Empowering Women Over 50: Overcoming Workplace Bias and Building Resilient Careers with Dr. Helen Ofosu, PhD.

Host Sherrilynne Starkie welcomes Dr. Helen Ofosu, PhD. to episode seven of the 50 Women Over 50 podcast to discuss why many women who are later in their careers are overlooked at work.

She is an I/O (industrial-organizational) psychologist providing HR consulting and executive and career coaching. She’s also an adjunct professor of psychology at Carleton University and is the author of the soon to be published book, How to be Resilient in Your Career: Facing up to Barriers at Work.

“Women who are over 50 years of age are often underestimated and can be passed over for promotions, especially if they don’t exhibit much ego or a big personality in the workplace,” explains Dr. Helen. “But there are steps they can take to ensure they are given new opportunities.”

In this interview, Dr. Helen also reflects on her own lived experience of building her successful career as a single mother and the challenges she faced, and she shares her vision for a happy (but busy!) retirement.

About Dr. Helen Ofosu, PhD:

Dr. Helen Ofosu, PhD. has more than 20 years experience as a I/O psychologist and is an expert in human behaviour in the workplace. Her company I/O Advisory provides a range of counselling and consulting services to organizations, executive leaders and other career minded individuals. She’s on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce and is an officer of the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA).

She’s been cited as a subject matter expert by a range of news media outlets and her first book How to be Resilient in Your Career: Facing up to Barriers at Work is due out in early 2023.Dr. Helen lives with her partner and son in Ottawa, and in her spare time she loves boating and spending time with her family and friends.

Resources & Contact Information:

• About Dr. Helen Ofosu, PhD.
• I/O Advisory
• How to be Resilient in your Career: Facing Up to Barriers at Work
• The One That Got Away: Being Passed Over for Promotion
• Beatrice and Croc Harry, by Lawrence Hill
• Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce

About the 50 Women Over 50 Podcast:

Sherrilynne Starkie started this show as a creative project with the goal of interviewing 50 women past their 50th birthday to learn how they see the world, what lessons they’ve learned and what advice they have for us all. She’s been blogging and podcasting for 18+ years as part of a successful marketing and communications career and looks forward to learning from the women she will interview.

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Elevating the voices and stories of women navigating the enriching complexities of midlife, '50 Women Over 50' is an empowering podcast that draws inspiration from the experiences of 50 incredible women.