Emily Guy Birken, who writes about personal finance, in this opinion piece discusses the importance of investing in your career, sharing personal experiences and offering guidelines for making financial decisions that can advance professional ambitions. Birken highlights situations where spending can be beneficial, such as increasing the value of your time.
Open career discussions between graduate students and mentors are essential, writes Raquel Salinas, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences,. Salinas advises students to start conversations early, use individual development plans and engage in reverse mentorship, while recommending that mentors normalize career discussions, recognize transferable skills and acknowledge personal factors in career decisions.
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Women remain underrepresented in tech, making up less than a third of the workforce globally, according to a World Bank report. Women also face gender bias and limited mentorship, but notable figures like Reshma Saujani and Dr. Fei-Fei Li have inspired others to pursue STEM careers and initiatives such as Girls Who Code and All Raise are vital in promoting STEM education.
Employers in 2025 prioritize communication skills alongside technical expertise in AI and cloud technologies, as per Aura Intelligence's report. The study stresses the importance of a balanced skill set on resumes and the critical role of HR in facilitating skill development and addressing workforce transformation.
Employee development can often feel performative, but Julie Winkle Giulioni suggests strategies to make it more authentic, including moving beyond scripted plans, getting more feedback and insight from colleagues and viewing development as an evolving process. "Once employees begin getting reactions from their audiences, it becomes natural for them to start sharing their growth plans with others, elevating the quantity and quality of support they'll receive," Winkle Giulioni writes.
Evaluating workplace culture has become essential, and an excellent opportunity to learn about a potential employer's work environment is during the job interview. Include a few questions from our list to help determine what working there is like.
If you're job-searching and worried about how to explain a career gap, don't fret. Find out how you can "own it" and explain your break from the workforce proactively and with confidence.
