Workfest - chatter thread - are you coming - Check in here.... If not, do...! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

Ahead of our amazing one day event: Workfest on Saturday May 14th in London, we wanted to start a thread for our lovely attendees to have a chat and find out more about the day and what to look out for. Workfest is aimed at those looking for a return to work or who want to start their own business.

If you're going, do check in here and say hello! If you have been before please share your top tips on getting most out of the day and if you're thinking about going, book your ticket now!

Here's some blurb about Workfest: We're thrilled that partner sponsors Barclays are returning to Workfest for the fourth year running. They'll be giving tips on how to build your business from scratch in their breakout session, and answering your digital questions at their seaside stand - manned by their dedicated team of Digital Eagles. Stop by the "beach" for a chat throughout the day and get help with creating your LinkedIn profile – including having your profile picture taken by a professional photographer - as well as taking time to relax on a sun lounger with a cool drink or traditional British ice cream!

Also joining us at this year's event are Nice 'n Easy, who'll be sponsoring our brilliant Self-esteem workshop, lead by career coach Kim Morgan, running the Nice 'n Easy salon as well as having their Colour Ambassador Jonathan Long, (there giving one-one one consultations throughout the day), and their style expert Sinead McKeefry, (giving consultations on how to put together a professional look). Book your session here.

We're proud to welcome O2 as a new Workfest sponsor this year. They've recently launched their first returners programme and job share roles, to enable all employees to be innovative, adaptable and productive no matter when or where they work. So if you are looking to return to work or change your role, make sure you pop along for a chat to learn more about O2 and discover how they could help you in your career.

Also new this year: the team at the Mumsnet Jobs stand will be on hand to chat about current vacancies with companies who offer family-friendly jobs.

For all this and so much more, book your ticket for Workfest now and join us for what's sure to be an empowering day.

Find out more

Above all, enjoy the day!

Love
MNHQ

[WorraLiberty]

Your self esteem workshop is sponsored by a company flogging hair colour?

Blimey.

[LookNiceYah]

Yeah, "self-esteem". How to sell shit to women 101.

Step 1.
Create a business event for women.
Step 2.
Make women question their self esteem. Is their business failing because of grey roots?
Step 3.
Get a sponsor.
Step 4.
Profit.

[MrsJamin]

Want to go back to work? Don't forget to cover your grey hair first, girls! FFS.

[Mellowautumn]

I understand you need sponsors but ffs get some that advance women in the work place. This is lazy and thoughtless organisation. No real depth or thought put in :(

[KateMumsnet]

Hi all

Thanks for your thoughts on this. We absolutely didn't intend to imply that women need to look a certain way in order to succeed in their careers - and we're sorry if that's how it comes across. All the core Workfest sessions are focused on work-related issues and challenges, and it seemed reasonable, therefore, to think that some women who are returning to work after a career break will be considering how to present themselves in the workplace, after a chunk of time away from it. In that context, these consultations seem to us to be a pretty good fit for the event - hope you can see where we're coming from.

[DerelictDaughter]

Not really tbh. People do something to their hair on a daily basis, one way or another (most people), it's got nothing to do with male/female/getting back into the workplace.

(But then this is why I don't do women-in-business stuff at all: it's full of crap like this.)

[WorraLiberty]

All the core Workfest sessions are focused on work-related issues and challenges, and it seemed reasonable, therefore, to think that some women who are returning to work after a career break will be considering how to present themselves in the workplace, after a chunk of time away from it.

I'm sure women know how to put some clean clothes on and run a comb through their hair though.

If they're interested in hair/fashion/make-up etc, then that's fair enough but I don't see how you think it's a good idea to link that sort of thing to self esteem in the workplace.

Surely it just reinforces the message that women's looks are more important than their brains and work ethic.

[Tinklebinkle]

Well, after that storm of negativity, I would like to add an opposing view. I've recently taken voluntary exit redundancy from the police service. I have worked there for 20 years but I want to do something different and to be honest I'm struggling. I have booked to attend the workfest because I need some guidance. I don't care who is sponsoring it. My hair looked shit, I grew out the nasty dye and now sport a short choppy hair do. It makes me feel good. But my c.v. is still rubbish, I'm crap at interviews and my once glittering career is behind me. It's really depressing, so I will try anything to get back into the workplace and its only been 4 weeks, but it feels like a lifetime! I'm well aware that a job offer won't miraculously appear because I've had my hair done but it goes a long way to giving me a confidence boost. Frankly, I'm looking forward to it so yah boo sucks to the lot of you.

[EmpressOfTheSevenOceans]

So is the self-esteem workshop going to include the point that hair colour is utterly irrelevant to whether a woman can do a job? Because that annoying "first impressions count" advert up top is implying otherwise.

I changed career at 40, silver streaks and all, and any company that would have been more inclined to employ me without them probably isn't a company I'd want to work for.

[EndlessEgo]

Evening ladies

I hope that you all enjoyed the day yesterday.

Unfortunately, I was unable to make it as my daughter broke her leg on Friday afternoon. Therefore I was wondering if any body would be willing to share any information they obtained from the day, as I had been really looking forward to the day.

The breakout sessions which I was due to attend were:

Building your business from scratch
How to network when you hate small talk
Working flexibly
How to make your career click in to place

Any information/summarys that anybody would be able to provide would be gratefully appreciated, please PM me.

Many thanks in advance

[MsDeerheart]

Hi - was just coming to post - Nicola you might want report your post as having your email on not a good idea - you also might be get a feel for things on Twitter. If you email mumsnet they might be able to send you some of the slides. Anyway i was going to say I really enjoyed my first Workfest - highlights were the first panel - especially Jess Philips and Jo Whiley - I think it would have been good to have someone who had had a career break though. I did the LinkedIn and CV ones which were great - especially the LinkedIn one - my coaching session was really useful, and the keynote Mattew Syed - I have thought about a lot since then - Also the nice and easy consultation was really good - the whole event was extremely well put together and the cost was very good value for what you got - which is why they need the sponsers!