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

WEST Leadership's Winter Traditions

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Dec 12, 2023 12:20:27 PM
This time of year many of us are celebrating a diverse range of traditions, with common themes of joy, community, and generosity. Whether your family celebrates one holiday or many, whether you have a single tradition or many, there is a little something to fill each and every one of us with joy during this time. 
 
WEST Leadership has put together a few of the traditions that hold a special place in their hearts at this time of year. We hope you have the opportunity to celebrate your own traditions and take some time to reflect, relax and recharge as the year comes to a close.
We look forward to seeing you in the new year as we kick of our 2024 programming. Click here to learn more and register!
 
 
 
 

 

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Topics: Leadership, Boston, Community, Giving Back, Giving, Holiday, STEM Women, Traditions

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

WEST's 2023-2024 Leadership Team

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Sep 5, 2023 9:00:00 AM

In July, WEST said a heartfelt thank you to the previous leadership and welcomed several new faces. Elena Spencer moved from Vice President to President, Karin von Hodenberg stepped into the Vice President role, Kristen Lorentz joined the leadership team as the Treasurer, and Jen Reilly is returning to the Clerk role. With all these new faces, WEST wants to allow our community to get to know your leadership a little better. Read our conversations with the new WEST leadership members below.

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Topics: Leadership, Team, Community, Leader, Women in STEM, Annual Theme, Board of Directors, STEM Women, STEM Leadership, Strong Women

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

Giving & Receiving Feedback Can Be Awkward, But It Doesn’t Have to Be

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Jul 18, 2023 9:31:03 PM

A manager needs to be equipped with an arsenal of communication skills that cover everything from explaining the goals of a project, presenting progress updates, providing subject-matter training, and so much more. The most important communication skill is the ability to give and receive feedback. 

WEST’s first event in the Summertime Management Skills Series focused on the importance of a manager effectively delegating work to their team. This skill enables a manager to remove the tasks from their plate that are preventing them from focusing on their big-picture and strategic planning. Delegating also enables a team to feel engaged, challenged, and fulfilled in their work. However, it also creates the need for feedback communication. Once a manager has delegated a task, they then need to give and receive feedback from their team to ensure that their team understands the task, and has the resources they need to complete it. 

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Topics: Leadership, Communication, Leader, Professional, Management, Developing Your Skills, Career Development, STEM Leadership

Could Delegating Be Your Key To Success?

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Jul 5, 2023 9:00:00 AM

When you ask someone the best thing their boss can do for them, the answer is straightforward: “Tell me what is expected of me, present me with growth opportunities, give me clear deadlines, and trust me to do my job.” If you ask them what's the worst thing their boss can do, the number one answer is: “micromanage.” 

What is the connection here? Trust. As Etta Jacobs, MA, PCC, told us: “A boss who micromanages, gives their direct reports the impression that they don’t trust them to do the work.” When an employee does not feel valued for their expertise and empowered to solve problems on their own, they begin to lose interest. This leads to the number one reason employees leave their job: a bad manager.

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Topics: Leadership, Coaching, Success, Leader, Women in STEM, Management, Developing Your Skills, Challenges, Self-Reflection, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, STEM Women, STEM Leadership

AAPI Women in STEM You Should Know About

Posted by Courtney Cyron on May 30, 2023 12:56:11 PM

The month of May celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. WEST's 2022-2023 annual theme is "Strong Women, Strong Science, Strong World," and these women are a perfect example that science knows no geographic or gender-based bounds. Women of Asian and Pacific Islander descent have made, and are currently making huge strides in their fields of study, and are part of the development and discoveries that are constantly changing our world for the better. These are just a few of the innumerable women of Asian or Pacific Islander heritage that have made a huge impact on our world. 

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Topics: Leadership, Gender Balance, STEM, Gender Balance, Community, Inspiration, Career Path, Gender Pay Gap, Confidence, Career Possibilities, Diversity, D&I, Gender Parity, Hiring Women in STEM

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

A Conversation on Supporting Women in STEM, and How Returning to the Office is Impacting Marginalized Identities

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Mar 14, 2023 1:56:00 PM

Recently, YW Boston collaborated with WEST (Women in the Enterprise of Science and Technology), a Boston-based learning community that provides a powerful forum and supportive environment for early and mid-career women in STEM. Both organizations work at the intersection of race and gender and seek to uplift women and women of color. In a recent Zoom call, YW Boston President and CEO, Beth Chandler, was interviewed by Elena Spencer, Vice President of WEST’s Board of Directors. In the candid conversation, Beth and Elena discussed various topics, including how to support women in STEM, YW Boston’s Parity on Board, and returning to the office. 

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Topics: Leadership, Community, #MemberSpotlight, Career Development, D&I, Business Development, Female Representation STEM

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