Tag Archives: London 2015

Careers in industry: How to transition into a new field

Posted on by

Keeping an eye on the bigger picture in your field of research will enable you to see potential new avenues for research. If they line up with a company’s mission, then there’s nothing stopping you from pursuing them.

In the Careers in Industry panel at the 2015 London Naturejobs Career Expo, Steve Martin from GSK says that big pharma hires people with deep specialisms all the time, but after five or so years, many have moved into fields they haven’t experienced before. Simon Mosey from the University of Nottingham has made a living in moving between departments, and his advice is to keep an eye on the bigger picture.

In industry, as long as you keep the main vision of the company in mind, then there is a considerable amount of latitude to move fields within a company.

You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.

More Information

Unblock content Accept required service and unblock content

Top tips:

1) Express interest as soon as you come across an idea that is interesting.

2) Keep an eye on the bigger picture.

3) Network: You might meet someone who can be a great collaborator.

4) Find out if a company offers secondments to try a different area.

Further reading:

Careers in industry: The options.

Careers in academia: Frances Ashcroft and how she published her work

Posted on by

In the face of failed experiments, Frances Ashcroft turned to collaborations to get her work published.

At the 2015 London Naturejobs Career Expo, Frances Ashcroft, physiology professor at the University of Oxford, told the story of how, despite experimental disasters, she still managed to get her work published in Science and Nature. In this Q&A, as part of the Careers in Academia panel, Ashcroft shares how she managed to make this happen.

You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.

More Information

Unblock content Accept required service and unblock content

Top tips:

  1. Create collaborations with other scientists so that you can benefit from each other’s strengths and expertise.
  2. Find your own funding. This will bring a level of independence to your research, so you can move to and from labs if you don’t like the research being done there.

Further reading: 

Writing for international journals: Tips and tricks

Careers in academia: The different options

Careers in academia: How to get a PhD position

Careers in academia: How to avoid getting pigeon-holed

Careers in academia: How to get a senior staff scientist position

 

Careers in academia: How to get a senior staff scientist position

Posted on by

Informational interviews can give you a good idea of what is needed from a staff scientist.

Frances Aschroft, physiology professor at the University of Oxford, James Hadfield, manager of the genomics core facility at the University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute and Anna Price, career advisor at Queen Mary University, London, all panellists at the 2015 London Naturejobs Career Expo, are asked to give advice to someone who wants to become a staff scientist.

You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.

More Information

Unblock content Accept required service and unblock content

Top tips

  1. Do informational interviews and find out what people are looking for in staff scientists
  2. Get experience in the skills and techniques that employers are after

Further reading:

A guide to informational interviewing

Informational interviews and job shadowing

Wanted: Staff scientist positions for postdocs

Career paths: Staff scientists backed

Careers in academia: The different options

Careers in academia: How to get a PhD position

Careers in academia: How to avoid getting pigeon-holed

Careers in academia: How to manage work-life balance with families

Posted on by

If having a family is something you are considering, then chose an employer that will accommodate your needs.

Frances Aschroft, physiology professor at the University of Oxford, James Hadfield, manager of the genomics core facility at the University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute and Lisa Fox, senior trials manager at the Institute of Cancer Research (who has recently returned to work after having children), tackle the question of how to manage work-life balance whilst having families.

You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.

More Information

Unblock content Accept required service and unblock content

Top tips:

  1. Pick the right employer.
  2. Manage your time wisely.
  3. Financial support.
  4. Plan ahead when considering your career.

Further reading:

Women in science: A returner’s perspective

Careers in academia: The different options

Careers in academia: How to get a PhD position

Careers in academia: How to avoid getting pigeon-holed

 

Careers in academia: How to avoid getting pigeon-holed

Posted on by

Developing experimental techniques that can be applied to multiple projects will help broaden your scientific experiences.

At the 2015 London Naturejobs Career Expo, Frances Aschroft, physiology professor at the University of Oxford, and James Hadfield, manager of the genomics core facility at the University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, gave advice on how to develop skills that will avoid you getting pigeon-holed into one field of research.

You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.

More Information

Unblock content Accept required service and unblock content

Top tips:

  1. Follow your passions and interests. If you succeed, it won’t be a problem. Determination, application and patience will help.
  2. Learn experimental techniques that can be applied in different situations.
  3. If you want to set up a lab, long term, you need to be able to adapt.
  4. Find the question you want to answer, then find the technology to help you do so.
  5. Don’t spend all your time working on one research question. Find time to stay up to date with research on the fringes of your field.

Further reading:

Careers in academia: The different options

Careers in academia: How to get a PhD position

Careers in industry: Is an industrial PhD worth it?

Posted on by

A PhD with an industrial partner will give an indication of whether or not an industry-based research career is suitable for you.

You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.

More Information

Unblock content Accept required service and unblock content

If you want to work in industry, it isn’t necessary to do a PhD, says Steve Martin from GSK. If you have a passion for the science, then you could work your way up. However, a PhD can offer some training which is relevant to a specific role. Some researchers opt to take on a PhD in a part-time capacity whilst working in industry, but others, like Helen Pappa from Quintiles, start a PhD that is supported by industry. “I had the best of both worlds,” she said at the 2015 Naturejobs Career Expo in London. She spent half at Imperial College, London, and half in industry. The industrial contacts that she made through her PhD also helped carve out her future career path.

If you are contemplating a career in industry and you have the opportunity to do a PhD with an industry element in it, then “the answer is resoundingly yes,” said Martin. Understand what industrial research is like, and will give you an indication of whether or not it is suitable for you.

Further reading:

Careers in industry: The options.

Careers in industry: How to transition into a new field

Careers in industry: How to make a good elevator pitch

Careers in industry: How to make a good elevator pitch

Posted on by

Preparing a key message, and demonstrating enthusiasm and passion will certainly get you noticed, say speakers at the 2015 London Naturejobs Career Expo.

You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.

More Information

Unblock content Accept required service and unblock content

Top tips:

  1. Use your network to find out about different jobs that you think you would be interested in or good at.
  2. Think about the key points and skills that you have that will catch someone’s attention.
  3. Provide examples of how the skills have been demonstrated.
  4. Rehearse your pitch before interviews/conferences to non-scientists, family and friends and ask for feedback.
  5. Break the conversation if there is no interest. Say thank you very much, and move on.
  6. Tailor your pitch to who you speak to.
  7. Get across your passion for what it is that they are interested in.
  8. Make sure that you make it clear what you want from the conversation, whether it’s information or another interview.

Further reading:

Careers in industry: The options.

Careers in industry: How to transition into a new field

Scientific communities: How to avoid getting scooped on social media

Posted on by

Being prepared before broadcasting is a sure way to avoid being scooped, says Jon Tennant at the 2015 London Naturejobs Career Expo.

Many scientists are nervous about sharing their scientific work before publishing. The fear of being scooped is there when it comes to social media, but it will be difficult for someone to scoop your work based on a 140-character sentence.

Sharing your science on social media is all about being selective. You can make data and methods open when you’re ready – there is no rush to get things out before you are prepared.

You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.

More Information

Unblock content Accept required service and unblock content

Further reading:

Scientific communities: Build your own.

Scientific communities: How to follow the right people on Twitter

Scientific communities: From Twitter to paper

Scientific communities: Membership at learned societies

Scientific communities: How to get your blog noticed

 

Scientific communities: How to get your blog noticed

Posted on by

Increasing engagement and using social media can help get your blog posts to wider audiences, says Jon Tennant.

At the 2015 London Naturejobs Career Expo, Scientific communities panelist Jon Tennant, an avid science blogger, shared a few top tips on getting your blog noticed.

You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.

More Information

Unblock content Accept required service and unblock content

Top tips from Jon Tennant:

  1. Tag your posts so that they are easily searchable.
  2. Share your posts on social media (Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter…).
  3. Ask for feedback by getting people to comment on your posts. This can stimulate conversations around the topics covered, which will increase engagement.
  4. Ask people to share your content in their own circles so that it reaches a broader audience.

Further reading:

Scientific communities: Build your own.

Scientific communities: How to follow the right people on Twitter

Scientific communities: From Twitter to paper

Scientific communities: Membership at learned societies

Scientific communities: How to follow the right people on Twitter

Posted on by

Following the right people on Twitter can help develop supportive and beneficial communities, say speakers at the 2015 London Naturejobs Career Expo.

Jon Tennant, a paleontologist and avid social media user shares his tips on how to make the most of a social media community on Twitter.

You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.

More Information

Unblock content Accept required service and unblock content

Jon Tennant’s four top tips:

  1. Identify learned societies in your field and find out who they follow. These people will be high-profile scientists in that particular speciality.
  2. Tweet at conferences and you’ll quickly find that people follow you back, especially those who cannot attend.
  3. Curate your feeds into lists. For example, develop a list appropriate to science communication, or on microbiology. You can be as specific as you like
  4. If you don’t like what someone does/says on Twitter, you can unfollow them.

Further reading:

Scientific communities: Build your own

Scientific communities: Membership at learned societies

Scientific communities: From Twitter to paper