Category Archives: #NJCESanFrancisco

#NJCESanFrancisco

Skills for your next networking adventure

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Networking may seem terrifying, but once you master the basics, it can be a real career boost

Naturejobs journalism competition winner Andy Tay

Networking during academic events such as conferences and seminars can be nerve-wrecking. Most of us can remember when we pretended to be engrossed in a programme booklet, wishing we could finally muster the courage to speak to the speaker with ground-breaking research standing ten feet away. You’re not alone, and there is a solution. Effective networking is a skill and anyone can benefit from more practice.

Do your homework

It’s a good habit to read the abstracts of presenters and download their papers to learn more about them before you join a conference. If you’re interested in their work, look up their profiles on platforms like Google Scholar, PudMed and ResearchGate. These platforms automatically update publications and can be better sources of information than many lab webpages, which are less regularly updated. By being diligent, and finding out more about the presenters and their research, you’ll be more confident and ready to ask critical, intelligent questions.

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The Naturejobs career expo, San Francisco

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Naturejobs’ visit to the home of technology was a huge success.

We’re thrilled with the way that the Naturejobs career expo – held for the very first time in sunny San Francisco – turned out. We learnt an awful lot about the career options available for researchers in California, both in industry and academia, and found some of the best ways to approach those options and how to maximise your chances of landing a job.

Peter Fiske

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So you want to be a Nature journalist? Join us at the Naturejobs Career Expo!

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The Naturejobs Career Expo Journalism Competition is back!

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We’re thrilled to announce this year’s Naturejobs journalism competition, taking place in both San Francisco and Boston. This is a great opportunity for new and upcoming science journalists to work with a Nature editor, attend the Naturejobs Career Expo, and have their voice published on the Naturejobs blog. Winners will also be provided with a $100 Amazon voucher and a year’s personal subscription to Nature.

We’re looking for 10 new science writers, based in – or able to travel to – San Francisco and Boston, to cover our ever-popular career expos. The conferences will explore careers in academia and industry, the career paths of prominent scientists, and how to develop the all-important practical and soft skills you need to progress in your career.

Winners of the journalism competition will have the opportunity to visit and report on at least two sessions at the career expo, will be able to work with Springer Nature editors on their pieces, and have their winning entries and reports published on the Naturejobs blog.

 

All you need to do to be considered for the Naturejobs Career Expo Journalism Competition is to send us:

1) A cover letter explaining why you want to be considered and what would make you a good journalist.

2) Your CV.

3) A 600 word answer to one of the following topics:

  • Career paths: What do you need to think about before taking your next step?
  • Balance: Can scientists really have work/life balance?
  • Interviews: What’s the worst question to be asked, and how do you answer it?
  • Events: What are the best networking practises at a conference?
  • Attitude: How important is confidence in science?
  • Mobility: How far should you travel for your research?
  • Transferable skills: What are scientists good at (other than science)?

 

The prizes are:

1) The five winning and five runner-up entries will be posted on the Naturejobs blog before the event.

2) The reports of the Expo will be published on the Naturejobs blog after the event.

3) Winners will work with, and meet, Springer Nature editors.

4) The five winners will receive a one year personal subscription to Nature .

5) The five winners will also get a $100 Amazon voucher.

 

The things you need to know BEFORE entering the competition:

1) We cannot offer travel grants or cover travel expenses to the event of any kind. Instead we offer some great prizes, along with the opportunity of having your pieces published on the Naturejobs blog.

2) The competition entries and content created will be used on the Naturejobs blog and in marketing materials for the Naturejobs Career Expo.

3) The deadline for sending in your competition entries is 7th April 2016 at 9pm GMT.

4) You can send your competition entries to the Naturejobs editor at naturejobseditor [at] nature.com.

 

Good luck, and we’re looking forward to seeing your entries!

 

Links

Naturejobs Career Expo San Francisco

Naturejobs Career Expo Boston

How to prepare for a science careers fair: After the event

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_NJCE(Long)eps
The fair is over and you were a glowing success. Now it’s time to capitalise on the networking you did, those business cards you collected and CVs you handed out.

Always follow up with people you spoke to. Many of the recruiters will base their impressions of you on your continued conversation. Here are our top Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to follow-up letters:

  • DO send the email within 48 hours.
  • DON’T do it as you’re leaving the building: you don’t want to be too keen.
  • DO make it specific: mention something from the conversation that was memorable (e.g., a project that you did your homework on).
  • DON’T warble on about how amazing the science career fair was (although the Naturejobs Career Expo will be awesome).
  • DO proofread all emails you send out: spelling and grammatical mistakes will completely undermine all your efforts from the day.
  • DON’T send the wrong email: make sure you’ve got the name and organisation correct.
  • DO attach a CV where appropriate: if you didn’t have one on the day, and the recruiter asked for one, then it would be appropriate to attach one.
  • DON’T send a generic one: tailor it to the job role and company.

An example email may look like:

Dear Mr/Mrs/Dr [INSERT SURNAME],

It was great to meet you at the Naturejobs Career Expo in Boston yesterday. I’d like to thank you for taking some time to talk to me about [INSERT PROJECT NAME]; it’s a fascinating piece of work that I have been following for some time now. As I mentioned, this is a field that I am keen to enter, and your organisation appears to offer excellent opportunities for someone at my level.

I have followed your suggestion of [INSERT SUGGESTION – might be attach a CV, upload CV online etc]. I do hope this brings me one step closer to the job as a [INSERT JOB TITLE] you mentioned.

If you need anything else from me, please do not hesitate to call me at [INSERT PHONE NUMBER] or use this email address.

Yours sincerely,

[INSERT YOUR NAME]

Following these simple tips will hopefully get responses from all your conversations. And, fingers crossed, an interview or two.

Good luck!

How to prepare for a science careers fair: At the fair

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_NJCE(Long)eps
You’ve done your before you go preparation and it’s the day of the careers fair. What now?

In Part 2 of this blog series, we provide more practical advice to ensure you get the most from the show.

1. The early bird catches the worm. As we mentioned in Part 1, a careers fair is like a series of mini interviews. As with any job interview you have, it’s paramount that you arrive on time. Things are a bit more flexible at a fair, but if you want time with the recruiters it’s best to get in early before the mad rush. This will also give you the chance to schedule some meetings for later on in the day if you think there is a need.

2. Be patient. If a recruiter you want to talk to is busy in conversation, go away and come back when you can see that they’re free. Lingering in the background can be annoying for everyone involved.  Continue reading →

How to prepare for a science careers fair: Before you go

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_NJCE(Long)eps
You’ve bought your ticket to the Naturejobs Career Expo, which is only a short while away. Hurrah! (If you haven’t, and you can make the dates, you should definitely book a place—it’s going to be awesome.)

But how do you prepare for a science careers fair?It’s time to start planning. In this three part series we offer some practical advice to help you get the most out of the Expo. Part one: Before you go.

1. Swot up. You’ve received the conference information and accessed the website. Read it. Then read it again and make notes. Look up the conference speakers; research the organisations which are exhibiting. . In working through the list of exhibitors, identify those that offer careers which align with your professional goals. Have a look at their current vacancies. If you know that an institution or company is hiring, you can ask them about specific roles at the fair.

2. Prioritise. Now you know exactly who will be at the conference, make two lists: The A-List and the B-List. It’s unlikely you’ll have time to meet every employer so prioritise who you want to speak to the most. The A-List will be the organisations that you definitely want to make contact with, the companies that match your career needs. The B-List is for the companies that you think would be of interest, but aren’t directly related to your preferred career path. Continue reading →