No One Builds a Career Alone

Are women’s networks and events that strengthen women’s position still needed in today’s working life? I believe the answer is yes.

We have made significant progress in many areas, but women and men still do not always have the same circumstances and opportunities in working life. The differences often relate to everyday responsibilities and expectations that affect career opportunities without necessarily being visible to others.

Since 2011, I have been a single mother of three children, and in my own life, I have experienced these differences very concretely. When a male colleague had to travel for work, preparing for the trip could sometimes simply mean packing his own things shortly before leaving. For me, a business trip often meant first packing for four people and planning meals, childcare, daycare, school, and all the practical arrangements of everyday life before I could leave myself.

A great deal has changed, and today the responsibilities of parenthood are often shared differently than they were in the past. Nevertheless, differences in experiences and circumstances still remain. That is why we continue to need conversations, networks, and communities that support women and bring visibility to issues that might otherwise easily remain unspoken. This is one of the reasons why Beamex wants to be part of the VoimaNaiset event.

Networks Are Needed Throughout Your Career

For me, the relationships I have built over the years have played an important role throughout my career. The connections from my early years at Nokia are still part of my network today, even though people have since moved on to other companies and different parts of the world.

We are whole human beings. Many women balance work and careers with responsibilities for children or teenagers and caring for ageing parents. In the midst of all this, it is easy to feel inadequate and wonder whether you are doing enough in any of your roles.

It is in moments like these that networks matter the most. They remind us that we are not alone in our experiences and that we are enough, even when we do not manage to be perfect.

For me, networks are about having people around you whom you can trust, ask for advice, and exchange ideas with. Even in my current role as Director, People & Culture, I need people outside my own organisation who can offer perspective, challenge my thinking, and act as sounding boards.

Networks are not only important at the beginning of a career. I would actually say that their importance often grows over time.

Different People, a Shared Direction

At Beamex, we operate in a technology industry that is still relatively male-dominated. At the same time, we are an increasingly international workplace where people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and life situations come together every day.

At the heart of our bYou philosophy is the belief that everyone should be able to be themselves and have equal opportunities to contribute and develop, regardless of gender, age, nationality, beliefs, or other aspects of their background. That is why we want to build a culture where everyone feels welcome, has the confidence to share their thoughts, and receives the support and networks they need to grow. We are different in many ways, but we share a common direction: creating a workplace where differences become a strength and where everyone can contribute in their own way.

That is also my hope for the VoimaNaiset event: that it will create new connections, meaningful conversations, and valuable networks that remind us that we do not have to manage everything alone.

When work, family, and all of life’s other responsibilities have to fit together, it is easy to get caught up in everything we think we should be doing better. That is why we need people who help us recognise what we already know and what we are actually capable of. Networks, peer support, and encouraging encounters can provide both perspective and self-confidence – and with them, the courage needed to take the next step.

When I look back on my own career, I realise that support and perspectives from others have often helped me find the courage to say yes to opportunities that felt a little too big, uncertain, or challenging. That is why I want to encourage women at every stage of their careers to believe in their abilities and dare to say yes, even when they do not yet have all the answers.

You never know where one courageous yes might lead.

Tina Ademola
Director, People & Culture
Beamex