Thriving As A Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry: Jennifer McMahon Patronski of Structural Concepts On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadice
Be comfortable with stepping outside of the proverbial box — This might mean do not let fear or doubt keep you from going after a goal or trying something new. We grow most when we push outside of our comfort zone.
In the United States in 2022, fields such as Aircraft piloting, Agriculture, Architecture, Construction, Finance, and Information technology, are still male-dominated industries. For a woman who is working in a male-dominated environment, what exactly does it take to thrive and succeed? In this interview series, we are talking to successful women who work in a Male-Dominated Industry who can share their stories and experiences about navigating work and life as strong women in a male-dominated industry. As a part of this series, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Jennifer McMahon Patronski.
Jennifer McMahon Patronski joined Structural Concepts, Inc. in 2012, rising to the position of firm principal three short years later. In January 2020, Jennifer became full owner of the firm. She has worked in the field of structural engineering for 25 years, during which she’s amassed experience across multiple market sectors in the Midwest, East Coast, and Southwest regions. Her experience is based in building design and, with her current position, has transitioned toward Industrial, Civil Infrastructure, and Bridges. When she’s not working, Jennifer enjoys spending quality time with her husband, Chris, and their four children, Sam, Bowen, Max, and Archer, whose support has been invaluable to her career success.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?
I was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona in a close knit, hard-working, middle class family. I’m finding out now that it was a bit of an idyllic childhood. I have one older sister, Shannon, and we were very close in age and were often together, whether it be with friend groups, school, or sports. I think the most influential part of my childhood was the time we spent as a family on the softball field …or the countless hours pitching to my dad in the backyard! (Thanks, Dad ❤) We have many great memories, travel tales, and life-long friendships that came from those days. And, softball was a major stepping stone for both my sister and me for college and beyond.
Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
I attribute my choice in career path partly to my maternal grandfather who was a civil engineer in Arizona for many years (there were some genes), but mostly to my high school Physics teacher, Mr. Lockwood. Near the end of my junior year, Mr. Lockwood asked me what I planned to study in college. I shared that I planned to follow an aunt that was (still is!) a role model into the Accounting and Finance world. He suggested, “Have you ever considered engineering?” …And here I am!
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Positive Mindset — Being able to see the proverbial open window when a door closes — and being able to see the opportunities that fall into our laps all the time. I believe “the universe” is constantly giving us opportunities, we just have to be open to pursuing them. I have had to leave two wonderful and valued career opportunities because I moved cross-country following major family / personal events. Both times I was saddened and nervous, but accepting and open to change. Both resulted in fantastic opportunities to grow, to learn, and to work with new mentors and colleagues. My move back to Arizona came at a time when I needed to “re-write” my plan for my and my kids’ futures, and though I was uncertain, I chose to view the change as an opportunity. I was given a great work opportunity at SCI which has grown into something far bigger than I ever expected!
- Eagerness to Learn — From a technical perspective, engineering is all about continued learning. Materials, technology, methodologies are constantly advancing in the engineering field, and engineers have to be willing to learn constantly to stay relevant. I have always loved the science of engineering and learning more about it. From a business and management perspective, I have found even more value (and maybe more challenge!) in learning that promotes intra- and interpersonal growth and improvement. By becoming more self-aware and studying my strengths and weaknesses, as well as by staying willing and eager to learn from mentors and peers (shoutout to my local Women Presidents Organization chapter!) I’ve been able to bolster everything from my emotional intelligence to my management style, and there is still much more to learn! The more we learn about human nature and human interaction, the better we, as leaders, can encourage and harness the best from our colleagues, our employees, …and ourselves!
- Drive — I learned the value of hardwork and perseverance through competitive athletics. I was never a “blue-chipper”; I didn’t have this massive underlying talent. But I did learn that practice, focus, positive thinking, and persistence brought me to a level where I could compete successfully and laid the foundation for the self confidence that comes from that challenging success.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you help articulate a few of the biggest obstacles or challenges you’ve had to overcome while working in a male-dominated industry?
Finding my voice and having my voice heard. As a female in the engineering and construction industries, I believe I have always been seen — often because I was the sole woman in a room and hard to miss — and I have typically been treated with courtesy and civility, however, gaining respect for my technical knowledge and professional approach was the real challenge. As a woman, being louder than the men in the room did not help me be heard and it did not suit my personality. Spending the time to find my personal leadership style and define my career and company goals gave me poise and confidence which was reflected in my interaction with others, and that is where I have gained the most respect.
Can you share a few of the things you have done to gain acceptance among your male peers and the general work community? What did your female co-workers do? Can you share some stories or examples?
I think in times when I felt tentative or unsure about my acceptance with an individual, I have asked for their opinion or advice. I have found that showing the person from whom you are trying to gain acceptance that you value them allows them to be more open to you, regardless of your respective roles.
Early in my career, I found that asking questions was a bit of an olive branch to, say, a construction site supervisor — typically an older male — when having to endure inspections by a young and green female engineer. More recently, when I became a Principal in our firm, and one of my mentors became one of my employees, letting him know his opinions and advice were still valued by me helped to bridge a potentially awkward transition.
What do you think male-oriented organizations can do to enhance their recruiting efforts to attract more women?
Investing in early exposure and support opportunities. I think a great example is the grassroots efforts you are seeing through STEM programs in primary and secondary education and other similar avenues. The increase in the number of females pursuing STEM careers shows that it works!
Ok thank you for all of that. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, what are the “Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry?” (Please share a story or example for each.)
1. A Role Model: Sometimes, a dream or vision needs a bit of inspiration in order to bud. One of my first role models was my aunt Margaret who is 13 years older than me, and played more of a big sister role to my sister and me. We watched her go away to college, excel in a finance graduate program at ASU, and then embrace this “whirlwind” career with an international mining corporation. She entered as an accountant at the age of 22, lived and worked all over the world with her family, and retired as a Vice President at the age of 56. While her model was informal and really organic for me, I always had a “tangible” vision of a female in a powerful career path. I think it normalized, in my perception, the concept of “male-dominated” careers into something unrelated to gender, and more related to striving for your own idea of success.
2. A Support System: Male professionals think very differently than female professionals, and that is a good thing! Diversity is beneficial; it can, however, be very isolating. Having an industry association, mentor / career coach, or peer-advisory group is a good way to gain perspective, advice, and accountability. For me, finding a peer-group of other female leaders as I have in the Women Presidents Organization has been invaluable, especially as I have advanced into ownership. Being around other women in leadership positions has helped me to grow into my role as a leader and employer. I have been able to explore that role in a safe and kind space; one that allows vulnerability and reflection with a female perspective.
3. 4. And 5. The Ability to be Comfortably Uncomfortable: I think being able to be uncomfortable and move through that discomfort really rounds out the final three things for me.
Be comfortable with being different — Lean into your differences and uniqueness. Accept that others’ inexperience or ignorance can result in awkward moments, and respond with grace.
Be comfortable with stepping outside of the proverbial box — This might mean do not let fear or doubt keep you from going after a goal or trying something new. We grow most when we push outside of our comfort zone.
Be comfortable sharing and receiving ideas and opinions that may differ from the “norm” — No idea or question should be dismissed outright. Be comfortable sharing your ideas, even if they are against the grain. Remain open to all points of view. We never know where the next great idea will come from!
If you had a close woman friend who came to you with a choice of entering a field that is male-dominated or female-dominated, what would you advise her? Would you advise a woman friend to start a career in a field or industry that’s traditionally been mostly men? Can you explain what you mean?
I would absolutely encourage women to start a career in a male-dominated industry. First and foremost, passion and skill has no gender. If you love it and you are good at it, dive in and do it!
Secondly, I believe a female perspective in a male-dominated industry can bring huge value that may not otherwise be there. For instance, my generation of female leaders understands the challenges of “working -parents” better than our male predecessors, and sometimes better than our high-achieving male colleagues.
Have you seen things change for women working in male-dominated industries, over the past ten years? How do you anticipate that it might improve in the future? Can you please explain what you mean?
Specific to my field, the number of women choosing engineering as a career has increased significantly, with women in leadership roles within the engineering community increasing as well. I attribute much of that increase to the women-focused STEM programs and support programs at the high school level and university level. Women supporting women works!
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I have always wanted to meet Morgan Freeman. I am certainly not a movie aficionado, however I have always enjoyed the characters he has portrayed; and he has hosted or narrated a number of history, science, and theology documentaries that are interesting to me (“The Story of God” and “Through the Wormhole” are two of my favorites.) Additionally, I think I would find value in his perspective: from his growing up in a pivotal time in US civil rights history to the myriad of experience and exposure he has likely been afforded as a celebrity. Beyond that, through news and through social media, I perceive him to enjoy life, share his good fortune, and appreciate expanding his mind. I imagine he would have some interesting and deep conversations to share.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Thriving As A Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry: Jennifer McMahon Patronski of Structural Concepts… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.