Women who don’t leave tech are selectively blind

I also left science. (I am a male.) While I agree with all your points, I feel there are other points that enter the picture for both sexes.

These are some of the reasons I left science: (1) Maybe I was too lazy - I certainly prefered to play bridge at night rather than spend my nights in the lab, in contrast to some of the others. (2) I didn't publish enough - I wanted to get the whole picture before I published and couldn't think about how to breakdown my computer modelling into smaller publishable chunks. (3) I was discouraged with how long projects took - my penultimate project took 5 years. (4) My last project working off someone else's grant money was so "boring" I lost my motivation for science. (5) I couldn't face writing grant proposals with the limited (20%) success rate.

Do I miss the work? Yes, every day. More and more, one can see that science is the future.

What could have been done differently to help scientists? Beginning scientists need to be provided with some guide about how to develop the personal (networking) skills, perseverance skills and publishing skills needed to succeed. For instance, I needed to continues to seek guidance when I struck one particular publishing block. If I had gone again to my mentor, who had a great publication record, I am sure he would have got me over my roadblock.

What was the biggest mistake of my career? I think the biggest error was not taking advantage of my lucky breaks. I had some great breaks: a particular science teacher at school, a very helpful PhD supervisor, and a world-first computer modelling project in the US. I know it sounds bizarre, but I thought those lucky breaks were an unfair advantage. I think I had to realise that life is going to throw both good luck and bad luck one's way and you have to make the most of the lucky breaks.

I work at an engineering company known for its fair treatment of women.

I disagree with you when you say that in the bifurcation between leadership roles and those being led that women are more likely to take on the latter role. If anything the women I work with are more sociable and hence more likely to want to manage rather than keep themselves in purely technical work. It takes all kinds. I for one am glad that there are men and women willing to take on management roles -- roles that I, for one, have no taste for.