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The original was posted on /r/twoxchromosomes by /u/Wonderful-Ad4050 on 2023-09-20 16:19:58.

As a woman who has worked in stem for the better part of a decade, at the same company I’ve experienced many slights and micro aggressions from the “boys club” in charge. To add insult to injury, I kinda just fell into this career as a lab worker, as my degree is not in a STEM field, it’s in psychology and education.

I always loved science and I wanted to study it but the college I went to wouldn’t allow me to declare chemistry as a major because I scored low on algebra 2 in high school. So instead of delaying my degree by at least a year, taking remedial classes, I kinda just rolled over and declared psychology, so that I can graduate early.

I always kinda regretted this decision and I wish I gave my all in science. Especially now as I’m realizing “chemist as a trade” isn’t really a thing and I’ve advanced as far as I can in my career without a science degree/advanced science degree. It’s especially difficult when not even your supervisors are on you side because they think you’re dumb because a - you don’t have the “right” degree even if you do your job just as good as your coworker with a masters in chemistry.

And before someone says that it isn’t about gender; let me tell you - guys with bachelor’s degrees were moved up the ladder way faster than women with the same or higher education. And it’s not because women “didn’t want higher positions” because the women in the lab are the ones offering their skills for promotions and training and just consistently looked over.

It’s to the point where I’m very much considering going back to school for sciences, but to do something different like scientific research and development, or engineering even though I know I’m probably going to still get looked over, but hopefully with a masters or PhD It may be better?