WEST Wisdom Blog

Mapping Your Career With Confidence

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Mar 5, 2024 6:32:35 PM

Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years? Better yet, do you know why you see yourself there or what it’s going to take to get there? While these are good questions to ask yourself, it leaves a few important details out. How do your strengths, interests, passions, motivations, and work-life balance goals fit into your career plans?

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Topics: Leadership, Career, Change, Career Path, Leading Ourselves, Self-Awareness, Career Development, Roadmap, Career Possibilities, New Opportunities, Self-Reflection, #WESTevent

Creating Food to Thrive: A Senior Leader Interview w/ Kellye Eversole

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Oct 16, 2023 5:59:55 PM

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 10.2% of households in the US were food insecure at some point during 2021. That means approximately 33 million people, in the US alone, were unsure of where their next meal would come from at least once during the year. The UN reports estimates that between 691 and 783 million people were food insecure, internationally, at least once during 2022. What can we do to decrease those numbers and render food insecurity a problem of the past? What kind of work would it take to address food insecurity on a global scale?

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Topics: STEM, Career, Community, Interview, Culture, Leader, #MemberSpotlight, Member Spotlight, Industry, Inspiration, Role Models, Board of Directors, Grow, Strong Women, Strong World

Hispanic Women Leading the Way in STEM Industries

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Oct 16, 2023 3:34:25 PM

September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month. The WEST community is proud to be diverse and support female STEM careers and female leadership within STEM industries for women of all backgrounds. There are many, many amazing Hispanic female leaders in the STEM industries. Below are a few profiles of Hispanic women that have made major contributions to the STEM industries and are great role models for up-and-coming female STEM leaders looking for experiences they can relate to. 

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Topics: Leadership, Career, Community, Inspire, Culture, Inspiration, Role Models, Leaders, Career Possibilities, Empowerment, Inclusion, Diversity, D&I, STEM Women, STEM Leadership

Managing Up Doesn’t Have Be Scary

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Aug 1, 2023 2:48:00 PM

Telling your manager you need more resources or training can be awkward. You don’t want to undermine your working relationship or appear less than capable to do your job, but you know these tools will help support your success in your role. You know you need to speak with your manager about this, but how do you walk the fine line between confidently asking for support and appearing underprepared for the task at hand?

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Topics: Leadership, STEM, Career, Communication, Culture, Leader, Influence, Management, Lead, Developing Your Skills, Confidence, Strengths, Challenges, Career Development, Advice, STEM Leadership

You Have Set a Goal, Now What?

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Aug 1, 2023 8:00:00 AM

Setting goals can be exhilarating and daunting. While you definitely want to approach goal- setting with a healthy dose of what’s realistic for you, setting a goal that really challenges you will help you grow more than you could imagine. Imagine how life will be once you achieve your goal. As we talked about in the last goal-achieving blog post, will it be to become a pilot by 2025, or to earn a promotion at work? Regardless of what your goal is, achieving it should really excite you.

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Topics: Best Practices, Career, Mentoring, Success, Inspire, Networking, Inspiration, Developing Your Skills, Focus, Challenges, Career Development, Grow, goals

Setting Clear, Actionable Goals is The Most Important Part

Posted by Alissa Brown on Jul 20, 2023 3:41:06 PM

In conversation with Alicja Januszewicz on the importance of setting goals, how do we know we are setting the right goals and tips on how to achieve the outcome you want.

Phew, it is already mid-2023! A great time to check in on the progress of our goals! In many organizations, we set our goals and objectives at the start of a year. There are no rules that goals must start with the new year or that goals will not change or be adapted during the year. Working on your goals can be a journey throughout the year so don’t worry if you are unclear on your goals or unsure if they still feel right for you, now is a good time to reflect. 

The critical step is to define those goals, making sure they align with your core principles, are clear on what you want to achieve, by when, and who can support you in making your goals happen. This clarity will help you find the steps to get you there, to give you a roadmap. Many people use the SMART framework to map out their goals, I use SIMple. S for Specific, I for Important, and M for Measurable. Make sure you use some kind of framework!

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Topics: Career, Mentoring, Coaching, Inspiration, Leading Ourselves, Developing Your Skills, Challenges, Career Development, Mentor, goals

Empowering Women & Amplifying Their Voices to Advance Women's STEM Careers

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Jul 13, 2023 2:46:00 PM

We find ourselves at a pivotal point in history. In many ways the world is questioning whether or not to empower women to fulfill their potential. Empowered women bring a variety of skills and perspectives to the table that should be equally valued. When we amplify the voices of women who are sharing discoveries, ideas, and support, true success is a given. These women’s voices shout from the rooftops that women deserve a seat at the table, every table. 

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Topics: STEM, Announcements, Career, Community, Life, Inspire, Culture, Annual Theme, Making a Difference, Inspiration, Self-Awareness, Confidence, Impact, Career Development, Empowerment, Inclusion, Self-Reflection, Diversity, Corporate Culture, D&I, Equity, Identity, Ally, Strong Women

Learning to Turn Being Laid Off Into an Opportunity

Posted by Courtney Cyron on May 24, 2023 11:43:52 AM

You know your company is downsizing, your boss calls you into their office. You go in, sit down, lump in your throat, you know what’s next. The conversation is pretty straightforward. Your boss says something like: “I’m really sorry, but as we downsize we’re cutting a lot of positions, and yours is one of them.” At that point, you’re not quite sure what to say or do, whether you expected it or not. The reality of being laid off leaves so much more uncertainty than you could possibly have prepared for. 

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Topics: STEM, Career, Interview, Panel, Job, Professional, Change, Solutions, Career Path, Developing Your Skills, Career Development, New Opportunities, Hiring, STEM Women, Hiring Women in STEM, Experience

Women's Past Progress Continues To Encourage Future Progress

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Mar 30, 2023 2:35:48 PM

In 1920, women earned the right to vote. In 1963,
congress passed the Equal Pay Act of 1963, protecting women from being paid a lower rate than men for substantially similar work. As part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it became illegal to discriminate in employment based on race, sex, color, religion, and national origin. It’s now 2023 and women have been making progress towards equality in the workplace for over 100 years now. While there’s still room for major improvements, women have come a long way in the workplace. 

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Topics: Gender Balance, STEM, STEM, Gender Balance, Women, Career, Women in STEM, Annual Theme, Equal Pay, Change, Making a Difference, Gender Pay Gap, Challenges, Career Development, Organizational Culture, D&I, Gender Parity, Equity, Organizational Change, STEM Women, STEM Leadership, Female Representation STEM, Hiring Women in STEM, International Women's Day, Women's History Month, Strong Women, Strong World

Starting Your Career Growth On The Right Track

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Mar 21, 2023 9:10:38 PM

WEST’s Career Possibilities Panel & Speed Networking series has been incredibly popular. Our first Career Possibilities event of 2023 gave around 100 people the opportunity to learn about STEM communications positions from people that were currently working in that area. We’re thrilled to see the turnout for these events consistently increasing, allowing more and more STEM professionals, and STEM professionals-to-be an opportunity to prepare themselves for their next career move. 

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Topics: Leadership, Career, Community, Mentoring, Network, Job, Networking, Career Development, Career Possibilities, Speed Networking, New Opportunities, #WESTevent, STEM Women, Hiring Women in STEM

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