Keynote Access Extended Through Friday, Nov. 20

Breakout Session Access Extended Through Friday, Nov. 27

Access Extended!This week and next, we invite you to watch every single 2020 breakout session in the Virtual Conference environment—through Friday, November 27th.Keynote speeches, normally only available on Conference Day, will remain available to you through this Friday, November 20th.Don't miss Viola Davis, Tara Westover, Iyanla Vanzant, or any of our brilliant breakout session speakers!Watch Now

More to Explore this Week:

  • Read our message to attendees about last week's technical difficulties & choose your donation or bookstore voucher. Vouchers delivered via email 11/23.
  • The Exhibit Hall remains open 24/7 and features activities, contests, discounts, and more. Some offerings you might want to check out:
    • Education & Innovation Pavilion: Enter to win a free ticket to the Dec. 10 Massachusetts Conference for Women at the Hyundai booth; and enter to win a free home energy assessment at the PECO booth!
    • Women-Owned Business Marketplace: Just in time for the holidays, find unique gifts for friends and family or something special for yourself—all while supporting local women-owned businesses!
    • Community Connection Pavilion sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal: Visit the WSFS booth to post your message of inspiration!
    • Career Pavilion sponsored by Villanova School of Business: Consider a career with one of these companies showing their committment to women's success:
      • Upload your resume at the Bristol Myers Squibb booth
      • Access the GSK job finder and swipe your badge for more info
      • Swipe your badge if you're interested in working at Cisco
      • Learn more about careers at State Street—and their commitment to diversity and inclusion.
    • Health & Wellness Pavilion sponsored by Independence Blue Cross: Visit Target's booth to learn more about their Good & Gather brand and explore career opportunities
  • While you're exploring the Exhibit Hall, take in some Learning Bursts within the Career, Community Connection, and Health & Wellness Stages.
  • Chat with fellow attendees in the Cisco Networking Lounge.
  • Get an instant mood boost from our 2020 Conference playlist!
  • Learn how to make a tasty fall salad with The Honeysuckle Cookbook author Dzung Lewis.

Best Reads for Staying on Top of Every Industry

woman-juggling-laptop-phoneBeing in the know about news and trends is key to success in almost every field. In our first annual reading survey, 51% of respondents said that they read to stay up-to-date daily, while 33% said they read weekly, 11% said monthly and 5% said quarterly or infrequently. Here, in the spirit of collegial sharing, are the apps, blogs, newsfeeds, newsletters, periodicals, websites and writers recommended by survey respondents, and organized by industry:

Accommodation and Food Services
AllRecipes.com, Catalyst.org, DiversityBestPractices.com, DiversityInc.com, Epicurious.com, GetEverwise.com, Harvard Business Review, Josh Bersin’s blog/Deloitte, LinkedIn, New York Times, RBL.net, SmartBrief.com and WomensFoodServiceForum.com

Accounting
AccountingToday.com, AICPA.org, BNA.com, CGMA magazine, CNN.com, DailyTaxReporter.com, International Fiscal Association publications, Journal of Accountancy and Wall Street Journal

Advertising/Public Relations/Marketing
AdAge, Adweek, AIGA.org, Borrell Associates reports and webinars, Buzzfeed, CableFax.com, CableSpots.net, ChiefMarketer.com, CMO.com, CNN.com, ConvinceAndConvert.com, Cynopsis.com, Entrepreneur Magazine, Fast Company, Facebook (follow trendsetters), Flipboard.com, Forbes, Google alerts, Harvard Business Review, HotelMarketing.com, HowDesign.com, Hubspot.com, Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, Hypebeast.com, IABC.com, Inc. Magazine, LinkedIn, MarketingProfs.com Mashable.com, MuckRack.com, New York Times, PBJMarketing.com blog, People, Pinterest, PRDaily.com, PRNewsOnline.com, PRNewser blog, PR Week, PRSA .org, Ragan.com, Re/Code.net, Seth Godin, Sidekick blog, SmartBrief.com, Strategy-Business.com, TechCrunch, ThatWorkingGirl.com, The Futurist Magazine, TheSkimm.com, Twitter (follow trendsetters), Us Weekly, YesMagazine.org, YouTube, Wall Street Journal and Wired

Art/Graphics/UI Design
ART News, ArtForum.com, BrainPickings.org, CreativeBloq.com, DesignModo.com, GDUSA.com, Lynda.com, New York Times, SafariBooksOnline.com, TutsPlus.com, YouTube (Adobe Creative Suite and other design channels)

Automotive
RiskAndInsurance.com, IRMI.com newsletters and The Kiplinger Letter

Business & Leadership Coaching/Training/Management
Anthony Robbins, BizJournals.com/bizwomen, BusinessToday-eg.com, CareerDirectors.com, Careerealism.com, Forbes, Gallup.com, Google alerts, Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, IIBA.org, John Maxwell blog, [email protected] newsletter, LinkedIn, New York Times, SBA.gov, Seth Godin, SmartBriefs.com, TED.com, Time Magazine and Wall Street Journal

Business Process Outsourcing
Bill Kutik, HorsesForSources.com and LinkedIn

Computer Hardware/Software/IT
BusinessInsider.com, Businessweek, Consumer Reports, Consumption Economics (book), CXPA.org, DeveloperEconomics.com blog, The Economist, eMarketer.com daily emails, ExecutiveBoard.com blogs, Facebook, Fast Company, Forbes, Gartner.com, Google alerts, GovTech.com’s newsletters and Public CIO Magazine, Harvard Business Review, Hubspot.com, Inc. Magazine, ITPro.co.uk, Kaihan Krippendorff, LinkedIn, McKinsey Quarterly, New York Times, Reddit, SCMagazine.com, SmartBriefs.com, SocialMediaDelivered.com blog, TBRI.com, TechTarget.com, Twitter, Wall Street Journal, and ZDNet.com

Construction
ASCE.org magazines, ENR.com, New York Times and Wall Street Journal

Consumer Electronics
Core77.com, Coroflot.com, Engadget.com, Harvard Business Review, io9.com, LinkedIn, Notcot.org and Wall Street Journal

eCommerce
eMarketer.com, Gartner.com and WindsorCircle.com blog

Education
AACU.org news, AACC.NCHE.edu, ALA.org, BoardSource.org, Brene Brown, BusinessWeek, Buzzfeed, CASE.org, Chronicle of Higher Education, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, CollegeBoard.org, CUE.org, EducationDive.com, Educational Procurement Journal, Edutopia.org, EdWeek.org, FacultyFocus.com, Greatist.com, Ed.gov, Facebook, Fast Company, Gabrielle Bernstein, GLSEN.org reports, GMAC.com Quick Clips, Harvard Business Review, HechingerReport.org, ICTINEducation.org blog, IECAOnline.com newsletter, ILA-net.org journals, InsideHigherEd.com, Inside Supply Management Magazine, League.org, Libby Nelson, LinkedIn, LuninaFoundation.org newsletter, McKinsey Quarterly, MindfulSchools.org blog, MYACPA.org newsletter, NACADA Journal, NatCom.org newsletter, NBPTS.org newsletter, NCTE.org, Pinterest, NAASFA.org, NAICU.edu, New York Times, NPR.org, Politico, TED.com, The Atlanctic.com (education section), TheNonProfitTimes.com, Time Magazine, Twitter, YouTube and Wall Street Journal

Energy/Power & Utilities
ACEEE.org, AGA.org, EEI.org, EEnews.net, EIA.gov, EnergyCentral.com, EPRI.com, GreenTechMedia.com, IntelligentUtility.com, LinkedIn groups, POWERGRID International, SNL.com and UtilityDive.com

Finance/Financial Services
401kWire.com, AFPOnline.org AmericanBanker.com, Banc Investment Daily, BankerAndTradesman.com, BankersOnline.com, Barron’s, BBC.com news, BenefitsLink.com, Bloomberg.com, CIO.com, CNBC.com, CNN Money, The Economist, EmergingManagerMonthly.com, Fast Company, Financial-Planning.com, Financial Advisor Magazine, Financial Times, FINRA.org, Forbes, Fortune, Fortune’s Broadsheet, FundFire.com, Google alerts, Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, IBAT.org, ICI.org, Inc. Magazine, InvestmentNews.com, ISACA.org, Journal of Accountancy, Journal of Financial Planning, Kiplinger, KMWorld.com, LinkedIn, Liz Ryan, MarketWatch.com, McKinsey Quarterly, Money Magazine, Money-Media.com Ignites news, NakedCapitalism.com, New York Times, NICSA.org blog, NPR.org, PlanSponsor.com Newsdash, OCC.gov alerts, PIOnline.com, Reuters, RMAHQ.org, SEC.gov, SmartBriefs.com, STAI.org, Team of Teams (book), TheIIA.org, ThinkAdvisor.com, Twitter, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Yahoo news

Government
Brene Brown, BusinessInsider.com, CapHillStyle.com, CENews.com, Center for Creative Leadership publications, CityLab.com, Facebook, FHWA.dot.gov news, GASB.org announcements, Governing.com, GFOA.org announcements, MIT Technology Review, NICIC.gov news, PMI.org publications, ProjectManagement.com ThinkingCities.com, ThinkingHighways.com, SheNegotiates.com blog and Twitter

Health Care
AHIP.org daily updates, ASHE.org, BeckersHospitalReview.com, Benefitslin.com Health & Welfare Plans newsletter, Bloomberg, BuzzFeed, CapTodayOnline.com, CDC.gov, CNN.com, Diagnostic Testing & Emerging Technologies, Facebook, Fast Company, FDA.gov updates, Forbes, Fortune, Google alerts, Harvard Business Review, Healthcare.gov, HHNMag.com, HIMSS.org blog, HPNOnline.com, Jen Hatmaker, Journal of Hospital Medicine, LinkedIn, Mayo Clinic newsletter, Medscape, ModernHealthcare.com, New York Times, NBR.com, NPR.com, PremierInc.com, PressGaney.com blog, PubMed.gov, Robert Wachter, SHRM.org, SHSMD.org newsletter, StuderGroup.com, WebMD.com and USA Today

Human Resources
HRBartender.com blog, HREOnline.com, HRHero.com, Meghan Biro, SHRM.org magazine and newsletter, TheHRSpecialist.com, TrainingMag.com and Workforce.com

Insurance
AdvisenLTD.com, BusinessInsurance.com, CNN Money, Entrepreneur Magazine, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, IFEBP.org, InsuranceJournal.com, ISCEBS.org, Kaiser Family Foundation publications, LIMRA.com, LinkedIn, NationalUnderwriter.com, PLRB.org, PWC.com insurance publications, RMMagazine.com, SmartBriefs.com, SNL.com alerts, Wall Street Journal and UBABenefits.com

Legal
ACCDocket.com, American Bar Association Journal, AmericanJail.org magazine, BenefitsLink.com, CorrectionsOne.com, Google alerts, Law360.com, Lexology.com and Wall Street Journal

Nonprofit/Philanthropy
Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation newsletter, BoardSource.org, Chronicle for Philanthropy, DisabilityScoop.com, EdFunders.org, Fast Company, Firelight.org, Forbes, GEOFunders.org, Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, InsidePhilanthropy.com, LinkedIn, Lucy Bernholz, McKinsey Quarterly, NetworkForGood.org, PhilanthropyNewsDigest.org, Stanford Social Innovation Review, TheSkimm.com, Wall Street Journal

Pharmaceutical
BioWorld.com, Compliance & Ethics Professional Magazine, DIA Daily, Facebook, FDA.gov, FiercePharma.com, FirstWordPharma.com, LinkedIn, Nature, PharmaTimes.com, PharmaVOICE.com, Pink Sheet Daily, PMI.org, Science, SCDM.org newsletter, ScripIntelligence.com, Twitter, Wall Street Journal and WSJ’s Pharmalot blog

Professional Services
ACMPGlobal,org, AMANET.org, Annie McKee, Businessweek, CFO Magzine, ConsultingMag.com, DDIWorld.com, DiversityInc.com magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Financial Times, FastFuture.com, Fortune, Google alerts, Harvard Business Review, HumanCapitalMedia.com, Inc. Magazine, John Kotter, Ken Blanchard, KMWorld.com, LinkedIn, Malcolm Gladwell, Mashable.com, Michael Hyatt, McKinsey Quarterly, NEHRA.com, New York Times, Prosci.com, Reddit.com, Scoop.it, ShapingTomorrow.com, SHRM.org, SmartBriefs.com, SMPS.org, Stephen Covey, Stitcher (app), Strategy-Business.com, TalentMgt.com blogs, Time Magazine, TrainingMag.com, Trendwatching.com, Trove.com, Twitter, Wall Street Journal, Wired, Workforce.com and YouTube

Real Estate
EY.com tax alerts, Forbes, NAREIT blogs, PereNews.com, PWC.com tax alerts, Realert.com, SmartBriefs.com, Wall Street Journal and Yahoo

Retail
B2ttraining.com blog, BATimes.com, DesignLoveFest.com, Entrepreneur Magazine, Fast Company, Forbes, Giftbeat.com, GiftsAndDec.com magazine, Giftshopmag.com, Harvard Business Review, HCI.org, HubSpot.com, Huffington Post, Inc. Magazine, InstoreMag.com, LinkedIn, McKinsey Quarterly, NRF.com, OhSoBeautifulPaper.com blog, ProduceNews.com, RISNews.edgl.com, StationeryTrendsMag.com, SupermarketNews.com, TheRobinReport.com and Wall Street Journal

Technology
Adweek’s SocialTimes feed, AnandTech.com, BusinessInsider.com, CBInsights.com,
CNN.com, Computer.org, Conference-Board.org, DigitalTransactions.net, Entrepreneur Magazine, eSource.com, The Facebook Blog, Fast Company, Feedly.com, Flipboard.com, Forbes, Forrester Research articles, Fortnightly.com, Gallup.com, Google alerts, GovTech.com’s newsletters and Public CIO Magazine, Harvard Business Review, HubSpot.com marketing blog, Huffington Post, Inc. Magazine, LinkedIn, MarketingLand.com, Mashable.com, MattCutts.com blog, Mattermark.com blog,
McKinsey Quarterly, Melcrum.com, MIT Technology Review, New York Times, NPR.com, Nuzzel.com, Official Google Blog, OpenView Labs, PCMag.com news, PMI.org, Priceonomics.com, ProjectManagement.com, Quartz Daily Brief, Ragan.com, Re/code.com, SearchEngineLand.com, SmartBriefs.com, TBRI.com, Tech.co, TechCrunch.com, TechMeme.com, TechTarget.com, Time Magazine, TSIA.com, Twitter, The Twitter Blog, UserTesting.com VentureBeat.com, VentureFizz weekly email, Wall Street Journal, Wired, Yahoo News and Yahoo Tech

Transportation/Travel
AASHTOJournal.org, DunhillTravelDeals.com blog, GoGoWorldwidevacations.com, Metro-Magazine.com, Ski.com blog, Transportation Research Board newsletter, TravelAgentCentral.com and TravelWeekly.com

READ MORE FROM THIS MONTH’S NEWSLETTER

Negotiation Tips That Work for Women
Small Attitude Changes, Big Money Impact
About Face: Taking Your Career in a New Direction
Career Advice You Can Bank on

Posted in blog, Speaker Articles, Success & Leadership

Career Advice You Can Bank on

PA_BeneficialOther women can be our best resources for career advice and mentorship, but we often find ourselves so caught up in the day-to-day to-do’s that we don’t always take the time to ask questions and learn from each other. So here, from some of Beneficial Bank’s leaders, with decades of experience in the corporate trenches, is the best advice they’ve ever received or given:

Always Speak Up

“It really helps to know what you want and to be able to articulate it. When I decided that I really wanted to get into the field of training and development, I was able to make good career decisions. I took an entry level job in a company known for its training department, told all of my managers that I wanted to be a trainer, and volunteered for any project that would help me get the skills and experience I needed.” — Julie Christoph, Director of Education & Development

Seek Out Challenges

“Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. Volunteer to take on additional responsibility, and use the opportunity for personal and professional growth.” — Adria Brewer, Commercial Real Estate Credit Officer

Trust Your Gut

“Make a decision. There is no such thing as perfect information.” — Lynn Nolan, Director of Special Assets Management

Take Chances

“Seeing the way children interact and how they make decisions allows you to realize how many mistakes you can and will make in life. You can almost always bounce back quicker than you expect and you shouldn’t be afraid to take chances.” — Melissa Dick, Director of Credit Policy and Mortgage Underwriting

Be True To You

“Work hard, respect everyone and never compromise your values.” – Amy Hannigan, SVP & Chief Accounting Officer

READ MORE FROM THIS MONTH’S NEWSLETTER

Negotiation Tips That Work for Women
Small Attitude Changes, Big Money Impact
About Face: Taking Your Career in a New Direction
Best Reads for Staying on Top of Every Industry

Posted in blog, Speaker Articles, Job Advancement

Small Attitude Changes, Big Money Impact

Kerry-Hannon-head-shot-220x300A fact of life they didn’t tell you middle school: You’ll likely be flying solo at some point during your retirement, if not at the start. “From the age of 65 to the end of life, most American women are single, and if they lost a partner, their standard of living drops,” says Kerry Hannon, a retirement and personal finance expert and author most recently of Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness. Yet on any given day, “women will talk about health before they’ll talk about wealth,” Hannon notes. Making financial security a priority in our thoughts—as well as a part of our conversations—is one attitude adjustment we all need to make. These five will also help ensure that the retirement years are truly golden:

#1 Get self-centered

Nature or nurture, women tend to put the needs of others first, and as a result, we experience career interruptions that lead to our missing out on raises, years of contributions to employer-sponsored retirement plans and reported earnings that will affect the size of our Social Security checks down the line. To even begin to make up for the losses, “you need to pay yourself first—which means put money in savings before you do anything else with your paycheck,” Hannon says. And when it comes to opportunities at work, which that taking-care-of-yourself attitude could position you for a promotion and higher salary, “by all means, as Sheryl Sandberg put it, lean in.”

#2 Stop using fuzzy numbers

“You need a solid understanding of how much you spend now to determine exactly how much you’ll need later in life,” Hannon says. You also can’t make sure you’re living within your means unless you run real numbers. Hannon recommends going to Mint.com and YouNeedaBudget.com for help tracking your spending and penciling out a budget.

#3 Be bold about saving

Afraid that they’ll need the money, many people who participate in their 401(k) plans allocate just fractions of their paycheck to it. “But at the very least, you should be putting in the 4% to 6% that employers typically require to get the maximum company match,” Hannon says. “It’s pre-tax, so you’ll hardly miss it.” An even better target savings amount: 10% that you eventually dial up to 15%—or more, if you’re getting a late start.

#4 Invest with confidence

“While most women are completely comfortable dealing with their daily finances, many are intimidated by stocks and bonds,” Hannon observes. The only solution is to get educated about investing and retirement planning. Hannon recommends checking out Iinvest.org, WiserWomen.org, Learnvest.com and Dailyworth.com—the latter three specifically geared to women. It may also be helpful to have a professional explain things. If you do go the financial-advisor route, Hannon suggests hiring one that charges a flat fee. Interview a few (there are searchable databases at sites of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, the Financial Planning Association and the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards), find one you like and don’t be timid about asking questions. It’s your money, after all.

#5 Look forward to your 50s

In order to keep on working and earning, many women shift career tracks as the nest starts to empty out, or a life or health crisis pushes them to find work with meaning or a job that they’re passionate about. “It often takes about three to five years to get something new going full speed, so at 50, you might start thinking about what you want to do when you’re 55,” Hannon says. “Begin to add the necessary certifications or degrees, research and even moonlight to see if it truly is something you want to do in this chapter.”

Also, since money is often the biggest stumbling block to changing careers—you may have to take a pay cut—you should “get financially fit, sock away savings, pay down debts and perhaps downsize your home,” Hannon advises. You’ll feel challenged during those transitional years but remember, “you’re not reinventing yourself; you’re redeploying the skills you already have in your kit. It’s also an exciting time, so go slow and take it in baby steps,” Hannon adds.

Finally, to get your friends to join you in thinking and talking about money matters, Hannon recommends adding personal finance books to your book club’s reading list. Her top picks: The Charles Schwab Guide to Finances After 50, Get a Financial Life and Jonathon Clements Money Guide 2015.

Kerry Hannon will be leading panel discussion “Reviving a Stalled Career” at the the 2015 Pennsylvania Conference for Women.

READ MORE FROM THIS MONTH’S NEWSLETTER

Negotiation Tips That Work for Women
Best Reads for Staying on Top of Every Industry
About Face: Taking Your Career in a New Direction
Career Advice You Can Bank on

Posted in blog, Speaker Articles, Financial Fitness

Negotiation Tips That Work for Women

Margaret-Neale-220x300Compared to men, women tend to be less successful at negotiating— especially compensation—not because we’re bad at it. But because “we simply don’t do it,” says Margaret Ann Neale, the Adams Distinguished Professor of Management at Stanford Graduate School of Business and author of Getting (More of) What You Want. “We’re socialized to want to be liked, and when we negotiate, we’re perceived as being demanding, greedy and not nice.”

Studies have shown that’s true even if women follow the exact same script that men use. “We’ve all drunk the same social Kool-Aid, so it’s women as well as men who penalize women for asking for more,” Neale notes.

But when you’re open to negotiating, you’ll see that more things in life that you consider unchangeable—at work and at home—can actually be transformed into opportunities to get more of what you want. Use your leverage and be more effective with these five tips from Neale:

#1 Reframe how you think about negotiation. “Move away from thinking of it as a battle,” Neale says, “to thinking of it as an opportunity for problem-solving.” When you expect a fight, you’ll behave in ways that ensure one. “Your body language and your responses will likely encourage a fight as you filter your counterpart’s words and interpret his or her actions through the lens of a battle,” Neale adds. But when you come to the table to help find a solution, the other person isn’t forced to take “the other side,” and together you can reach an agreement that makes you better off.

#2 Raise your expectations. After all, if you don’t think you can improve the status quo by much, you won’t be motivated to enter a discussion. “It’s always easier not to negotiate, so when it comes to pay in particular, it’s important not to underestimate your worth,” Neale adds. Also, keep in mind that salary is just one component of your compensation. More vacation days, the flexibility to work from home, specific resources—they’re all possibilities that up the ante.

#3 Prepare a package of proposals. Come with just a single issue, and there can be only one winner and one loser. “You need to take the time to put together a set of proposals of things that you really want and figure out what is reasonable, what is optimistic and what you will walk away from,” says Neale, who notes that preparation is so important that it takes up two chapters in her new book. “And then pair your asks with solutions to a concern of your counterpart.” For example, when Neale negotiated to join the Stanford faculty, she presented a list of resources—a lab, doctoral student support, administrative support, etc.—that would help her do her job well and help Stanford to stand out.

#4 Tap into your superpower. “When women are negotiating on behalf of others, they are lions,” Neale says. In fact, women do 14% to 22% better than men in mock negotiations when they are representing other people. So when you’re getting negative pushback, especially over salary, don’t think that it’s just your interests on the line. Instead, “think that you’re doing it for all the other women who will come after you—your daughters, your granddaughters, your female friends,” Neale recommends.

#5 Seize opportunities. The best time to make an ask of a superior? Possibly when your boss is having a bad hair day. Definitely hold off on asking for a promotion if he or she is just back from the hairdresser or is wearing a spiffy new suit. Neale’s research found that the more attractive a man or woman feels, the more likely they are to believe that the status quo—specifically, people’s positions—are as they should be. Spinach in your boss’s teeth? Tell her, then dust off that wishlist!

READ MORE FROM THIS MONTH’S NEWSLETTER

Small Attitude Changes, Big Money Impact
Best Reads for Staying on Top of Every Industry
About Face: Taking Your Career in a New Direction
Career Advice You Can Bank on

Posted in blog, Speaker Articles, Communication Skills

About Face: Taking Your Career in a New Direction

PA_QVC2_-Nestor-230x300Featuring Antonella Nester, QVC Program Host, and Jennifer Ghazzouli, Director, Talent Acquisition & Strategy, QVC, Inc.

“Mom! You will never guess who I’m standing with… Joan Rivers!”

That was a phone call Antonella Nester never imagined she would make. She had finally landed her plum job as a QVC program host, a dream she had carried in her heart for years. “I remember sneaking out of my bedroom as a little girl to watch Joan on The Tonight Show and thinking, One day I want to do a show with her,” says Antonella, who has been a QVC program host since 2004. “I never thought my wish would come true! Every day of my first year on the job, I was constantly pinching myself. And it’s all because I took a chance and followed my heart.”

It’s an inspirational story for anyone who has a career dream, but Antonella’s path didn’t come without hurdles. Not long before her star-struck moment on QVC, she was working as a medical technologist at Holy Spirit Hospital in Camphill. The first in her family to be born in the U.S, Antonella is the daughter of a barber and a seamstress. They made sure she and her three sisters attended college, and were thrilled when Antonella joined the medical field. “I loved it, but if you ever asked me what I wanted to do, I would say ‘be an actress.’ My parents didn’t think that was a stable career choice and I was crushed.”

Despite her success, Antonella decided to leave behind her well-established career of 17 years to take a leap of faith. A fan of QVC since 1988, she attended open auditions in 2000 and 2002 but was passed over. “My friends were quick to point out that I had no sales, television or business experience.” Still, she was undaunted, and on her third attempt, in 2004 during QVC’s America’s Host Search, Antonella’s down-to-earth, engaging style dazzled the producers and she secured her dream job.

“Believe it or not, the contract sat on the mantel for two weeks before I signed it,” Antonella recalls. “I was thrilled to be offered the position, but the fear of letting my family down loomed over me—we would have to sell our house, move everything and leave friends, family and school. But once we made the decision as a family, I would come home from work and watch my shows, watch other hosts and study them for hours. I would get on the Internet for hours studying our products, not because I had to, but because I loved it.”

She adds: “What I’ve learned is that you can’t always get a degree for the passion that burns in your belly. You have to just go after it and not let anyone tell you that you can’t. Jump in with both feet, work hard and run your own race.”

Is a Career Change on Your Horizon?

Perhaps you are at a crossroads in your career, need a change because of a new life situation or are facing a transition with your current employer. Whether you hope to make a big change or just a tweak, the right move can do wonders for career rejuvenation and life balance. But how do you know if change is in the air?

PA_QVC1_-Ghazzouli-230x300“One sure sign that change is looming is that you feel you are less engaged in your current situation,” says Jennifer Ghazzouli, director of talent acquisition and strategy at QVC. “You may no longer be in sync with your peers or leadership. Your assignments may lack challenge or you find the pace of work is the wrong fit.” But before you jump, Jennifer recommends considering these four steps to set you on the right path forward:

  1. Determine what you want to accomplish from the transition—a different environment or industry, more money, greater challenge, increased flexibility, less stress, etc.
  2. Strive for balance. When one segment of your life is unaligned, it affects all others.
  3. Do what’s right for you. “It’s important to recognize and respect your values and personal goals and seek an environment, culture and people that align with yours,” Jennifer adds.
  4. Know your strengths (and weaknesses). Understand how those abilities fit into job opportunities. “For instance, I know I’m an analytical person, and even though I admire creative people, I am aware that I would not thrive in a position where I would be putting my creative skills to the test on a daily basis,” Jennifer explains.

Charting Your New Path Forward

“Change doesn’t always have to come in the form of leaving your current employer,” Jennifer says. “Often, seeking a new position within your company can keep your career fresh and exciting.” After all, a well-balanced career path typically will have peaks and spikes with an occasional lateral move to learn a new skill or broaden one’s leadership experience. As your new path unfolds, she recommends keeping the following in mind:

  • Do your research. Today, a wealth of information is available online, but there’s nothing better than building real relationships with people within the company.
  • Hone the skills you will need. It’s worth having a conversation with a team leader to learn their needs and the necessary skills to succeed.
  • Be able to articulate your strengths and how they align with the new role.
  • Leverage your mentor. If you don’t have one, get one!
  • Choose an industry with a future.
  • Join networking groups, whether they are virtual like LinkedIn, or meet-up groups and industry organizations. Consider groups outside your industry circle to broaden your horizons.

“Keep in mind that career change is a process that can take time, but if you do your homework, and stay true to your values and life goals, career change can be an exhilarating and fulfilling experience,” Jennifer adds.

Sponsored by:

qvc joy red logo.jpg

READ MORE FROM THIS MONTH’S NEWSLETTER

Negotiation Tips That Work for Women
Small Attitude Changes, Big Money Impact
Career Advice You Can Bank on
Best Reads for Staying on Top of Every Industry

Posted in blog, Speaker Articles, Career Choices

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