​On November 30th, we wrapped up the #EpiWritingChallenge with an #AskTheEditor event. Public health researchers and epidemiologists tuned in all day to ask questions about publishing, reviewing, editing, submission, writing, the works!

We heard from Bill Miller, Editor-in-Chief of STD Journal, and Associated Editor at Epidemiology, Tim Lash, Editor-in-Chief of Epidemiology, Andy Olshan, Editor-in-Chief of Current Epidemiology Reports, Petra Wark, Associate Editor at Nutrition Journal, Justin Lessler, Associated Editor at American Journal of Epidemiology, Nicola Low, Deputy Editor at STI BMJ and Specialty Consulting Editor at PLOS Med, and Emily DeVoto​, Deputy Editor at Epidemiology. 

One of my favorite parts of being part of a professional Twitter community like #EpiTwitter is how it brings together all the ranks – from students to trainees to early career professors and the highest and mightiest. This #AskTheEditor event was a prime example. Bill Miller, the chair of the Epidemiology Department at the Ohio State University proposed the idea, and I eagerly jumped on board. We rounded up some great editors and had people tweet us their questions.
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I’ve summarized the great questions and answers exchanged during the course of the day, and categorized them generally below. Be sure to bookmark this page, and feel free to share with colleagues. 

Forever on the go, the topic of burnout has hit headlines for many professions. From doctors working 36 hour shifts to businessmen with a cellphone glued to their ear, no group is immune. 

They say list off all the things you'd like to prioritize in your life - fitness, friends, family, sleep, work - and then pick 2. With a lifestyle like that, seeing articles headlining "How to Actively Invest Your Money" and "3 Easy Steps to Get Fit" probably fall on deaf ears, on the couch, exhausted after a very long day at work.

We all go through cycles. like New Years resolutions, when we try to boost our productivity, even in our down hours.

As we work all day and night, we work ourselves on a fast track to burnout. Exhaustion, nervous break downs, and an overall reduction in productivity and even work means lost income - the very opposite of what we're all trying do. (Make money). 

This post is about maximizing your earnings without contributing to burnout - how? By spending 1 hour of your day focused on it. Let's get started.

It’s normal to find work stressful, and a certain level stress actually makes us more productive. But sometimes the humdrum of spending all day in a cubicle can lead to even more stress. If your stress level has moved from productive to frazzled, it may be time to incorporate small things throughout your work day to decompress.
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If exercise helps you unwind, you might search online to see if there are classes near your work to take during lunch hour. You could search for pilates classes, barre, yoga, or whatever sparks your fancy. Not all of us have lunch hours, or can exercise in the middle of the day, so let’s explore some other options.

​When you get home from work, would you rather collapse on the couch or do something – hit the gym, meet up with friends, go for a bike ride? Most of us fall into one of these two camps, but there’s a happy medium to get the both of both worlds.
Let’s jump in. 

It's exciting to start a new job. But sometimes a company isn't what it seems. There are strategies to evaluate work culture during your interviews, but in this article, we'll talk about what to do when you're already in a new job, and learn your manager isn't as great as they seemed.

There's a lot of advice online about how to "Manage Your Manager" and on handling confrontation at work - those that exalt it, and those that recommend avoiding it at all costs. 

Each situation is unique, and so we'll give you three aspects of the situation to think about as you craft a strategy to stand up for yourself at work.

Whether you want a promotion for the increase in pay or to have a more influential role in your organization, by setting your mindset for growth and making a plan, you can climb the corporate ladder and get the paycheck to go with it.

Just like when you're in school, and you make a plan for graduation and for the job search, you can also make a plan for your career. What positions exist in your organization? What skills go along with those positions? 

Talk to people you know in those roles, find out how they got there. Conducting these informational interviews is extremely helpful in making your plan. You can find out what they wish they had known early on, and learn from their perspective.

Want a jump start? We have a free Career Plan Template for you to download at the bottom of the post. You can also find it on our Resource page.

We confront external obstacles every day, but they aren't the only ones. Our perspective on the world is colored by our own expectations of ourselves and others. Your perspective is often what makes or breaks a successful career, because it can push you to meet your potential, or it can get in your own way. Your perception of external obstacles shape how you manage internal obstacles. Is that barrier a puzzle to solve, or is it a signal that you've failed? Allowing these internal obstacles to keep you from continuing on the road to success will drain your motivation and work ethic.

In this article we'll talk about 4 big obstacles that you can overcome just by recognizing them, and by taking steps to tear them down.