On April 18th and 19th, UCSB’s women-led organization, Women In Media (WIM), hosted their 10th Annual Spring Conference. With multiple panels ranging from beauty and fashion to journalism and sports, attendees who purchased tickets got to hear from professionals within those industries and had the chance to speak with them. WIM’s biggest event offers an opportunity to network, learn, and discover more about your aspirations and interests.
Safe to say: this was the most tiring, yet rewarding weekend ever.
the biggest highlights
I think most people get a little nervous when it comes to networking. Talking to strangers and attempting to get any notion of interest from them, trying to spark the plans on an internship with these big companies: it’s overwhelming, albeit terrifying.
A lot of my friends prior to the conference expressed this concern of the unknown, fear of misspeaking, or freezing up. As someone who is naturally gifted in conversing, I kept reassuring them that everything was going to be just fine.
I was right. All of the panelists that came that weekend were there for a reason: to help. These women are trying to give students like us a chance to network and progress our careers further, and we shouldn’t take that for granted.
I talked and talked and talked. I honestly don’t think I have talked so much on one weekend in my life, which says a lot coming from me. It has never been so gratifying to meet so many like-minded individuals and learn more about what I could be potentially pursuing in the future.
Initially when the panelists were being announced, I already had the intention of speaking to certain individuals. Namely, I was focused on those in the “Beauty and Fashion” panel, to which I deeply wanted to pursue a career in.
Doing so was incredibly gratifying for me. These ladies were all so kind and intelligent, and I felt myself learning so much from them. I was able to communicate what I admired during their panels, and ended these conversations being satisfied.
There’s something incredible about meeting so many women in the same boat as you. All of us are searching for our potential, something to aspire towards to. We all have the same nerves, same discomfort of not knowing what comes after college. I find opportunities like this conference so rewarding in that it reduces that uncertainty and points you towards success.
what surprised me
There are two major things I did not expect to think or see so much of during the conference.
One: That the other panels would interest me so much.
Now, I have always found myself gravitating towards a variety of career aspirations. So, being interested in the “Marketing”, “Journalism”, and “Music” panels wasn’t a surprise. I found myself getting out of my seat and talking to some of these women, and it was so much fun learning about topics or gaining insight on things I didn’t think as much about.
The real surprising factor was that I was so invested in the other panels I wasn’t considering.
“Film and Production”, “Screenwriting”, and “Content Creators”. Even the “Leading Lady”, Janet Yang, who is incredible in so many ways. But, I simply wasn’t as intrigued by these panels when I initially was planning out my conversations prior to the conference. Yet, the days of, I felt so inexplicably hooked to even these panels. Topics that I barely turned a glance to, I went up to the panelists and still conversed for more. It was a sudden aftershock that, yes, I may actually be curious about other things even if I didn’t realize it.
It’s a small lesson to be open to everything. The great thing about the Spring Conference is how it exposes us to so many different career paths. Even within one panel, each panelist had something different to offer within their field, which gave individuals like me a way to see how every experience is unique.
Two: the other surprise, which was almost a confirmation instead, was simple: this conference requires so much from everyone, including those attending.
Talking with Elle Viefhaus, the President of WIM, Mahek Patel, and Serenity Nunez, the two Heads of Outreach, I learned how the process of the conference came to be as well as the overwhelming amount of effort that gets put into this weekend.
Patel and Nunez informed me that the process of selecting panelists begins in the summer, before the school year even starts. It didn’t really dawn on me that the process of selecting panelists, finding the best fit to provide a variety of interests, would take so much time. Even on the day of there were still tasks such as setting up the rooms, checking members in, and transitioning between each panel is a process.
The panelists themselves are being put to work, answering every student’s question and request for a further connection. I began thinking about how overwhelming it must feel to receive hundreds of messages on LinkedIn or emails requesting a coffee chat. There’s that impossible task of helping every single person you meet, even though that isn’t possible.
Then, the attendees. The immense pressure to get an internship from a two-minute conversation. Listening intently to what the panelists are saying, hoping to grasp onto something that tells them that you were in fact, listening.
(I feel like there’s this unspoken fear of failure amidst networking events like this. Even with the reassurance that these panelists are brought specifically to support you, there’s no guarantee. That unknown is terrifying.)
All of this comes together to prove how much effort can go into one small weekend. That effort becomes so valuable in the scheme of things. I think everybody, from the attendees to the executive board to the panelists, should be proud of partaking in the conference. I know so many people who were so satisfied and happy they went, and I can say the same.
Viefhaus summed this up beautifully. When she went to her first conference, she explained to me that it truly “changed the trajectory” and “set the tone” for her career. I agreed when she noted how amazing it is to see so many people connect, build a network with people our age, and help push each other towards success. It’s unimaginable, being able to see all of this come alive.
concluding thoughts
It’s suffice to say that my first WIM conference was spectacular in its own small ways. There are moments where it felt long and a bit draining, but that always went away the minute I got to talk with others.
Even if you didn’t manage to talk to any of the panelists, whether this be out of fear or lack of time, don’t stress. I know so many people (including myself) who messaged panelists after on LinkedIn or through email. Regardless, I believe there’s something rewarding just being able to attend and experience it all at once.
I want to quickly thank everybody that I attended the conference with, all the panelists I met, and being able to have the opportunity to talk about this through my writing. It’s amazing being able to spread such a powerful event.
With that, I hope you look forward to the next conference hosted by WIM, and allow yourself to take one step closer towards your future.
