Helen Ofosu, PhD

How to be Resilient in Your Career: Facing Up to Barriers at Work is a must-read guidebook for modern professionals. Written by award-winning I/O Psychologist and career advisor Dr. Helen Ofosu who shares vital career advice to help readers navigate common “internally disruptive” career experiences such as harassment, imposter syndrome, bullying, being part of an underrepresented group, toxic workplaces, discrimination, and more Dr. Ofosu draws on twenty years of helping employers recruit… Show more

How to be Resilient in Your Career: Facing Up to Barriers at Work is a must-read guidebook for modern professionals. Written by award-winning I/O Psychologist and career advisor Dr. Helen Ofosu who shares vital career advice to help readers navigate common “internally disruptive” career experiences such as harassment, imposter syndrome, bullying, being part of an underrepresented group, toxic workplaces, discrimination, and more Dr. Ofosu draws on twenty years of helping employers recruit high-performing professionals and coaching subject matter experts and leaders through difficult career choices to unpack these layered and complicated issues in an easy-to-follow way. Show less

Cyber security has become an international obsession for good reason. But, there are other types of security breaches. In fact, it’s been argued that insider threats are an even bigger potential risk than external cyber attacks. In this article, I explain these insider threats, how to minimize them, and how they threaten high-tech industries (e.g., robotics and AI) and more established old-fashioned service and infrastructure companies (energy grids/plants/pipelines, water supply/treatment… Show more

Cyber security has become an international obsession for good reason. But, there are other types of security breaches. In fact, it’s been argued that insider threats are an even bigger potential risk than external cyber attacks. In this article, I explain these insider threats, how to minimize them, and how they threaten high-tech industries (e.g., robotics and AI) and more established old-fashioned service and infrastructure companies (energy grids/plants/pipelines, water supply/treatment, public transportation). Show less

There’s something you ought to know before you spend every spare nickel you have on firewalls and encryption for your iron-clad computer network – if I wanted to steal your intellectual property, I’d find someone to walk in the front door and take it. Why?

Essentially, this article highlights the fact that cyber security is not enough. Many of the data breeches originate inside organizations. Various HR interventions and policies are recommended to help mitigate the risks posed by… Show more

There’s something you ought to know before you spend every spare nickel you have on firewalls and encryption for your iron-clad computer network – if I wanted to steal your intellectual property, I’d find someone to walk in the front door and take it. Why?

Essentially, this article highlights the fact that cyber security is not enough. Many of the data breeches originate inside organizations. Various HR interventions and policies are recommended to help mitigate the risks posed by insider threats. Show less

Transitioning out of the military is often complicated for soldiers conditioned to living in an environment dominated by structure and routine. Yet every year, hundreds of Canadian Armed Forces members doff their uniform, take a deep breath, and parachute unsteadily into their new lives as civilians.

As a career coach, I’ve seen and heard about many ex-soldiers that tuck-and-roll directly into a suit and behind a desk into a position that doesn’t meet their expectations or match their… Show more

Transitioning out of the military is often complicated for soldiers conditioned to living in an environment dominated by structure and routine. Yet every year, hundreds of Canadian Armed Forces members doff their uniform, take a deep breath, and parachute unsteadily into their new lives as civilians.

As a career coach, I’ve seen and heard about many ex-soldiers that tuck-and-roll directly into a suit and behind a desk into a position that doesn’t meet their expectations or match their particular skill set. Why is this happening?

Much of the time, the answer is simple: Bad advice.

While plenty of CAF members look for career coaches outside the military when planning future civilian occupations, few realize the industry is unregulated. All you need to become a career coach is the ability (and audacity) to market yourself as one. Armed with that knowledge, it’s exceedingly important that transitioning members do their homework before signing a contract with a career coach. Here’s what you need to know in order to make an informed decision:

Research past performance

When the stakes are high and the career change is significant, it’s important to find somebody who has sufficient training, experience, and preparation. In the world of psychology, we often say that the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour. Choose someone whose past behaviour (i.e., their past experience and accomplishments) gives you confidence that they are well-positioned to help you meet your goals. In other words, talk is cheap; look for concrete evidence of credibility.

Evaluate their understanding of your military service


… To read the rest of this article, please visit Esprit de Corps. Show less

In two independent studies of university undergraduates, the present investigation created and evaluated an abbreviated (15-item) version of the 37-item Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA), a multidimensional instrument that assesses family, romantic, and social loneliness. In Study 1 (N=340), participants completed the SELSA; in Study 2 (N=211), participants completed the SELSA and five other loneliness inventories. Results showed that the three abbreviated SELSA subscales… Show more

In two independent studies of university undergraduates, the present investigation created and evaluated an abbreviated (15-item) version of the 37-item Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA), a multidimensional instrument that assesses family, romantic, and social loneliness. In Study 1 (N=340), participants completed the SELSA; in Study 2 (N=211), participants completed the SELSA and five other loneliness inventories. Results showed that the three abbreviated SELSA subscales each (a) demonstrated very high internal consistency, (b) correlated very highly to the full respective subscales, and (c) correlated with theoretically related loneliness scales. In addition, both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesized 3-subscale factor solution. In sum, results showed that the abbreviated SELSA subscales represent a psychometrically reliable and valid alternative to the full inventory. Show less

The purpose of this article is to integrate research from across the social sciences in order to understand Black women's body image perceptions. To accomplish this goal, the effects of race, ethnicity, class and culture are examined. Cultural differences between African Canadians/Americans and Blacks living in Africa and the Caribbean are outlined and their effects on Black women's experiences of weight and eating are also discussed. Some of the historical underpinnings, and several aspects of… Show more

The purpose of this article is to integrate research from across the social sciences in order to understand Black women's body image perceptions. To accomplish this goal, the effects of race, ethnicity, class and culture are examined. Cultural differences between African Canadians/Americans and Blacks living in Africa and the Caribbean are outlined and their effects on Black women's experiences of weight and eating are also discussed. Some of the historical underpinnings, and several aspects of the current social context within which Black women live are explored in order to explain body image perceptions. Show less