During YWiB Vancouver’s Networking With Confidence workshop event, Shepa Learning Company’s Gayle Hallgren-Rezac and Judy Thomson gave their insights on utilizing positivity, proactivity, and confidence when networking to leap forward in your career.
Read MoreOur Speak Up! public speaking workshop series concluded on April 13th with a conversation on networking. Held at L’Atelier Vancouver Coworking, this fourth and final workshop was facilitated by April Bellia, founder of Granola Girl and of the Serendipity Tea Party networking group for women entrepreneurs. April shared her tips for connecting with others in a more authentic, compassionate, and meaningful way through heart-based networking.
Read MoreOn March 23rd, the Speak Up! Series continued with a workshop on public speaking for speeches, presentations, and other speaking engagements. The discussion was led by Leigh Wall, former legal administrator turned apprentice truck and transport mechanic and now student recruiter for Vancouver Community College. After being asked to speak on behalf of VCC’s trades program, her opportunities in public speaking snowballed, including speaking at the We for She BC Conference in 2016. In her session, Leigh shared her tips on preparing for public speaking, combatting nerves, and getting personal.
Read MoreOur Speak Up! public speaking workshop series continued on March 2nd with a discussion around workplace communication. The session was led by Brianna Blaney, founder and managing partner of the employer branding and people solutions firm Envol Strategies. Blaney shared her pro tips for making a strong first impression, delivering presentations, handling negotiations, and navigating tough conversations at work.
Read MoreOn February 9th, we kicked off Speak Up!, our workshop series on the topic of public speaking, with Genicca Whitney, founder of the Badass Lady Boss Collective. During the session, the dynamic entrepreneur and storyteller pinpointed common public speaking fears and provided strategies for young professionals to use to effectively speak to their audiences.
Read MoreBeyond: Lead Through Action is a one-day conference for young professionals to connect, develop and grow. This conference will build your leadership skill set, your knowledge, and your network. With inspiring speakers, new leadership ideologies, informative panel discussions and hands-on workshops, Beyond will provide the skills you need to break into your leadership potential.
Read MoreAt some point in our careers we’ve all been on the hunt for a job and a new professional adventure. We all have different approaches in going about this search, but are there some methods that work better than others? Earlier this month at Microsoft’s Vancouver office, YWiB was lucky to have Carmen Tsang from Lighthouse Labs guide us through this often challenging task. Don’t worry, there’s hope for all of us if you follow her words of wisdom!
Throughout the job hunt process, you want to remain diligent and proactive. It’s easy to be discouraged while unemployed, so it’s good to set daily goals for yourself (e.g. send out five resumes each day). Even if you don’t completely qualify for a position, you can still apply. Carmen says this is okay as long as you meet 70% of the requirements. If you’re planning to apply for many positions, make organization your best friend by creating a spreadsheet with all the key application details (e.g. company, position title, date sent, etc.) to keep track in the event of a call back. While waiting for an interview, research the job titles you are interested in and reach out to industry professionals in similar positions that may have some insight to share. Finally, leverage your network to its full extent. You never know who might know someone looking to hire, or who’s connection could get you in the door.
So you’ve landed the interview, now what? Carmen says NEVER “wing it”. Before your interview, go in knowing three key things; yourself, the company and the job description. This seems easy enough but focusing on each area will help you identify whether or not the company and the position align with what’s important to you and your professional progression. As long as all three areas align, you’ll remain consistent throughout the interview and will demonstrate how self aware you are.
When it comes to the questions you’re being asked, make sure to be honest, especially with the dreaded “weaknesses” question. Don’t pick a strength and disguise it (*sigh*, we’ve all done it) because interviewers see past this and are less likely to consider you as a suitable candidate. Share something real, and what you’ve done to address the issue in the past 6 months. When it’s your turn, make sure not to ask too many questions. This can be off-putting to interviewers and may give them the wrong impression of your capabilities.
Finally, if you have references, make sure you know what they plan to say. Again, this can help you remain consistent with what may be said regarding your areas for improvement.
Once your interview is over, don’t be shy to ask when you can expect a response back. Feel free to let them know that you’re actively looking or that you have other interviews (if it’s true) but that you want to give them full consideration. Of course, always send a “thank you” email once you’re fully done.
A big thanks to Carmen for sharing all of these wonderful tips, and to Microsoft for the amazing venue space. Are there any tips you would add?
Young Women in Business is a community for emerging female leaders and young professionals who want to create their own success.
We believe every woman and young professional stepping into the workforce or growing in their career should be well equipped with the proper set of tools and knowledge to reach their fullest personal and professional potential.
We provide young women and professionals with events, programs and an engaged network of ambitious women, to help them become successful in their careers, take on new challenges and develop skills.
