Leaving academia: Do’s and Don’ts

Posted on 22 Jul 2015 by Julie Gould

Elizabeth Silva’s six Do’s and Don’ts on transferable skills before looking for a job outside of academia.

Contributor Elizabeth Silva

In a previous article I discussed the importance of honing the soft skills that are central to a research PhD, which are useful regardless of career path. Experiences outside the lab primarily provide the opportunity to develop hard skills. There are thousands of different skills, requested by thousands of employers, in an infinite number of combinations. It’s no wonder PhDs are daunted by the prospect of navigating the options and give up before they begin. The good news: many of these specific skills can be readily learned by someone who has already mastered dozens of ridiculously specific, esoteric and finicky experiments.

First, a few dos and don’ts:

Don’t be tempted to develop an array of skills with the hope of marketing yourself to whatever job happens to arise. Start exploring different careers to get an idea of what you want to do, then develop skills that are related to that job or career. Continue reading →

Science internships waiting for your application

Posted on 01 Jul 2013 by Catherine de Lange

To make it easier for you to find a great work placement, we’ve dedicated this blog post to upcoming opportunities in science, technology, engineering and maths.

We will be updating this list regularly, so keep checking back for more.

If you have a paid internship suitable for scientists you’d like us to add to the list, please send details to naturejobseditor@nature.com

Continue reading →

Q&A: Internships abroad: why it’s worth taking the plunge

Posted on 31 Jan 2013 by Catherine de Lange

Embarking on an internship abroad can feel daunting, but it could open up a world of opportunity.

Thinking of an internship this summer? Why not consider one abroad? There are several programmes that offer placements to science students or graduates looking to gain relevant work experience in an exciting location. Not only is it a great opportunity to travel, meet new people and learn a new language, the ability to push yourself out of your comfort zone will impress future employers and give you a lot to talk about in interviews.

Here, Jordan Kodner, currently a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, tells us about his summer placement with Contact Singapore, who offer summer placements lasting 3-6 months starting in July (application deadline is the 28th Feb).

Why did you decide to apply?

I had heard a number of positive and interesting things about Singapore in the past, and I needed something to do for the summer. I figured an internship in Singapore would be a win-win for me.

What did the application process involve?

The first part off the application just asked for which position I’d be interested in, my school and major, my resume, and other basic identifying information. A few weeks later, I received an email inquiring about my transcripts.

Where was your placement and what did it involve?

I worked at the Spin and Energy Lab at the National University of Singapore Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. There, I researched microcontrollers that would be suitable for ultra-low power applications.

What do you feel that you achieved in the three months you were in Singapore?

I learned something about a field that I had very little prior experience in. I’m not an electrical engineer, so working in that area in a lab on the opposite side of the world was a bit of a challenge, but I feel like I succeeded.

What was the highlight of the experience? Continue reading →

Getting an internship in science journalism

Posted on 28 Jan 2013 by Catherine de Lange

{credit}iStockphoto/Thinkstock{/credit}

Last week, we received an email from one of our readers:

“I’ve just finished my PhD and I’m now focusing on a move into science journalism. I’d really like to apply for internships to gain some more concrete experience of the editorial atmosphere at a big publication to add to the freelancing and work experience I’ve done.

Although I’ve spotted a few journalism internships and graduate schemes, including some at Nature, it’s quite hard to identify these without sometimes having to apply speculatively to publications. Can you help?”

This is a question we get asked quite frequently, and whilst it’s true that getting any decent internship these days is competitive, those in science journalism are particularly hard to find.

Part of the problem is that they aren’t always advertised that widely, if at all. Whilst there are no hard and fast rules for starting out in the industry, there are some things you can do to keep your ear to the ground and boost your chances of Continue reading →

Internships: Time to think small?

Posted on 21 Dec 2012 by Catherine de Lange

For those keen to get an internship, SMEs provide a different kind of experience, and placements may be easier to come by.

: Personality is key at SMEs Credit: Stockbyte/Thinkstock

By Rob Blythe, contributor

Securing internships and graduate placements in 2012 is difficult. There has been a 25% increase in applications to graduate employers since 2009, with an average of 52 applications for each job, according to a comprehensive survey by High Flyers Research.

Certainly, as you’ll know if you’ve found your way to this blog, research roles are particularly competitive, but the landscape isn’t as bleak as the statistics suggest.

There are only vast numbers of applications for a small minority of well-publicised opportunities. Big corporations spend enormous amounts of money making sure their roles are really competitive both because it ensures they are introduced to the very best candidates but also because graduates subsequently really want their jobs.

But what about smaller companies? A recent survey produced by UKCES that interviewed over 15,000 UK employers from a cross-section of sectors reported that 27% of businesses have recruited someone aged between 19 and 24 in the past twelve months. There are jobs out there, but the vast majority will be with companies you won’t be familiar with and won’t have been on campus trying to reach you there.

‘SMEs’ (or small to medium enterprises) is an umbrella term for a real array of businesses. It might be a company run from the founder’s kitchen table or a business with hundreds of employees and very slick offices. The category represents the vast majority of UK employers – and a vast majority of prospective jobs.

If you haven’t considered applying for work placements at SMEs, you could be missing out. Not only are there fewer applicants per role but also some real advantages to the roles themselves. Working in close contact with senior management gives any new recruit the chance to learn from the best, and fast-growing businesses delegate real responsibility early on.

Finding the roles can be the hard part. To increase your chances of success:

Continue reading →

nature.com blogs

Tag Archives: internships