WEST Wisdom Blog

When Worlds Collide: Celebrating International Women’s Day Through Science & Music

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Mar 5, 2024 10:57:04 AM

We often don’t recognize the foundational connection between science and music. Often we consider these opposites that don’t mix, like oil and water. The reality is that the contrary is true. Innovation wouldn’t be possible without both creative and analytical thinking. Science and music connect in a way that allows us to create something beautiful, innovative, and inspiring. Together they provide personal growth, leadership and accountability opportunities, and community support.

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Topics: STEM, Community, Panel, Cambridge, Networking, Upcoming Events, Female, Collaboration, Holiday, #WESTevent, STEM Women, STEAM, The Arts

Building More Than Just a Professional Network at WoW Events

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Aug 7, 2023 3:00:38 PM

About a year ago, WEST launched what has become one of our most popular series: WoW - WEST on Wednesdays Networking. These events are approximately once per month, with each event usually having a sponsor host in their company’s space. This constant moving of the event allows for a different atmosphere and new people to network with each time. The atmosphere, appetizers, and drinks are all great reasons to attend, but the real value lies within the community that gathers together for each event. “I love when corporations in the heart of the innovation hub here in Cambridge/Boston generously provide their locations. The inspirational surroundings help create a vibrant atmosphere that fosters both professional and personal conversations. Having been a WEST virtual mentor this past year, I particularly enjoyed meeting some of my mentees and fellow mentors at the events, helping to strengthen those relationships,” shares Jocelyn Dunphy, WEST Member. 

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Topics: STEM, Boston, Communication, Community, Networking, Relationships, Career Path, Career Development, New Opportunities, #WESTevent

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

Being on a Board May Be the Career Tip You Didn't Know You Needed

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Jun 14, 2023 2:31:51 PM

Being part of a Board of Directors can seem like an exclusive, illusive position. It can seem like no matter how much you would really love to be part of an organization’s success, how much you’d like to support a nonprofit’s goal, being on the Board of Directors can feel out of reach. For many, it’s not that it’s out of reach, it’s that there isn’t always a clear path or easy to find information on requirements, process, support, or even general guidance on where to begin. 

WEST knows the true value that each Board Member brings to an organization. We are always grateful for the insight, excitement, and endless pursuit of our mission that our Board Members and Advisory Board Members bring to WEST. Knowing how important Board Members are to an organization, WEST is thrilled to be bringing the event “Get on Board: Inside the Board of Directors” to our community.

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Topics: Community, Giving Back, Panel, Networking, Industry, Business, Influence, Developing Your Skills, Board of Directors, Career Development, Empowerment, New Opportunities, #WESTevent

Preposterous Stigmas Resulting in Mental Health Epidemic for Women in STEM

Posted by Courtney Cyron on May 18, 2023 1:27:25 PM

Mental health struggles can happen to anyone. Being in a negative situation for too long is bound to have its effects, and sometimes it takes a lot of work to undo that damage. In many cases, mental health struggles are a result of one specific situation, or a toxic boss or co-worker, something easy to pinpoint. In STEM, that can be true, but even more so, women have seen a higher rate of mental health struggles because of more industry-wide issues. There’s still a stigma, in some places, that women don’t belong in STEM professions or that women are not going to be as smart or as well-educated as men. 

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Topics: Gender Balance, STEM, STEM, Gender Balance, Communication, Community, Choice, Resilience, Mentoring, Coaching, Culture, Networking, Discussion, Mindfulness, Change, Collaboration, Emotional Intelligence, Self-Awareness, Empathy, Gender Pay Gap, Confidence, Challenges, Career Development, Empowerment, Mentor, Inclusion, Diversity, Organizational Culture, Corporate Culture, D&I, Gender Parity, Equity, STEM Women, STEM Leadership, Female Representation STEM, Hiring Women in STEM, Strong Women

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

Career Possibilities & Speed Networking Series Gives Attendees More Than Hope in Their Career Change Plans

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Feb 14, 2023 6:53:50 PM

Considering a job or career change can be daunting, or it can be the most exciting life change you plan in a year. The difference is in how you approach making your career change. You could jump in blindly and hope to stumble on the right job, hope that your new position is a good fit for you and that you find a position you can finally call your career, but hope isn’t a plan. Starting your career change process with the Career Possibilities Panel & Speed Networking series put on by WEST and sponsored by Gilead Sciences can be. This series features panels with specialized STEM experiences. Each event gives panelists the opportunity to share about their backgrounds, experiences, and current jobs, as well as giving attendees the opportunity to network with the panelists and other STEM professionals. 

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Topics: Events, Career, Communication, Panel, Network, Networking, Upcoming Events, Career Development, Career Possibilities, Speed Networking, Advice, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Experience

Senior Leader Interview: Kristine McKinney

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Dec 6, 2022 1:39:28 PM

Kristine has lived all over the country, but after spending time at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute she has decided to continue to call the Greater Boston Area her home. She has spent most of her career studying cancer and working to provide solutions to cancer patients around the world. She came to WEST initially in 2014 for a Career Possibilities Panel focusing on R&D careers. After loving her first experience with WEST, Kristine continued to stay involved and has helped develop events, served as an Advisory Board member and in 2022 joined the Board and the mentoring committee. 

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Topics: Leadership, STEM, Career, Community, Interview, Panel, Mentoring, Networking, #MemberSpotlight, Member Spotlight, Career Path, PhD, #WESTorg, STEM Women, STEM Leadership, Conversations

How to Grow a Legal Career Path in the STEM Industry

Posted by Courtney Cyron on Oct 14, 2022 3:45:47 PM

WEST is excited to continue its Career Possibilities & Speed Networking series with it’s upcoming event focusing on legal career paths. While legal opportunities aren’t the obvious STEM route, there are so many opportunities to grow a very successful legal career with a STEM background. The panelists for this event are prime examples of following a passion for both legal work and the advancing of science and technology in our world. 

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Topics: Career, Community, Panel, Networking, Upcoming Events, Career Path, Career Development, Career Possibilities, Speed Networking, Advice, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, goals

Building Your Personal Advisory Board

Posted by Jennifer Assily on May 13, 2021 7:40:32 PM

Join WEST on Tuesday, May 18 at 12:00 p.m. EST as we host Stephanie Lajoie-Lubin to talk about building a personal advisory board to support your professional and personal goals. Lajoie-Lubin is the founder and principal consultant of Lajoie Consulting Group, a firm that works with organizations to transform their workplace cultures through Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and supports early- to mid-career professionals through career transformation. 

Lajoie-Lubin draws on the concept of a personal advisory board, outlined here by Natascha Saunders, to develop a holistic view of her clients’ and her own personal and professional goals. Lajoie-Lubin's talk will outline the key roles to include on your personal advisory board to help you gain perspective, build a career strategy, stay personally grounded, maintain financial stability, engage with key communities on- and offline, and create a vision for who you want to be.

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Topics: Women, Career, Work Life Balance, Resilience, Success, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Professional, Discussion, Resources, Interactive, Balance, Tools, Role Models, Career Path, Vision, Developing Your Skills, Self-Awareness, Decision Making, Strengths, Values, Impact, Career Development, Empowerment, Advice, Learn, Diversity, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Gender Parity, Grow, goals, Purpose, Equity

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