Career Workshops for Women in and around Reading, Berks.

Who are they for:

• Women who are thinking about returning to the workplace after a gap.
• Women whose self-confidence maybe low.
• Women seeking to establish a better work-life balance.
• Women who would like to change direction.
• Women who would simply like to understand themselves better.

Their purpose:

EMPOWER AND BOOST SELF-CONFIDENCE

The purpose of the workshops is to empower women and boost their self-confidence and to help them either go back to work or find another job or career to suit their needs. (Recent research reveals that when women see a job advert, they feel they have to able to meet eight out of ten of its requirements before they apply, while with men it is only two requirements). We work on this apparent imbalance in female self-esteem.

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

The workshops are designed to help women recognise that many of the skills they have may not be conventional but are highly transferable nonetheless. For example, running the house and the children equals strong organisational and interpersonal skills. It’s about bringing out the participants’ skills and talents, passions even.

WORK/LIFE BALANCE

For women, who maybe working, it’s about finding the right work-life balance, and finding better ways to combine work and family life. We look at recognising a life that is out of kilter and discuss ways to address this.

EXPLORING THE OPTIONS

We look at what’s out there. What web sites /information is available. What am I good at, how can I do it? Retraining. Part-time versus full time work. Flexible working.

NETWORKING

An opportunity to meet others and share experiences in friendly, lively, interactive environment. To help each other and be helped.

How it is done:

BESPOKE WORKSHOPS

These highly interactive and fun workshops are tailored to suit the needs of the women present so are pitched appropriately and take into consideration where those participants find themselves at that moment in time. They can be a day long, three two hour sessions, or whatever meets the needs and time availability of the participants.

FOUR KEY AREAS WE LOOK AT

• Who am I?
• What do I want and how am I going to get it?
• What’s stopping me from getting it?
• How am I going to get it?

Here is an example of the type of work I do.

Who am I?
Lively introduction where participants can get to know each other. Pictorial work, with participants drawing their world as it is now and talking it through. Exercises to look at interests and skills, and occasions when participants have felt in “full-flow” – great confidence boosters.

Women feel invigorated and clearer about themselves after this session. It is also an opportunity to buddy up with another workshop member and work with and get to know her.

What do I want and how am I going to get it?
Participants draw a picture of the world as they would like it, investigate previously-held ambitions and talk about current ambitions. Brainstorming session to look at the job/career options. This is a fun, lively and interactive exercise where everyone has a go. It helps bring to light often unspoken and subconscious goals.

What’s stopping me from getting there? What can help me?
turning the negative into the positive, dealing with self defeating beliefs and creating a more positive outlook. Discussion on how to overcome hurdles and make fantasy reality.

How am I going to get it? My next steps.
Each participant goes away with an action plan they have created with their buddy, with the understanding they will check on each other to ensure they attempt to carry out the plan. There is also advice on where to look for jobs/ presentation and interview skills.

RESULT

Stronger, clearer and more empowered women ready to take on the world!

Visit the Mum & Working Website for part-time jobs