Women Strengthening Each Other

Our most recent fall forum was such a heartwarming opportunity to grow and collaborate with other women in healthcare. Not only did we have two knowledgeable professional, strong women give their time to share what they’ve learned on their path, but more than 60 women participated during the presentation with their tips, websites, or strategies which have worked to strengthen their own careers. Vanessa Aller is an Instructional Designer at Harvard Medical School and Busayo Ajayi is the Director, Diversity, Inclusion and Workforce Development at BMC. Through an interactive discussion, first Vanessa shared how she’s created an online presence with a LinkedIn profile and separate online portfolio website showcasing her interests and work. She talked about her job search and how she landed her current job. Then, Busayo shared strategies for negotiating salary (in a current or future job) and offered insights from a recruiter and human resources point of view, allowing for audience questions. Failures and roadblocks were also shared, and the group learned from those as well. It was a great segue into our upcoming Spring Forum topic of Taking Risk.

Vanessa put together a resource for attendees (here) with how-tos and presentation slides from the night, including resources offered from audience members. I’m happy to say that as a result of Vanessa’s education, I also put together my own online portfolio, seen here: rachelrenaux.com. I hope to see you at our next event.

WHCM Technology Chair Rachel Renaux