MBA Women’s Conference 2009

Stay Connected with Forté Foundation in the Future

noreply@blogger.com (Forte Foundation) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:33:00 +0000

2009 Forté MBA Women’s Conference
Reinvent. Reinvest. Realize.
Read about highlights from the MBA Women's Conference!

Thank you to those who participated in the recent 2009 Forté MBA Women’s Conference! This year’s conference brought together some of the most talented and inspiring women business leaders from around the world. Not only did the conference facilitate networking amongst the MBA Women attending, but provided you with exposure to a progressive network of companies and an unrivaled agenda of speakers and sessions.

We hope that your experience at the conference inspires you to reinvent your success, reinvest in yourself, and realize your vision!

Read more below to learn about conference highlights and
how to stay involved with the Forté Foundation post-conference.

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Tell Us What You Think
If you haven’t done so already, please take a few minutes and fill out the Conference Feedback Questionnaire. Your opinion is important to us—your feedback helps us with programming and logistics planning for next year’s conference! Click here to get started: MBA Women's Conference Questionnaire. If you were unable to attend the MBA Women's Conference, please answer the questions that apply to you.

Upcoming Events
Meet & Greet with Intel Online
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 - 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
Join Intel for a 1-hour online Meet & Greet webinar. Learn about Intel Finance Opportunities and ask questions to a panel of Intel Finance women. They will discuss a typical career path at Intel, the corporate culture, and share day-in-the-life insights and benefits. Get a head start on your job search and meet Intel this summer!
Click here to sign up!

Sign Up for the MBA Women's Conference Blog
Continue to stay connected with fellow attendees by participating in the MBA Women's Conference blog. Receive regular post-conference updates from Forté, hear from other MBA Women on their experience at the conference, and share your experiences and learnings from the event. Click here to subscribe by email.

Click here to view the most recent blog entries.

Give Us a Call
We want to hear from you! Tell us what you thought of the MBA Women’s Conference. Please give us your constructive criticism and compliments. Call the Forté Feedback line at (512) 961-7077. Please note this is a message system only your call will not be answered or returned.

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View pictures captured at the MBA Women's Conference! Interested in sharing your own pictures taken while at the conference? Email them to jessica@fortefoundation.org
Thank you!

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Presenter Publications

It’s Not A Glass Ceiling, It’s A Sticky Floor: Free Yourself from the Hidden Behaviors Sabotaging your Career Success
by Rebecca Shambaugh, Shambaugh Leadership (MBA Women's Conference participants receive free shipping. Contact Paul Trinidad at 212.697.3249. Shipping courtesy of Barnes & Noble)

Lessons from a Recovering Worker Bee
by Dustin Dumas Weeks

Collaborative Competition™: A Woman’s Guide to
Succeeding by Competing
by Kathryn Mayer,
KC Mayer Consulting

Double Outsiders: How Women of Color can Succeed in Corporate America
by Jessica Faye Carter of
Women Suite

Conference Reminders - See You This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:46:00 +0000

We look forward to seeing you at the Forté MBA Women's Conference this Friday in New York City. To help make your experience at the conference a success, please review the information below.

Click here to see the Schedule of Events.

What to Bring
Please bring business cards and your resume to share with company representatives and attendees.

Cell Phones Welcomed
Please remember to bring your cell phone. You will have the opportunity to take part in real-time surveys related to conference sessions on Saturday. The results of these polls will be used to guide the lunchtime discussion.

Location:
Kimmel Center
60 Washington Square South
New York, New York 10012 (Map)
Note: Registration and Check-in will be in the first floor lobby.

Attire
Dress for the MBA Women's Conference is business attire.

A Look Inside the Other MBA - My Big Apple

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Van Houten) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:34:00 +0000

The beauty of this year’s 2009 Forté MBA Women’s Conference is that I don’t even need to leave home to meet all of you! A heartfelt welcome to New York City from a 3-year New York “veteran” and soon-to-be Ann Arbor resident at the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business (GO BLUE!)

As a “foodie,” random experience seeker, and pizza fanatic, I’ve explored the city quite a bit since moving here in 2006. Since it’s a known fact that New Yorkers love voicing their opinions, I thought I’d share some of my favorite places and resources in case you have some free time to explore the city.

A few notes:

1) I have included noteworthy spots within or close to the East Village area (since the conference is at NYU), as well as other attractions that are worth the trip outside our immediate proximity.

2) Given my tendency to go overboard when providing recommendations, I’ve narrowed this list down to five to ten of my favorites in several categories. Please send me an email if you would like further recommendations!

3) An additional list at the bottom includes several New York City visitor’s guides and resources if you would like to explore other attractions.

4) Lastly, I have created a custom Google Map, which plots out all of the places on this list.

Please feel free to email me with any questions at alvh@umich.edu. Enjoy – looking forward to seeing you all at the end of June!

Best,

Allison Van Houten
University of Michigan, Ross School of Business
2011 MBA Candidate and Forté Fellow

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My Big Apple (MBA) List

1) How do I get around NYC?

Take the subway.
Get easy subway and bus directions.
Find out the difference between the East Village and TriBeCa with a neighborhood map of NYC.
How much is a cab from here to there? (FYI - You can’t call for a yellow cab – you have to hail one. If the light on top of the cab is on, that means it is available.)
Find a clean public restroom.

2) Where can I find a good meal?

Two international favorites include Venezuelan arepas at Caracas Arepa Bar (East Village) and the pork buns at Momofuku Ssam Bar (East Village).
Choose your favorite burger between two of the city’s best: Shake Shack (Gramercy) and Corner Bistro (West Village.)
You can’t go wrong with Spanish tapas at Boqueria (Gramercy) or Tía Pol (Chelsea).
For a more upscale (read: expensive) and amazing dining experience, try Mario Batali’s Babbo (West Village, Italian) and Daniel Boulud’s Daniel (Upper East Side, French).

2) Where do I grab a great New York slice?

Get an artichoke or clam slice at Artichoke Pizza (East Village, No Seating)
Meet Domenico De Marco at DiFara’s – he whips up a slice full of fresh basil, tomatoes, and extra-virgin olive oil. (Brooklyn; Relatively far out, but it’s the best pizza in the city and worth the trip!)
Cross the Brooklyn Bridge (or take the subway) to Grimaldi’s (Brooklyn - see section 5); Note: Line on long days, no reservations)
Enjoy a brick-oven pie at Lombardi’s. (Soho)
Try Waldy’s for the best thin crust. (Chelsea)
Enjoy a classic Margherita at John’s on Bleeker (West Village)

3) Where should I drink?

McSorely’s Old Ale House (East Village) – Choose from two varieties of beer (“Light” and “Dark”) at the city’s oldest continuously operated saloon (since 1854), complete with sawdust-covered floors.
Crocodile Lounge (East Village) – Buy a beer, get a free pizza. Enough said.
Terroir – 24-seat wine bar serving Italian small plates.
Spitzer’s Corner (Lower East Side) – 80 international beers and a cool, casual atmosphere
Welcome to the Johnson’s (Lower East Side) – a favorite dive bar. Seventies-inspired plastic-covered couches. Ms. PacMan. $2 PBRs.
The Frying Pan (Chelsea) – An old lightship converted into a bar/restaurant with fantastic views of the city; Great outdoor spot.
Flatiron Lounge (Flatiron) – Great cocktails in an elegant atmosphere.
The Beer Garden Tour: Try these three for excellent German and Czech beers: Zum Schneider (East Village; Indoor space), Loreley (Lower East Side, Indoor & Outdoor spaces), and Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden (Astoria, Queens; Outdoor space – by far the best!)

4) Where do I go when I crave dessert?

Indulge in the famous hot chocolate (and other goodies) at City Bakery. (Flatiron)
Get the “Compost Cookie” and “Marshmallow Cereal Milk” soft serve at Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar. (East Village)
Order awesome sundaes at The Smith. (East Village)
Choose from over 100 cakes and pies at the French-inspired Café Lalo. (Upper West Side)
Grab one of the city’s best cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery. (West Village)

5) Where should I go if I want to do something besides eat?

Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge (then eat pizza at Grimaldi’s and ice cream at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.)
Go for a run in Central Park.
Buy TKTS discounted Broadway tickets.
Touch a dino egg and see the stars at the Museum of Natural History.
Watch a Mets game and eat a Shake Shack burger at Citi Field.
Seek inspiration at MoMA.
Shop.

6) What if I don’t like any of Allison’s suggestions?

Top Ten Things for You to Noodle on Before the MBA Conference

melissa.e.evers-hood@intel.com (Melissa Evers-Hood) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:14:00 +0000

1) Set a few concrete, specific goals for yourself and work towards it. Come home with X number of new contacts. Talk to Y companies. Come home with Z number of business cards. I find that if you are intentional about your desired end state, you are much more likely to reach it!
2) Know thyself 1: What are the characteristics of work that you have enjoyed or not enjoyed in the past? What trends exist? How do those align/not align with your future opportunities? What should you try to avoid?
3) Know thyself 2: What are you looking for in a career? How do you derive satisfaction? Some vectors to consider are: Daily Challenge, Work Life Effectiveness, Investment in your Continued Development, Social Welfare, Upward Mobility, Stability, Entrepreneurial Spirit. If you had to force rank these what is the order today? What do you foresee the order being in 5 years? How do those align with where you are thinking you want to go?
4) Know thyself 3: People talk about their 30 sec pitch a lot. My test for that is – does your pitch convey your personal style? Does your passion come out? Said another way – if you heard someone give your 30 sec pitch, would you want to learn more?! J
5) Know thyself 4: If you find yourself putting off something or not “getting out there”, ask yourself why. What are you afraid of? Try to get to the root of the issue and address it head on. You might try talking to one of your new friends at the conference about what you are experiencing/ feeling.
6) Network not only with corporate contacts, but also with your peers. Your peers will be a fantastic resource in a few years. Don’t overlook this wonderful opportunity.
7) Network in a way that lays the foundation for a future relationship. Ask for contact information or a business card, write a few things from your conversation on the back of the card. Try to capture personal information like children, hometown, and points of connection. Follow up the conference with an email and use your notes to make the email meaningful.
8) When talking to companies about Work Life Effectiveness programs such as extended maternity leave, flexible work hours or work weeks, inquire not only about the presence of these programs, but also ask about the percentage of people who take advantage of them. Employees’ behavior is the best measure as to whether the program is vibrant and socially accepted in the corporate culture.
9) When trying to understand a company’s receptivity to diversity initiatives and programs, it is helpful to understand what they are doing that is new and different. Are programs mature? Is there a culture of experimentation and innovation as new issues arise?
10) When you think about which companies you’d like to work for, think about the questions above and how what they offer aligns with your desires for today, as well as how those desires might change 5 and 10 year s from now. Any observations? What are the implications?

Melissa Evers-Hood is a Finance Manager at Intel in their Software and Services Group. Her current role is to manage the financial direction for divisions spanning Intel’s externally facing enabling work for partners, including Moblin.org. Prior to this role, Melissa has worked at several other roles in Intel, Dell in Corporate Finance, and ExxonMobil as an engineer and emergency responder. She holds a BS in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin. Evers-Hood also leads the Female Pipeline Initiative for Finance and Diversity Recruitment team. She is a parent of two young children and has a passion for community engagement.

Deadline to Submit Your Resume -- This Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:11:00 +0000

Maximize your time at the conference and submit your resume today!
Forté will compile a Resume Book of those registered for the conference and send it to Forté companies 1 week prior to the Forté MBA Women’s Conference.

Please use the following directions to upload your resume--Note: the deadline is Friday!

Step 1: All Users - Click here to access our Job Center Resume Database.
Step 2: New Users - Please complete your profile and upload your resume per the instructions. In the profile section, be sure to answer the required question in red letters: “Are you attending the 2009 Forté MBA Women’s Conference?”
Step 3: Existing Users - Enter your account information to log in and then click “profile.” Scroll down and select “Detailed Profile” and click “edit” next to “Forte MBA Women’s Conference Attendance.” Select “yes” and click on “save” at the bottom of the page. If your resume or other profile details have changed, please update.

Deadline to submit your resume: Friday, June 5. (that's this Friday!)

IMPORTANT: Both new and existing users of the Job Center need to follow these instructions. Note--The job center database requires a different user name and password than the Forté web site.

Corporate Chess: Master the Rules. Meet The Players. Play to Win.

noreply@blogger.com (JFC) — Wed, 27 May 2009 23:11:00 +0000

Navigating the corporate world is similar to playing a high-level game of chess. It requires not only career strategies and technical proficiency, but also a sophisticated understanding of relationships and their limitations.

Managing all of these moving pieces in addition to a full-time job can be daunting, to say the least. And for many women, these challenges are compounded by a lack of access to inside information that could help them improve their professional prospects.

My session, Corporate Chess, will help participants make sense of the corporate world and more effectively manage their corporate careers by providing insight into the: i) "unspoken rules" of corporate contexts, ii) key people/personalities at work, and iii) successful strategies for career advancement. After getting acquainted with the underpinnings of corporate success, participants will apply their knowledge to hypothetical workplace situations.

I am thrilled to be participating in Forte's 2009 MBA Women's Conference, and encourage you to come by for one of the sessions (morning or afternoon).

For more information about this and other challenges facing women in the workplace, visit my site or follow me on Twitter.

Quantitative Calisthenics: Shape Up For Class

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Regan) — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:06:00 +0000

I started the quant skills workshop at last year's Forte MBA Women's Conference by stating that incoming students should understand the quantitative foundations of the broadening credit crisis because it would affect their summer internship and post-MBA recruiting environment regardless of whether they were interested in financial services.

That seemed to many at the time to be a bit of a stretch but became ever more obvious as the months have passed. Certainly, no one would doubt the assertion's truth for this year's incoming MBA students.

Not only is the ongoing credit crisis of global importance, its quantitative foundations are eminently understandable. I have designed the two-hour workshop like an MBA class in the sense that participants should devote an hour or two of advance preparation using the materials at www.mbamath.com/events/forte.htm so that we can extend and apply that preparation in the workshop.

The workshop won't make you an expert but it will highlight the quantitative mechanics underlying bond valuation, financial leverage, securitization, and balance sheet implosions. You'll also get a preview of the quantitative reasoning you'll need in your upcoming MBA classes.

This post and the upcoming workshop come as I preside over an annual summer surge of pre-MBA quant skills preparation at MBA Math, which you can see in the image of last year's activity.

Not everyone needs additional quantitative preparation. But for those who do, be aware that your time is limited and you'll be sitting in fall term classes before you know it.

I look forward to meeting many of you at this year's conference.

Peter Regan created the self-paced, online MBA Math quantitative skills course and teaches live MBA courses at Dartmouth (Tuck), Duke (Fuqua), and Cornell (Johnson).

Resume and Self-Assessment Pre-conference Online Workshop - Wednesday, June 3 at Noon EST

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:05:00 +0000

Planning to attend the Forté MBA Career Forum on Friday, June 26 and need to polish your resume? Forté is offering offer a self assessment and resume online workshop in advance of the MBA Career Forum for all women in the Class of 2011 attending Forté schools. The workshop is optional but we strongly encourage you to participate if you plan to attend the Career Forum.

Kristin Stroud, Assistant Director, Career Management Center at Kellogg School of Management will lead the discussion designed for women entering their MBA program in preparation for networking with Forté corporate sponsors at the MBA Women’s Conference. Don't miss the opportunity to hear from a leading recruiting expert.

Click here to Register!

Citi's ICG MBA Fellowship Program: Applications due by May 22

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Filopoulos) — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:02:00 +0000

Citi is currently accepting applications for their ICG MBA Fellowship Program. Consistent with Citi’s strategic initiative of investing in our people and our belief that diversity greatly enhances our business proposition for our employees, clients and shareholders, the program will provide top-performing minority and female professionals with an opportunity to complete a full-time MBA program with financial support from the firm while forming ties to Citi and employment opportunities with ICG. All eligible applicants who intend on enrolling in one of the full-time MBA programs from which ICG recruits this Fall, and who plan on joining the firm as a full-time employee in one of ICG’s Associate programs post-MBA, are invited to apply for this rewarding fellowship experience.

For more information or a copy of the application please contact Christina Filopoulos at christina.filopoulos@citi.com or 212-816-2773.

Create an Extraordinary Network. Because your Dad’s Old Boys Network Won’t Do…

noreply@blogger.com (Rosanna Durruthy) — Sat, 09 May 2009 04:44:00 +0000

You’ve got career aspirations, the MBA, and experience. You have a network of colleagues and former classmates and there was a time when that was all you needed to be assured of a “good career.” Times have changed and in a global market, battling a global recession, it will take something more to make you unstoppable in the wake of the unpredictable. That something more is an “Extraordinary Network.”

Unlike the “Old Boys Network” of the past, having an extraordinary network gives you access to people, ideas, thinking and opportunities that lie outside traditional, hierarchical, insular networks that have been defined by upbringing, education and employment. If your Dad retired with a gold watch, after a 35-year career with the same employer, rest assured you probably won’t.

Professionals in today’s workforce are vulnerable to continued market shifts, including globalization and M&A, that disrupt existing career paths while creating new, yet to be defined, opportunities. In fact, it’s likely that your post-MBA career will be the source of numerous on-ramp events in the form of new roles, new cities, new companies, and industries. And there will be transitional, off-ramp experiences prompted by your own life choices, and unforeseen organizational events (i.e. restructurings, relocations, and reductions in force) causing intermittent dislocation, and even economic insecurity. Whether you are on-ramping, off-ramping or holding steady, your extraordinary network is the access to influence, innovation, and choice in a changing world.

The “Extraordinary Network” is diverse, resilient and adaptive to your life’s objectives. Where the “Old Boys Network” was often created by tenure, longevity and hierarchy, the Extraordinary Network involves the relationships we have, and the relationships we actively create to make things happen, that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. The Extraordinary network is dynamic and actively managed throughout your career. It’s vibrancy gives life to the axiom “the Network elevates the leader,” generating expansive influence and support to deliver powerful results.

Please join me at the “Creating An Extraordinary Network” workshop at this year’s Forte Foundation Women's Conference, and gain a practical approach to the art and science of building powerful networks.

For more information on Extraordinary Networks, please check out my blog at http://extraordinarynetwork.blogspot.com/

Rebecca Shambaugh Presents at the Forte Foundation Women’s Conference

noreply@blogger.com (SHAMBAUGH Leadership) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:20:00 +0000

Asking For What You Want – Rise Off the Sticky Floors!

Of all the Sticky Floors that I identify in my book – those beliefs, assumptions and behaviors that hold women back – the one that is probably most within our control is Asking For What We Want. Ironically, it’s probably also one of the stickiest. I am very excited about my upcoming session at the Forte Foundation’s Women’s Conference and leading an engaging session that will be filled with tools, techniques and strategies for effectively asking for what we want and deserve.

Asking for what we want is a difficult exercise for many women to do. Women sometimes are uncomfortable asking for what they want, feeling they are not entitled to something, the fear of the word “no” or that something will come our way if we just do a good job. But that puts the control outside of us, giving too much power to and, indeed, putting too much faith in others. No one can read your mind. It is up to you to tell them what you’re thinking, what your goals are and what you want.

In today’s business climate it is even more important that we don’t get stuck on this particular sticky floor. It may not be relevant for you to be asking for a promotion, increase in pay or a bonus, but there are many other reasons you might need to ask for something you want. These could include the request for more visibility to expand your skills and build a broader network, asking for additional resources to support additional workload, or flex-time so you can balance family and work priorities.

I hope you will join me on June 26th for my session. Attendees will walk away with a practical framework, techniques and strategies for taking charge and asking for what they want and deserve. Remember if you don’t ask, you won’t get – so what do you have to lose!

To learn more about Becky Shambaugh’s book, It’s Not A Glass Ceiling, It’s A Sticky Floor, click here or take advantage of SHAMBAUGH’s upcoming one-day program for women coming up June 11th!

For more information on SHAMBAUGH’s programs, please visit our website: http://www.shambaughleadership.com/.

Collaborative Competition - Women's Secret to Thriving in a Rotten Economy

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn Mayer) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:50:00 +0000

Every time I present to a predominately female audience, one brave woman raises her hand and says,” People call me the "B" word. How else am I supposed to get my job done?” The dictionary defines bitch as: “malicious, spiteful, and domineering woman.” But generally, these women are neither malicious nor spiteful. Many are ambitious, competitive, aggressive, and focused on doing their jobs well—just like their male colleagues. And that’s the rub. Women in business, especially in leadership, are judged more harshly, more quickly, and more permanently than men in similar roles. What is a girl to do?

In my opinion, the bitch syndrome is a perception problem more than a behavioral problem. It’s a strategy issue: how you manage the way others perceive you—the disconnect between your intention and how you are being received.

Women tend to approach work with a perfectionist strategy—and develop a small, closely-knit group of supporters. This combination is noble and innocent in its intent. But the way it blinds women from seeing others’ agendas while blocking them from learning about potential perception problems can be toxic.

So here's the challenge: Rather than subordinate your own personality, or demand unreachable perfection, channel your natural intimacy to validate coworkers, while organizing all the internal and external accomplishment markers that will bring success both to yourself and your team.

A winning strategy to meet that challenge is Collaborative Competition™: the strategic mindset that even as you're competing, you're also collaborating. Yes, get noticed for your accomplishments on the team—but also for the entire team’s accomplishments. Aim to equal or excel against your competitor's performance, without undermining that competitor.

My new book Collaborative Competition: A Woman's Guide to Succeeding by Competing is now available on Amazon.com. I am very excited to be presenting two programs based on the book at the Forte conference this June! You will learn how to adopt this new strategy for competing in business while still being your authentic personality and enjoying yourself. I look forward to seeing everyone! And, order my book today and get started on developing a positive approach to help you thrive in today's tough economy!

MBA Women's Conference 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Dustin) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:59:00 +0000

When I was invited to be a panelist at the Forte MBA Women’s Conference last year I was delighted. Last year’s experience was fabulous. I have given many talks but I was pleasantly surprised at the level of candor from the participants. This, of course, made for a wonderful session.When I was invited back this year as a speaker, I readily accepted.

This year I will hold a session (You Have Accepted the Position, Now What?) on what to do after you have accepted your job offer. The talk is based on my book, Lessons From a Recovering Worker Bee, and will provide the insight and tools to help achieve career success while maintaining work-life balance.

Some of the topics to be covered are:

- asking for what you want
- succeeding in the workplace even when the unexpected happens and,
- tooting your own horn

The session will help participants navigate the roadblocks that can occur in the workplace. In the current economic environment, some think that maintaining the status quo will ensure job retention; this is false. Now, more than ever, it is important to work intelligently and be noticed.

If last year's Forte MBA Women's Conference is any indication of what to expect, this conference should be a fabulous learning experience for everyone! The opportunity for networking and learning are great and I am looking forward to seeing you all.

Book site: www.recoveringworkerbee.com

2008 Forte MBA Women's Conference

deirdre.hatfield@yahoo.com (Dede) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:34:00 +0000

The 2008 Forte MBA Women's Conference was a great experience for me. Having recently been accepted to business school, I was eager to meet classmates and fellow students from other top schools. I arrived with many expectations about how the weekend would go and what it would entail. I was thoroughly impressed because, throughout the conference, everything and everyone was very professional and friendly.

I have always been somewhat skeptical of panels but the panels at the conference were definitely an exception. There were panels on many different disciplines including finance, consulting, and marketing and one of the highlights of my conference experience was the "quantitative calisthenics" workshop that I attended. In addition, I was able to learn about cracking case interviews, internship search skills, and tips for navigating the first semester of business school. Looking back now, having almost finished my first year, I can honestly say that the caliber of the information that was presented at the conference was excellent. It was definitely a great primer for my first semester and beyond.

The most memorable part of the conference was definitely the community atmosphere that Forte represents. Within hours of meeting other fellows and conference attendees, I had made new friends and discussed pressing topics over coffee at a nearby shop. Meeting other women MBAs was something I was very eager to do. It definitely put to rest any concerns I had about entering an MBA program in the fall and addressed many of the pressing issues that I was curious about. Overall, I had a fantastic experience at the 2008 conference and cannot wait to attend in 2009. I hope to see all of you there as well!

MBA Women's Conference: Be There.

noreply@blogger.com (Elissa Sangster) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:02:00 +0000

Each year as we prepare for our MBA Women’s Conference, I anticipate the energy that will fill the room when this group of amazing women attendees from our sponsor schools comes together. While you can read all about the conference on the website, my goal is to convey the genuine importance and extraordinary benefits of joining us. Perhaps a few words from last year’s attendees about how the conference impacted them will help paint the picture: “straight, honest talk”…"supportive environment”…"unexpectedly inspiring”…"overwhelmed by the high caliber of women”…"got me out of my comfort zone”…"feel more confident”.

It’s just two days, but the impact will be far reaching. So often women don’t make the time for critical events like this—they seem indulgent or intangible. But the truth is these opportunities to network, build skills, and invest in yourself don’t come along very often. Forté hosts this conference so you can explore career opportunities at companies early on in the MBA cycle. If you’re just beginning the MBA journey, it’s a chance to figure out what career path is right for you. If you’ve finished your first year or recently graduated, you’ll also have the chance to network with other MBA women and our great speakers, panelists, and corporate representatives. At the same time, you’ll develop critical leadership skills through our professional development sessions. And finally, you’ll have a head start on other MBAs out there. Very few opportunities like this exist for MBA women. And because you have been admitted into a Forté sponsor school you are exclusively invited to take advantage of this one.

This year our theme is Reinvent, Reinvest, Realize—and I’m sure at least one of those words resonates with you and your view of your own career choices in today’s job climate. Throughout this conference, I want to empower women to rethink their career path, invest in themselves, and leverage the Forte conference as a key turning point in their career success. And this year, given the state of the economy, it’s more important than ever to attend a professional conference like this one to establish your own competitive advantage.

Now is not the time to be complacent or lose sight of your goals! The women who attend the Forté conference will leave empowered, energized and committed to excelling in their career. There are lots of reasons why you can’t or won’t attend—I need to work an extra day, I’m starting an internship, I want to travel, etc. But, I encourage you to make the time for this important conference and kick off your MBA career in grand style. If you’ve already registered, block your calendars and visit this blog regularly for the latest conference news, and if you haven’t – then make the commitment to be with us!