It’s no secret that women in STEM face major drawbacks compared to their male counterparts. There’s discrimination and sexism women must overcome to become successful in their field.

“One of my main worries after graduating isn’t necessarily securing a job but is being accepted in the workplace,” said Marlee Kopetsky, a biomedical engineering student with a focus in psychology at Stevens Institute of Technology.

Women have made strides in STEM. They made up 27% of STEM workers in 2019, compared with just 8% in 1970, according to research from the U.S. Census Bureau. Men still make up 73% of all STEM workers, a clear disproportion that is seen throughout various STEM careers.

Despite the increase in women working in STEM fields, there are still many challenges they face in the workforce, lack of confidence being one of them.

“If you are a perfectionist like me, starting on a new technical project can be daunting,” said Simona Aksman, a senior data scientist at 23andMe. “You may feel that you need to have a deep level of expertise to even get started. My advice is to focus on creating a small working prototype. Creating something that works, no matter how small, can give you a major confidence boost that may motivate you to keep going!”

It’s important to remember that no one is an expert in their field when they get started. Women must remind themselves that they are also learning, along with some of their colleagues. It’s also important to support and have support from colleagues that are facing the same challenges.

“I think what is needed is encouragement and appreciation,” said Mitsu Patel, a student at Rutgers University majoring in cell biology and neuroscience. “Women should be respected for the work they do and must be appreciated in order to inspire other women to join in and feel confident.”

Along with lack of confidence, some women also experience lack of mentorship. Women don’t usually have colleagues to guide them often leaving them feeling lost. This could be due to the lack of representation in STEM careers.

Antonia Zaferiou, an assistant professor at Stevens Institute of Technology in the department of biomedical engineering, said she found support from her professors when she was in school, so she wants to provide the same support and be a mentor to her students.

“My professors at The Cooper Union inspired me to be a professor that prioritizes student development. Further, right after defending my dissertation, I became motivated to mentor Ph.D. students so that they can ultimately feel the way I felt that day: proud of the resilience needed in research and prepared to be an independent scientist.”