Being female or minority will likely get you an interview and job long before a white male would normally. However, once in training and on the line, you'd better be capable. If not you'll quickly develope a reputation. Seen more than a few times with some people who were hired, slithered through training and then were a "problem" on the line. In my last company, there was one particularly bad example of someone who should have been fired, but wasn't because the company was afraid of a lawsuit. Like I said, it may get you an interview and hired sooner -- but you'd better be able to hack the program, or your going to get a reputation that's hard to live down on the line.