Mastering STEM Transitions: Insights from Industry Trailblazer Deb Farnsworth

In the exciting world of STEM, navigating the intricate maze of career transitions demands not only expertise but also a deep well of wisdom. As we kick off our STEM Spotlight series, I've had the privilege of having an insightful Q&A session with the remarkable Deborah Farnsworth, Senior Director, Nuclear Plant Support at Ameren's Callaway Energy Center.

With a background rooted in chemical engineering and a journey that's taken her through various roles in the nuclear industry, Deb candidly shares her experiences with pivotal career shifts, her philosophy on leadership, and the profound importance of embracing change. Her insights, honed over years of dedicated work, light the way for aspiring STEM professionals looking to carve their own paths in this dynamic field. Join us on this journey as we seek inspiration, enlightenment, and the secrets to thriving in STEM career transitions.

Let's dive in!

Introduction and Background

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share a bit about your background in the STEM field?

I am Deborah Farnsworth and I currently work for Ameren at Callaway Energy Center.?I started my journey into STEM in high school in Waco, TX.?I enjoyed math and chemistry in high school and decided to combine the two and major in Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University – College Station.?

What initially attracted you to your current STEM career?

While at Texas A&M I participated in a Co-Op program that allowed me to work at Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Center in Kansas.?I actually ended up in Kansa because my now husband was stationed at Fort Riley.?After working at the nuclear power plant I initially thought it was very boring (mainly because the plant was operating so well—now I know that is a blessing), however in an interview for another job they asked me to draw how the nuclear plant works.? As I was drawing the systems and describing how electricity is made I realized how much I really enjoyed the thought of making power.?I started my first job at Westinghouse so I could work at plants that were offline.?After two years at Westinghouse I decided I wanted to work at a plant in order to obtain a senior reactor operator license.?Since then I have worked at two nuclear power plants in almost every department.

Transition Story

Could you describe a significant career transition you've experienced in your STEM journey? What prompted this change?

The most significant transition I made was leaving my first utility for the one where I am currently working. I made this change for more than one reason and the timing played a huge role. I was looking to expand my experience in the nuclear industry and learn new things. I also wanted to stretch my leadership capital in a new environment to help me grow. The timing matched what worked for my family. We moved at a good transition year for my kids' schooling. While moving utilities was a significant step for me and my family, one thing I did learn is we are not all that different from one another. We all come into work to do our best and in my industry we have a lot of the same complications and burdens.

How did you navigate the challenges and uncertainties associated with this transition?

I relied on my new peers to help me "translate" some of the differences. I also relied on my knowledge of the industry to challenge those in my new utility and help add value when I could.

Career Transition Motivations

What were the key motivations behind your career transition? Were there specific goals you wanted to achieve?

My key motivation was to be a leader in an environment that supported and fostered servant leadership. I wanted to work on developing my leadership abilities and help others in their leadership journey as well. I think the most satisfying part of this transition was watching those I mentored at my former job succeed and continue to grow and to watch those at my current facility not only become leaders but also foster a new generation of leaders.

How did you identify that it was the right time for a career transition?

Everything fell into place at the same time. I recognized I needed a change. My family was open and able to make the move. I got the call that there was an opportunity, and I took it. My new employer was patient enough to allow me time to ensure everything was ready for the change, including closing out a major project and my family able to close out a school year and finish with service we gave to our community.

Expanding on how I knew that I was ready for a change…. Several things occurred within a year of me taking the call from the recruiter. The most overriding factor was recognizing my leadership style was diverging from the style desired at my place of work. I also recognized that I needed some diversity in my background that was not available staying at one nuclear facility for my career. I also found that there were opportunities I wanted my kids to experience that we were not able to in our previous location. I hate to say you know when you know, but that was it—I just knew I was ready for a change.

Leadership and Development

How did you approach the transition from an individual contributor role to a leadership position? What were the key skills you focused on developing?

I had several leadership transitions, oddly enough moving from individual contributor to supervisor was not the most significant. That is likely because I stepped up as a supervisor frequently and acted as project manager for much of my time. However, the lesson that took me three years to learn was as a supervisor you are there to serve and protect your workers—even if it is from themselves. If you see someone not meeting standards and you do not correct it, the next correction may be out of your control and it may result in them losing their job. As a supervisor you are there to ensure they are safe, they do their job with quality, and you help keep them on a path to make them successful. That requires hard conversations.

Skills to focus on:

• Trust those that work for you—if someone brings something up about one of your workers—seek to understand their concern and then seek to understand the perspective of your worker.
• Listen to your team.
• Frequent communication always wins—good-bad-ugly—no matter, frequent always wins. Bad news does not age well.
• Make sure your workers have their needs met—how is their family, are they getting paid right, how is their health, etc. If they have a basic need that is lacking it will impact their work. You are their conduit to some pretty basic needs, take care of them.
• Be transparent. Tell them what you can tell them and tell them when you cannot tell them. They will respect that.
• Document. Document. Document. Good-bad-ugly.

Can you share your insights on effective leadership and how it impacts a STEM career?

Leadership is leadership. Whether you are coaching a soccer team, designing a rocket, or operating a nuclear power plant, leadership is leadership. No matter where or who you are leading it is crucial you know your leadership philosophy.

I have a few philosophies I live by:

• Expect results. Forgive failures. Enable progress.
• Leading is serving: Serving the team; Serving the plant; Serving the company.
• Timely communication is required. Be honest, be respectful, be sincere. Performance-Personnel-Positives.
• Learn every day. Then do better. Failure is a must to succeed.

Switching Careers or Starting a Business

If you've switched careers or started a business, what factors influenced your decision? How did you manage the associated risks?

Know why you are changing your direction. Is the new purpose more aligned with your future? Do you need a different challenge to raise your energy? Will your impact be greater? Will this provide you a change in lifestyle for more family time or better financial security?

What advice would you give to STEM professionals considering a career change or entrepreneurship?

Go with your gut. Every decision leads you to new opportunities. Be humble, if you find the new opportunity did not work be honest with yourself and make the next step.

Technical and Soft Skills

What technical and soft skills have been instrumental in your success during career transitions?

On the technical front learn how to learn—then learn. Everyone can learn something new, especially when changing roles. On the 'soft' skills (leadership skills by another name), learn how to listen—then listen.

Do not be afraid to show that you need others help—either technically or organizationally.

Speak up and offer solutions—even when new. Sometimes you can see things not apparent to those in the trenches of the problem.

How did you acquire or develop these skills?

• Time – It takes time to learn, time to gain trust, and time to provide positive contributions.
• Scars – No one knows it all or has everything all together. The best leaders learn through success, but mostly through failures. Leaders do not deny or downplay past failures, they use those learnings to help themselves and others. My biggest failure was not at work but in a volunteer sports organization where I failed to trust my coaches over disgruntled parents. I work every day to assume my leaders have good intent and validate their intent prior to taking any action.
• Repetition – Know the skills that you need to have to be a great leader, then repeatedly do it.

Overcoming Challenges:

What were some of the main challenges you faced during your career transitions, and how did you overcome them?

My main challenge was learning the new team and their history. When coming into a new organization you need to seek to understand so you can begin to add value. I needed to learn why things were the way they were, how people worked together, and what the pinch points were. Seeking to understand rather than making assumptions was my biggest challenge.

Were there any setbacks or failures that ultimately contributed to your growth?

I did not have setbacks per se, however, I wish I had taken more time to get to know the people and the business better before diving into my new role. In my future endeavors my 100-day plan in new organizations will have deliberate time to do this.

Networking and Mentoring:

How has networking and mentorship played a role in your career transitions? Do you have any tips for building meaningful professional relationships?

Networking and mentorships have proven the most impactful in my development and ability to move to new roles. I treat most of my relationships as mentoring opportunities, both as a mentor and as a mentee. In several of my past roles I was able to work with someone outside my organization and that relationship grew trust and confidence in my ability to assume a new role they needed me to do.

Flat out in some cases my mentors told me I needed to move, either for my development or my well-being. They could see I was not in the right organization and gave me honest feedback that I needed to hear.

Balancing Ambition and Realism

Balancing ambition with practicality is important during career transitions. How did you strike this balance to set achievable goals?

I haven't done well in balancing out ambition or the desire to make an impact with practicality. I have an optimistic viewpoint that it is all for a greater end and that outweighs practicality. Generally, I am wrong, but nonetheless I can't seem to help myself if there seems to be a greater good I am working towards.

On the flip side, when I don't see an outcome that would serve to make the impact I want or have a higher purpose I start to look for other opportunities. I want to feel accomplished every day I go home—did I do something to make the plant better? Did I do something to improve our team? Did I help someone? Whatever that is, if I don't see it, I will not stay in that role for long.

Advice for Others

Based on your experiences, what advice would you offer to STEM professionals who are considering a career transition, promotion, or starting a business?

Be thoughtful. Understand the why first. It may not always be practical, but it may be what you need.

As odd as it sounds, think about your needs. How does this change help you? Is it better for your family? Does it help you become the best version of yourself? Is it better for your development or career? You will feel guilty about moving on from people you cared about and worked with who may still be completing a large project or undergoing a large cultural change, but if this change is needed for you, I promise you they will survive.

Are there any resources, strategies, or mindsets you found particularly valuable during your journey?

I reached out to people I trusted. Mentors, family, friends all have a different perspective of your time, ability, and needs. They ask questions to help you be thoughtful.

I see my whole life as a journey. Even the missteps help me get to the next chapter. I trust that no matter the choice I make in my career, if I can support my family, everything will be ok. Even if I end up unhappy for a bit until the next chapter comes to pass.

Legacy and Impact

Looking back at your career transitions, what do you feel is your most significant accomplishment or contribution? How has it shaped your legacy?

My most significant accomplishment is leading a station through probation recovery for an accredited training program. Being placed on probation was due to failure to maintain bare minimum requirements of a training program, and this failure was at every level of the organization. The recovery took a few key things to be successful. First, acknowledging the problem and our part in it. Second, setting direction on how to make improvements. Third, applying steady oversight to ensure we did not take a step back in our progress.

Probation Recovery helped me realize the type of leader I am and who I want to be as I grow. I like helping organizations be better, do better, and not be afraid of failure.

I want my legacy to be my signature. Expect results. Forgive failure. Enable progress. I want people to be ok with being people. We will have success and we will have failures. We will have setbacks, but that is only temporary before we have progress. As leaders we need to be able to see the whole picture, not get overly focused on the mistake. I hope leaders I have worked with understand we must Expect results. Forgive failure. Enable progress.

Final Thoughts

Is there anything else you'd like to share with aspiring STEM professionals who are seeking guidance on navigating career transitions and achieving success?

• Don't be afraid of change. Know why you need the change and don't be afraid of it.
• Seek out advice from those you trust.
• Learn from others who have gone through change and ask what they would do differently and what would they do the same.

Wrap Up

As we wrap up this article, I'd like to extend my warmest thanks to Deb Farnsworth for opening up and sharing her incredible insights about navigating career transitions in STEM. It's through the stories and experiences of people like Deb that we all get to learn, grow, and find inspiration in our own professional journeys.

Now, I'm eager to hear from you. What are your thoughts on our STEM Spotlight series so far? I'd love to know what you think and how I can make it even more valuable to you. Your feedback is like the secret sauce that makes our content better, so please share your ideas, suggestions, and any topics you'd like me to explore next. Thanks for being a part of this journey with me, and stay tuned for more engaging stories and insights from the world of STEM.

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