On Monday, April 3, I had the opportunity to speak with, and learn lessons from, many successful women from the Triad at a Mentoring Monday event. UNCG students as well as other local women were able to ask questions, receive advice and connect with women from the area who are successful in their various careers. This event, held by the Triad Business Journal, is in its third year and was happening in 43 cities across the nation, where over 10,000 women were able to connect with one another.
Mentoring Monday works just as speed dating does with short rounds and a one-on-one setting. Along with fellow Her Campus writer, Madison Hemric, I was able expose myself to the world of CEOs, nonprofit leaders and business executives. As we went around the room in the “speed coaching” rounds, we asked for advice to pass on to you, our readers. Here’s what we learned:
1. Branding is Everything. Our first piece of advice is from Kelly Roberts, who specializes in accounting. She told us that women are their own brand and need to figure out how they want to be perceived. Once we know how we would like to be seen in a work environment (or any other situation), it is up to us to shape our brand in order to insure that we have some amount of control over how others view us.
2. “Know Thyself.” Dr. Terri L. Shelton, the Vice Chancellor of Research and Development here at UNCG, shared this essential tip for success with us. She went on to tell us to, “know your skills, deal breakers…[and] don’t be afraid to take steps forward.” Be humble, you don’t need to know everything but don’t be afraid to take the next step, even if you are not an expert.
3. Work hard, and do your research. Judy Brumley started PIP Triad, a printing business, with her husband. She explained how working hard will take you places. She and her husband started with nothing and worked hard to make their dream into the successful business it is today. We learned that we should always be willing to change but that we shouldn’t get too caught up in the next big thing. This advice is not only important, but it is something that not everyone will tell us. It is essential to do our research before jumping in to the newest craze. Don’t get caught up in the hype, keep your eye on your goals and do what you can to best achieve them, even if that means not being involved in every trend.
4. “Get Uncomfortable.” Courtney Crabtree gave us some of the most difficult but important advice to follow. We need to get out of our comfort zone. We need to network with others and realize that every relationship we come across is a potential networking opportunity, even if it is not someone we are close with. She told us about her huge career shift and how she reached out to as many people as possible for help when she felt she needed to make the change. It may not have been the easiest or most comfortable thing to do, but it allowed her to achieve her goals.
5. Find your passion. Becky Troyer, who is the Editor-in-Chief for the Triad Business Journal, spoke with us and about 10 other women in a round table discussion. She explained how it’s hard for women to be champions of themselves without coming across as impolite or boastful. Her advice to us was to find passion in our work and to sell ourselves because jobs are interested in skills and not always previous work experience. So if you decide to change course, don’t be afraid to sell your skills, even if it seems that you have no useful work experience.
6. The Golden Rule. Our final speed date was with Fox 8 Evening News Anchor, Katie Nordeen. She explained her background with small television stations where she worked her way up to become a news anchor for Fox 8. Her advice on how to get to where we want to be was to learn to keep our eyes focused on the job and treat others the way we would want to be treated. Don’t get caught up in the drama.
By the end of the event, Madison and I had gained mounds of priceless information and networking experience. The purpose of this article is to shed some light on the Mentoring Monday and share some of this insight with you for your future endeavours. There were many more successful women that I wished I could have spoken to as well as the many extraordinary women in attendance. I can only hope that in this article you have found some advice for your own career moves and that it encourages others to sign up for the Mentoring Monday event next year!