Female-Focused

By Laura Ilioaei ’23, March 30, 2022

Workshop by Barbara Palmer ’88 elevates women professionally.

Barbara Palmer's Top Broad Consulting focuses on elevating women professionally.

(Photo from LinkedIn)

Young alumnae and current female students had the opportunity to hear from a successful alumna who has made it her goal to elevate women professionally. At the recent online workshop titled “The Future is Female,” Barbara Palmer ’88 shared her insights from her professional career.

A former Ithaca College Alumni Association Board of Directors member and vice chairman of the association’s Professional Development Committee, Palmer founded Top Broad consulting in 2016. There, her focus is on elevating women professionally, especially through transitional periods such as graduation and returning to the workforce after parental leave

“My goal for the next hour is for me to provide a toolbox for you to rely on whenever you go into a situation,” she said. “It could be for a club, it could be a paid internship, it could be an apprenticeship. Whatever it is, these tools will serve you throughout your career.”

As an example, recent graduates may lack confidence in their abilities because inexperience makes them feel unsure about what they’re capable of. Palmer, on the other hand, believes that companies would benefit from their insight.

“Often we’re so afraid to take that power and run. Just think about everything you’ve done in school or in sports. You didn’t know how to do things until you learn, it’s the same thing at the office,”

Barbara Palmer '88

“Companies want to hear a young perspective, someone who’s fresh out of school,” she said. “Every time you hesitate and not share, you’re depriving your point of view. And we make better decisions when we hear diverse points of view,” Palmer said.

One way for recent graduates to get over that apprehension is to reflect on their accomplishments while they were students.

“Take the power and run with it,” she said. “Often we’re so afraid to take that power and run. Just think about everything you’ve done in school or in sports. You didn’t know how to do things until you learn, it’s the same thing at the office.”

Palmer’s workshop also focused on the shift to work-from-home and other virtual working lifestyles and what implications that would have for current generations of working professionals who may never meet their coworkers in person. Some of those tips included using LinkedIn for networking, and being proactive and open to taking on responsibility while working and utilizing TikTok and Instagram to promote brand image and enhance work performance.

“Networking with other people is super important. I think every time there’s a speaker or someone you see at school or one of your clubs, connect with them on LinkedIn and start building your network.”

Barbara Palmer '88

One of IC’s strongest qualities is its tight-knit, supportive alumni network. Palmer encouraged students to reach out to alumni who could give them guidance professionally.

“Look at their LinkedIn, look at their company bio on the website. Learn a little about them. Ask about them,” Palmer said. “Networking with other people is super important. I think every time there’s a speaker or someone you see at school or one of your clubs, connect with them on LinkedIn and start building your network.”

A media management major while at IC, Palmer continues to carry what she learned while on South Hill in her professional life.

“I think understanding the transferable skills that you’re learning in school will create opportunities in the future,” she said. “Did I end up in television and radio? No, but I ended up doing a lot of research. Being able to speak the [media] language, got me into my first job.”