Styles4Work at the 7th conference of the Cologne IHK: Frauen.Macht.Karriere.
The Vice President of the IHK, Dr. Ing. Sandra von Möller, had the pleasure to invite to the 7th Business Day of the IHK. This afternoon was dedicated to women and their careers. The focus was set on women’s opportunity to take advantage of digital transformation.
Our society is constantly changing, conventions are breaking up. Women show increasingly excellent results in school and university graduations and are becoming more and more successful.
Yet, still only few women manage to build a career. Family planning and hence often a lack of reliable child care, interfere with career plans. The reconciliation of family and career continues to be a challenge. But the fast-moving digitization of the working world offers opportunities which should be used. Dr. Sandra von Möller emphasis in her welcome speech to about 400 women, all mainly in leading positions and entrepreneurs: “See the signs of the times and use it for you!” The world of business is becoming more compliant through digitization: flexible working hours, home office and job sharing are exciting working models, which will be increasingly feasible because of the digital change. This allows a more flexible career planning and thus also family planning! The vice president’s message of the day to the women is clear: “Women, dare to make a career!”
The exciting speakers of the day
Cologne’s mayor Mrs. Elfi Scho-Antwerpes inaugurates the afternoon by saying that Cologne is well prepared for digitization and calls out: “Women, take your chance! Now is the time to profit from social changes.”
The author Marion Knaths had many hearty laughters in her speech and provided amazing insights for your next meeting: Always keep your own good idea to yourself, until men stop their power games, which often happens at the beginning of a meeting. Only draw out your input at the end, this is when content will be clarified. Further, she gives advice on communication form: Always address the head of the meeting directly, don’t talk in the round. Hierarchical communication provides career advantages, especially when you are working in professions with many male colleagues!
Dr. Kerstin Hoffmann (“PR Doctor”) proclaims in her speech: We are in the middle of digital transformation and if there is one thing to be sure about in this change, it is, that this change won’t stop to shake up existing social and commercial structures!
Prof. Anja Karlshaus, dean of the Cologne Business School, notes: Female founders are still more likely to be seen in classical aesthetic subjects, e.g. food and fashion. Her request is to go for the rising stars like coding or the MINT topics. Sunset jobs like office management and filing organization are unfortunately often filled in by women. But these jobs are hardly promising. Germany needs innovative founders!
After the lectures, the networking started in a very enthusiastic atmosphere and there were lots of deep discussions and exchange of experiences going on!
Thank you, Dr. Sandra von Möller and the IHK-team for the initiative and implementation! We as founders of Styles4Work say: Women, go for your career! Just like our start-up Styles4Work is doing right now :-)!