We couldn’t have been more thrilled to have been a part of Workfest15! The annual event from Mumsnet made a triumphant return this year bringing with it inspirational speakers, master classes and amazing networking opportunities.
The day was jam-packed full of great advice and information for mums and working women who are looking to either get back into work or are looking for more flexible working conditions. Information on everything from how to write an effective CV, to advice on starting your own business was available, all of which came from women (and one or two men) who have been there and done it themselves.
With just a quick look over the #Workfest15 tweets after the event, you can see what a great reception the event had and that many of the women in attendance have taken away one strong message: “If you love something, get out there and do it!” The whole event, from start to finish, was tailored to getting you out into the world making the living you want for yourself and equipping you with the confidence and know-how to do it.
How Workfest helped us
For us it was a great opportunity to meet face-to-face with those we’ve set out to help, strong-willed women looking to get their career on track. To complement the various breakout sessions on Flexible Working, we were there helping to put you in contact with other individuals looking to job share.
Something that we were aware of was how few jobs are forthcoming about being flexible, but one of the sessions highlighted the sheer scale of the issue. According to the statistics, as little as 2% of jobs are advertised as flexible. So, for the most part, it’s going to be down to you to convince your employer to consider the possibility of a job share.
As we’ve mentioned before, one of the easiest ways to get your prospective employer to consider a job share is to make it as hassle free for them as possible. This means coming to them prepared with solutions, not problems. One of the most important things you’ll need is a job share partner and a schedule you can both work to pre-decided. With that in mind, we were there on hand to get many of those interested in job sharing heading in the right direction. (For those of you not lucky enough to be at the event, we’ve got a handy article for you here to get you going.)
Keeping up-to-date
The conference also took the time to explain how social media is becoming an integral part of promoting your career or your own business, and offered masterclasses on platforms like LinkedIn. Not only is it good for brand awareness, it’s also a tool for you to make vital connections you may otherwise miss. It’s no secret that social media is becoming more and more important and being savvy to it is a must before embarking on any new venture. So you can be sure it’s something we’ll cover ourselves in future.
All in all, as much as we came to provide a service at Workfest15, we ended up taking a great deal away ourselves. It was great to have our vision - of flexible working made feasible for everyone - brought to life by the experts of the panels and we love that more talented women are considering this as a career option.
For those of you who couldn’t make it this year, we highly recommend you make it to the next one. Who knows, it might just give you the boost you need to get your career on the move.
