Professional and Personal Development

Improve your skills and get ahead in your career by taking advantage of the many development opportunities provided by HR. Register for programs by visiting knowledgelink.upenn.edu or contacting Learning and Education at (215) 898-3400.

Using Social Media to Build Your Career Brand; 11/2; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Social media outlets such as LinkedIn and Twitter can be helpful in creating your career brand, but often people are not quite sure how to do this effectively. You will learn key strategies you can use to develop your career brand on LinkedIn and Twitter. 

Flexible Work Options; 11/2; 11 a.m.-noon. This will provide an overview of Flexible Work Options and provide guidelines for proposing and implementing a flex request, including understanding the applicable HR guidelines and policies; assessing the fit between position and job responsibilities; reviewing a sample proposal; documenting the flexible work option request; and implementing the request.

Dealing with Difficult People; 11/8; 9 a.m.-noon; $75. This workshop will show participants how to get along and work productively with everyone and how to demonstrate the necessary qualities that bring results from others. You will learn how to recognize behavior styles that cause difficulty and be able to apply learned skills to improve relationships, communication and performance. This will be interactive and fun. You will understand the change process and how to become proactive, rather than reactive, in change situations.   

STEP UP: Introduction; 11/9; 9 a.m.-noon; $150 for  seven sessions. This course, First Steps to Excellence, is the entry point for the seven-course STEP UP Pre-Supervisory Curriculum and must be completed as the first course in the curriculum. For your scheduling convenience, all courses are offered multiple times on a rotating basis throughout the year. Please also enroll in the STEP UP Pre-Supervisory Curriculum, which tracks your program completion.

Discovering the Benefits of Penn; 11/17; 12:30-1:30 p.m. You love the benefits you gain by working for Penn, but there is a good chance there are more benefits than you knew existed. Be prepared to be surprised and delighted by more than 100 “hidden benefits” we will reveal. We’re sure there is something that will make your day.  Join us for this treasure hunt!

Career Survival Guide; 11/22; 12:30-1:30 p.m. This workshop will help you care for yourself as you take care of your loved ones; it covers the multiple stages of caregiving and aging, including present and future planning—with a focus on resources for caregivers.

Creating and Maintaining an Engaged Team: A Program for Managers; 11/29; 9 a.m.-noon; $75. Engagement matters more than we may think.  Research shows that an employee’s level of engagement in the workplace is directly tied to achieving goals, increased productivity and greater financial viability. We will give you the opportunity to understand the importance of engagement to your teams, what the drivers and influencers of engagement are, and then to think through how to create and maintain engagement. We will also get you thinking about the University-wide engagement survey.

Quality of Worklife Workshops

Dealing with the demands of work and your personal life can be challenging. These free workshops, sponsored by HR and led by experts from Penn’s Employee Assistance Program and Quality of Worklife Department, offer information and support for your personal and professional life challenges. For details and to register, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/registration or contact HR at (215) 573-2471 or qowl@hr.upenn.edu

Integrating Breastfeeding and Work; 11/3; noon -1 p.m. This interactive conversation, led by Diane Spatz, CHOP Lactation Program director, professor of perinatal nursing and the Helen M. Shearer Professor of Nutrition at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, will provide an opportunity for expecting, new and experienced parents on campus, to get help with breastfeeding challenges, ensure a smooth transition back to work and academics and share helpful tips with one another. If you are breastfeeding, pumping and bottle-feeding, pregnant and thinking about breastfeeding, formula-feeding and curious about breastfeeding, this brown bag conversation is for you. This is co-sponsored by Penn’s Family Resource Center and HR and is open to Penn faculty, staff, students, post docs and their partners. Please feel free to bring your lunch.

Mindfulness Monday: From Mind Full to Mindful; 11/14; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Mindfulness is “paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally,”  said Jon Kabat-Zinn. Mindfulness practice develops awareness of your present thoughts and feelings to help you manage different situations. In this once-a-month experiential workshop, you’ll see how mindfulness can help you become more engaged and effective both at home and in the workplace. No prior meditation experience is necessary.

Healthy Living Workshops

Get the tools you need to live well year-round. From expert nutrition and weight loss advice to exercise and disease prevention strategies, we can help you kick-start your body and embrace a healthy lifestyle. These free workshops are sponsored by HR. For complete details and to register, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/registration or contact HR at (215) 573-2471 or qowl@hr.upenn.edu

Be in the Know Biometric Screenings; 11/1-11/22; various times and locations; free. For details, see www.hr.upenn.edu/beintheknow

Yoga on the Green; 11/3; 6-7 p.m., a yoga class on Shoemaker Green (inclement weather location-Pottruck) open to faculty and staff. You can also document this activity as a qualifying bonus action for the Be in the Know Campaign.

Guided Meditation: Take a Breath and Relax; 11/8 & 11/18; 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Gentle Yoga; 11/9 & 11/30; 11 a.m.-noon. Let your body reward itself with movement! Join us for this gentle yoga session and explore the natural movements of the spine with slow and fluid moving bends and soft twists.