ing she also mastered financial statements while working with WERC .
Many of WERC ’ s veteran women said relationships and mentoring is key , and several opportunities to provide mentorship to young women have come to former WERC Board President ( 2004-2005 ) Susan Rider , President of Rider & Associates , through her WERC connections .
“ The first thing I would tell them is , ‘ you have to develop a thick skin . You can ’ t get insulted when you ’ re at a
warehouse and it ’ s all men , and they use bad language . And , if you walk into a warehouse in heels and a mini skirt , don ’ t be surprised when you get cat called ,’” she says , noting that her advice is rooted in her own experience .
At her first job in the field , she had two revelations within her first week : “ There truly were practically no women in the field at that time . I ’ d heard people say 98 % men in the industry , but it was closer to 99.8 % men ,” she chuckles . “ And , I realized very quickly that , as a woman , I had to know twice as much to gain respect and credibility in the industry .”
“ I strongly encourage women who are new to the industry to tap into the women who have been here a while . We ’ re all here to help each other , and we want to ,” she said . “ WERC is a perfect resource for making those contacts .”
213
www . businesschief . com