to back it up. As she tells her female peers, “You may have to work harder to achieve the same respect and success of men, but always remember that you’re fighting for a worthy cause and advancing the role of women engineers.”