Judy
Lytle

The Unicorn that is a Great Manager

I’ve had terrible managers, from those who can’t distinguish me from other members of my race, to those who intentionally tried to hold me back professionally, to those who have come into my office screaming about a politically charged topic only to become irate when I disagreed. I’ve also had...


Judy
Lytle

Tips on How to Engage an Audience

I recently gave a talk at a luncheon hosted by my research institute. In the days since, I’ve had a few experiences that have brought me to this blog. I’d like to talk about how to engage an audience, whether it’s an actual audience, or an interviewer, or new colleagues at a networking even...


Judy
Lytle

Science and Technology Policy Fellowships

As my pre-doctoral sentence of four-to-six-years-with-time-off-for-80-hour-work-weeks was coming to a joyful conclusion, I started to look for opportunities. I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Nights and weekends of caring for my research subjects, cup-o-noodle dinners in t...


Judy
Lytle

You got the job. Now, how do you negotiate your package?

You’re sitting in your third and final interview, and your prospective employer says, “We would like to work up an offer. What is your salary requirement?” A little bead of perspiration streams down your back. What am I worth? If I ask for too much will they withdraw the offer? If I don�...


Judy
Lytle

Tips for building your network

Networking. It’s an anxiety-filled word to some. But networking doesn’t have to mean showing up to numerous events where you don’t know a single soul, shelling out business cards to anyone who will take them. Of course that sounds awful.


Judy
Lytle

Imposter Syndrome

The term “imposter syndrome” was coined by a couple of clinical psychologists in the late 1970s. This is when high-achieving people have freak-out moments, and think that they’re going to be called out as frauds. I think PhDs coming out of academia often suffer from imposter syndrome.&nbs...


Judy
Lytle

The Seven Archetypes of Difficult Co-Workers, Part 1

Seven dwarves, seven deadly sins, seven Wonders of the World, seven consecutive post-doc positions if you stay in academia… Since seven seems to be a magical number, I stopped my list at seven. But there are so many archetypes to choose from! I’m going to talk about some of the archetypes I...


Judy
Lytle

The Seven Archetypes of Difficult Co-Workers, Part 2

In my last post, I described seven types of difficult people I’ve encountered since leaving academia. Here, I’ll talk about how I deal with those people.In a previous role, I managed a staff of 15 people. While my staff was generally fantastic, I spent a lot of time addressing personnel issues. ...


Judy
Lytle

The Value of Professional Mentorship

I’ve been really fortunate my entire professional career. I’ve had mentors at every stage. The interesting thing is, my mentors weren’t actively sought. Each time, the relationship was organic, and only in retrospect have I realized that these people served the role of mentor, and that th...


Judy
Lytle

Planning a Career

In the third and final interview for my current position, my soon-to-be-boss (who happens to be the CEO and President of the Institute) asked me what my aspirations were. I told him that I didn’t have any. You read it right. I told my potential boss that I didn’t have professional aspiratio...


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