A big welcome back to all of you who spent your summer holidays elsewhere, as well as those who, like me, enjoyed the gloriously empty Milan of August.

As the new PWA board is officially in place and working toward organizing events for the term, I'd like to point out a couple of changes - compared with the last PWA year - that are based on feedback received from members throughout the year as well at the General Assembly held in May. Looking at our calendar, you will see that we've returned to the practice of scheduling events on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, except where bank holidays interfere and in the month of September, when we have traditionally delayed the first meeting after August so that as many members as possible are back from wherever summer took them.

The speaker meetings held at the Starhotel Rosa will be held on the third Wednesday of each month, while the networking aperitivi will be held on the first Wednesday. This year, the aperitivi will be held at one central location every month at Centro Svizzera, Via Palestro 2, off of Piazza Cavour in the bar on the fourth floor, La Terrazza.

Soon we will be sending out a survey asking you for your opinions on PWA events. Please take the time to answer, as we will be taking into account your opinions as we continue to tailor our program.

One objective we as the board agree upon unanimously - we'd like to motivate our members to personally participate in helping PWA deliver what matters most to all of us. What part will you play?

Maria Lassila
President, PWA

NETWORKING EVENT

SUCCESS STORY

How PWA Changed My Life
I bumped into PWA by chance. I was surfing the web looking for information on networking, which I believe to be a useful resource for job searching.

I consciously chose to work in consulting more than 6 years ago: I wanted to learn as much as possible and as quickly as possible, I wanted to change frequently, I wanted to travel, I wanted to stimulate my brain. About a year ago, I realized that I was ready for a change: to make the move from consulting to a company position. I wanted to be in charge and to make decisions. I was tired of simply suggesting and then waiting, and hoping that someone would follow my recommendations!

I was struggling to find a new job and nothing seemed to work. I was aware of the importance of relationships and I felt like I was missing a piece of the puzzle: an international environment in which to compare myself and find inspiration from different attitudes towards life, relationships, work, and open-minded people that were accustomed to dealing with change.

When I came across the PWA website, I read the contents quickly. It sounded interesting, so I decided to attend an event as a guest. It turned to be Margaret Heffernan's speech which really electrified me. "This is great! Inspiring, ironic, dramatically real, this is exactly what I am looking for", I thought. In front of me there was this great woman who had built up a great career while successfully overcoming challenges that all of us may encounter sooner or later. And she was still human and even making mistakes! Her message to me was: it's tough, you'll make the wrong choices sometimes, you'll act badly sometimes, but if you are true to yourself and to your values you can reach your goals and change things for the better.

I joined PWA in February and now, 7 months later, I can attest to what PWA means to me and how it has influenced my professional and personal life.

My primary driver to PWA was looking for a new job. I was interested in others' suggestions and experiences on professional improvement and career growth. I knew that in my search something wasn't working, but I couldn't pinpoint what - CV, past experiences, positions I was applying for? Through PWA I had the chance to meet many people - face to face as well as online - willing to help me improve my search and pushing me to think and act positively.

Once my objectives were clarified, I became very proactive and started making full use of all network resources. I visited the EuropeanPWN <www.europeanpwn.net> website a lot: I looked at the forum almost every day in particular for job postings and applied for a couple of them. It didn't immediately lead to interviews, but I received some very good suggestions on my CV format and content. I found an advert on Monster and since a PWA member was working for them, I wrote her an e-mail asking about the position and the company itself.

Valerie Ryder suggested that I look for headhunters in the members' directory on our website to ask for advice. I did, and my e-mails led to a chat with a headhunter that quickly turned into an interview and now might even turn into an offer. But that's not all. As I wanted to personally contribute to the association, I recently started collaborating as a volunteer with the PWA board and met a member working in a complementary industry, which quickly turned into various concrete business opportunities.

What I really want to stress about my experience is the unqualified support I received from all the people I contacted within the PWA and EuropeanPWN. They actually helped me focus on the "what" and "where" of my search. I am looking for a BIG change and it definitely requires some serious thinking: most of the time, smart questions coming from smart people help you to define and clarify your own ideas.

My secondary - but no less important - driver to join PWA was the opportunity to meet people, women willing to grow professionally and in most cases with international backgrounds. And I did have the chance to meet a lot of interesting people: every time I attend a PWA event, I meet someone new or get to know better somebody that I've met previously. What I find really great is that you feel people are willing to tell their stories and experiences and listen to yours; they are willing to help and are enthusiastic about participating and making this association grow.

In the end I would say that PWA has positively influenced the way I perceive myself as a professional and as a human being, bringing new challenges and interests as well as new friends. After searching without results for some time, I was quite frankly a bit depressed. Things changed when I had the opportunity to meet people who have their own success stories to tell, a lot of good hints and lists of "dos and don'ts" to share and who are truly available and willing to help.

Even if PWA is not where I find my new job, it has certainly helped me to regain my enthusiasm and my belief that I will achieve my objectives. It's only a matter of time and commitment.

Monica Pesce
PWA Member

Speaker Meeting

All professional women welcome whether members or guests

Why do women find it so difficult to negotiate? Numerous studies have demonstrated that women do not know how to ask, and this means that they are less likely to receive. First and foremost, as women, we need to ask ourselves: what stops us from expressing what we need, clearly and assertively?

Cristina's presentation will explore not only this predominantly female trait but also why women do not "defend" their territory and follow up their demands. Ironically, while women are often skilled in negotiating on others' behalf, they are much less effective when they doing so for themselves.

During the presentation, Cristina will focus on how we can improve our approach to negotiations. She will help us plan negotiations better, including how to develop content and strategies, while also managing relationships. While change will not be immediate, the objective of the meeting is to provide tips and pointers for self-reflection and improvement. Being able to identify where you are going wrong is the first step towards changing your negotiation pattern.

Cristina is a professor at SDA Bocconi and Bicocca University in the field of human resource management. She founded and continues to coordinate the work of Laboratorio Armonia, a research center on diversity management issues. Recent projects directed include: "The Italian glass ceiling", "The pay gap between women and men", "Over 45 and Italian ageism", and "Cross cultural HRM between China and Italy". She is also a consultant in diversity management and an executive coach. The author of numerous articles and books, Cristina's most recent publication, La passione e la fatica, focuses on the obstacles facing career women in Italy.

Join us for an informal dinner at a nearby pizzeria for further conversation after the meeting. No reservations are necessary for this portion of the evening.

Cocktails 7-8 p.m. / Presentation 8-9.30 p.m.
StarHotel Rosa, via Pattari 5 (MM Duomo)
Free for members; €20 for guests, payable by cash or cheque at the event

Members: please register your attendance in the calendar section of EuropeanPWN <www.europeanpwn.net>

For guest reservations, and for more information in general, please contact speakers@pwa-milan.org

How to Join

Individual membership
The best way to find out if PWA Milan is for you is to experience the association by coming to one of our events as a guest. Meet members, ask questions, speak to the members of the board and see whether joining would be beneficial for you.

To join, simply fill in completely and submit the online application form at www.pwa-milan.org and pay the dues.

Membership fees
September 2006-December 2006    €50
September 2006-December 2007    €135

Corporate membership
Companies may join PWA Milan, enabling designated women employees to benefit from all that PWA has to offer. For further information, please refer to the website www.pwa-milan.org or email pwa@pwa-milan.org.