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Tagged with: #workitdaily
  • May 11th, 2023
  • - Comments Off on Member Spotlight: Dale Herzog, Medical Device CAD Engineer
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At Work It DAILY, we call our members “Workplace Renegades.” A Workplace Renegade is a person who believes in themselves and joins our community to finally take control of their career. They believe in working to live, NOT living to work. Dale Herzog is a top member in our community who exemplifies these qualities.


Below, Dale Herzog answers some questions about his career field and explains why he joined (and continues to participate in) the Work It DAILY community.

Why I #WorkItDaily

@workitdaily Thank you Fatima for being the first to join our @tiktok social media campaign♥️♥️♥️@fatimalhusseiny We can’t wait to share your story with the world! Check out our campaign to learn more! @workitdaily #workitdaily #WhyIWorkItDaily #careertiktok #careertok #jobtok #edutok #mywhy #purpose #passion #worktolive #live #life #love ♬ Epic Music(863502) – Draganov89

Work It DAILY provides a great library of resources and a supportive community. Of the millions of sources on the internet that I came across before working with J.T. and her team, none created an organized and encouraging path like the one they provide.

Benefits Of Being A Medical Device CAD Engineer

Doctor uses a medical device before performing a surgery

I think the most exciting part of the job is working with passionate engineers, researchers, and manufacturers to create new tools that will improve how people are cared for. Translating the inspiration of physicians and researchers into a new device is an exciting and humbling opportunity.

Work-Life Balance For Medical Device CAD Engineers

Engineers use CAD software to make medical devices

I try to build the habit of consistently reassessing what “balance” means and treating the process like you would scheduling trips to the gym. I have to say that I’m more grateful for the support of my family every day and I appreciate their interest in my occasional DIY home improvement project immensely. Even if a few relatives started out a bit nervous when they saw me at their door with power tools, I think they understood the therapeutic power of sawdust.

Reasons To Work In The Healthcare Engineering Industry

Doctor uses a medical device

I’ve seen how my family has been affected by diseases that will be treated with the equipment I intend to develop. Having the opportunity to save someone else from some of those experiences makes it difficult to imagine pursuing anything else.

Advice For Medical Device CAD Engineers

Engineer uses CAD software to design a medical device

Reach beyond general career planning by applying the “daily work” philosophy to building and rewarding habits that nurture curiosity in growing your unique career. In addition to the Work It DAILY course material, I try to design a daily model and spend time learning about the needs of patients, researchers, and the environment in which the design will be used. I’m no expert, but it’s always great to share a job with those who are passionate about the work and enjoy exploring ways to make a patient’s experience as pleasant as possible.

We hope you enjoyed hearing from Dale about his career and experiences inside the Work It DAILY community.

Do you want to become a Workplace Renegade?

Join our community to learn how to UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

  • March 7th, 2023
  • - Comments Off on Member Spotlight: Don Gilbert, Graphic/Web Designer & Illustrator
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At Work It Daily, we call our members “Workplace Renegades.” A Workplace Renegade is a person who believes in themselves and joins our community to finally take control of their career. They believe in working to live, NOT living to work. Don Gilbert is a top member in our community who exemplifies these qualities.


Below, Don Gilbert answers some questions about his career field and explains why he joined (and continues to participate in) the Work It Daily community.

Why I #WorkItDaily

@workitdaily Thank you Fatima for being the first to join our @tiktok social media campaign♥️♥️♥️@fatimalhusseiny We can’t wait to share your story with the world! Check out our campaign to learn more! @workitdaily #workitdaily #WhyIWorkItDaily #careertiktok #careertok #jobtok #edutok #mywhy #purpose #passion #worktolive #live #life #love ♬ Epic Music(863502) – Draganov89

As a graphic/web designer and illustrator, I have always had a great passion for learning and creativity. Growing up in the Chicago area, I relished any opportunity to ride the bus downtown to the city’s bookstores, galleries, museums, and parks to capture a day’s worth of inspiration in my sketchbook.

The diversity that cities like Chicago and, more recently, Seattle have has allowed me to grow my communication skills to connect with people of many backgrounds and experiences.

Because of the challenges presented by today’s competitive job market, I believe in the importance of both staying healthy in mind and body, and keeping your skills current and relevant. With #workitdaily, it’s not simply about getting a job. It’s about the community of employers and job seekers alike and the relevant knowledge that they offer.

Benefits Of Being A Graphic/Web Designer

Graphic designer works on his laptop

The main benefits of working as a graphic/web designer/ illustrator are the pleasure of applying my talents and knowledge, the joy of using tools like Adobe’s Creative Suite, and the satisfaction of the client upon completion.

Work-Life Balance For Graphic/Web Designers

Professional working in web design

Work, exercise, diet, meditation, sufficient rest, and a healthy social life are all equally vital to reducing stress and maximizing productivity, so it’s important for me to be self-aware throughout the day. That said, I also use an interval timer, like a Pomodoro, to guarantee that I periodically hit the pause button.

Reasons To Work In The Graphic Design Industry

Graphic/web designers collaborate during a work meeting

My reasons for working in this industry involve solving problems of a creative or technical nature, and the discovery of solutions that improves my work and myself.

Advice For Graphic/Web Designers

Graphic/web designer and illustrator works on a project

Keep your mind open, explore the areas beyond your limitations, and seek the knowledge that leads to empathy. By doing this, you improve yourself and your working relationships.

We hope you enjoyed hearing from Don about his career and experiences inside the Work It Daily community.

Do you want to become a Workplace Renegade?

Join our community to learn how to UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!


  • February 27th, 2023
  • - Comments Off on Member Spotlight: Bharat Kirthivasan, Project/Program Management
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At Work It Daily, we call our members “Workplace Renegades.” A Workplace Renegade is a person who believes in themselves and joins our community to finally take control of their career. They believe in working to live, NOT living to work. Bharat Kirthivasan is a top member in our community who exemplifies these qualities.


Below, Bharat Kirthivasan answers some questions about his career field and explains why he joined (and continues to participate in) the Work It Daily community.

Why I #WorkItDaily

@workitdaily Thank you Fatima for being the first to join our @tiktok social media campaign♥️♥️♥️@fatimalhusseiny We can’t wait to share your story with the world! Check out our campaign to learn more! @workitdaily #workitdaily #WhyIWorkItDaily #careertiktok #careertok #jobtok #edutok #mywhy #purpose #passion #worktolive #live #life #love ♬ Epic Music(863502) – Draganov89

I am proud to be a part of the biopharmaceutical realm. We help protect people and improve their quality of life. All our decisions are made with the patient in mind.

In the future, I want to cross-functionally manage every aspect of a product from initiation to commercial output. Using these skills, I would like to intelligently discuss the value of successful projects and the company as a whole.

Work It Daily provides an understanding of how to apply for positions, how best to present yourself in interviews, and how to communicate your insights on interviews and during your career. I have observed another dimension of the hiring process.

Benefits Of Being A Program Manager

Work meeting with multiple departments and the program/project manager

A program manager works on some or all stages of drug design, initial clinical trials, drug development, and commercialization. Often, multiple projects are being managed in parallel. You get a bird’s eye view of scenario planning, staying within budget, ensuring departmental collaboration, monitoring progress, and succinct communication with upper management.

The major benefit for me would be an interaction between multiple departments and functions that are all working toward a common goal. I particularly like it because I enjoy working with people, critical thinking, and finding effective solutions to problems.

Work-Life Balance For Program Managers

Calendar on computer for program or project manager

There is no formula per se. It is important to remember that life comes first and that an unhappy life makes it harder to thrive at work. When a project ends, do a quick retrospective: how good were your initial estimates on time, success metrics, other resources, etc.? Usually, a mad dash to the deadline negatively affects work-life balance; so, plan your work as much as possible (easier said than done).

Reasons To Work In The Pharma/Biotech Industry

Pharmaceutical/biotech industry concept

You contribute to people’s health and quality of life. Also, this field blends biology, chemistry, engineering, numbers, and critical problem-solving. Deadlines are tight and people pull together to meet them.

Advice For Program Managers

Teamwork, collaboration, pharmaceutical, biotech, creativity, brainstorming, skills concept

You should strengthen your people skills, patience, attention to detail, and grit.

We hope you enjoyed hearing from Bharat about his career and experiences inside the Work It Daily community.

Do you want to become a Workplace Renegade?

Join our community to learn how to UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

  • January 31st, 2023
  • - Comments Off on My Experiences As A Professional With Autism & Why I #WorkItDaily
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We recently launched a social media campaign on TikTok asking users to share their stories about why they “#workitdaily.” This week, we heard from Robert Rosen, a Work It Daily member who wrote about his experiences as a professional with autism.


We wanted to share Robert’s story with you to spread awareness about the unique challenges autistic individuals face in the workplace and to reassure other professionals who are also on the autism spectrum that they aren’t alone.

Robert’s Story

Robert Rosen

I have read multiple stories and reports saying that the unemployment/underemployment rate of people on the autism spectrum is through the roof. This source says that the unemployment rate alone is between 76% and 90% (although it may not distinguish between “high-functioning”—those perfectly capable of living independently without assistance—and “low-functioning” individuals).

I estimate that I have spent something on the order of 20 years either unemployed or underemployed (much of that time making less than a living wage), translating into maybe as much as a million dollars in lost income compared to if I had been fully employed at the level of my academic and professional peers.

My situation could be perhaps best described by how a therapist from my high school years described it: “A in intellectual, F in social.” One reason for my attachment to the dogs that appear on my Facebook profile is that I never have to worry about starting or maintaining a conversation with them, or their getting angry with me if I say or do the wrong thing.

When I first heard that getting a job was “all about networking,” I thought that it would be like for a paraplegic to hear that it was all about running. To say that my social network is small might be putting it mildly. That’s been pretty much the case for my entire life. And I see more evidence of it on Facebook. Virtually all of my relatives, former high school classmates, and such friends as I have with Facebook accounts who are currently active on it—and many who are not—have hundreds of Facebook friends. My older sister has over a thousand. I have about 40. And even that doesn’t tell the whole story, because in probably at least 80% of those cases I have had to be the one to make the friend request; I can hardly even remember the last time I received one unless you count a couple of people I didn’t know at all who were probably not making such request for any legitimate purpose.

I grew up basically before there was awareness of autism, and although it manifested itself far more starkly in my younger childhood days, my parents only found a regular psychiatrist to take me to, who apparently was not aware of it either because he eventually told them that he couldn’t help me. So I didn’t receive any sort of diagnosis of it until after the age of 40. (It was diagnosed as “atypical,” meaning that I didn’t show any mannerisms common with autistics, just social awkwardness.) There is some compensation in that I am not been saddled with the horrendous costs of housing and college education that younger people have experienced, which in combination with family trust and inheritance money and a relatively frugal lifestyle and low expenses have made the lack of income more bearable. (Although I did go back to college later in life to change careers, tuition was paid for with family trust money.)

One thing that the interviewer at the autism center said about me that puzzled me for a long time was that my communication style was almost entirely verbal. I do think I use gestures, but now I don’t think that’s what she was referring to, but rather that I tend to not pick up on nonverbal signals sent by others, which I can believe. My mother sometimes remarked how I had trouble looking people in the eye (a frequent autism symptom). Much later, I read that in an interview if you have trouble looking the interviewer in the eye, they will think that you are lying—certainly not true in my case. So reading that sent a signal to me of “Don’t trust nonverbal communication.”

My work career was reasonably stable for about my first decade in the professional workforce until I was laid off from a software engineer job at Boeing in the summer of 1993. Then it all went to pieces. Following the advice given in the book What Color Is Your Parachute, I focused my search on smaller companies, working largely from a book listing high-tech companies in the region. I did get some interviews, but offers were few and far between. And a pattern started that would repeat itself multiple times over the next several years: when I did get a job, I would lose it in a matter of weeks or sometimes even days. It was over two years before I got any job with any measure of stability, and starting another pattern it was one where I was badly underpaid compared to other jobs of that type (programming), and for a time in terrible working conditions to boot. After about three years there, I was laid off, and the pattern of lengthy unemployment and lost jobs began anew. After one last job in the field where I was laid off yet again after a little over a year and confronted at the time with a hiring slump in the tech field, I decided then to go back to college and try to change careers. It would be nine years before I would finally complete that (with a couple more very poor-paying programming jobs in the interim, including one project that I ended up never being paid for at all).

I ended up with a double degree in accounting and environmental science (in 2010), and despite a GPA that earned my admission into a national business honor society, I graduated right back into unemployment. At that point, a friend told me about the state Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). Things seemed to hit bottom at one point, though, when a DVR person told me that all they would be able to help me get would be an unpaid internship or a warehouse job.

If there is any job-finding resource that gives me the willies, it’s the free-form networking event. In situations like that, where people tend to separate themselves into groups, I have frequently ended up in what I jokingly call a “group of one” and as a result, I have ended up leaving more than one of these early. But one did have a payoff. I met a Boeing accounting director there and, eventually, my DVR counselor was able to set up a meeting between the three of us (and some other Boeing personnel). And although their answer to the question of whether I had the background that they might hire me for was “no,” I did get a call from the director a short time later about a temp job there. And it would lead, eventually, to four more temp jobs at Boeing. But no permanent ones. And the employment timeline after graduation was fifteen months unemployed, followed by four months of employment, followed by eight more months unemployed (other than part-time work at one of those very poor-paying jobs), followed by ten months of employment, followed by four more months unemployed before work became somewhat more steady. But the temp jobs came with very few benefits—I didn’t get a single day of paid vacation the whole time, for example—and they didn’t give me any career progression.

Finally, after one more job paying virtually nothing, I landed a job that seemed to promise the end of my troubles, as an auditor with the federal government. By then it had been nearly a quarter century since that layoff from Boeing. And for the first couple of years, that promise did seem to be a reality. The high-water mark came when, because of a conflict-of-interest issue with a pension, I was temporarily transferred out of the office that audited Boeing to one that audited many companies in the area. The supervisor at the second office had doubts about me because the Boeing office progressed new employees much more slowly than theirs. But I won him over, so much so that he suggested I put in for a permanent transfer. But I didn’t end up doing so first because my supervisor at the Boeing office said that my chances for approval wouldn’t be good because of low seniority, and second because that second supervisor was soon rotated to work for the headquarters office.

But as seemed to inevitably happen, me and job security were soon separated again. After several months the conflict of interest was resolved and I was sent back to the Boeing office. Then a few months later, my supervisor there retired, and for the first time in over 20 years, I found myself under a supervisor with a short temper. But worse was yet to come. After several more months, I found myself put under a newly transferred supervisor with an even worse temper, and one who also would lose her temper for just about any reason at all. That is twice now that I have found myself under a supervisor like that, and both ended badly for me. All the more depressing after reading an article saying that federal jobs are as secure as they come, with only 4,000 losing their jobs out of 1.6 million over a period of several years. (My work group did seem to be an exception, as another person under the same supervisor was terminated just a few months later. But she succeeded in getting another federal job even before the termination date, while I remain unemployed.)

My newest cycle of unemployment is at 3 ½ months and counting. So far, every interview I have had has resulted in failure—if an initial interview, no second interview. If there is only one interview required, then no offer.

Why Do You #WorkItDaily?

@workitdaily Thank you Fatima for being the first to join our @tiktok social media campaign♥️♥️♥️@fatimalhusseiny We can’t wait to share your story with the world! Check out our campaign to learn more! @workitdaily #workitdaily #WhyIWorkItDaily #careertiktok #careertok #jobtok #edutok #mywhy #purpose #passion #worktolive #live #life #love ♬ Epic Music(863502) – Draganov89

Robert shared his story with us. Will you?

Share your story on TikTok, tag @workitdaily, and add #workitdaily to your post. You could get featured on our website and social media feeds!

Let’s start changing the narrative through storytelling today!