Wide Brush Painting
If you had asked me a month ago if I thought "Women in Business" was offering topics that were of interest to as wide a variety of women as possible I would have confidently answered YES! After all, I've been working in business for over 15 years and have interacted with women involved in many different careers. I’ve known a gymnastics school owner, freelance artists and writers, theatre company owner, teachers, professors, nurses, doctors, administrative assistants, sales representatives, receptionists, customer service representatives and even presidents. If anyone had a healthy world view it was me. Was I wrong!
That was a month ago, before I met such amazing people as Nancy Baird (HVAC Technician), Angie Kelly (Electrician), Jenn Beaupre (Cabinetamaker Co-op Student), Sarah Lord (Construction Craft Worker), Cathy Corrigan (Plumber) and Kathy Anyan (Chef) - six women working in various skilled trades in Durham Region, Ontario, whose stories will appear as part of a poster campaign "Divas of the Trades" to be launched in November 2005 by the Durham Region Local Training Board.
You see, I was hired to interview these women and write up their individual stories about how they ended up working in their chosen trades. What an interesting and eye opening experience it has been for me.
I’ve learned that for all my “experience” I was oblivious to an entire segment of working women. I was painting with a wide brush and not capturing the true picture at all.
Fact is, there are so many jobs women are tackling in the trades. They are excelling as electricians, HVACs, carpenters, plumbers, chefs, cabinet makers and the list just goes on. There is a wealth of non-traditional jobs for women. (This list shows some examples of these). Trades work is an area wide open for women and these jobs offer excellent earning potential and the potential for real job satisfaction. Who knew?
Imagine not having to endure office politics or concern yourself with having the right fashion each morning. What about not having to fight the traffic only to arrive at work and stare at your cubicle walls for the rest of the day. Women in trades just don’t have these concerns and at the end of the day they know exactly what they’ve accomplished through their own labour and with their own hands.
There is a time and place for painting with a wide brush, like when you are working on a canvas with oil paint or acrylics but you need to be able to get at the details if you want to present the full picture.
What I’ve learned from these women is that women’s work shouldn’t be stereotyped. The experiences and stories of these trades women are as valuable as those of the rest of us who, like me, do sit in cubicles all day. We are all working women and are striving to make valuable contributions no matter what careers we are involved in.
These are some of the reasons why we at All Things Girl have changed the name of this section from “Women in Business” to "On the Job". We want all of you - administrative assistants, managers, presidents, stay-at-home moms, teachers, professors, writers, students, doctors, as well as carpenters, HVACs, plumbers, chefs, dental technicians and electricians - to feel welcome in this section and hopefully find stories and topics that will bring you back.
(NOTE: This is an article soon to be published in the August '05 issue of All Things Girl which will be available online Aug. 1 at www.allthingsgirl.com).
If you had asked me a month ago if I thought "Women in Business" was offering topics that were of interest to as wide a variety of women as possible I would have confidently answered YES! After all, I've been working in business for over 15 years and have interacted with women involved in many different careers. I’ve known a gymnastics school owner, freelance artists and writers, theatre company owner, teachers, professors, nurses, doctors, administrative assistants, sales representatives, receptionists, customer service representatives and even presidents. If anyone had a healthy world view it was me. Was I wrong!
That was a month ago, before I met such amazing people as Nancy Baird (HVAC Technician), Angie Kelly (Electrician), Jenn Beaupre (Cabinetamaker Co-op Student), Sarah Lord (Construction Craft Worker), Cathy Corrigan (Plumber) and Kathy Anyan (Chef) - six women working in various skilled trades in Durham Region, Ontario, whose stories will appear as part of a poster campaign "Divas of the Trades" to be launched in November 2005 by the Durham Region Local Training Board.
You see, I was hired to interview these women and write up their individual stories about how they ended up working in their chosen trades. What an interesting and eye opening experience it has been for me.
I’ve learned that for all my “experience” I was oblivious to an entire segment of working women. I was painting with a wide brush and not capturing the true picture at all.
Fact is, there are so many jobs women are tackling in the trades. They are excelling as electricians, HVACs, carpenters, plumbers, chefs, cabinet makers and the list just goes on. There is a wealth of non-traditional jobs for women. (This list shows some examples of these). Trades work is an area wide open for women and these jobs offer excellent earning potential and the potential for real job satisfaction. Who knew?
Imagine not having to endure office politics or concern yourself with having the right fashion each morning. What about not having to fight the traffic only to arrive at work and stare at your cubicle walls for the rest of the day. Women in trades just don’t have these concerns and at the end of the day they know exactly what they’ve accomplished through their own labour and with their own hands.
There is a time and place for painting with a wide brush, like when you are working on a canvas with oil paint or acrylics but you need to be able to get at the details if you want to present the full picture.
What I’ve learned from these women is that women’s work shouldn’t be stereotyped. The experiences and stories of these trades women are as valuable as those of the rest of us who, like me, do sit in cubicles all day. We are all working women and are striving to make valuable contributions no matter what careers we are involved in.
These are some of the reasons why we at All Things Girl have changed the name of this section from “Women in Business” to "On the Job". We want all of you - administrative assistants, managers, presidents, stay-at-home moms, teachers, professors, writers, students, doctors, as well as carpenters, HVACs, plumbers, chefs, dental technicians and electricians - to feel welcome in this section and hopefully find stories and topics that will bring you back.
(NOTE: This is an article soon to be published in the August '05 issue of All Things Girl which will be available online Aug. 1 at www.allthingsgirl.com).
posted by Pamela Hamilton at 12:48 PM
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