[Answer] I'm a Female Undergraduate in Electrical Engineering and Automation and Finding It Exhausting—Should I Switch Majors for Graduate School?

[Answer] I'm a Female Undergraduate in Electrical Engineering and Automation and Finding It Exhausting—Should I Switch Majors for Graduate School?

Looking back after more than a decade of work, I feel that jobs in fields like electrical engineering are indeed not especially well-suited to women. Of course, this is not meant in a sexist way, and I do know some exceptionally capable female electrical engineers. It is more like how professions such as nursing or preschool education are often considered less suitable for men. Electrical engineering and automation, or most engineering majors in general, often require dealing with harsh environments, difficult working conditions, or physical labor once you enter the workforce. For women, this may bring unexpected challenges. At the most basic level, even office-based design staff still need to go to construction sites for technical briefings, and there may not even be a women’s restroom available—let alone the hardship of working on-site for long periods.

By contrast, I tend to support switching—while keeping an engineering background—to a field more oriented toward finance, management, or trade. When it comes to career choice, this can actually provide a certain comparative advantage. For example, if you want to work in consulting, investment, or trade, then having a professional background in a specific industrial sector can make it easier to carry out various kinds of work. This is the advantage of an interdisciplinary background.

However, switching fields midway inevitably means putting in more effort and enduring more hardship than those who started in that field from the beginning. In terms of professional knowledge—especially foundational knowledge and breadth—you will be at a disadvantage, and these gaps may require five or ten times more effort to make up for. You need to be fully prepared for that.