Monday, January 25, 2010

Board of Directors and lovely dreams

A few days ago I found myself in a fairly strange situation. I was at home looking at a company with a product that I had been introduced to, and it is a very interesting company with very good potential. Anyway, I was scouting their website and trying to understand where they were located and if it was some kind of future in working for them or what they were up to in general.

They have a smaller interest in microbial growth prevention, which is partly what I found intriguing. Anyhow, my fun part was looking at their Board of Directors (and their contacts and scientists) and wherever I looked I saw men. Mostly ex-military, some PhDs in chemistry and some "general men with board of directors experience". I didn't see any microbiologist nor any females nor a combination of female PhDs in microbiology. The answer was clear to me. I should write them and offer my services!

Somewhere here I realised that this line of thinking was a bit off for me. I mean, I'm all about liking myself and believing in my abilities but email some company stating "I can be on your Board of Directors if you need a (good) female microbiology alibi since I am a stellar person", that's not really my behaviour.

Then it struck me. Even if I didn't feel "affected"* by the pain killers I was on at the time, clearly I was feeling way more positive and over-stating my importance. Behaving a tad bit out of the ordinary and feeling all good about lots of things. (Later on I found myself giggle just a bit too much at nothing in specific to be me "normal".) I didn't finish that email, but rather closed my computer and went to bed. (Later on that night, I did fall down the stairs since I wasn't affected and therefore could walk down stairs in the dark.... sure... not affected my ass. And then I slept for like 14 hours, and woke up tired. Me and pills are clearly not best pals, to my happiness actually.)

I have mulled about this afterwards though. I am still not all that convinced that it is a super-bad idea to have some kind of microbiologist on the board, or in the development lab... and I have to admit, I am a bit tempted to contact them and see if they have any openings for interested parties who want to get involved. They also have operations overseas and that is something I find very interesting. However, I doubt that I will finish that email... but it would have been very fun though. I wonder what they would have said "look, here is an email from a girl in the South who offers (!) to be on our Board of Directors for shits and giggles and to become a female alibi for us so we would look better in Europe".

Haha, I can see why someone who came home later that night laughed a long time when I told about it in my highness... :)


*read "high on legal pain killers", I am not used to taking anything and have a fairly high threshold for pain... clearly I will keep it that way.

7 comments:

EcoGeoFemme said...

What would you have to lose if you send the email?

FrauTech said...

I'm not sure "hire me because I'm a woman" goes over well with the "general experience" ex-military guys. That doesn't mean I don't think you should scrap your attempt, however if you want it to succeed more than whoever receives your email dismissing you as "some crazy b@#$" you might want to rethink your approach. If you're just trying to make a statement against their bigotry, continue right on.

chall said...

EGF: I don't know. Although, I am quite sure I need to wite something more eloquently than I started to write last time ;) it was fairly flaky and very inconsistent.... there is also the factor of my present company being slightly against outside involvement.

FrauTech: I am pretty sure I would have to write something completely differnt. My main argument for "the woman thing" is that there are a few countries in the north of Europe that have a qouta on females in board of directors. I was on that way of thinking when I started.

I can always write some more military style things and not mention the idea of me being interested in their company soole for being a female. It is an intersting concept and I am quite intrigued about it. Add on that the link leading to my home country and the people there didn't work peaked my interest more.

Nina said...

I agree with EGF, as always. Just send the email (or rather the new version). I wouldn't stress they will have to take you because you are a woman I would even think they will figure that out themselves... I suppose just the microbiology thing will do it.

chall said...

Nina: I just might.

All_ I just love the fact that you think that it is perfectly normal to send an email regarding this. :) I thought it was ludicris when I got off my high.. but maybe it is how "you" do things? ;)

We'll see what happens. As for now, I really should write that paper.... no more excuses.

Amanda@Lady Scientist said...

Two things:
1. Send the email. Well, one drafted when you aren't "high."

2. The idea of you being "high" (even in the legal sense) made me giggle. :)

chall said...

Amanda: clearly I have to send _something_ after all these people telling me it wasn't such a silly idea (the main frame of the idea, not the current execution of it) :)

Glad it made some people happy. Not only you, but someone else and the people I met on Saturday told me today that I was a giddy sight for the gods. Clearly dangerous for me to giggle that much, even after falling down the stairs. Personally, I find the notion that I didn't FEEL high the most intersting one (or scary). I felt sort of normal... haha, not so much.