Post Written by: Sara Hunter, OITE Wellness Advisor When our room is where we sleep, eat, and work it’s hard to differentiate between the start and end of a workday. Leaving our laptop open to get that one last task done as we start dinner becomes a bit more tempting. Sending that final e-mail as we crawl into bed becomes a new norm. And we do this without realizing that other parts of our lives and relationships may be suffering as a result. We rationalize these seemingly small behaviors because we fool ourselves into thinking that increased access to work equates to increased productivity. And that may be true for…

The pandemic has disrupted every aspect of our personal and professional lives, including a key fixture in our careers – networking. This activity which used to happen at conferences and professional meetings has now been moved to Zoom breakout rooms. Most professionals agree, especially with economic uncertainty, networking is more important than ever. The lack of networking opportunities is worrisome and as Exequiel Hernandez notes in an article for the Wall Street Journal, “What this is going to do is enhance the advantages of those who are well-connected. For those who are disadvantaged, it’s going to be harder to develop the new ties they need to advance their career. This…

Interview anxiety is very common; sometimes people even say that your anxiety will give you an adrenaline boost and help you to perform better on interview day. But for those with a social anxiety disorder, even everyday interactions – let alone a job interview – can be difficult and, at times, debilitating. Each person’s set of social anxiety triggers is unique, but some common causes of social anxiety can be: meeting new people, having to make small talk, being the center of attention, public speaking, being watched while doing something, and/or speaking with authority figures. All of these triggers often happen in an interview setting, so interviews can be especially…

This “From the Archive” post was originally published in June 2020. Reflecting on Black History Month, we hope you will take another read and specifically look at some of the anti-racist resources noted in the article. *** In a Medium article entitled “Maintaining Professionalism in the Age of Black Death is…A Lot” the author, Shenequa Golding, quite simply enumerates: “Your Black employees are exhausted. Your Black employees are scared. Your Black employees are crying in between meetings.  Your Black employees have mentally checked out. Your Black employees are putting on a performance.”  Similarly, in a Huffington Post article, “This is What I Want to Tell My White Professors When They Ask ‘How Are You…

Post written by: Sara Hunter, Wellness Advisor at OITE Fog can be eerie and all encompassing. It hinders our ability to see past a few feet in front of us, and it can make us question where we’re going and how we might get there. In many ways, the past year has felt like a never-ending fog, clouding our direction and blocking our connection to people and the things we care about. But like all things, including this pandemic and the political turmoil surrounding us, fog eventually fades. And on the other side of it we often find ourselves wondering, sometimes regretting, why we acted (or didn’t act) a certain…

As we begin a new year, it can be helpful to know the best times of the year to look for a new job. The academic job market has a unique timeline with the majority of positions being posted in late summer/early fall. For non-academic jobs, we have often remarked that hiring tends to happen on a rolling basis.  Even though that is true, according to this Indeed Career Guide, there are optimal times of the year to be searching for positions. Here is what you can expect season by season: Winter As you may have suspected, hiring tends to slow down for the holidays. In fact, December is historically…

Applying to graduate school is a long process and if you have been invited for an interview, you should take a moment to congratulate yourself. Now, the next step is to prepare for this very important meeting. Preparation is key to understanding the types of questions you might be asked as well as preparing your own questions to ensure that this program will be a good fit for you. Of course, you are hoping to be accepted to programs to which you have applied; however, it is also extremely important to remember that graduate school is a serious commitment. You are embarking on the start of a very specific training…

This “From the Archive” post is perfect for those of you sitting down to make new year’s resolutions right now. If many of those resolutions are career-related, you might also want to check out the post “New Year – New Career“. Happy 2021, all! Post written by guest blogger Charlesice Hawkins, Detailee within OITE. There are times when life is a sprint and times when it is a marathon. Even a job search can feel like both! Do you set a steady pace for the long haul ahead or do you put everything you have into it for a short time? A PhD is a marathon with a few sprints embedded in it.…

With all the holidays and the end of the year upon us, we are entering a time when people traditionally tend to take vacation. During the pandemic though, people might be considering not taking time off because travel and social gatherings are being limited. Even if you don’t have any vacation plans, it is worth remembering the importance of time away from work. If you are in a position where you can take some time off, it is advisable to do so. It’s important to take time to switch off and give your head some space. Multiple studies have shown that this improves our creativity, productivity, and performance when we…

Post written by guest blogger Jenn Wiggins, Wellness Advisor at OITE. As the colder weather sets in and winter approaches, many people find themselves experiencing the winter blues. Winter blues refers to the saddened mood that can be experienced due to lack of natural sunlight, shifts in melatonin, and shorter days that are associated with this time of year. Symptoms of winter blues include, difficulty sleeping, feeling less social, lack of motivation, struggling to focus and constant fatigue. Winter blues is often associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD); however, the two differ based upon symptom intensity and frequency. As you read the symptoms listed above, you may have checked off…