Working At Shield AI

Working At Shield AI Below is an article originally written by Connie Sun, an Autonomy Engineer at PowerToFly Partner Shield AI, and published on July 3, 2018. Go to Shield AIs page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn more.In the small hours of a recent Monday morning, I found myself up at 13000 ft, trudging through a snow chute on the way to Mt. Whitney with two colleagues and absolutely zero mountaineering experience.As I labored clumsily through the snow with my crampons and ice ax, I wondered just for a moment why on earth would I challenge this icy slope when I could be lounging back in sunny San Diego? The answer, of course, was simple the people of Shield AI.The greatest thing about working at Shield AI is being surrounded by teammates who are passionate about so many different things. Their zest for life is tangible and infectious. (Almost) inevitably, I find myself doing things well outside my comfort zone, be it practicing self-arrest on a mountain or bravin g a kult hop class with my two left feet.Though our interests vary, the one theme I find across our team is dedication to craft and the pursuit of excellence. Everyone here from hardware to software, to business and operations is driven to be great at what they do.Working at Shield AI is like going through constant metamorphosis. Its not forced upon you. Rather, the people around you motivate you with their work ethic and excellence. You just cant help but feel inspired to want to be part of that greatness. You push yourself to climb higher because the person next to you is going just as hard and you dont want to let your teammates down. Together we take the next step and the next one, even and perhaps especially when its uncomfortable and itd be a whole lot easier to stop than to keep going.At the core of innovation is the willingness to embrace change, to put in the hard work, and, most importantly, to never stop. At Shield AI, the people around you are with you on this journe y to grow and be great. In and out of the office, were a team that inspires one another. And when we reach the summit, we ask whats next? One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique op portunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.