Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Silver View Post
Ginny, every situation is different...but some get places through schmoozing (career polititians could never get a real job), others through technical competance, and others through a combination of the two.

Resolve the path that you want to succeed on. If you choose the technical path, you will likely always be experiencing what you note above, but that doesn't mean you can't have a career but rather that you may be happiest in a different situation.

Just my humble opinion...and I'm not a schmoozer but I am in an executive role in a company with a few hundred employees.
Over the years, I had chats with guys (engineering background) and more individually (you will find out alot more) where they had to make a decision like what Mr. Silver described above: there is a point later in career path, where one ends up having to decide to be technically a "star" and remain on that path or move into the management side, which is what these guys are doing, when they are talking about setting up a business/major project/venture.

Meanwhile while you take time to make that decision (which will take several years), one does have to network across any organization that you work for, to be a "known" face in the firm, to understand the work you do/value you provide to the firm and to be on cross-functional teams (which these guys may refuse to acknowlege right now), be participating at those team meetings, etc.

Perhaps just maintaining a respectful working relationship with your project manager is best for now, while seek elsewhere in the firm for other guys that you can network, sit down have a coffee and talk about work, etc.

I have worked in several male dominant organizations where I found it best to know informally several different guys across an organization of different rank (junior to senior management) and develop those working relationships, find out about the meetings, etc.

Meanwhile publish, deliver talks,...and leave the firm soon.

Are you willing to take courses in business strategy development, marketing, project management, contracts negotiation to complement your scientific technical training?