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
We all strive for a state of life where our work-life balance is perfect, we feel rested, and fulfilled. We might even have a vision of what this perfect balance looks like. Yet we all struggle to reach this balance. Why can’t we achieve this perfect balance? One reason is that it's the wrong question. Balance implies equal time or a consistent, static state. Our lives are far too complex and changeable to be able to find one right answer on how to honor all of our commitments.
Topics: Workshop, Insight, New Opportunities, #WESTevent, goals, Growth, Boundaries
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
“The returns are actually better when you invest in women,” says the movie Show Her The Money. If that’s so true, then why are women-founded startups only receiving 2% (or less) of invested venture capital dollars each year? Women innovators introduced the electric dishwasher, central gas heating, the medical syringe, bullet-proof fiber (Kevlar), and the list goes on. How much better could our world be if more women-founded startups were getting equal investment funding?
Topics: Leadership, Panel, Women in STEM, Business, Inspiration, Gender Pay Gap, Compensation, Career Possibilities, Advocate, Diversity, #WESTevent, Women in Business, Life Science VC, Venture Capital/VC, Gender Parity, Conversations
Networking might be an introvert’s least favorite activity, but it doesn’t need to be! On August 8th, join WEST for Networking for Introverts: How To Effectively Connect. Led by introverts, for introverts, this event will include a panel discussion, interactive games, facilitated discussions, and open networking sessions that will make networking approachable to everyone.
Topics: Panel, Networking, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy, Challenges, Advice, #WESTevent, Personality, Introvert
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
We’ve all heard of the glass ceiling, but there’s an even deeper barrier that needs to be discussed. This hidden barrier, as Ellen Connelly Taaffe refers to it in her book, The Mirrored Door: Break Through the Hidden Barrier That Locks Successful Women in Place, is constructed from the well-intentioned norms that are ingrained in women’s minds and holding them back more than they realize.
Topics: Mentoring, Coaching, Mindfulness, Author Chat, Confidence, Book Club, Self-Reflection, #WESTevent, Purpose, Identity, STEM Women
WEST is thrilled to have such a diverse community of STEM professionals. We are honored to be able to highlight several leading STEM women as part of our Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration. You won’t want to miss this panel discussion featuring API trailblazers who will be sharing about their experiences, current positions, and advice they have for those of similar backgrounds with goals of making contributions through work in STEM industries. For a little preview, see our Q&A session with panelist Crystal Shih Byers below!
Topics: Leadership, STEM, Career, Panel, Culture, Industry, Role Models, Career Path, Inclusion, Diversity, #WESTevent, D&I, STEM Women
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