Voices of Experience at the Columbia Women in Business Conference: “Success….Your Way”

There is one word that describes why I go to the Columbia Women in Business (CWIB) conference every year: inspiration. Every year, I leave the day-long event feeling invigorated, thrilled, exhausted, and tremendously inspired by the wisdom shared by the experienced women in finance who speak at the conference. This year was no exception.

Columbia Women in Business, an organization for women business students at Columbia University in New York City, sponsors the annual conference. The organization helps their members with networking and access to resources that can help their professional careers. The conference brings together Columbia students, alumnae, and other professionals for a day of networking, workshops and panel discussions, all designed to help attendees address various career and life issues.

The theme of the 2008 CWIB conference was “Success….Your Way – Share Your Vision, Find Your Voice.” It couldn’t have been more timely. During these changing times – when a woman is a strong contender for President of the United States, when the U.S. House of Representatives has its first female Speaker, and when women of all ages are pondering their own paths – attending a conference dedicated to helping women fast-track their careers is welcome and needed.

The day started at 7:30 a.m. with a continental breakfast, and I hadn’t even taken a sip of my much-needed coffee when I spotted my friend Colleen, who also attends every year. (One of the great pleasures of the conference is catching up with other professionals I don’t see often.) We chatted and compared notes on what workshops we were attending. Since I just started a new job, and wanted to brush up on managerial skills, I made sure to attend the workshop “Taking the Reigns: Tips for New Managers.” The three panelists – all Columbia alumnae – were funny, honest, and quite forthright about the mistakes they made while managing a staff and how they set themselves on the right course.

My second morning workshop, “Changing the Game: Arranging Your Life,” focused on how corporate structures are changing to accommodate workers’ needs and how women can change these structures to better fit their own lives.

The workshops were great, but the highlight of the conference was the midday luncheon and its keynote speaker, Andrea Jung, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Avon Products. Ms. Jung spoke to the attendees about her life, her experiences in business, and her passion for her job. I wanted to take notes but she had so many great ideas about leadership that I decided to just sit back, listen, and absorb. Her talk was exhilarating and as she left the stage to thunderous applause, she passed my table and a friend and I had the opportunity to shake her hand and say “thank you very much.” After hearing such a dynamic speaker, it was hard to muster up energy for the afternoon workshop and end-of-day networking reception. “How could anything beat this?” I thought.

Nevertheless, off I went to the next workshop, and I was glad I did. “The Realities of Working Abroad” really opened my eyes to the do’s and don’t of working overseas. Once again, the panelists were honest and open about the pros and cons of overseas assignments, and since I’ve always wanted to work in Europe, it was very helpful. At the end of the day, I ducked into the networking reception to check out the wine and cheese station. I saw several women I had met earlier in the day, and we exchanged contact information and promised to see each other at next year’s conference.

As I made my way to the subway through the snow and cold, I remembered what one panelist had said: “I urge everyone here today to think about what success looks like for you. Don’t let anyone else define it for you.” Thank you, Columbia Women in Business, for providing a forum for so many diverse “voices of experience.” I can’t wait to attend next year.