Climbing the business ladder

A profession in business used to primarily be a career for men, but with the economy constantly changing, more women are beginning business-related careers. Though women are still a minority in the field, IU’s Women in Business club is working to change that.\nWomen in Business is a strong asset to female students, but also companies looking to increase diversity in their workplaces, said Angie Smith, president of the organization.\nSmith said that the objective of the club is to uplift the experiences of women who are already seeking business-oriented careers. The group was founded in 1981 as an effort by women in business who felt they were a minority, said Joyce Byrer, the group’s faculty adviser.\n“The group originally started as a way to increase (women’s) skills in business by bringing in guest speakers,” Byrer said. “Now the group focuses on developing social skills; they also volunteer their time with organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Hoosiers Outrun Cancer.”\nThe club creates many of its own events, such as holding a networking event with a number of companies such as accounting firms, along with membership development events such as how to handle your personal finance, Smith said. \n“One of our bigger community service initiatives for this semester was to sponsor the Turkey Trot, which helps fight hunger,” Smith said, adding that the event will take place Nov. 17.\nOne of the group’s largest events is the annual intercollegiate conference, which Smith said will take place on March 1, 2008. The goals for the upcoming year are to hold more events that cater to men and women in the business school, she said. \n“We want to set up a framework of unity, and not one of hostility towards men in the workplace,” Smith said.\nThe purpose of Women in Business is to provide an outlet for companies to talk to some of the strongest female students in the business school, Byrer said. She added that nobody in the organization is a member, but each student holds a role in the club to either create events, manage club logistics or oversee the club’s finances. \n“Everyone has a role that she can be proud of and speak about in an interview,” Smith said. \nThe Kelley school has low female enrollment, with numbers in the low 30th percentile range, Byrer said. Smith said that enrollment of women is low at nearly every great business school across the country, since many women are taught to be teachers or nurses while growing up. These are respectable careers, but women are not taught to be investment bankers, brand managers or to seek other great careers that a business degree can provide, she said. \n“Women in Business occasionally participate in brainstorming sessions on how to increase female enrollment,” Smith said.\nSmith said that membership is selected each year by an application and interview process. Any IU student can apply, regardless of major. Byrer added that the club has women whose majors range from those in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation and the School of Public Affairs and Environmental Affairs to ones in the liberal arts.\n“We feel that almost any major at IU touches aspects of business in one way or another,” Smith said. “It’s important for a multitude of students to be involved.”\nFor more information, visit www.iub.edu/~wib.