With five generations together in U.S. workplaces for the first time (Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, Millennials, and Gen Z), communication styles and cultural differences between the generations are emerging.  According to NPR, there are even generational differences in how emojis are interpreted. Take for example the “thumbs up” emoji, “older people” literally interpret this as an affirmative/yes, but “younger people” see this as passive-aggressive and even a close cousin of the middle finger!

Post written by guest blogger Angie Snyder, PsyD, OITE Wellness Advisor 

Last week, we wrote about the purpose of one's inner dialogue and we encouraged you to journal for a week to catch your own thoughts.

Shift to a Compassionate Critic

When we think of taming the inner critic, it can be helpful to look at the definitions of a critic.  There are two definitions of criticism with different connotations:

Post written by guest blogger Angie Snyder, PsyD, OITE Wellness Advisor 

Most people have an inner critic – one or more “voices” inside the mind that are critical, harsh, and just not pleasant to live with every day.  Examples include: “You’re stupid!” “You don’t belong here.” “You are unlovable!” “You’re such an idiot, how could you have done that!” and “You’ll never succeed.” 

The majority of people apply through the ‘front door’ for jobs. This typically means applying for a posted online application. In fact, over 96% of job seekers mass apply to jobs on Indeed, Monster, and LinkedIn using the one-click apply buttons. These features are incredibly convenient and can work, which is why everyone is doing it. The competition, though, for these jobs (and the masses applying) can be extremely high.

Narcissists tend to be especially good at self-promotion and ensuring that their contributions are not only known but recognized. A 2017 study found that most of the time narcissists’ high appraisal of their own performance does not match objective measures of their actual achievements.

A job search can be a long and grueling process. This process can be made even more challenging when a job seeker is looking for employment but lacks permanent US work authorization. If you find yourself in this situation, please account for the extra time your job search might take. On average we see job searches take 6-9 months; however, it will likely be longer for international candidates.

Steve Dalton’s book The 2-Hour Job Search recommends creating a LAMP (List, Advocacy, Motivation, Posting) list to help you identify and target key employers. This can be a helpful activity to help you both expand and then narrow down your options. The main goal of creating such a list is to develop a prioritized list of at least forty employers. Yes, 40!

Many people work as freelancers nowadays and it can be confusing to know how to properly not only list but also highlight your entrepreneurial experiences on your resume. Sometimes these experiences raise more questions than Many people work as freelancers nowadays and it can be confusing to know how to properly not only list but also highlight your entrepreneurial experiences on your resume. Sometimes these experiences raise more questions than answers for recruiters and hiring managers. They worry you are trying to cover up an employment gap. The best way to market your own self-employment is to explicitly answer these known questions/doubts.

This text is based on a presentation entitled ‘Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders’. This is the second part of a six-part seminar series from OITE entitled ‘Mental Health & Wellbeing of Biomedical Researchers’ focused on mental health, which aims at providing strategies and tools to help participants support their own mental health and that of others.

In our workshops, Planning for Career Satisfaction and Success, we often talk about the basis of career satisfaction as stemming from a career path which intersects with your own prioritized skills, values, and interests.