The Choices Doris Wells-Papanek Has Made

IDSA's Women in Design Section will host panel discussions at each of this year's district conferences. During each panel discussion, stories of individual careers will help demystify the process of designing and following a career path.

Doris Wells-Papanek, IDSA will join Tania Aldous, Alice Jandrisits, IDSA and Pam Nyberg on the St. Louis panel. Here, Doris reflects on the career path she has followed thus far:

As I reflect on each of my positions and/or working relationships as an employee or consultant within a company, corporation, or learning organization, none of them were posted as a job that I applied for...with one exception, the defined position came to me, not the other way around.

Meaningful working relationships happened as a result of seeing the possibilities, articulating, and connecting with others who were in a position to hire.

We all live within circumstances, regardless of gender—the key is the actions we choose to take as a result.