There was a good energy in the room, but this really increased when the ‘leading career ladies’ began their speeches. There was quite a mix of speakers, ranging from those with careers in law; Michelle Bonn from New Media Law Ltd, Catherine Piskolti, a barrister for 3 Dr Johnson’s Buldings and Melissa Papadakis, Head of Tax at Sotheby’s, to Public Relations; Claudine de Groot, Director of Plum PR and Miki Watson of Golden Goose PR, to accountancy; Mame Apenteng, Treasury Accountant for De Beers, to journalism; Jordan Paramour from Heat Magazine.

This was fantastic for me personally, as PR and the media are my real interest, however even if the specific career you wanted was not discussed, there were a lot of general messages and helpful tips to take from the speakers to apply to any profession. It was also just inspiring to listen to these ladies, in their late twenties and early thirties who had really enjoyed success for such companies as Rolls Royce, DeBeers, and Heat magazine, to name but a few.

Each lady gave a real insight into the hard work and occasional sacrifices (particularly in careers in law) needed to succeed, but balanced this perfectly with the amazing rewards to be gained. After the speeches were finished, there was a great opportunity to chat to the speakers one-on-one, and some real rapport was generated throughout the room, it was a brilliant networking experience, and I am pleased to say some numbers were swapped, and some very helpful contacts made.

Overall, I found the evening a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and as well as just having fun, I left feeling incredibly enthused and motivated. For perhaps the first time, I really believed that anything you put your mind too is achievable, and this alone was a fantastic result from the evening.  Although this was my first Minerva event, it will certainly not be my last, and I encourage anyone who gets this opportunity again to take it up.