Queen of Anything — Teen Career Talk

By JENNIFER SHRYOCK

What do you get when you mix 200 high school young ladies, 30 area business women, and magic wands galore in the UC ballroom for a day? The answer is: Queen of Anything!

Hmm, magic wands and a ballroom­—sounds like fairy godmothers were involved, right? In a way, they were, but this tale isn’t about a prince or an evil step-mother.

It is about the inaugural Missoula Businesswomen’s Network Queen of Anything event. Junior and senior young ladies from Big Sky and Willard High Schools spent the day networking and connecting with businesswomen from the area.

Mission: Raise ­­­­College and Career Awareness

The event was dreamed up by MBN President, Christine Tutty Johnson with Kaylene Nelson to “empower young women and to reinforce that these ladies can do anything and everything they want to do when they become adults.”

MBN invited women from various careers, industries, and opportunities to volunteer for the day. In my mind I was volunteering for the position of…you guessed it! Fairy Godmother! We were asked to propose a Table Talk, a topic we could discuss with the young ladies at our table.

You Can Be A Rainmaker Too!

Of course I was excited to spend the day getting to know some of our future professionals, parents, and politicians. I proposed to talk about my favorite subject: how to realize your professional dreams by becoming a Rainmaker.

I defined a Rainmaker as somebody who makes things happen, a very empowering identity. We talked about how they could choose to become the “go-to” person in their endeavors. When you choose to become the expert, the world opens up!

Where the Wands Came In

After lunch, our keynote speakers took the stage. Lois McElravy, of Lessons from Lois, was inspirational talking about life after her brain injury. Lois is magical, which may be why she often speaks with a magic wand. She brought enough wands for everyone, so we could make our own magic when we need to. She knows how to make it rain!

Kelley Durbin of Mismo Gymnastics spoke next. You remember Kelley from the Employer of Choice Awards, right? She is well-known for her dynamic energy and she didn’t disappoint. The students were riveted as Kelley took them on the roller-coaster story of her gymnastic dreams, injuries, and recoveries which led to founding her award-winning gym.

When it was time to load up the pumpkins-turned-school-buses, the girls discussed what they’d take away. Some of the students had a good idea of what direction they planned to go while others wanted to sample their options through work, travels, or a variety of college or technical courses. But most, it seemed, felt empowered to employ their magic (wands) and work hard to excel at whatever they eventually choose. They seemed to agree they could be Queens of Anything.

Got questions about how to approach a teen/entry level job search? Let’s hear ‘em! I’ll provide answers in upcoming posts.

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Jennifer Shryock is a resume writer and interview coach with Rainmaker Resumes. Her blog features Missoula job hunting tips, covering everything from the employer perspective to networking ideas to interview-winning resumes to keeping your sense of humor, whether you’re working or working to find work. For answers, send your work related questions to Jennifer@rainmakerresume.com. Make her blog a regular part of your job search.