Female-advice for breaking in??

[kimberly]

New here--Hello everyone :waving
Have checked into training schools--live in East TN, anyone going or have been to training schools near me???

Also, anyone know how a woman can get into this career, like mentoring when the "bosses" wives wont let them hire women????? I am married, not gorgeous but not too bad on the eyes :naughty , I just want a career instead of a job!!!! Have never went the conventional way or "womans work". I worked at a Wal-Mart Distribution center for 8yrs, did everything from orderfilling up to 80lbs, loading trucks in shipping, unloading in receiving, forklift, stockpicker, jamrunner, to my biggest mistake MANAGEMENT :Pointhead So any advice would be appreciated---Maybe someone near me who is considering training at a school nearby---carpool?????

Thanks,
Kim :wink2

[kamerad47]

Go to your local union hall, operating engineers they are taking women the need them on state & goverment jobs!!

[digger242j]

Kim,

First, welcome to HEF!

Have you called your nearest local of the Operating Engineers? I can't speak of how they might help you get into the profession from any direct experience, but with affirmative action type stuff being a factor, you might find they'd be happy to get you. I can say, that of the women I've seen in the field, while they're still in the minority, all have been on union jobs, (at least I can't recall seeing any working as operators on non-union jobs.)

I have to say too, that say, 20 years ago, you'd find an occasional woman operating, but it seemed like she was always on a roller. Going slowly back and forth all day long doesn't really tax the skills of most operators. These days, women can be found on just about anything on the site. The equipment and the dirt don't care about gender, just about skill, and smart employers know that.

Good Luck, and let us know how things work out.

BTW, it can't hurt to hang around and try to absorb some of the knowlege that floats around on the site here...

On edit: Kamerad beat me to it ! I gotta learn to type faster...