As O-Week draws closer …
I think back to myself as a naive first year who signed up to literally any club that offered freebies, ultimately ending up as a member in an inordinate amount of societies. But none have shaped my university experience quite like QUT Women in Business (WIB).
I joined WIB in 2016, shortly after its inception. Inspired by her experience overseas, the club’s founder envisioned a space where students – both male and female – could develop personally and professionally, and be empowered to succeed. Three years and many collaborations later, the club has reached over 500 members. Inclusivity is in our nature, with members across many faculties, and our own executive hailing from the law, engineering, and creative industries faculties.
Many things – including an enthusiastic executive – have led to the club’s success, but its four pillar approach especially.
Under the Workshop pillar, WIB created its sellout, flagship event, “Suited for Success.” Having won the 2018 Networking Event of the year, to say we’re proud is an understatement. Envision pop-up stores with exclusive discounts, official headshots, a cheese platter worthy of Instagram, and sunset views of Eagle Street. Last year’s speakers included a finalist for Queenslander of the year, and topics included how to nail networking, build meaningful relationships, conquer your work-life balance, and shape your personal brand.
Our other events under this pillar include resume workshops, where students gained tailored feedback to earn those internships desired. Look out for our 2019 workshops where we’re bringing in recruiters from leading companies to host training to nail interviews and assessment centres.
Although, to succeed relies on more than purely skills. The saying that “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” is a real one. Through its Industry pillar, WIB aims to connect students with seasoned professionals and foster real connections. By doing so, students can explore new and exciting career pathways, for example, our previous panels showcasing exciting careers in entrepreneurship and parliament.
In 2018, our industry mentoring breakfast featured 30+ students and corporates in a 1-1 ratio, giving students the chance to gain real insight into diverse industries, while corporate attendees found potential mentees, and scouted out those applying for internships.
But we’ll that acknowledge it’s not all work and no play, and that’s where the Social and Community pillar comes in. If you’re looking to make some new friends, our welcome back and end of semester parties are just the place. We also tackle fitness while raising funds/awareness for vulnerable communities, as every year we #sweatit for a cause (Ovarian Cancer research).
Lastly – we have our Competitions pillar, aiming to equip members with the skills they need to thrive in their careers. Although it’s fairly new, we’ve already held essay competitions with some amazing prize pack, and paired up with corporations including Microsoft and other leading student societies (including QUTEFS & Griffith University societies).
So, what does 2019 have in store?
Our executive is super keen to grow WIB, actively put our members and their development first, and contribute to an amazing campus culture! Keep an eye out for our case competition series, collabs with other societies (and universities!), exclusive online content, and our flagship events.
WIB will be around QUT at O-Week (18th and 19th of February) and Market Week, where you can come chat with our friendly executive team. In the meantime, check out our socials including Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn or visit our website. Just remember, that although university can be an overwhelming time, being part of a network of like-minded students can help, whether that’s WIB or otherwise.
