Professional & Personal Development Programs

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

Using Spark Hire Video Interviewing presented by Recruitment; 9/6; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. Interviewing for jobs at Penn? With Spark Hire Video Interviews growing in popularity at the University, we want you to be prepared. Recruitment and Staffing welcome you to learn from our experts on how to best use the Spark Hire Video Interview tool as a candidate. We will cover what Spark Hire Video Interviews are, why hiring managers at Penn are using the tool and how you as an interviewee can best use it.

Embracing Change; 9/12; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. In this short course, author and business coach Todd Dewett explains how you can harness the power of change and benefit those around you by avoiding quick reactions, adopting a positive attitude and developing a 30-day plan to integrate change.

Managing Relationships; 9/13; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. Managing relationships isn’t always easy, especially when conflicts arise. With the right strategies, you can effectively manage even the most difficult relationships. This workshop can show you how. You’ll learn to find “win-win” solutions to personal and professional conflicts with assertiveness, collaboration, handling internal reactions and other skills.

Writing Series Session 2—The Challenge of Communicating; 9/13; 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m.; $75. Before beginning any business communication, it is a best practice to know your audience, and perception forms our understanding of reality. What we see, hear and interpret is what we consider to be true. Another person who may see, hear and interpret something entirely different from the same communication will regard that different perception to be true. In this interactive workshop, participants learn that when our perceptions are different from those with whom we interact, sharing meaning becomes more challenging. Best practices of determining content purpose and structuring materials will be demonstrated, keeping the audience and social perceptions in mind. Note: This session is being offered as part of Business Writing Series. Classes can be taken individually or consecutively as a series. Participants who choose to take the program consecutively will have the option of receiving coaching on their writing the hour prior to the session start time.

Presentation Skills; 9/14; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. Fear. That’s the main reason most people won’t make presentations—or make them poorly. By following some simple lessons anyone can conquer presentation phobia and go on to make his or her case successfully and professionally.

Involvement and Engagement;  9/19; noon-1 p.m.;  free. Do you ever ask yourself, “What can I do today to change my life for the better?” Thankfully, research supports that there is something we can do, and it’s actually quite easy. In this session, we will explore two actionable concepts that you will enjoy adding to your daily/weekly routine and that will help you live a happier, positive, purposeful life!

TED Talk Tuesday: Adam Grant—Are you a Giver or a Taker; 9/26; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free.In every workplace, there are three basic kinds of people: givers, takers and matchers. Organizational psychologist Adam Grant breaks down these personalities in his TED Talk video and offers simple strategies to promote a culture of generosity and keep self-serving employees from taking more than their share.

Models of Excellence Nomination Workshop; 9/26; 2-3 p.m.; free. Do you work with someone who shows special initiative or demonstrates outstanding leadership? Have you noticed that a colleague or team excels at fostering workplace collaboration or shows an especially deep commitment to service? If so, then recognize them as a Model of Excellence. The Selection Committee depends on the content of the nominations to make its decisions. Therefore, nominations submitted should be as detailed and descriptive as possible in order to convey a nominee’s exceptional performance and award worthiness. Be sure to attend this workshop and learn about how best to write your nomination.

Engaging Others in Your Career Path; 9/27; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. We all know that networking is an important part of creating our own career path, but how many of us have ever stopped to think about our networking strategy? In this brief session, you will discover the three categories of professional networks, how they can help you in your career path and how you can change your approach to networking to further your career at Penn.

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 EAP and Quality of Worklife, offer information and support for your personal and professional life challenges. 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

Guided Meditation: Take a Breath and Relax; 9/8; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Practice mindful breathing that focuses your attention on the present moment with kindness, compassion, and awareness. Self-massage and gentle mindful movements that promote relaxation and reduce stress may also be included in the workshop. No experience necessary.

Mindfulness Monday: From Mind Full to Mindful; 9/11; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Mindfulness is “paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally,” according to 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 necessary.

Mindfulness Skills Course; 9/27; 3-4:30 p.m. The four-week mindfulness skills course, offered by Penn’s EAP, is designed to teach you the core principles and practices of mindfulness, which include breathing meditation, body scan, sitting meditation and movement meditation. In addition, each class will focus on a theme linking mindfulness, stress and quality of life, and ample time will be devoted to experiential guided meditations. 

Thinking about Retirement; 9/28; 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; free. This is a special program for staff who are approaching retirement soon. These information sessions feature expert guest speakers and Penn Benefits specialists

Penn Healthy You 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 kickstart your body and embrace a healthy lifestyle. These free workshops are sponsored by HR. For complete details about upcoming programs and registration, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/registration or contact HR at (215) 573-2471 or qowl@hr.upenn.edu

                Spinning; 9/7, 11:30 a.m.

                Gentle Yoga; 9/12, noon

                Chair Yoga; 9/15, noon

                Zumba; 9/20, noon

                Gentle Yoga; 9/26, noon

September Wellness Walk; 9/22; noon-1 p.m.; free. It has been proven that spending more time outside reduces stress, increases energy levels, and boosts immunity. You can start achieving these goals by meeting the Center for Public Health Initiatives staff at noon in front of College Hall by the Ben Franklin statue. We will start with some quick and easy warmup stretches and then get our feet moving. The walk will be approximately two miles and we will inform you when we have reached the one-mile mark in the event that you need to exit the walk early. We hope you will be able to join us. Bring your water bottle and don’t forget your sneakers.