The Young Women in Leadership Breakfast took place on November 7, marking the very first event hosted by Jobpostings. Nearly 75 young women and 18 recruiters from some of the most recognized companies were in attendance at the Austin Gallery in Toronto’s One King West hotel. The companies included Target, College Pro, BDO, Xerox, TD, Bell, Insurance Institute- Career Connections, Accenture, and Scotiabank.

The breakfast was led by Darlene D’Souza, employment brand and talent acquisition leader for Target, who was the moderator for a panel discussion that included Susan J. Gordon, VP marketing for the CFL Players’ Association, and Roseanne Palumbo, director, derivatives (trading floor) for TD Bank. Some of the hot topics discussed by the panel included their definitions of success, work and personal life balance, networking, and of course, leadership.

What is success?

The definition of success was the first topic discussed by the panel. “It’s making a difference,” said Gordon, “That’s what [has] always been important to me and that’s why I took this job with the CFL Players’ Association because when doing my research on the job I said ‘wow, I can really help them.”

For Palumbo she defined success as ever-changing. “I think success at different points in your career mean different things,” she said. “I think at different points in your life, you should set mini goals and … once you’ve reached those goals, then you’ve found success.” Landing her first job is what Palumbo considered success at the time she graduated from university, but today her definition of success is happiness. “That eagerness to get out of bed and go to work because quite honestly if I wasn’t happy doing what I was doing, I’m leaving my two little babies at home and priorities change,” she said.

The evolution of leadership

Gordon and Palumbo shared career stories with the young women in the audience and discussed how they adapted to different leadership styles. “You have to utilize other people’s strengths to accomplish your goals,” said Gordon. “I’ve been very good at telling the story in a way that people can engage and it becomes relevant for them.” She added that it was important for her to engage employees so they would follow and not resist. “You have to recognize not everyone has the same strengths and just because they don’t, doesn’t mean they don’t belong on your team.”

Palumbo attributed the last 15 years of her career to her leadership style today.  “That ability to build collaboration in groups, the mentoring, [and to] motivate people to do their job,” she said. “I think all of those traits make a good leader.”

Networking is an asset

Following the discussion led by D’Souza, the panel opened up to answer questions from the room of young women. Learning how to adapt to a new country and find jobs was one question, and Gordon and Palumbo stressed the importance of networking. “Networking is so important,” said Gordon. “I got the job I have now because of networking.” 

Palumbo referred to the “hidden job market” saying 80 per cent of jobs are not necessarily posted. “Coming to events like this is a great way to meet people from different firms,” she said. “I think when you’re doing any kind of networking event, it’s important to find out who are those people who can help you find a career.”

Work and life balance

Throughout the panel discussion, both Palumbo and Gordon shared their career stories, but also made it known that they are wives and mothers too. Finding the balance between work and their personal lives meant early career sacrifices.

Earlier on, Gordon said she took “lateral moves” in her career. “I declined promotions that would take me out of the city; I took lateral moves that would keep me fresh and keep myself learning,” she said. “I changed jobs every two years and I was lucky to be able to do that in a large company, but it kept me at home, kept me on a regular work schedule when my children were young.”

The wrap-up

The young women had the opportunity to network with other company recruiters following the breakfast and used the event as a chance to learn more about being in the industry as a woman. “During the question-answer part I think it was really inspiring for the two leaders to tell us about their experience and to never give up even though they’ve been through a lot of ups and downs,” said Aletta Lin, business management student at Humber College who was seated with Bell during the breakfast. “It was good to hear how they overcame objections, kept going, and now they’re really good leaders.”

The companies present share the same values as Jobpostings, said Nathan Laurie, Jobpostings’ president, as he offered his final words following the Q and A period. “We all want to see our organizations embrace a diverse workforce and proactively ensure young women have the opportunities to go all the way to the top.”