Are you self-employed?

Contract to hire position. Previously full time employee as CAD Programmer/Drafter

What is your background? What types of degrees, skills, experiences are necessary for this field?

Education was in ART and English. Went into technical/drafting so I could support myself as an artist. Became interested in the programming end of it and worked my way up. Have taken - always taking techincal classes in AutoCAD and programming.

How did you get started in this field?

Via the art world and this was pre-computer, many artists went into drafting after art school.

What college (if any) courses have been most helpful for your career?

The Art Institute of San Francisco and Wells College Aurora NY for teaching me the mindset. City College of San Francisco has an exellent technical program. Autodesk Certified Training Centers, Autodesk University, UCSC Extension Santa Cruz for programming, /Most Importantly-U of Wisconsin Madison Eng Dept, classes in AutoLISP- gave me the training I needed to work as an AutoLISP programmer.

What are your specific responsibilities?

Conslidate, Coordinate and Develop CAD programming to support AutoCAD menus throughout the Corporation.

Describe a typical workday and workweek. What do you do during a typical day?

Too much to go into:

1. Talk to users, what are the problems,
2. Research
3. Network with others doing my work,
4. Troubleshoot, debug,
5. Come up with creative solutions to production menu problems,
6. Write the Code,
7. Install and teach users how to use it.

Name 5-7 job skills that are needed for your job.

Brains, Drive, Independance, Courage, Psychic Skills and Creativity

Are you in a team oriented position?

Do you have flextime?

Yes

Vacation time?

Yes

Work at home?

On the side

Telecommute?

On the side

How many hours per week are expected or warranted for peak performance?

I am always working

Are many evenings or weekends required for your job?

Always working

How much travel is involved with a job in your field?

Travel to 3 offices in the bay area

Could you describe your work settings? Offices, machinery, resources etc.

Windows NT or (* with at least 2 releases of AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, Text Editors- Need someone to work with as support to help with Computer Tech issues ie hardware, which I am not good at!

What is the major challenge you face at work?

Courage to go forward.

What aspects of your job do you find most rewarding (pros) ? Least rewarding? (cons)

Best when users are impressed with what I have come up with, ie they love it, don't even know who created it. Worst is when I can't find the answer to something and am usually blaming myself, when it might just be the industry. Rate of change can be brutal. I don't mind being the only woman anymore but used to! Have met more woman like myself as I go forward, who have made it and usually we can help each other. It is important for women to support each other because often men won't do it for us.

Are you confronted with difficult decisions or situations in your position?

Daily

Do you have a lot of interaction with a certain occupation? I.E. media, engineers, etc.

Engineers, Designers, Drafters, Network and Programmers

What is the Female to Male Ratio in your position/field?

I don't know, can you tell me? For CAD programmer, how many do you see published. I don't see any. The stars are well known, it is a small industry.

Has the field changed since you first started your career?

YES

Describe the changes taking place in your field. Project future trends? Turnover rate?

Web is stealing people out of the industry but freeing up opportunities that were previously taken by men.

Do you think women avoid technical careers? What do you think can be done to encourage girls to get more involved in the technology field?

I don't know!! I see in my programming group that women may not be focused enough. Am I wrong? Men are very focused on themselves and their careers, women might be too other orientated. On the plus side, women can multitask and men can't as well. Women can run circles around men in some ways.

Do you believe that women will be in more technical jobs in the future?

Yes.

Do you have any advice for women and girls that are interested in going into the field?

Get the education and don't be afraid to take risks in order to learn. Don't be afraid to be the only women doing something. Look around to see where the best people in the industry are working and get a job working with them. That's how I made it. Contacts are everything.