I spent my evening in perhaps what the majority may find a rather unorthodox place to celebrate Halloween, but it was time well spent. It was an evening of sharing and learning, and taking the class out of the classroom always elicits thoughts that only a new mental environment can.

It started off with a light cocktail dinner high up above at the very swanky UBS lounge overlooking the glittering citylights.
It ended with those who stayed long enough going for a visit to the trading floor, oddly quiet because the shift had been passed on to the other side of the globe. Still, the room was flooded with multiple computer screens, and huge plasma TVs on the wall reported the news of the night silently.

What happened in the middle? …On to the main part of the night!
The talk was great. It did not focus solely on the feminist viewpoint as the title might lead one to think, but rather, on a quiet confidence of a panel of females(and male) who have grown into their own, and were willing to share their experiences openly.

Some gems from the night:

• Being True to yourself
• Happiness- with small successes as well as your big ones.
• Strength(s) of a woman

Negotiation – With a knowledge and innate sense of what both sides are thinking, a lot of women end up being very successful negotiators. I suppose integrative solutions are always out there for one to find. In addition, a “Can Do” attitude. When it’s down to the wire, a woman will do what it takes – to support her family, to support herself.

• Overcoming Your own barriers – Do the gender barriers exist only in your mind?

One of the advice for the young ladies present was to find an industry that is so fast changing, that tradition has not had the chance to take root. Interesting.

• Jobs, Priorities & Decisions – What to do?

One of the phrases uttered by the panel really resonated with me. How they talked about “stumbling into” many of the opportunities that allowed them to become the people they are today.

Perhaps this theme would have been pertinent to all who are about to graduate, and trying to figure out what to do. What to do with themselves.

As always, Ben Casnocha has a gem of a post on uncertainty in life.

“I would add that if you don’t regularly feel utterly confused, if you don’t occasionally feel like you’re treading just above water, if you don’t ever feel misunderstood, then you probably aren’t living in life — you’re just observing it.”

The question was raised during the conference – What then, is the responsible thing to do? Find your dream & follow that? Circumstantial living?

I find change invigorating. I’ve been professionally diagnosed that change has the same effect as rest on myself. But sometimes, too much change, too fast, too soon, can wear anyone (myself most certainly included) out.

We live in exciting times. As Gerald Chan, country head of UBS, mentioned, Mores are constantly shifting. Even in the new millennium (for in the grander scale of things, we have only just begun), issues of race, gender and identity are still salient. The media no doubt have already honed in on the race issue after Obama’s historic win. What’s next? A female president to lead the United States?

I don’t see why not.

p.s: In light of the subject of this post, I really have to share some related social media girl-power links!

Tags: ubs, young women’s leadership connection, life, career, female,