Do not become the victim of the story try to be the heroine
Published on : Monday 01-03-2021
Sreelatha Nair, Freelance Consultant in the field of Industrial Automation.
It is said if you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a family, generation (nation). Your views?
I am fortunate to have been born and raised in a middle class Kerala family, located in Trivandrum, Capital of Kerala State, which has always championed universal literacy. Female education is the first step towards gender equality. Education gives hope to women for expressing themselves beyond the confines of typical ‘gender-roles’ allotted by our society. Today, most of our schools and educational institutes are led and run by women, and this is making a deep positive impact in shaping the coming generation, most importantly, because women touch more lives than men do and more so in the quality of their interactions. An educated woman would help not only herself reach her potential, but also teach her children, the elderly in the household and others in her immediate social circle, most importantly those who are less privileged than her. The ripple effect of an educated woman is felt in all corners of the society and eventually in the nation as a whole.
What prompted you to pursue a career in engineering?
From a young age, I really enjoyed studying science as well as mathematics. I had not really thought of engineering as a career choice till the time when I was about to complete my high school. I scored full marks in Maths and Physics in 12th standard. Algebra, Geometry and Physics became my strengths and I even started teaching some of my classmates. Incidentally, I got my nickname as ‘Teacher’ in CET Trivandrum during my 4th semester of engineering.
Those days, there were not too many women who would have picked the engineering field, but I was determined to pursue my passion and my father supported my dream. Even when I doubted myself and my ability to compete at that level, my parents, brother and sister were behind me, encouraging me to go further and not stop till I find my dream job and be financially independent.
There were many career options for an engineering graduate and many women engineers were not in industry those days. So, it is very exciting for me to select engineering as my future profession. I am the first Engineering graduate in my family.
Having obtained the qualification, what was the experience in getting a job?
The job market, back in early 1980s in Kerala was mainly comprising government jobs and only few reputed private companies offered jobs to fresh engineering graduates. Among the government options, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) was considered as one of the most sought-after organisations. India’s success in space research, which was termed by most as unexpected in that decade was a proud moment for the entire country and I felt equally proud getting an opportunity to join the prestigious organisation in Inertial Systems and Instrumentation Division. I was the envy of most of my batch mates as few had been able to land a job in ISRO, and that too within 6 months of graduation. It was a satisfying achievement and I was excited at what lay ahead.
After marriage I had to shift to Delhi and joined Desein Pvt Ltd, a leading engineering consultancy firm in India. Thermal Power Plant Engineering being an interesting field for me, I continued mostly in the same field till the end of my career.
Is a career in engineering more demanding vis-à-vis other options?
It would be hard and perhaps a bit unfair to compare engineering with other fields in terms of how demanding it can be, as every field may have its own unique challenges, but I can be sure of one thing – that if you love what you do, then the challenges can be managed. From a design engineer, midway through my career, I progressed to become a senior project engineer, which meant my scope of work extended beyond the office and into the customer site with a significant time devoted to client facing and troubleshooting scenarios. I quite enjoyed these stints and while work was physically exhausting on some days, emotionally I was always content with the learning and successes.
Often projects demand stay away from home. How is that experience?
Staying away from home for a short duration is quite common in the engineering field. I enjoyed such experiences. Since my family was very supportive, I felt comfortable and could carry out outstation duties peacefully. Normally wife travelling is not acceptable in most of the Indian families; in my case such a restriction was not there. Further, security of lady staff was a priority for the management of my work places. I am a lucky person, to never have had bad behaviour from my male colleagues. Most of the time, I was a single lady travelling with male colleagues.
Have you ever missed a career opportunity or promotion due to gender?
I was very particular about my inclusion in the organisation structure, and demand for positions and promotions in more or less a timely manner. More or less I was considered properly and never felt the gender disparity. During my service period of 35 years, I worked with different firms and mostly I felt a female friendly corporate culture. Low representation of women is not there in engineering firms generally. Again it depends on job titles and industry types. Insider relationships and personal networks might have resulted in gender pay gaps and timely promotions which are generally observed.
Are workplaces today more sensitive to gender issues than a generation earlier?
Yes definitely, but there is still a lot of ground to be covered. I was generally fortunate and privileged throughout my career to be amongst a group of colleagues and seniors who valued my talent and abilities regardless of my gender. Working women are now the norm more than the exception it used to be a few decades ago. While gender diversity has increased creativity in organisations, it has also changed the way we speak up in organisations and demand change. I think casual stereotypes related to gender that were common earlier are now not being tolerated and both men and women are aware of their rights and duties.
Is there a glass ceiling when it comes to leadership roles in engineering?
It may seem like the case, but it could also be the result of the sheer low number of women in core engineering fields that almost always men are selected as the top leaders in the field. Women who succeeded are hardworking. Women who reached the top are not with special skills, special talent, but only hard work. If you are serious about fulfilling your wishes, sharpen the potential for career, then do not give up. All the challenges are to be faced with determination.
There is no point in acting as a bystander in your career; then the control of things will go to others hands. Then blaming others is not the solution.
What has been the experience with seniors at works and the management?
As a beginner, I got lots of support and proper guidance from my seniors. As I gained experience, seniors mostly gave trust and flexibility to me as a subordinate. I could work mostly on my agenda and freedom to prioritise the project requirement; mostly it matches with superiors also.
How did the Covid pandemic affect your working routine and what are the learnings?
I am retired from my regular job (April 2019) and working as a freelance consultant. So, I was working mostly from home; video calls were also supportive. Freedom to work around my personal commitments is a new experience. I could improve my health conditions also. Little bit of concentration on my hobbies like singing, I could brush up. Also improved my cooking skills.
What would be your message to those seeking career guidance?
Do not become the victim of the story; try to be the heroine of the story. It is a woman’s responsibility to get the right kind of career to choose after engineering course. From my own experience, the engineering field is an exciting field for male and female candidates. And gender barriers can be avoided with the individual’s determination.
However, I always believed and tried to follow all along is ‘to do things honestly and correctly’. Wherever you are and whatever position you are holding, you should always try to focus on your organisation’s objectives ahead of everything else. While doing so, you may face ups and downs, hurdles including sacrificing your own interests. It is important to be successful and be an achiever in your career, which can lead to a respectable and dignified life throughout.
Would you like to share information about your other achievements?
I could work in lead roles in organisations wherever I worked. Ability to manage, lead, develop, motivate and mentor team professionals. Ability to interface with diverse personalities. Ability to think strategically, multitasking ability (prioritise, organise, schedule the work).
I am the first lady engineer who could visit Saudi Arabian power projects under Saudi Electric Company, while executing a number of their projects.
I was selected for the ISA Award for Leadership Skills during 2016-2017.
Mentor: My mentor was my father from the beginning and he was very particular about the education of the girl child and believed career for daughters was equally important as sons.
Dr Prabhir Purkayasta (was HoD, Control & Instrumentation Dept., Desein Pvt Ltd, New Delhi) was my mentor during the initial period of my career.
Role model: My mother was my role model, she was a homemaker. Too honest and sincere person to the family upbringing.
What are the three words that best capture the essential you?
Logical. Consistent. Collaborative.
Sreelatha Nair graduated as Electrical Engineer from the College of Engineering – Trivandrum, batch of 1983. She started her from VSSC, Trivandrum, Kerala (1984) as a Trainee Engineer and retired from Desein Pvt Ltd, New Delhi (2019). Sreelatha has thirty six (36) years of experience in the field of Control and Instrumentation in design, detailed engineering of various control and instrumentation packages for the thermal power plants, gas based combined cycle projects, oil and gas sector. She has worked on multiple projects in geographies ranging from Indian subcontinent to the Middle East.
Skills:
Good leadership skills; Comprehensive understanding of the industry
Ability to maintain effective relationship with clients; Problem solving skills
Good communication and interpersonal skills; Self-starter and ability to make decisions independently; Commercial knowledge of contracts
Understanding of financial metrics including overhead costs, and project financials
Proposal and contract negotiating skills, includes knowledge of terms, risks, pricing and payment terms.
Ability to manage, lead, develop, motivate and mentor team professionals.
Multitasking ability (prioritise, organise, and schedule the work).
.jpg)
