International Women in Business Düsseldorf (iwibdus) has been preparing to host our signature networking event, the Talent Fair on October 20th. The objective of this event is to connect members with potential employers and professional connections in the Nordrhein-Westfalen region.
The highlight of this focused networking event will be the 12 women who will present themselves to international companies and other attendees. Following the presentations, there will be opportunities for presenters and attendees alike to meet with recruiters.
At iwibdus, we aspire to not only organize networking events like the Talent Fair, but also ensure that we are actively supporting the women who get up on stage. With this goal in mind, iwibdus offered training sessions to the 12 presenters this week.
The training was designed to build speakers’ capacity on multiple fronts. In this blog, we will cover four of thosethemes.
Differentiation
If you’ve attended any iwibdus events, you’ve noticed what a diverse group of women we are. We speak multiple languages, and have lived and worked outside of our homelands for many years. Along the way, we’ve learned how to adapt to new environments and be resilient enough to overcome the challenges that come with living and working in a foreign country.
The recruiters are coming to the Talent Fair because they value the international experience and diversity embedded in our iwibdus community. The first goal of the training was to ensure that women highlight these hard-earned and distinctive skills.
Identifying Transferable Skills
Not only do we come from many parts of the world, but we also have a variety of professional competencies. Some of the women presenting at the event are seeking employment in areas they’ve previously worked in, while others are looking to make a change.
While each speaker may seek different outcomes, there is one unifying theme that they need to convey in their presentations: How does their previous professional and personal experiences translate into the type of work they seek now?
In the presentations, the speakers will answer this essential question.
Building a Compelling and Concise Presentation
Conveying key information in five minutes can be difficult. In order to ensure that the 12 women were able to present themselves effectively within this time frame, the speakers were given the following recommendations.
First, the trainers advised the speakers to be selective about which examples they chose to integrate into their presentations. Brevity can be equally, if not more, engaging than lists.
Second, the speakers were encouraged to structure their presentations in a specific format and provide equal weight to each theme, including:
- Introduction
- Training
- Transferable skills
- Describing an ideal position
The trainers recommended that speakers close their presentations by describing their ideal position to attract specific recruiters at the event.
Cultivating Confidence
Advocating on your behalf to a room full of people can be intimidating-to say the least. A core objective of the training was to ensure that women had ample opportunity to practice their pitches in a safe and collaborative setting before their big night. The speakers were encouraged to use each other speakers as a sounding board, integrating feedback and suggestions that their peers gave. We also hope that the comradery they established during the training provides them with a built in support network during the Talent Fair.
Want to be part of it?
We encourage you to attend the Talent Fair to see how the women integrated the lessons they received from the training. By watching these women in action, you will learn how to promote yourself while meeting the women that make up our community.
Please sign up to let us know you are coming by emailing hello@iwibdus.com. We look forward to seeing you at 19.30 – 22.00 on October 20th! The venue is Uniper ,Holzstraße 6, 40221 Düsseldorf.
Blog post by Marie Gray
