Category: Networking
2019 Session | Find Your Tribe: Building a Team of Mentors
Click Play below to listen to this session from the 2019 conference.
Do you have a mentor? As transformative as a career advisor can be, one mentor is not enough. You need multiple mentors with separate areas of expertise to support you throughout your multifaceted career journey. This panel of mentors and proteges will talk about assembling your personal board of advisors. If you are looking for a mentor, already have one, or are open to the benefits of multiple advisors, join this conversation for actionable advice on connecting professionally, maintaining relationships, and getting the most out of your network of mentors. Read More
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Real Advice for Women Seeking Mentors and Allies
If your mentors all look like you, you have a mentor problem. Same goes if they all have similar backgrounds and work histories or if you have only one—or none.
“Your mentors should be a diverse network,” says David Smith, an expert on gender workplace issues and co-author of Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women. “If they’re not, you’re missing out on key perspectives and information, and you’re probably not being challenged enough in your thinking.”
Of course, for women in male-dominated fields such as the military (Smith’s background), the problem isn’t having too many mentors who look like you (i.e., female). The problem is having a mentor, period. Read More
5 Tips to Feel More Comfortable at Networking Events
This is one thing Alice Rutkowski, an executive communication and presence coach who has worked with more than 8,000 executives over the past 20-some years, wishes everyone knew:
Body language reflects what you believe about yourself and others.
“Consciously and unconsciously, we are reading others and they are reading us all the time,” says Rutkowski, vice president of executive development at Sagin. “For example, whether you’re sitting or standing, crossing your legs can convey nervousness. It puts your body out of alignment, and being unbalanced isn’t conducive to feeling confident—and people can see that.” Read More
Thinking of Joining a Non-Profit Board?
About 20 years ago, when she worked for the Seattle Mariners, Gail Hunter reached out to the YMCA of Greater Seattle about joining its board. “My family had been members forever and it was a big part of my childhood,” says Hunter, now vice president of public affairs and event management for the Golden State Warriors. “I wanted to give back.”
But expanding your network, acquiring new skills or even giving your résumé a boost are all fine reasons for wanting to join a non-profit board, according to Hunter. That is, “as long as you are willing to do the work,” she says. “Organizations need their board members to be committed and active.” Read More
How to Network Effectively in Our Hyper-Connected World
If you’re like most people trying to use social media to network, you probably think the number of followers or connections you have matters. But instead of obsessing over breaking 200, 500, 1,000, “you should be paying attention to what’s going on in your network and how you’re connecting with posts, content, likes, retweets and mentions,” says J. Kelly Hoey, a networking expert and author of Build Your Dream Network. “Online or offline, your focus should be adding value to your network.”
In other words, you should “be the person you want to network with and build a vibrant, engaged community from that vantage point,” Hoey adds. That means helping connections in tangible ways such as making referrals and introductions on behalf of people who need them. It also means being open and loud about your situation. “We need to confidently share what it is we’re working on and seeking to get done and provide ways for our network to jump in to help us,” Hoey says. Read More
Could Your Emails Be Hurting the Friends You’re Trying to Help?
Technology hasn’t only made it easier to stay in touch with former colleagues, old classmates and far-flung friends. It has also made asking them for favors such as referrals and introductions as effortless as hitting send.
Likewise, when you’re on the receiving end of such a request, it’s less or little hassle, in this age of email, to help a contact out.
But before you make another ask or agree to act as connector, consider this: some e-introductions can actually be harmful to women. Read More
The New Networking Roadmap: Building the Relationships You Need to Succeed | Podcast
Click Play below to listen.
In this hyper-connected world, where everyone is posting, liking and friending fast and furiously, are you actually leveraging your connections successfully? In this 30-minute teleclass, networking expert J. Kelly Hoey will provide some of her innovative strategies for forming strong relationships—the genuine, long-lasting kind that is mutually beneficial. Master the social tools at your disposal, and never clutter your calendar with dead-end coffee dates and endless informational interviews again! Read More
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
5 Lessons Along the Path to a More Diverse and Inclusive Workplace
By Theresa Kushner, Vice President, Information Innovation Center, VMware
When we started our women’s initiative at VMware, we knew that we wanted to do it differently from other Silicon Valley high-tech companies. No one was having a lot of success in the area of recruiting, promoting and retaining women. We wanted to increase our diversity and provide an inclusive environment for our people. Our culture demanded it. After all, we are the company that does the impossible by virtualizing computing, networking and storage—either on premise or via software as a service. We could do anything. Read More
Speed Network Your Way to Meaningful Mentoring
Click Play below to listen to this session from the 2017 conference.
Join networking expert Julie Kantor for our inaugural Mentoring RoadtripTM. This is your chance to meet up with the individuals who can create new professional opportunities, sponsor your work and help accelerate your career. Julie will use a proven-successful approach to lead a highly dynamic and interactive session. Each participant will meet with 6-8 ‘matches’ and explore key themes like ‘what drives your passion?’ ‘ How do you deal with a flat tire or your batteries needing to be recharged?’ ‘what technology truly increases your productivity?’ Read More
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Making the Most of Networking
Click Play below to listen to this session from the 2017 conference.
Productive networking is not just about who you meet but how you use those interactions to create connections, find multi-generational mentors and create sponsorship to promote your goals. This can prove to be critical whether you are climbing the corporate ladder, building your start-up or determining your next move. A recent Wharton study shows mentors are promoted 6x more, mentees 5x more and retention rates are 20% higher versus non-mentees/mentors. The experts in this dynamic session share secrets to successful networking, to help you create lasting mentee/mentor relationships that will work for you and accelerate your career. Read More
Podcast: Play in new window | Download