On January 26th, SALINE’s Ryan Wilson attended the launch of the Dorset Chambers Future Young Leaders Forum at Mazars in Poole.
The Future Young Leaders Forum is a new Dorset Chamber initiative for young professionals, aged up to 30. It aims to provide a place for peers to meet and discuss current issues that face them in the workplace. With a quarterly-event programme planned, the Forum has been developed to facilitate great networking, to provide peer support, and promote personal development.
We caught up with Ryan to find out how he got on.
“I really enjoyed the launch event for the Forum. It was great to get to know and talk to other young professionals around my age, and it was really refreshing to be part of a group where everyone was under 30 and in a similar place in their career, where we’re all starting to move into more management type roles, or stepping up in some way.
we’re all in the same boat, and so we’re more able to support and draw confidence from each other.
Many of the people I spoke to at the event were facing similar experiences and challenges. For example, sometimes, if you’re the youngest person in a room at a work meeting or event, you can feel that your youth is a disadvantage. Even if you know a fair amount, you may not feel confident or qualified enough to speak up or take the lead on things, so it’s easier to stay in the background and let more experienced colleagues do the talking.
At the Forum, although we all came from different places and have had different experiences, we’re all in the same boat, and so we’re more able to support and draw confidence from each other.
It felt like a good place to listen and learn.
It was a really good turnout for the launch event, busier than I expected with around 50 or so people in the room, and the atmosphere was very warm and supportive. It also felt like a good place to listen and learn, especially from people who are just a few steps ahead of me on their career path.
I’m looking forward to getting involved in Forum events and activities, and I’m hoping to be a member of the Forum committee and help shape the programme as it develops.”
Find out more about the Future Young Leaders Forum at https://dorsetchamber.co.uk/event/future-leaders-forum-launch-event/
