Membership
As a SWE member, you are entitled to a number of benefits and services at local, regional and national levels.
Benefits
- Networking - The top benefit most members cite is the ability
to network with other women engineers. Networking occurs most often
at section meetings and regional and national conferences. The Golden
Gate Section routinely has non-programmed events without a speaker or
agenda. These are generally informal gatherings after work to allow
members to meet in an unstructured setting and socialize with each other.
- Professional Development - SWE members also have ample opportunities
to enhance their careers through professional development activities.
Workshops offered at local, regional and national levels cover a diverse
range of topics from starting your own business to building management
skills to adapting to change. The Golden Gate Section has at least one
programmed meeting each year with a focus on professional development
of its members.
- Leadership Development - Members who become involved as officers
or committee chairs at all levels of SWE report that the experience
develops their leadership skills above and beyond the opportunities
they have at work. The Golden Gate Section has a number of positions
with a range of responsibilities and time commitments. We are always
in need of new leaders to join our team - if you are interested, contact
our Section President.
- Giving Back - SWE members give back to the profession in a variety of ways - indirectly benefiting them through the satisfaction they receive. SWE members are very active in their communities in performing career outreach activities and implementing local scholarship programs. The Golden Gate Section has one of the top scholarship programs nationwide among SWE sections. Over $10,000 is awarded annually to top-performing Bay Area high school graduates pursuing engineering degrees. The Golden Gate Section is also involved in performing career outreach at Bay Area schools.
Services
- ResumeMatch - SWE members can submit their resume for free
to the SWE ResumeMatch Database. Employers search this database to fill
their job vacancies.
- JobMatch - Members can also check out current job openings
in JobMatch posted by top employers.
- Online Career Fair - This web page provides numerous listings
of employers looking for qualified engineers. Employers have specifically
targeted the SWE membership for job opportunities.
- SWE Magazine - Articles in this bi-monthly publication cover
issues of interest to women engineers including the achievements and
accomplishments of women engineers, career development, career guidance
for and outreach to students, activities within the Society, and technical
themes geared to an audience covering a broad range of engineering disciplines.
- Email Subscriptions
- Email Alias
Just about anyone can become a member of SWE. There are various membership grades according to members' qualifications. A brief description of each grade is below. For the complete eligibility requirements, review SWE bylaws Article III.
- Member - Holds advanced degree in engineering or related
degree or has more than five years experience indicating engineering
competency and achievement
- Senior Member
- - Holds advanced degree and
has six or more years experience; or has more than 11 years experience
indicating engineering competency and achievement
- Fellow
- - A Senior Member who has been a
member of SWE for at least 8 years or a Member who has been a member
of SWE for at least 20 years may be chosen as a Fellow of the Society
- Honorary
- - Any person who has achieved
recognition as outstanding in the field of engineering or any person
who has made a significant contribution of service to the Society may
be elected an Honorary member by a unanimous vote of the ballots cast
by the Council of Section Representatives provided a quorum has voted.
- Associate - Any person who does not qualify as a Member,
Senior Member or Fellow is eligible for the grade of Associate if: (a)
She/he is engaged in work related to the practice of, or training for,
engineering or (b) He was a past member of the Men's Auxiliary Society
of Women Engineers prior to June 30, 1976, and does not otherwise meet
the requirements for SWE membership.
- Affiliate - Any person who supports the goals of the
Society and does not qualify for one of the other membership grades
qualifies for the grade of Affiliate. Applicants must be sponsored by
a Section President, CSR member or Regional Director.
The Golden Gate Section is in the geographic area directly surrounding San Francisco Bay. Counties within our section include Napa, Sonoma, Marin, Contra Costa (partial), Alameda (partial), San Francisco, and San Mateo.
Golden Gate Section members live and/or work within these areas with the population center falling somewhere around San Francisco and Oakland. Our closest neighboring sections are the Santa Clara Valley Section (San Jose area) and Mt. Diablo Section (East Contra Costa). Go to the Region A web site to view an area map [link to Region A map].
Insert map of Bay Area outlining GGS
Boundaries