By Maria Busz, MAM Recruitment Associate
LBS offers many ways in which women can feel supported and encouraged to step into the still male-dominated world of business. The Women in Business Club offers support for aspiring female leaders. We teamed up with Isabel Moreno Sanchez, MAM2020 graduate, to discuss her experience with Women in Business club as well as her experience as a woman at LBS in general.
When did you join Women in Business club? What was your motivation for it?
“I joined the Women in Business (WIB) club as soon as I started LBS. I knew from before my programme that I wanted to form part of a women’s professional network as a source of both professional and academic support. I had connected with a couple of women that had been part of the Executive Committee at the club the previous academic year and decided that I wanted to be involved as a Consulting Lead. In this role, I co-planned external events with consulting firms, organised in-house consulting coaching sessions, and pushed formal and informal mentoring opportunities between first year and second year students.”
What was something that surprised you about the club?
“I was surprised by the level of camaraderie among club members. While many of us were applying to the same jobs, I never felt a sense of competition. Rather, I was overwhelmed by support and encouragement from my peers. For example, I met second year WIB members for coffee to hear about their previous work experience and received case coaching from my VP.”
What have you learned since joining the club?
“I’ve learned that while women tend to lack confidence when applying to jobs, this trait is coachable. Small changes in presence and communication go a long way.”
What was your experience at LBS as a female student?
“Entering the male-dominated Masters in Analytics and Management programme, which is only 39% female, I felt both nervous and excited. I saw my time at LBS as an opportunity to learn how to differentiate myself in a male-dominated field like data science. Simultaneously, I’ve learned about the power of surrounding myself with female support and leveraging my own standing to prop up my fellow female peers. Women are in the best position to pull other women up because they understand the gender challenges present in the workplace.”
Are there any other ways in which LBS supports female students?
“First and foremost, LBS makes a concerted effort to encourage women to apply to their programme, to increase the diversity of the student body. Second, there are specific scholarships available to female students to ease the financial burden of the programme. Finally, there are both formal and informal career coaching sessions from the career centre and peers to support female students.”
What would be a piece of advice that you’d like to share with female candidates applying for one of our programmes?
“Don’t ignore sex; treat it as an empowering difference or similarity.”
What are your plans for the future, short-term and long-term?
“My short-term goal is to hone my business and analytics acumen in my current consulting role. I hope to leverage my past analytics education to drive strategic decision-making. My long-term goal is to make a significant contribution to the sustainability field through climate analytics.”
If you are interested in learning more about the Women in Business Club, you can visit their website here.
To learn more about the MAM, please visit our website.