Celebrating women in the mining industry goes beyond the mine site. Here at Eldorado, we have female lawyers, accountants, support staff, communications professionals, community relations coordinators, health & safety professionals, in additional to females in operational roles as a part of our team.
In our first post in the series, Celebrating SuXXess, we spoke to Sara Pednault, a junior production engineer at our Lamaque mine in Quebec. Today we dig deeper with Melanie Jang, an accountant at our corporate office to get her thoughts on the industry, and what has influenced her.
Name: Melanie Jang, but my friends call me Mel
Job Title: Accountant
Number of years with Eldorado: over 2 ½ years! I joined the team in August 2016 as Junior Accountant
Where are you from? I was born in Vancouver, BC, and still love living here.
What attracted you to the mining industry?
In the field of accounting, mining is one of the most complex industries to work in. As a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) candidate, I saw the opportunities and challenges in finance within the mining industry and knew that Eldorado would be a great place to start and build my career.
Have you had any positive mentors in mining? If so, who?
My CPA mentor, Fabiana Chubbs, has provided me with invaluable guidance on how I can develop my professional and technical skills to fulfill my CPA curriculum requirements and reach my full potential as a future CPA. I would also like to mention my colleagues, Claudia Osmond and Charlie Parker, as they have provided me with the day-to-day training and coaching necessary to develop my understanding of Eldorado’s accounting processes and how they impact its financial results.
What does the industry need, in your opinion, to attract more women to mining?
Women have established equal representation in finance roles at mining companies over the years, but I believe there is more room for gender balance on the mining operations side. Women should be encouraged to pursue their interests in engineering, geology, and the sciences to attain higher education in these fields. It is important for companies to recruit female candidates for all roles across the organization and provide opportunities and mentorship to females to help them excel in their careers.
If you could give yourself one piece of advice to your younger self, what would that be?
Trust the process! During university, I was always unsure about what career path to choose and was anxious about my future after finishing post-secondary education. Looking back, I wish that I had worried less and understood that everyone experiences times of uncertainty in their life, and that it is a normal part of growing up. I’ve learnt that things do sort themselves out along the path of growth.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A pediatrician.
Where can you be found on the weekends?
Somewhere out in nature! I have recently taken up alpine camping and I love the challenge of hiking steep (and sometimes snowy) mountains. The beautiful views and cozy sleeping bag make up for the very sore muscles!
What main change would you like to see for young girls in the next generation?
I hope that girls will continue to be empowered to accomplish whatever it is in their life that they feel passionate about, regardless of societal norms. My hope is that the world continues to evolve to provide a safe and inclusive environment for girls to discover their potential in whatever field they choose.
In case you missed our previous posts, you can find them here: