How have you dealt with being the only woman on your team at work? Have you noticed a difference in how you’re treated?

8 comments

1. When I first started I was treated differently, after a while they started treating me the same as everyone else, it took a loooooooong time, though

   Months.

2. [removed]

3. It wasn’t at work, but in school.

   We had a group project and it was me and two other boys. We were supposed to build a marble race track using these plastic thingies.

   And even though I came up with the majority of the ideas, I was told to hold everything in place while they built it

4. It happens all the time for me. At first they tend to be kind of distant. But after they get to know me it gets better. What I worry more about is how it changes me being around only men all day. I kind of feel pressure to act like I’m “one of the guys” in order to be accepted rather than just being myself which is fairly feminine.

5. I have not. I’m very fortunate that I work with sensible men who care about everyone’s opinion

6. They were holding back at first, being careful finding out what they can say and what not. Now, almost 10 years later, they don’t behave different with me than with other male co workers.
   We had other woman here for some time periods over the years and I noticed that they looked at the character of the woman and kept that in mind. Example: we had a shy girl and they didn’t talk about sex in front of her as they knew it would make her uncomfortable.
   Info: I work as a tool mechanic and am currently the only woman with 25 male coworkers.

7. Yes, many times in my last career. I’m sure there were subtle ways in which my coworkers may have interacted with me differently than they would with the other men. But never in such a way that I felt disrespected or undermined. I got along with everyone, some better than others. Just the same as more mixed environments I’ve been in.

   My current workplace is about 80% women. It’s nice to occasionally be working in an all- woman setting, but it doesn’t really make a difference as far as experience or productivity

8. Wasn’t work but I was interested in the military in HS so I took JROTC classes. Took that so seriously and ended up becoming battalion commander (it was army JROTC to clarify). I would be in lead for everything and when i would try to punish (make them do pushups or kind of like yell in a way. Never degrade them cause its high school) my cadets they would always laugh and not listen to me. I enjoyed the class all the way until I became the leader. Cause I felt powerless over people I should have been leading.