Sónia Silva
Quality control/environmental
Cruz Martins & Wahl, Lda (CMW Foundries)/Portugal
The job
Preparation of the Annual Environmental Report
Daily check of equipment (forklifts, overhead cranes)
Check of fire extinguishers
Check of safety signage at work stations
Completion of MIRR (Integrated Waste Registration Map)
Registration of annual obligations in Siliamb (online platform)
I started working in the foundry when I was 24 years old.
I had the support mainly from my family, my bosses and colleagues who received me well, which made it easier for me to settle in and get to know how the foundry works.
Education
- Occupational Hygiene and Safety Technician
- Computer Operator
- Psychosocial risk factors at work (stress/violence/ harassment)
- Quality control/environmental
Skill and competences
- Persistence
- Self-confidence
- Motivation
- Teamwork
- Interpersonal relationship
- Availability for continuous learning
- Computer skills in user's perspective
Key challenges and success factors
What drives your motivation?
What brings me motivation is every day I find different challenges
Does your job make you compromise with something or make sacrifices?
No, my job does not require sacrifices, not at all.
What does it take to be successful?
The main reasons to be successful is to know how to work in a team, to know how to listen to opinions, to argue, to give an opinion, to solve problems or challenges without fear, to come up with new ideas.
What are the benefits, both personal and social?
The benefits on a personal level are the daily growth that we have professionally, learning new things every day, always innovating, sometimes having to think “outside the box”. On a social level, it is living together, understanding, and listening to people who are different and at the same time so alike.
What challenges you meet working in male dominated environment?
The challenge is not to feel inferior to men, to show that we are capable, to have good communication with them, and the main thing is the respect that we show for them and they show for the women that work with them.
Why you would recommend your job to other women?
Please, give some practical advice (tips) to other women to help them to enter in this field / activity? Maybe I would recommend it to female engineers to work in foundry, but to technicians like me I certainly wouldn't, even though the relationship within the company is good and I like what I do. We are not valued for what we do and the responsibility we have. You can do well what you are asked to do, have responsibilities to fulfill legal requirements on time, but because you don't have Engª before your name you are not given the value that you really deserve.