TranSystems Celebrates Women's History Month - Spotlight on Jen Laning

Jen has 32 years of experience in the industry and has been with TranSystems for nearly 2 years. She currently serves as Vice President, leading our national bridge inspection practice out of Philadelphia.?

?

What is the best way to uplift and support women in STEM and/or leadership roles?

I feel strongly that women need to support each other vs competing against each other. ?Reinforce each other’s messages, offer an ear and look for opportunities to bring each other along. ?Not everyone has the same story, so you don’t know who will be inspired by you just showing up and doing your job every day. Have an open door and lead by example. You might be the person that someone sees themselves in and that will inspire them.?

?

What advice do you have for other women in your field?

I try to be always in a place of “yes”. It’s important to be open to opportunities even though you don’t know exactly how to do the new thing. I have been at several forks in my career and life path where there was a “yes” or “no” choice - a new job or new location or a promotion. I have never hesitated to say “yes” and it always ended up being something great. Never a regret. Some people will turn down an opportunity because they don’t know how to do everything the new job entails. So what? You’ll learn. You absolutely will figure it out. If it’s not a little scary or unknown, it’s not growth. The same old thing is not going to teach you anything. Challenge yourself.? ?

Who serves as a role model to you in your life and/or career?

My mom. She told me to be an engineer when I was in high school and didn’t know what to study in college. She said “you’re always building stuff and experimenting - try engineering”. ?I asked her what an engineer was and she said “look it up”. Perfect mom answer, lol! She never went to college before having kids and went while we were in school. She and I were in college at the same time - her undergrad while I was in high school and her MBA while I was in engineering school. We both went to Rutgers at the same time. She never gave up.?

?

What motivates you in your life and/or career?

My kids first. I know they are proud of me. And I love that between me and one of my sisters (a NASA engineer) it is normal for them to see a successful strong woman in engineering - they have a very positive outlook on what women are capable of in the workforce and in the world. They are very open-minded to equal roles and fairness, more so than most because of how they grew up with me as their mom.?

?

What is your greatest accomplishment OR What is something you hope to accomplish in your career?

I can’t even answer that because I’m not even close to being done. Every day there is a new challenge or something new I want to accomplish.?

?

What do you love about working at TranSystems? How has TranSystems helped you succeed/grow in your career?

I love the culture here - everyone is focused on making us all succeed together and the vibe is kindness, positivity, and supporting us as people. In coming here, I discovered a new set of challenges - operating on a national level vs regional at my previous firm. A broader reach, which has challenged me to think bigger and work harder. I love the #AllIn mindset – that is how I think anyway, so it’s a great fit for me.