WEST Wisdom Blog

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 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

When we stop to set goals, especially around the new year, we typically start with a vision of who we want to become, what we want to do, or how we want to improve. Then we’re often left wondering how to achieve those goals. If you’re ready to move your goals out of the wondering stage and into the action stage, you won’t want to miss Judy Goldberg’s upcoming workshop: “Wake Up & Wondershift: A Journey to Personal Transformation.”

Topics: Boston, Community, Inspiration, Career Path, Self-Awareness, Confidence, Personal Branding, Challenges, Career Development, Empowerment, Self-Reflection, #WESTevent, Purpose, Identity

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. 

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

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. 

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

The LGBTQ+ Community has always been part of every community. There are scientists, researchers, project managers, clinical trial leaders and participants, technology developers, computer scientists, and more who are incredible parts of the STEM community that are also members of the LGBTQ+ community. These amazing people are making groundbreaking discoveries, changing our world for the better, and founding some of the most supportive organizations. Check out just a few of the amazing women below who are the perfect example of these communities coming together and how they are helping to build stronger science and a stronger world one day at a time. 

Topics: Community, Inspire, Culture, Innovation, Influence, Inspiration, Confidence, Career Possibilities, Empowerment, Inclusion, Diversity, D&I, 20 Inspirational Leaders, Identity, LGBTQIA+, Ally, Allyship

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.

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

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. 

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

A life full of pieces that are important to you can be a truly amazing thing, but it can also be demanding, stressful, and draining. So many things in our daily lives are important to us: our physical and mental health, our families, our jobs, our friends and colleagues, hobbies, and communities we are part of, the list can go on. These are all amazing things that enable us each to build a life that we love. We can love our jobs, our families, our friends and colleagues, spending time practicing hobbies, resting and recharging ourselves, but can we balance doing it all at once?

Topics: Career, Life, You, Self-Awareness, Empowerment, Self-Reflection, #WESTevent, STEM Women, STEM Leadership, Strong Women, Strong World

There’s a stigma associated with being an introvert. People say introverts are more often shy, soft-spoken, and stay to themselves; “they” say introverts are not good public speakers, team leaders, or marketers. Sure, people say these things, but how true are they really? If the true definition of an introvert is simply that they are re-energized by spending quiet time with themselves, then what do any of those characteristics or skills have to do with being introverted?

Topics: Career, Interview, Life, You, Mindfulness, Leading Ourselves, Self-Awareness, Career Development, Career Possibilities, Empowerment, Self-Reflection, #WESTevent, STEM Women, STEM Leadership, Strong Women, Strong World, Introvert