Session: Advancing in your career during and after a professional break
In my speech, I will discuss career breaks, including their causes, consequences, and possible solutions for career advancement after long professional breaks. Women are more susceptible than men to taking long career breaks for childcare, eldercare, relocation, and other reasons. I will mention the issue that over a hundred thousand of female foreigners living in the USA are facing each year: due to their visa dependency on their spouses and the lack of a work permit, they cannot get remunerated jobs in the USA despite having advanced degrees in many cases. I will provide examples and ideas of how to utilize your time off from work to develop your skills and follow your passions. I will also provide tips on how to stay mentally healthy and make the most out of your career break. And last but not least, I will guide you through the hurdles on your path to return back to work.
Bio
As a Czech and Vietnamese national based in Los Angeles, CA, Nadia is a global citizen who has had opportunities to live, study, and work in 7 countries on 4 continents. She has undertaken her studies in international business, marketing, and education in Sweden, Argentina, the USA, the Czech Republic, and France. Her wide professional scope ranges from international business, academic research, consulting, to marketing, event management, and cross-cultural communication. She has gained professional experience working at non-profit organizations, multinational corporations, universities, and social action projects around the globe. Nadia is an award-winning author of 9 books, and the founder and CEO of the edtech startup DaMon Education, which aims to bring personalized learning to Vietnam. She is also a co-founder of the global citizenship community Hộ chiếu xanh đi quanh thế giới and Link Online Learners. She has mentored and changed lives of countless young people through various global initiatives, including Femme Palette, WomenTech Network, and Hult Prize.