The sunk cost fallacy describes our tendency to follow through on an endeavor if we have already invested time, effort, or money into it, whether or not the current costs outweigh the benefits. In economic terms, sunk costs are costs we’ve already incurred which cannot be recovered.  The sunk cost fallacy can be seen in big life decisions (staying in an expensive graduate program because we are already paid for the first year) as well as small day-to-day decisions (continuing to watch a movie to the end even if it is boring and unenjoyable).

Post Written By: Sara Hunter, Wellness Advisor, OITE

For those of you who are trainees at the NIH, the OD Anti-Harassment Blog is a great resource to check out.  One post in particular “How to Give Feedback When Inappropriate Behavior Occurs” is well worth a full read, although we try to summarize the main points below:

Post written by guest blogger, Janette Norrington, PhD, NIH Trainee

For those not familiar with the term, ghosting is the act of suddenly ceasing all communication.  More and more job seekers are presenting with a uniform complaint – they suddenly haven’t heard back from a company; they have been ghosted. Sometimes even after rounds of interviews and worst of all sometimes even after a verbal offer has been extended.

Post Written By: Sara Hunter, Wellness Advisor, OITE

The progress of knowledge is predicated on the development of new ideas and hypotheses that undergo intense scrutiny in order to be validated. This process is important. But that doesn’t always mean it’s easy. 

We have updated some blog posts with more recent links and helpful articles. Here are a few to check out, in addition to the OITE blog posts below.

Post written by guest blogger, Janette Norrington, PhD, NIH Trainee

Job searches are filled with uncertainty at every stage of the process, from the time we submit our applications to waiting for the results of a final interview. There is uncertainty about whether our hard work will pay off in the application process, if we will find a job, and how long a job search will last. As human beings, we crave security and a sense of control over our lives, so waiting to hear back about a job decision can be difficult and even painful.

One of the biggest frustrations we hear from job seekers and networkers is that their outreach emails go unanswered.  Much like what is recommended in Science Careers “Cold Emails and Hot Coffee” it is important to write a good message to increase your chances of a reply.

Writing a good email means offering value and respecting their time. Most people don’t read long emails anymore, so when in doubt, edit your message down and make your request very clear. 

With the delta variant on the rise, many companies have delayed a return to the office. Some companies saw how well employees worked from home and adopted permanent telework policies. Even those who do clinical or lab work find that many projects are being relegated to work from home days to allow for more physical distancing in small spaces.

Whatever the case is for you, it is clear that working from home is here to stay, so here are three tips to make working from home more effective.