Let me start by saying that I have never been your typical "girl." I can still remember as a little girl always wanting to get my hands dirty and never letting the fact that I am a small, petite, girl get in my way. Whether that was climbing trees, racing with the boys at school, or helping my dad fix the cars. I never saw my gender as an obstacle that I needed to overcome or a reason why I had to prove myself to people in my life.
Now, fast-forward to college... I am majoring in criminal justice with a minor in psychology. My intent is to have a career in law enforcement. Whether that means as a police officer, FBI, CIA... I haven't decided on which department yet. Something that all these careers have in common is that they are mainly all very male-dominated careers. This is where some of the red flags pop up when I tell people that I want to have this career. Whether it is from friends, or family, the judgments and gender stereotypes that I have already faced are alarming.
So, I've come up with different questions that I've gotten and my strategic answers that I've come up with.
1. "Isn't that field of work dangerous?"
Yes, of course, it is a dangerous field to work in and I am very aware of it. Yet, in today's world, every job is dangerous and there aren't many "safe" jobs. I wanted to go into this dangerous field so that I can protect and help the innocent people who are in way more dangerous situations.
2. "Do you think by having this job you're proving yourself to someone?"
No, under no circumstances am I choosing this field because I think that by being a female in this specific field am I proving anything to anyone. I chose this field because it is interesting to me and I want to have a hands-on job that will make a difference all at the same time.
3. "Are you still going to be able to have and raise kids with that kind of career?"
YES! I've gotten this question from many different people in my life and I give the same response every time. There are plenty of women that work in this field that are able to manage their career and have a family. During the times that I decide to have kids, I would be given less dangerous jobs. A career and kids is possible.
4. "Does working in a male predominate career scare you?"
Just because most of my co-workers will be male doesn't change my passion for this career field. I will do the same as all my other colleges whether they are male or female.
5. "Are you concerned about the impact your career choice could have on your romantic relationships?"
My motto is if the person that I want to spend my life with is not supportive of my career choice then they don't need to be in my life. If they are planning to be by my side and love me, then they need to support my career too. It is a packaged deal and there are no ifs, ands or buts.
