The Quiet Career Fear Echoing Across Aviation and Aerospace
I’ve been in this industry for more than three decades. And in that time, I’ve weathered plenty of ups and downs—reorgs, buyouts, shutdowns, layoffs, rebrands, shifts in leadership, and changes in “strategic direction.”
But I’ve never seen women—especially high-achieving, experienced, proven women—this worried about their future.
And I don’t mean the usual questions we all ask ourselves from time to time. I mean a very specific kind of anxiety. A fear that settles into your bones. A question that shows up at 2:00 a.m. when your brain won’t shut off:
“Am I next?”
It’s a quiet question, one we rarely say out loud—but many of us are thinking it. And if you are, too, you’re not crazy. You’re not being dramatic. You’re not imagining things. You’re picking up on something very real.
This Time Feels Different
Yes, aerospace is a cyclical industry. We all know that. We’ve been through economic downturns, post-merger cleanouts, funding pullbacks, and cost-cutting seasons.
But this moment isn’t just about financial belt-tightening. It’s about culture. It’s about power. And it’s about who gets to stay when priorities shift.
This isn’t simply the natural fade-out of post-2020 enthusiasm. It’s part of a deliberate backlash against DEI efforts that’s unfolding across the U.S. Companies are scaling back not because equity is less important, but because it’s become politically and socially risky to prioritize. Leadership has changed. Priorities have shifted. And in many boardrooms, “diversity is our strength” has quietly been replaced by “let’s focus on performance”—as if the two were ever at odds.
Revelio Labs reported that over 33% of DEI-focused roles were eliminated between 2022 and 2023, with aviation and aerospace among the industries most impacted. Once those roles disappeared, so did the visible signs of commitment. Mentorship programs dried up. Employee resource groups were deprioritized. The people who had your back? Gone.
And what’s left behind is a workplace that looks a lot like it did ten years ago—only now with a layer of exhaustion and fear that feels new.
You’ve Earned Your Place… So Why Do You Feel So Vulnerable?
I talk to a lot of women in this field—engineers, test pilots, program managers, certification experts, product leads—and the themes are strikingly similar.
They’re not worried because they’ve done something wrong. They’re worried because they’ve done everything right.
They went the extra mile. Took the stretch roles. Flew the hours. Got the degrees. Stayed late. Came in early. Made sure they were “twice as good.” Played the game. Navigated the politics. Delivered results. Proved their value again and again and again.
And yet… the fear is still there.
Because in male-dominated industries like aviation and aerospace—where women represent only 21.9% of the workforce and hold less than 15% of senior leadership positions—we’re often treated like the exception, not the expectation.
And when layoffs happen, when roles are consolidated, when teams are restructured—it’s the “exceptional” roles that suddenly look like they don’t fit.
The Risk of Speaking Up
One of the hardest things to watch right now is how many women are silencing themselves.
Not because they don’t see the problems.
Not because they lack the courage.
But because they’ve learned the cost.
They’ve watched peers get punished for naming the bias, for calling out the boys’ club behavior, for questioning who gets promoted and who gets passed over.
LeanIn.org’s 2024 report found that 60% of women who raise concerns about workplace inequity or bias experience retaliation—and that number increases significantly in male-dominated fields. The retaliation isn’t always overt. Sometimes it’s subtle: a missed opportunity, a reorg that conveniently shifts you out of view, a sudden “change in business direction.”
I’ve personally coached women who were praised for years, only to be shuffled into marginal roles or let go entirely after offering constructive feedback. The message is loud and clear: speak up at your own risk.
And yet… isn’t that what leadership requires?
What’s Actually at Stake
This moment isn’t just about job titles. It’s not just about salaries or seats at the table.
It’s about identity.
It’s about the emotional cost of building a career in a system that’s never fully welcomed you.
It’s about wondering if everything you gave up—weekends, family time, hobbies, vacations—was worth it.
And it’s about the grief of realizing that doing everything “right” doesn’t always keep you safe.
One woman told me recently, “I missed so much time with my kids because I was trying to be the model employee. And now, I don’t even know if I’ll have a job in six months.”
Another said, “I worked my tail off to earn credibility in this organization. But I’m watching the culture shift, and I can feel myself being erased.”
They’re not wrong.
McKinsey’s research shows that women are more likely to be placed in roles considered ‘non-core’ during downsizing, even when performance metrics are strong. These roles are often support, operations, compliance, and people leadership—roles that are essential to function and culture, but not always seen that way when spreadsheets are doing the talking.
You Are Not Powerless
Let me be clear: this isn’t a message of despair.
It’s a message of discernment.
Because when you understand the system, you can stop taking it personally—and start playing smarter.
You may not be able to stop the reorg. But you can protect your visibility.
You can position yourself with intention.
You can develop a contingency plan.
And you can lead—quietly or boldly, depending on what the moment calls for.
Strategic career leadership isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being intentional. It’s about understanding how power and perception work, and navigating them without losing yourself in the process.
A Moment to Reflect
If you’re feeling uncertain right now, here are a few questions worth sitting with:
What have you internalized as “your fault” that might actually be a reflection of a deeper cultural or structural issue?
Where are you holding your breath, waiting for something to shift?
What might change if you gave yourself permission to ask for support—without feeling like you had to earn it?
Let’s Talk About It
Sometimes the first step is simply saying the hard part out loud. If you're trying to make sense of what you're experiencing—or what your next move might be—I'm here for that.
You can schedule a no-pressure, 20-minute conversation with me right here.
And If You Prefer a Guide to Start
The DEI Backlash Career Survival Guide
A resource designed to help you assess your risk, protect your career, and navigate challenging cultures with intention and clarity.
Request your free copy here.
About “The Elevate Initiative”
This newsletter is part of The Elevate Initiative—a leadership and career advancement platform created for women in aviation and aerospace. Our mission is to help women lead, grow, and thrive in industries that weren’t built with them in mind. Through coaching, community, and executive programming, we support women in navigating difficult moments, building meaningful careers, and stepping fully into the kind of leadership the future demands. We also work with companies and executive teams to build workplaces where women not only stay—but succeed.
Beyond the Flight Deck.
You’ve worked too hard to be erased.
You’re not here by accident.
And you don’t have to carry this alone.
Let’s find out what’s next—together.