Plumber
If you are a practical person and don't mind getting your hands dirty, maybe you should tap into the growing demand for female plumbers. In the past, women faced many barriers when trying to enter this trade: we're not strong enough, the work is sometimes messy, there are no women's loos on a building site. But the huge skills crisis in manual trades has changed all that – so it's definitely a career with a future. There will always be a demand for women in this career because many female householders appreciate having a woman plumber. If you're good, people will use you – it doesn't matter what gender you are.
You can get into this line via a full-time plumbing course or an employed-status Modern Apprenticeship. Your apprenticeship would entail working with an employer and attending a training centre on a part-time basis. The first step would be to identify a plumbing business within your area that can provide the necessary work-based training and experience. Look at the SummitSkills website to find your local Approved Plumbing Centres.
The Institute of Plumbing has a Women in Plumbing group, which aims to raise awareness of career opportunities open to women in the industry and to encourage more women to train as plumbers.
Hospital consultant
Despite the recent upsurge in the numbers of women entering medical schools, it seems that females are still heavily outnumbered in hospital surgical and medical roles. Why is it that women are far more likely to become GPs than to gain positions as consultants? One answer is that because women think of themselves as less technically skilled than men, they tend to specialise in areas with relatively poor prestige and low financial rewards. The 'macho' culture is another reason why women are under represented in leading positions in medicine. The men who make decisions about hiring tend to select candidates whom they see as being tough and decisive – just like themselves. If things go on as they are, hospital consultants will be recruited from a decreasing number of male medical-school graduates.
The times they are a-changing, however, and there has never been a better moment for women to aspire to become hospital consultants. There is a realisation that it is vital to attract the graduates with the highest talent for medicine or surgery, regardless of gender.
If you are a medical student interested in a career in surgery, you will find it useful to join WIST (Women in Surgical Training). WIST works to enable women who have chosen a career in surgery to realise their professional goals.
Stockbroker
When a woman asked to become a member of the Stock Exchange in the 1970s, she was told it was impossible because there were no ladies' lavatories. Although it's 30 years since the first woman joined the Stock Exchange, attitudes have not changed much, judging from the number of discrimination cases!
The life of a female stockbroker is tough: you need lots of stamina, nerves of steel and bucketloads of confidence. On the plus side, the pay is excellent, you work with a close-knit team and there's a tremendous buzz from dealing with billions of pounds, euros and dollars every day.
A stockbroker's job is to invest money on behalf of clients, so you'll need to be constantly aware of the fluctuations in the markets and be ready to act at a moment's notice. Don't even think about it if you don't have a brilliant head for figures and the confidence to deal with enormous sums of money.
To become a stockbroker, you need to be qualified through the SFA's Registered Persons Examinations. Investment companies tend to recruit graduates and then train them: alternatively, you can fund the exams yourself and make the shift to the City already qualified.
Employers look for a background knowledge of stock trading. You can show your commitment by reading the Financial Times, by talking to people who are already in the profession and by investing small sums of your own money.
Engineer
Engineering is not top of most women's list of career options. Well, which of us would be attracted by the conventional image of greasy overalls and a spanner? But an engineer's typical tool today is a computer, not a mole wrench. And your work clothes are just as likely to be a designer suit or smart casuals as steel-capped boots and a safety helmet.
Being an engineer can involve you in anything from fuel, fibres and foods to boats, buses and bridges. You may choose to design things or processes, or you could be making things with your hands. Another option is the business end: strategic management, marketing or research and development. The area you specialise in will have specific qualifications, but all engineers require a background in science and mathematics. Teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills are also important.
Choose engineering and there are many rewards. It's a satisfying and challenging career with opportunities for self-employment and travel. How far you go will depend on your own drive and determination.
For most engineering degree courses you will normally need three scientific subjects at A-level. These courses take between three and five years, depending on whether you want to become a Chartered or an Incorporated engineer. You can get further information from The Engineering Careers Information Service (EMTA) (0800 282167).
National AWiSE is working to promote science, engineering and technology for girls and women and to provide a network for mutual support.
Airline pilot
There aren't many jobs where you get paid for flying round the world and watching the sun rise over the Pyrenees. But, even in these days of equal opportunities, only 300 of the 13,000 UK airline pilots are women. Again, one of the reasons is that women perceive flying as a highly technical or physically demanding job. But it's more about being able to stay focused, think quickly and remain calm in very rare nerve-racking situations. And flying requires the ability to multi-task, which women are better at than men.
To become a pilot, you will need to obtain a Commercial Pilot's Licence and pass the Civil Aviation Authority's Class One medical check. To carry passengers for an airline, you'll also need the Airline Transport Pilot's Licence (ATPL). This involves passing a theory exam and clocking up 1,500 hours of flying time. Some trainee pilots obtain full or part sponsorship from a commercial airline. Approaching private airlines directly is the best way of finding out about sponsorship and training schemes. Journals like Flight International or Pilot magazine often carry job ads from airlines such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, EasyJet or KLM.
You can get detailed information on qualifications from the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA)
