WEST Wisdom Blog

It was an early October WEST event. Dr. Amy Rebecca Gay had just started her presentation on self-advocacy and negotiating-while-womaning. I wasn’t expecting the rip tide surge of emotion. It barely touched the surface, but it took the room underwater with a collective two-beat sigh, an almost visible miasma of bang-your-head-against-the-wall frustration. Dr. Gay had just explained Dr. Hannah Riley Bowles’ observation that women pay a ‘social cost’ for effectively negotiating for themselves even when the same exact behaviors and outcomes earn men respect and a social capital bonus. Insert two-beat sigh here. Innnnn, and oooooout.  

Topics: Events, Women, Science, Career, Community, Interview, negotiation, Women in STEM, Networking, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Gender Pay Gap, Compensation, Leaders, Career Development, Advocate

You look back on the year and you nailed it. All of it. You checked every box and made every milestone. Graduated with honors. Got that dream job. Finally took that vacation paid for with the raise that came with your promotion. So why does it seem like you forgot something? Like the puzzle is missing a piece?

Topics: Events, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Community, Cambridge, Success, Women in STEM, Workshop, Networking, Upcoming Events, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Strengths, Values, Career Development, Own It, Learn

Just as leadership is a role best executed by personal example, in The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey explains that the foundation of trust is personal credibility, which Covey describes as the product of “Four Cores”:

• Integrity: Do your actions align with your values?
• Intents: What’s your agenda? Are you thinking about your year-end bonus or your team’s long-term success in the context of your organization’s mission?
• Capabilities: As important as what you know and how you do it, is your ability to accurately gauge your competencies and execute accordingly.
• Results: Listed last, but this really comes before everything. This is the track record that proves a person worthy of that initial trust that gets things moving.

Topics: Events, Women, Tech, Team, Science, Career, Community, Women in STEM, Workshop, Networking, Upcoming Events, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Trust, Career Development, Influence Without Authority, Own It, Learn

For most of us, this is a question about long-term goals and working environment preferences. Combining an MBA with your STEM skills would prove valuable in situations that require leaders who can wear many hats—lab managers, project team leaders, entrepreneurs or anyone at a startup.

Topics: Events, Leadership, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Community, Panel, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Career Path, Career Development, Self-Reflection, MBA

We are all biased – it is a basic human trait necessary for survival so that we recognize our tribe, our peeps, and avoid the enemy. However unchecked and unconscious bias creates unfair judgements and endemic prejudice stifling opportunities for both individuals and organizations.

Unconscious or implicit bias is at play when we evaluate people and situations using our instincts developed after years of stereotyping learned from and reinforced by the society around us. When we see the color of someone’s skin, hear their voice and accent, or observe their gestures, for example, our minds quickly seek to make sense of it all by slotting them into specific profiles or roles. We have all made those mistakes!

Topics: Events, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Community, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Career Development, Own It, Bias, Stereotypes, Inclusion, Self-Reflection

Biogen's WIN group is offering roundtable discussions with women from various areas of Biogen. They will be talking to female grad students and post-docs about their career paths and decision to work in industry. 

Topics: Events, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Community, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Career Development, Own It

Dang. Why on earth did I hesitate instead of letting the interviewer know what I wanted? And I’m not just talking about my new salary, I’m actually talking about the role, the title, and the sphere of influence that I want to have in that new job. Dang, dang, dang. I could kick myself for missing that opportunity. Now I’ll just have to settle for something less. Or will I?

Topics: Events, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Communication, Community, negotiation, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Developing Your Skills, Career Development, Own It, Advocate

Ugh. Another set of sleepless nights full of anxiety getting ready for a difficult conversation. Whether the conversation involves providing feedback to a colleague or involves asking your boss for a long overdue promotion and pay raise, you just know it is going to be difficult. And stressful.

But… fear not, there REALLY ARE ways to reduce some of the anxiety.

Topics: Events, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Communication, Community, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Trust, Developing Your Skills, Challenges, Career Development, Own It

The way in which we communicate – whether at work, at home or in school – has changed dramatically over the years with the accessibility of email, texting, and the use of social media applications.  Communications among colleagues and friends are often reduced to fragmented collections of written phrases and responses, fired off moments after receipt of an inbound message. The on-demand, always accessible manner of communicating has certainly brought significant conveniences, but it has reduced the opportunities for conversations among us. As a result, we may be missing out on the chance to connect, engage, and collaborate in a more meaningful way.

Topics: Events, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Communication, Community, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Relationships, Biotech, Interactive, Connect, Collaboration, Trust, Developing Your Skills, Impact, Career Development, Own It

Are you passionate about women in STEM and community building? Women in the Enterprise of Science and Technology (WEST) is a non-profit Boston-based organization establishing a learning community to provide women with inspiration, knowledge, and connections to advance their careers in the STEM fields. And we are growing! Currently we are seeking to expand our team to include an External Relations & Program Manager. The Program Manager role will focus on managing and growing relationships with our member base and other key stakeholders. The qualified candidate will be responsible for providing support to the marketing and programmatic activities of WEST across multiple platforms (social media, newsletter, blog, calendar, etc.) and be a local point of contact for members, sponsors, and the WEST Board of Directors. The candidate will be a public face for the organization by representing WEST at our Boston area events and coordinating our amazing group of volunteers. This position reports to the Director of Operations and will require attendance at occasional morning events and 2-3 evening events per month. This position offers the opportunity to hone your marketing and web-analytics skills, while allowing for creativity in reaching a broader community, increasing networking opportunities, and bringing efficiencies to the organization. 

Topics: Events, Women, Communication, Community, Job, Networking, Professional, Developing Your Skills, Career Development, Marketing, Outreach