Women Say This Resource Group Helps Coworkers Elevate Their Careers

Women Say This Resurce Group Helps Coworkers Elevate Their Careers Not everyone can say they work at a company thats making strides to be a leader in empowering women. CDW coworkers are a rare exception, though. The companys Womens Opportunity Network (WON), a business resource group (BRG), is on a mission to help CDW foster an inclusive culture where women are actively engaged and can realize their fullest career potential. By providing resources and facilitating connections, WON is laser-focused on ensuring that women at CDW succeed, while also driving the companys key business objectives. CDW is Hiring Now Browse Opportunities.If you think this sounds too good to be true, we hear you. To get a sense of what this group actually looks like, and how they go about walking the talk, we checked in with WONs Board of Directors. Christine Holloway, VP of Healthcare Sales and WON Executive Sponsor Hilary Malina, Senior Counsel and WON Co-Chairwoman and Tara Barbieri, Director of Capture an d WON Co-Chairwoman filled us in on how WON is transforming womens career experiences and also shared their No. 1 piece of advice for job seekers.How and why did you first get involved in CDWs Womens Opportunity Network?Christine HollowayI have a passion for the development and advancement of women in IT and at CDW. I was impressed with the level of commitment and investment from CDWs executive leadership (both men and women) to this BRG, so I was confident that the time I was investing would be taken seriously and have an impact.Hilary, Christine, and Tara. Photo courtesy of CDWTell me a bit about how the Business Resource Group (BRG) works.Hilary MalinaWON is our largest BRG with a board of directors, executive committee sponsors, and six committees. We have five committees that focus on planning programs and events throughout the year, each with a different focus area and target audience, plus a logistics committee.Our three goals for 2018 were to(1) Provide development activiti es that impact professional and/or personal growth(2) Increase opportunity for connections with key influencers (internal or external) and(3) Increase our impact on an overall inclusive culture at CDW and within our communities.Events and programs vary over a broad range, and have included speaker panels, trainings on a variety of business topics, networking events, a business-focused book club, a quarterly newsletter, and charitable events. Between the committees and the board, we consistently run over 30 events and programs each year, including our signature event, our annual Womens Summit providing a full day of professional development for approximately 200 coworkers each fall. Our committees are required to align each of their events and programs to one of our three strategic goals, so that they are producing maximum impact.What has WON accomplished that youre most proud of?Tara Barbieri In 2018, we made a deliberate effort to partner with other BRGs at CDW and host combined ev ents. Every other affinity group also includes women African Heritage Network, MARC (military allies), ABLE (focused on supporting differently abled coworkers), and so on. We saw this as a way to both support broader inclusion efforts throughout the organization and provide impactful content to women who arent necessarily members of WON.Whats the 1 thing you think your colleagues should know but probably dont know about CDWs Womens Opportunity Network?CH The Womens Opportunity Network drives results. There are numerous examples of women who have become better at their current job, better prepared for their next role and successfully earned that new position, and have remained CDW coworkers because of the value and relationships formed from being a part of WON. All of this makes CDW a stronger, more successful organization. Additionally, because of the investment made in WON and the results it drives, CDW has earned recognition for being a place that supports and promotes the adva ncement of all people, including women.Whats your 1 piece of advice for women who are looking for jobs right now?CHConsider positions that will broaden your experience and add value to an organization, not just those that are the next level up. Truly great leaders have a both broad and deep expertise. And when youre interviewing for the position you want, make koranvers you speak about your accomplishments and the results you achieved in quantifiable terms. Leaders want to know that you can focus, prioritize and achieve measurable results.HMDont underestimate the power of creating and using your network when looking for a new job.TBWith the unemployment rate being pretty low, job seekers these days might have more options and even multiple offers. Before starting to interview, write down the elements of a role or company that are most important to you to avoid getting wowed by a cool perk that you hadnt expected. Rate the companies and leaders you interview with on a scale so that w hen youve got more than one offer, your objectivity informs your eventual choice.--If youre on a mission to land a new job in the new year, and all this talk about WON resonates with you, youre in luck CDW is hiring for several positions This is your chance to grow your career at a company thats not only passionate about advancing women but is also walking the talk.--Fairygodboss is proud to partner with CDW.Find a job there today