Your Career, Your Compass (Manage your career)
A programme for women who want to grow their impact and remain true to themselves.
In an ideal world, there would be no need for programmes specifically designed for women. Yet, even within universities, women remain underrepresented in senior and leadership positions—despite abundant ambition, expertise, and talent. While Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies are essential to drive change, they often focus primarily on organisational processes such as recruitment and promotion, or more general D&I Awareness.
The programme “Your Career, Your Compass” is designed to inspire, support, and empower ambitious and talented women—both academics and professional staff—to take ownership of their career paths and to realise their full potential, even in environments where their contributions and ambitions are not always fully recognised.
Many women experience the need to adjust their style or behaviour to be seen, heard, or considered for promotion. Over time, this can lead to feelings of stagnation, self-doubt, or a gradual tempering of ambition.
This programme invites participants to make their potential and authenticity visible and effective. The result is stronger, more confident leadership—and greater impact, success, and fulfilment throughout their careers.
The programme has been successfully delivered at the University of Twente since 2014 by trainer and certified coach Sandra Doelman. Each year, a new cohort of 10–15 participants begins the programme. The sessions are facilitated jointly with trainer and actress Marline Williams, creating a dynamic and engaging learning environment
The “Your career, Your Compass" programme usually attracts women at a crossroads in their careers. They are facing important questions and choices that can be crucial for their (academic) future. In addition to their personal learning questions, they often share a common one: how can I be successful in my organization while at the same time staying true to myself?
- Are you looking to build your authentic leadership?
- Do you want to fulfill your potential and to strategize your ambitions?
- Do you want to create open, equal, and impactful conversations?
- Do you want to raise your awareness of processes of power and organisational culture?
Then we invite you to join us in the program “Your Career, Your Compass“ with a focus on self-awareness and reflection, personal growth, authentic leadership, influencing and negotiating skills, gender in organizations, and taking ownership of your career trajectory.
After having attended the programme, you have:
- Insight into your potential and pitfalls to realize ambitions.
- Awareness of organisational processes and patterns that influence your ambitions and career
- (further) developed your authentic leadership
- Deepened your self-confidence
- Tools and inspiration to further strategize your career path.
- Increase your influencing and negotiating skills
What are the subjects during this programme:
- Authentic leadership and authority
- Personal potential, ambitions, and pitfalls
- Negotiating
- Building and influencing the right networks
- Conducting impactful conversations
- Gender in organizations
- Organisational culture and career strategy
What we request is your enthusiasm, your commitment in time and presence, and the willingness to learn and reflect on yourself.
ORGANISATION
We work in small groups under the close supervision of trainers and actors. The course starts with an individual intake. After this intake, we decide from both sides if this course matches your learning questions.
Time investment: 50-60 hours between April 2026 and December 2026
- Intake session
- A leadership questionnaire and 360 degree feed back leadership questionnaire
- Prepatory assignments
- 4 training sessions
- 3 online peer group sessions
- 2 personal coaching sessions
- Personal reflection time