The first Fresno State’s Women’s Success Symposium hosted by the Women’s Resource Center took place Tuesday at the second floor of the Henry Madden Library in Room 2206.

“The purpose of the panel was to help prepare students to be successful in their career and to give students, especially women, tools to advocate for themselves when they are entering the workforce,” said Jessica Addams, coordinator at the Women’s Resource Center.

Before the panel started, attendees were encouraged to participate in a network activity for thirty minutes where the goal was to introduce themselves to at least three individuals present at the symposium.

After networking, the discussion panel started at 5 p.m. The panel consisted of five professional guest speakers: Dr. Kathryn Forbes, Dr. De Anna Reese, Sandy Cha Mumper, Nora Marmolejo and Ana de Alba.

Each speaker was assigned a different topic to discuss during the panel.

Dr. Kathryn Forbes, a Fresno State women’s studies professor, talked about the importance of women negotiating in the workforce.

She said that she was not interested in the topic of women and work until she was on maternity leave after she had her first baby.

“I realized I was doing everything wrong,” Forbes said. “So as I sat on my rocking chair, I was crying.”

She did not know how to ask for things or negotiate for wages to avoid maternal bias. ­She mentioned that it was her own experience that inspired her to be interested in the topics of gender and work.

The second panelist, history professor Dr. De Ann Reese, talked about intersections of identity and the wage gap between men and women.

“Race and gender divides people in the workforce world,” Reese said.

She also gave advice to attendees on how they can stay true to themselves when deciding to work for a certain company.

“You have to do your homework, research on the companies you want to work for and find out if they have certain policies,” Reese said. “Do they have a policy about hair styles? That’s something you need to find out.”

Sandy Cha Mumper, a Fresno State alumni who holds a MBA from the Craig School of Business, is currently the community affairs officer for the Wells Fargo Foundation in Central California. She talked about the importance of networking.

“Take advantage of LinkedIn and build relationships with people there,” Mumper said.

“You will be surprised how many professionals are willing to mentor you,” she said.

Mumper also shared tips on how to effectively network with people.

Nora Marmolejo’s topic, a Career Counselor Specialist at Fresno State, was about setting yourself up for success as a student. She talked about the steps students can take in order to become marketable.

“Develop your personal brand, network on campus, do internships, build a professional portfolio and take advantage of all resources, programs and opportunities available for students,” Marmolejo said.

“Most importantly, don’t be afraid to apply for jobs even if you do not meet all the requirements,” Marmolejo said. “Surround yourself with people that believe in you and go for it.”

Ana de Alba, the final panelist, was a law attorney who graduated from UC Berkley. She talked about sexism in the workplace.

“Sexism in workplace still exists,” Alba said.

She shared multiple personal experiences and some of her clients’ experiences as examples to show how women still face this issue.

When asked what advice she would give to women interested in getting involved in a male-dominated job, she said that women should not feel intimidated by men.

“Don’t hold back, even if you do not know everything you need to know,” Alba said. “Once you get the job, work hard for it.”

She also encouraged students to be aware of what they post online, especially in Facebook, since that is the first place where employers get to know their employees.

“Be aware of what you post and who tags you,” Alba said.

Senior recreation administration major Danielle Oglesby said that her favorite part of the event was that each panelist shared their personal experiences along with real life facts about women in the workforce.

“I felt they cared about where my future was going,” Oglesby said.