This past Sunday, March 29th, Boston College hosted Own It, a series of summits and events aimed to inspire young women entering the job market. The conference intended to close the gap between current female leaders and the college students that admire them, as well as offer advice on how woman can employ all of their talents to better themselves and society. Throughout the day all the attendees were asked to keep in mind Father Himes’ classic three vocational questions:
- What brings me joy?
- What am I good at?
- Who does the world need me to be?
The schedule consisted of two keynote speakers; Carrie Rich, CEO and Founder of the Global Good Fund and Kate White, Former Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan Magazine. Additionally, there were four panels (Politics, STEM, Business and Media), and two breakout sessions in which a number of more intimate talks were provided. I was able to catch the panel on business, a breakout session on gender issues in academia, and Kate White’s talk.
The Business Panel consisted of Kelly Crowther, CFO, North America, for GE Capital Real Estate, Nicole Deblois Greene, Senior Global Relationship Manager at DST systems, Julie Rollauer, Head of Industry for Consumer Packed Goods at Google, and Victoria Staebler, Wealth Management Advisor for Merrill Lynch. The four women discussed a number of topics including management styles, how to approach corporate structure, and mentorship.
In regards to management styles, Greene mentioned how important it is to say, “Yes,” whether the context is a corporate setting or a personal setting. If given an opportunity, you should always take it, even if you are worried or nervous about your ability to rise to the occasion. Working off of this idea, the four panelists agreed with Sheryl Sandberg, author of Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead that the career paths cannot be seen as ladders but rather jungle gyms. What may initially seem like a step sideways, or even backwards, can still get you ahead in the long run.
Rollauer shared with the group how she became good friends with a young man who was working below her, and established him as a mentor because she saw his potential and knew one day he could become a sponsor (someone who actively advocates for you and offers you opportunities.) Sure enough the man is now highly successful and her friendship with him has allowed her many opportunities. While making someone who is below you a mentor may seem like a step backwards, it isn’t. They can give you a fresh, new perspective while you can reciprocate by giving advice from your experience as well. Additionally, cultivating the relationship over time can lead to additional opportunities as both your careers evolve.
The last question posed to the panel was asking each woman to offer some quick advice. Here were the four business leaders’ responses. Greene reiterated her advice to “say yes”. Crowther advised the audience to always be authentic. Staebler recommended putting as many tools as you can in your toolbox. Last but not least, Rollauer directed “Sit up straight, claim your space, and [don’t] be afraid to interrupt.”
After the panel, there were a number of breakout sessions which attendees could choose to go to based on their personal interests. I selected the one which focused on gender roles in academia and higher education. The discussion was led by Jessie Graf of Residential Life, Adrienne Dumpe of the Office of Student Involvement, and Professor Judith Clair of the department of management and organization.
Graf discussed how her role in Residential Life offered her the unique opportunity to experience the serious issues women with struggle with at BC. In particular, as an RD, she sees the insides of her residents’ rooms. In particular, she mentioned the notes many young women leave on their mirrors regarding self-esteem and self-worth. It’s depressing there exists the commonly known statistics that women at BC report leaving with less confidence than when they first came to school (If you don’t know about this you can read it here!
Graf suggests two simple yet effective ways to boost self-confidence. The first is to stop apologizing so much. The second is to accept compliments with pride. These certainly aren’t fix it all solutions, but they are small steps forward. By allowing yourself to assert your opinion without excusing doing so, and accepting the gratitude you receive wholeheartedly, you are projecting a positive image of yourself to both yourself and others.
Professor Judith Clair also offers advice to improve women’s’ self-confidence and authority. The first is to stop using what she calls “uppers”. Uppers are when you end your sentence on a high note? Like a Question? It takes the authority away from your statement and gives the authority to the listener because they may now choose to confirm your “question” or not. Additionally, women are more likely than men to add in explicit questions to their ends of their statements, like right? Don’t you agree? Don’t you think? Such phrases act similarly to uppers, stripping you of authority. Many women (and men) struggle with these two issues, but fighting your instincts to pose a statement as a question helps build other people’s respect for you. And with the increased respect of your peers, you will also come to respect yourself more.
After the breakout session, everyone met once more in Robsham Theater to hear keynote speaker Kate White speak about her experience at Cosmopolitan and beyond. The take away from her speech is as follows: Go big or go home, don’t forget the big picture, and always try negotiate your salary. Put everything you have into your job, and always ask if your project or presentation could be bigger, better, or more badass. Don’t get bogged down in details, whether that be in regards to a specific project, your personal life, or your long term career goals. Finally, White stressed how women tend to negotiate their starting salaries far less than men do. Here’s her advice: Once you have the job offer and they have told you your salary will be X, respond with “I am excited to work here, I am excited to work with you, but I was really hoping for Y.” Then shut your big mouth. Don’t mumble, don’t explain, and most importantly don’t apologize. You’ll be offered a higher salary.
The Own It series was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and I would recommend it to any underclassman girl (or guy!). I learned basic career navigation tactics, how I need to perceive myself and have others perceive me as a woman in the workplace, and how to make sure I get what I deserve.
Photo Sources:
BC Own It Twitter