Women face a number of questions when addressing questions related to their career development. The questions will be unique to each individual and takes into account, life experience, industry and the current situation. While discrimination based upon gender is prohibited under federal and state laws, women can sometimes face invisible barriers and unwritten rules of conduct.

Questions to consider:

• What industries or companies offer "family friendly" policies?
• Where can I find mentors and role models?
• Can I function as part of a team and still work to change rules?
• What can I expect and what are my recourses under equal opportunity law?
• How will I balance the choices I make about my career and personal life?

Resources

• Northwestern University Women's Center is dedicated to fostering a campus climate that promotes equity and enriches the personal, professional and academic lives of all members of the University community, particularly women students, staff and faculty.
• Society of Women Engineers is a national organization dedicated to promoting interest and encouraging women to pursue the fields of science and engineering.
• Council of 100, a women's mentoring organization, was founded in 1993. Members of the Council are leaders in their chosen professions who are willing to share their knowledge and experience to enrich the lives of Northwestern's undergraduate and graduate women students, and young alumnae.

Web Resources

• U.S. Department of Labor / Women's Bureau maintains a website with fact sheets and information regarding bureau's activities with women.
• The American Association of University Women is the largest association of women in higher education anywhere, maintains on-line information on issues of interest to AAUW, ongoing research projects, fellowships and grants, and resources.