Layoffs suck. It’s a fact. But if you’re sitting there feeling like you’ve lost your way, it’s time to hit reset. Don’t waste your time on “just get another job” advice that doesn’t take into account the reality of a layoff—and what’s really at stake for your career.
Topics: Best Practices, Career, Choice, Job, Resources, Career Path, Challenges, Career Development, Career Possibilities, Empowerment, Grit, Clarity
Have you ever felt stuck in your own head? Maybe you faced a situation or decision that you felt conflicted about and did not know what to do because you felt pulled in different directions internally. It’s a common experience and can leave one feeling stuck and lost.
Topics: Mindfulness, Self-Awareness, Author Chat, Challenges, Book Club, Career Development, Self-Reflection, #WESTevent, Overwhelm, Growth
Burnout is becoming more and more common. Statistics, especially among women, have shown a dramatic increase in employees that feel burned out or close to burnout. Women reported higher levels of burnout than men at 46% over men’s 37%. (CNBC). Focusing in on the WEST community event further, 82% of employees in tech feel close to burnout (spill). With such high levels of burnout, it leads to the question: “How did we get here in the first place?”
Topics: Mindfulness, Career Path, Confidence, Strengths, Career Development, Empowerment, Advice, #WESTevent, Purpose
Discovering a career that you love sometimes takes a direct path. We’ve all read at least one story of someone who knew they wanted to work in a particular field from a very young age, spent their years pursuing that dream, and found success and happiness having achieved that dream. Unfortunately, 75% of people experience a quarter life crisis, questioning their career path, by the time they are 33. Additionally, Stanford Psychologist Laura Carstensen reveals that, based on her studies, the perfect age to start a career is around 40. According to one study, the average person will change careers 5-7 times throughout their lifetime.
Topics: Leadership, Career, Community, Panel, Network, Networking, Career Path, Developing Your Skills, Computing, Career Development, Career Possibilities, Empowerment, Advice, #WESTevent, Grow, Academia, Clarity, Growth
In the ever-evolving landscape of our careers, women continue to break barriers, shatter glass ceilings, and pave the way for future generations. The journey of a woman is often marked by three powerful principles: grit, growth, and gratitude. These tenets not only define our personal and professional journeys but also empower us to make significant contributions to the world of science and technology. These are the defining reasons WEST has selected Grit, Growth, Gratitude as our annual theme for 2024-2025.
Topics: Announcements, Community, Annual Theme, Inspiration, Career Development, #WESTorg, Grit, Identity, Growth, Gratitude, Grit, Growth, Gratitude
On Friday, July 12th, WEST will host its first Women in Leadership Bootcamp in partnership with Nucleate! We are excited to welcome several speakers for this day-long event that will cover a variety of topics for our attendees. These include: understanding your leadership style, embodying confidence, and unlocking your team’s potential. This bootcamp will train the next generation of biotech leaders to communicate, delegate, innovate, inspire, and provide clear goals and direction to their teams more effectively.
Topics: Leadership, Leader, #MemberSpotlight, Self-Awareness, Confidence, Personal Branding, Career Development, Inclusion, Self-Reflection, #WESTevent, Identity
One of the pieces of feedback WEST has received lately is questions about becoming a better coach or mentor. WEST believes in the value of coaching and mentoring throughout one’s career and is thrilled to be hosting the upcoming event “Empowering YOU: How to Be a Great Coach or Mentor.”
Topics: Events, Leadership, Career, Mentoring, Coaching, Influence, Developing Your Skills, Challenges, Career Development, Mentor, #WESTevent
In a society that often favors extroverted tendencies, being on the introverted end of the spectrum can bring challenges in loud workplaces. Extroverted or introverted, we all have inspiration, passion, and great ideas within us. We work to create inclusive workplaces that support the success of each person on our team. With a few skills, being open-minded and truly aware of ourselves and those around us, we can create a team that allows each member to contribute their strengths and find success.
There are some misconceptions about introversion at work: that people who are more introverted can’t lead as effectively, are shy, and don’t like to work with others (are not team players). Despite these perspectives, introverted employees can absolutely excel in so many spaces using their strengths. The reality inside an introvert’s mind is thoughtful and methodical, tending to think deeply and critically about the work at hand. Like extraverts, introverts want their team to succeed, and may see the path to success differently. Their ability to truly immerse themselves in the information at hand, process their thoughts from many angles, and present suggestions and solutions that are well thought out is an incredible strength to any company.
Topics: Leadership, Community, Confidence, Challenges, Career Development, Empowerment, #WESTevent, Corporate Culture, Identity, Introvert
Often we think of our career path as something that happens to us. We think in terms of doing what we can to prepare ourselves, but tend to think there’s only so much we can control. By thinking with such a scarcity mindset, we’re setting ourselves up for a career that we endure as long as we have to and then retire as soon as possible. The good news is: we don’t have to live like that. We can learn to create a personal brand and use that brand to market ourselves in a way that allows us to take charge of our careers and create a career path built for us.
Topics: Career, Communication, Resources, Influence, Career Path, Self-Awareness, Confidence, Personal Branding, Challenges, Career Development, Influence Without Authority, #WESTevent, Identity, Hiring Women in STEM
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?
Topics: Leadership, Career, Change, Career Path, Leading Ourselves, Self-Awareness, Career Development, Roadmap, Career Possibilities, New Opportunities, Self-Reflection, #WESTevent