March has been a bittersweet month as while there were a lot of exciting things going on, my direct supervisor had announced her resignation from her position. She was a great mentor and had become my confidante in the short two months that I was here. Before leaving, she had given me some honest pointers, suggestions of things that I could work on, topics that I should be reflecting on, as well as a list of contacts to speak to.
I took advantage of this time of transition where the decision of whom my next supervisor would be was still up in the air, to utilize the career portal on our intranet and explored their theories of success, of net working, of career management, etc. I also attended a workshop seminar entitled “Strategies for Career Success” and reached out to people within my department to hear about their stories and thoughts and views of the industry, of life. While I still have not yet truly found what I am passionate about and understand where my greatest strengths and weaknesses lie, I have become more conscious about it all. I have begun to ask the right questions and have an idea of the general direction of where these answers may lie.
I was very happy when I was approached by Alanna, a Talent Management Specialist contractor of Talisman to help out with her Women’s Initiative project at Talisman. This was a brand new initiative where the company is attempting to create more developing and networking opportunities for women within the workplace. Due to the fact that the program is still in its early stages, I was involved in the fundamental frameworks figuring out the scope of the program. Currently, I am involved in brainstorming ideas for organizing and creating potential networking events in the future, analyzing the results of a leadership survey to determine whether or not women and men’s needs are different, and also analyzing existing policies and suggesting changes or additions to them in order to promote more flexibility for women in the workplace.
A great opportunity had fallen on my lap when a seat was vacant for the WXN Gala: Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Awards Ceremony for Canada ’s highest achieving female leaders in the private, public, and not for profit sectors. Not only was I provided with a three course meal, I had the opportunity to network with women that were very successful. The highlight of the night was the inspirational surprise key note speaker Amanda Lindhout, the journalist that was taken captive in Somalia . It was an unforgettable night and I was absolutely grateful for the opportunity.