Traveling to Washington with the Graduate Affinity Conference
NAWMBA Conference – Washington D.C
Hi Everyone!
Today I am writing to you to let you know about the experience my friend and I had this past weekend at the NAWMBA Conference in Washington D.C.
NAWMBA – National Association of Women MBAs – is an association dedicated to empower women MBA students and professionals and help them move into leadership positions in business.
The NAWMBA leadership conference and career fair is much more than a career fair! Before getting to the event, I personalized my agenda and chose the speakers and events that I was most interested in.
One typical day for me was: Brand Yourself + Women in Consulting Panel + Little Black Dress Reception. The “Brand Yourself” event was a hands-off workshop in which we were encouraged to think about our personal brand. We were given useful tips and I concluded that your personal brand is what people think and say of you when you are not there. So if your personal brand isn’t well-defined, go ahead and ask for feedback from others! You might be surprised by the answers you receive!
At the “Women in Consulting Panel”, I got to ask questions about the work & life balance of women that have dedicated their careers to consulting. It was awesome to hear their experiences and think about a possible career in consulting and its impact on your personal life.
Finally, at the Little Black Dress reception I was able to meet women from different backgrounds and cultures with amazing stories to tell. I had a glass of wine and went to my hotel room to reflect on the day and prepare for the career fair next day!
My friend Cynthia had a wonderful time too and she wanted to leave you her perspective:
“Attending the NAWMBA 2014 conference was a great experience! I had the opportunity to network with two entrepreneurs within my area of interest – the healthcare sector – and learned about the various opportunities and challenges they have faced since starting their own business. My favorite keynote speaker was Lorna Davis, President of Mondelez biscuits (also known as Nabisco), who offered a fresh perspective on the importance of branding yourself and ensuring your message is clear and focused.”
Cynthia Aguirre, MBA ´15
Finally, I wanted to leave you this checklist for having an amazing time at the NAWMBA conference and career fair next year in Houston, Texas!
- Customize your own conference schedule to attend the speeches you are really interested in
- Get ready to meet recruiters from companies such as Amazon, The Home Depot, Ford and Microsoft, amongst others
- Leave some time to explore and enjoy a great city such as D.C!
- Meet inspiring women and have fun with your friends
Juliana Restrepo, MBA ´15