Last Update: 20.06.2009
In this section you'll find testimonials about how the Network works.
We know the Network is working and it is important to share our success stories with one another. If you would like to share your personal success story, please contact the WCN Newsletter Editor or the Webmaster.
Quotes from our Members
"... as time passed I got more and more involved. Since then I have been a panel speaker with three other members on the topic of entrepreneurship, I attended an excellent speech craft seminar (were you ever afraid of speaking ad hoc in public? - I was), a very helpful workshop on writing resumes, and heard a lot of interesting presentations and met some really brilliant women....The more I was involved, the more I enjoyed it and the more I got in return in terms of my own development."
-Selma Prodanovic
"The WCN was a fabulous connection when I arrived in Vienna! Even now that I am back in New York, I love keeping up with Vienna through the WCN!"
-Debra Richman
"I cannot remember when I joined the Women’s Career Network, but I can say that I am glad that I belong to the WCN. The Network helped me find friends in Vienna, and that is one of its greatest values for me"
-Nada Muster
"A great circle of women to be a part of...the WCN helped to rebroaden my world when I first moved to Austria."
-Tracey Gagan-Donat
"...One of the panelists suggested that women need an "old boy network" and the idea of the Women’s Career Network was born. Later that year, WCN began meeting on the premises of Webster University – and continued for their first year of existence."
-Lydia J. Goutas
From an internet cafe in South America, where she was traveling for a year and learning Spanish: "The main thing is that I miss you a lot! Hope you are well and happy."
-Jodi Schaettgen
"I joined the WCN in Fall 1998 after having seen the entry in the American Women’s Association Highlights publication. At first I could see that the Network offered great social opportunities through its activities but I wasn’t sure whether it was going to be the magic bullet for my employment concerns. Within approximately six months of joining, a job announcement was made in the monthly meeting for a position at the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations. I called the person who made the announcement and she gave me very helpful background information on the position which benefited me during the interview process. And by June 1999 I was happily employed at the Japanese Mission. I can vouch that the Network works!"
-Kate Pilgrim-Langer
"The WCN offers me the opportunity to meet open-minded women of various nationalities in an international setting to chat and exchange views and opinions."
-Brigitte Hilgner
Quotes about our Events
Women’s Career Network
General Meeting Feedback Summary
June 2009
...super ok
...interesting view on the educational system in Austria; best practice in open-minded approach to life-work
...continue with role models
...very good
...good speaker (could have been more dynamic on the first part of the session)
...very good speaker, motivation for us all
...excellent career path!
...good, inspiring
...topic of the school is not so fascinating, but a great woman
and a wonderful role model
...good
...very interesting
...good role model
...perfect
...very interesting and powerful
...super interesting
...motivating!
...entertaining!
Suggestions for future meetings:
...how to start/do a new business
...business establishment
...can we maybe have a networking activity every time? It doesn’t have to be
something new, we can recycle past networking events
...female leadership styles? How do they differentiate from men?
...inter-cultural
...additional presentation made by other role models
Women’s Career Network
General Meeting Feedback Summary
May 2009
...informative
...the guest speaker was excellent
...interesting – would like more ‘personal story’ element
...super
...i missed the networking activity
...interesting and inspiring speaker
…perfect
...very interesting, great speaker
...l’oreal promotion
...very good
…not as interesting as other speakers
Suggestions for future meetings:
...more facilitated networking, please!
...men speakers
...interviewing skills
...can you put on the guest speaker first? Seems fair.
...follow up actions on mentoring
Women’s Career Network
General Meeting Feedback Summary
April 2009
WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT TONIGHT’S PROGRAM?
…good, but this is similar to previous GM topics on persuasion
…good!
…I got additional tips
…super!
…very interesting
…great! Important topic and extremely well presented
…fun, high-energy, interactive
…too long sponsorship presentation; great topic, but the speaker wasn’t interesting
and not too proficient in what he was saying
WHAT NEXT?
...Negotiation Skills
…female speakers would be nice!
…German Training
…Role playing
…more positive and constructive topics like this!
Women’s Career Network
General Meeting Feedback Summary
March 2, 2009
WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT TONIGHT’S PROGRAM?
…there is a law which does not work
…Being aware of discrimination law especially for women is always rewarding
…very good
…Step Vienna presentation was boring, but understandable since they are sponsors
…I found the program very interesting
…It was very open and flexible to let everyone ask questions
…(STEP) not sure most people present have already moved and don’t really need their services do they?
…Very good. We could openly discuss topics
…Fun and diverse, very informative, loved the networking activity
…Very helpful topics, perhaps a little more time to get to know everyone?
…Good topic once in a while to raise awareness
…Very informative
…Very good
…Very interesting, good to know that the law exists but not enough people to implement the law
…The presentation of the sponsor is too long
Feedback General Meeting February 2009
Topics: launch of 10th EuropeanPWN publication “ How do women nework
–
The new Ariadne´s Thread” by Co-author Cécile Demailly
and
The inside and external views on “advancement: myths and reality
- what companies and leaders expect from their talents”
by Lydia J. Goutas, managing partner, Lehner Executive Partners
more than 70 ladies attended the General meeting !
........great presentations of both speakers
.........both very interesting but not enough time to do justice to eac
…………….great presentation ! More on Lydia´s
…………it was too long
…….good; very focused – I liked it !
……………..great two speakers, but too much in one
evening. It would have been
better to split them in two separate GMs.
……..It was fantastic !!! I hope you get Lydia to speak to us again.
Thanks !
……brilliant – for both topics !
……….good message: women are just how they are, we don´t
want to be compared
…………guest speaker very good
……..lively presentation, very professional
…………..Cécile´s talk was very interesting,
thank you for inviting her.
…………….good ideas, useful, some new concepts
……..very good, a bit long ( late beginning )
………great speaker !
………..super input
…….fabulous !
……….both speakers were very good, excellent actually
……..excellent – both presentations were great & Lydia
was super
………Ladies- You out-did yourselves last night - it was a
spectacular evening. Both
presenters were terrific and it was great that they were so complimentary
-
Lydia did a super job of cross-referencing Cécile's presentation.
I would like to re-read Lydia's presentation. Could you let me know where
to
find it online?
Feedback General meeting December 2008
with Sabine Fleischmann and „Unclouding the glass ceiling“
........great speaker !
.........good – she was very authentic !
……………excellent. The speaker, the topic, the
ladies, fantastic,
very actual, very useful !
…………interesting.
…….very interesting topic and scary figures.
……………..tonight´s speaker was very good,
her way of presenting very eloquent.
Absolutely well used evening !
…….very good / inspiring speaker – down to earth
……interesting topic – good speaker
..............helpful - interesting
......interesting topic, maybe too much talking about “motherhood”
……….interesting, dynamic speaker. Perhaps a bit too Austria
– centric for an
international group.
......interesting speech, but a bit long.
........terrific !!!
.........very good – excellent speaker – vey relevant topic
Suggestions for future meetings:
...........It´s good to have one time a serious and the next time a
little lighter topic.
................motivational speaker
.........maybe some more other experiences from other industries / women
.............how to “compete” against male colleagues
...................
Feedback General meeting November 2008
with moods & more and „IMPROVISE IT !“
........had a lot of fun and met nice and interesting women: just what I wanted
!
.........great !
…………….it would be nice to get on the tables
a list of dates with the upcoming
events – there are fortunately so many of them that a “take-away”
WCN
schedule would be great.
…………make more the connection to work / private life
situation. Then it could be
quite good.
…….it was fun – excellent as a way of uniting the members
but not sure exactly what
it´s purpose was for.
……………..great – thank you !
……..a bit strange
……great idea, good alternative compared to the usual one-way communication
..............fun factor ! laughters ! actors: learning from them; right brain
half activation !!
......????? !
……….a lot of fun, never heard about it before
......interesting topic, but link to business was a bit missing / how to use
this in
“business life” ? start strange
........very entertaining
..........films in German; did not understand; felt excluded
...................it was great !
..........introduction too long – last 30 minutes interesting
....fun and entertainment
...................excellent
........I was so looking forward to this; strange start – no introduction
to how it would
run. Lost many people this way. Would have liked to see some exercises with
actual speaking exercises
.......loved it ! Please organize a 3 hours training event with them !!!
Suggestions for future meetings:
...........sales techniques ( how to become an effective, professional and
distinctive sales woman )
Feedback General meeting October 2008
about “You don´t get a second chance – to make a good first
impression”
by Charles La Fond, Communication Skills Consultant & Coach
……..the speaker was really great ! Thank you !!
…………….great speaker !!! It was a pity that he
could not speak longer.
………great topic, interesting format
…..interesting, very helpful, attractive, funny
…………nice and well organized
……very good presentation – could you facilitate this presentation
by e-mail please ?!
……….it was useful and relevant
.........excellent speaker, good subject choice, relevant to many
………..very nice ! No new insights but very good and inspiring
presentation
…………great ! Can use it immediatelly ! Thanks.
……………..I prefer female speakers
what next ?
...........similar topics would be great in the future: negotiation skills,
negotiating salary
increase, winning self confidence,...
........something on decesion-making or emotional intelligence
........should women intuition be considered as a work tool ?
.............invite headhunters or simulate an interview
Feedback General meeting September 2008
about launch of EPWN book “Women on Board - Moving Mountains”
by Betsy Brush – Hahn
……..it would be good to have a vey good lecture on self promotion.
…………….excellent program !
………it would be great to invite 2-3 male CEOs to hear their
opinion
on women on the board !
…..as I am searching for a new job, it gave me a very good input to
find my way in self promoting !
…………thanks to our new sponsor for the welcome drink
!
……future meeting on topic LIVING TRUSTS wanted !
……….the KETTAL show was a bit too much, though it was nice
of the
sponsor to stop the show.
.........very interesting program !
………..too many agenda points, more depths in discussion next
time !
…………very good guest speaker !
…….it was fun !
……………..suggestion for future meeting: What do
women need
to believe in themselves ?
General Meeting June 2008 - Topic: "SELFBRANDING FOR WOMEN“ by Martina Gleissenebner ( HYPERLINK "http://www.branding-tc.com" www.branding-tc.com)
"Very interesting"
"Good content !"
"Excellent speaker !"
"More about this topic !"
"Good presentation !"
"Wonderful speaker !"
"Inspiring!"
"All the guest speakers in the last months were very good. That means continue the style."
"Very interesting. I´m going to brand myself soon."
General Meeting May 2008 - Topic: “Acquiring a Second Language as an Adult – Dream or Reality?” by Francis Montocchio (“Pro Active English” language school)
"Great!"
"Very interesting and educational"
"Excellent lecturer, extremely useful"
"I liked it"
"Very interesting topic, excellent presentation"
"Fascinating"
General Meeting February 2006 - Topic: Effective Communication in Professional Business Situations - Tasha Faltys-Linden
"Excellent, informative, entertaining!"
"I loved it"
"Great - very good speaker"
"Very informative, confidence inspired"
General Meeting January 2006 - Topic: Using Cultural Differences to Create Value - Elisabeth Cassels-Brown
"Very interesting topic! I liked the case study as an interactive activity"
"Very appropriate and useful"
"Very professional speaker; knows her subject well"
"Very good to be conscious that the Mapping Bridging Integrating (MBI) Model is one of the optional models to use"
"Excellent, knowledgeable speaker and good presentation skills/language"
"Very interesting and I learned a lot"
General Meeting November 2005 - Topic: Margaret Milan - A Visit from the EPWN
"I am looking forward to many evenings as inspiring as tonight - thank you!"
"Extremely interesting, very empowering, great speaker", "
"Very good speaker, interesting for entrepreneurs"
"Very good, interactive, very interesting"
General Meeting October 2005 - Topic: Laughter really is the best medicine - Speaker: Mag. Monika Mueksch / Presentation of new WCN Website, Web Developer & Designer, Susanne Soliman
"Very different, very pleasant - great fun!"
"Great. Just what I needed"
"Fantastic, interesting, super, useful"
"Great idea. What fun! And informative"
"Great!!! The best meeting I've been to - I've been registered since February"
"Very interesting topic -- would not have thought about the science of laughter!"
"Excellent website"
"the way Sue presented was very natural"
General Meeting September 2005 - Networking with Dr Ira Mollay
"Speed Networking - what a great Networking exercise"
"I liked the exercise very much and enjoyed a fun evening"
"Very good start of the new term"
General Meeting June 2005 - Wolfgang Fenkart-Fröschl on MBAs:
"Very interesting insight into the Austrian attitude to MBAs!"
"Great evening because the speaker was very objective and honest about his opinions!"
"Very good speaker, interesting subject, thought-provoking"
General Meeting May 2005 - Mohammad Alipour-Jeddi of OPEC
"Up-to-date topic, professional presentation"
"Great presentation on a very interesting topic!"
"Excellent information, in-depth, right level of detail"
General Meeting March 2005 - Linda Pichler about the Spirit of China
"Great, funny and well organized."
"Very interesting, informative and helpful."
"Good choice of subject."
"Lovely - light amusement and first hand info combined."
"Let's have a second evening about Linda's experiences in China!"
"She was great! really!"
WCN Success Stories
If you give you might get the chance to take » Read story...
Connecting via the EPWN » Read story...
Love and the Job Hunt » Read story...
