How to develop an effective job search strategy

Posted on 11 Jun 2014 by Julie Gould

Contributor Scott Chimileski

Based on the Developing an Effective Job Search Strategy workshop presented by Lauren Celano, CEO and Founder of Propel Careers, at the Naturejobs Career Expo in Boston, MA, May 20th 2014.

As a graduate student or research scientist, it is easy to forget that you don’t need to, and most likely will not, continue on in the specialised field you were trained in. Your experience and training has prepared you for an entire ecosystem of professional opportunities not limited by your studies in molecular endocrinology or bacterial genetics. The job search strategy outlined below is directed at finding a match between your own qualities and background and the great diversity of available science jobs.

A multitude of career paths exist in academia, at non-profit and medical institutions, and within industry. You may be aware of many of the opportunities in research and development, but there are also science jobs in commercialisation. These jobs range from marketing and market research, to project and product management. There are roles in pharmacoeconomics, clinical communications, medical writing, business development, and sales.

A main point of emphasis introduced early by Lauren Celano during the Developing an Effective Job Search Strategy workshop at the 2014 Naturejobs Career Expo was “fit matters”. It is critical to realise that companies and institutions are distinct places of employment, just as you are unique as an employee. Therefore, your goal should be to find your niche: the particular microenvironment in the professional ecosystem where your skills, knowledge and personality traits will allow you to succeed and grow. Continue reading →

How to network effectively

Posted on 10 Jun 2014 by Julie Gould

Contributor Lynn Kimlicka

Networking, that hyper-social business behaviour aimed at developing new partnerships and refreshing old ones, can feel like a whirlwind of madding crowds and fluttering business cards. Joanne Kamens, executive director of Addgene and a recognized educator of young scientists, sees it differently in her presentation at the Naturejobs Career Expo in Boston on May 20.

Networking is all about building relationships with people you like, Kamens says. It is not a fake and superficial mingling. And although networking is crucial in landing a job – the majority of job offers come through referrals and direct contacts – it should not be confused with the process of a job hunt. In fact, it is never too early to start building relationships, nor should one wait until a job change is imminent or unemployment strikes. Meet people and expand networks regularly, she advises.

Here are some tips she offers for successful networking experience:

Do not network with jerks. Networking should be empowering, not scary, she reflects, and should be a chance to meet interesting people. If someone is unpleasant, just make an excuse and walk away. Do not let negative encounters deter you from future networking opportunities. Continue reading →

Surviving and thriving in academia

Posted on 09 Jun 2014 by Julie Gould

Contributor Aliyah Weinstein

The landscape of careers that one can pursue with a PhD in a scientific discipline is growing, but a career in academia remains the No. 1 goal for many. A reality check: landing and succeeding in an academic position has never been easy, and in the current funding climate, may be harder than ever. The May 20th Surviving and Thriving in Academia panel at NJCE Boston offered some sage advice for those with this path in their sights.

Speaking to an audience of postdocs and graduate students, three early-career academics shared their experiences and suggestions: M. Isabel Dominguez, assistant professor of Medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine; Mary Gehring, assistant professor of biology at MIT and member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Mass.; and Daniel MacArthur, assistant professor in genetics at Massachusetts General Hospital and research affiliate at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT.

Here are their key pointers for making it in academia:

Follow your passion. “We are meant to be discoverers,” said Dominguez – after all, most scientists found their way into research through curiosity about some aspect of the field. If you envision a career in academia, it’s important to not let external factors, including the current difficulties in securing funding, serve as a deterrent when times get tough. There are ways to adjust, said the panelists. “I don’t want to change my science just to get a grant,” said Gehring. “I’d rather have a slightly smaller lab and still do what I’m excited about.” Continue reading →

How to get published in high-impact journals: An essential guide

Posted on 06 Jun 2014 by Julie Gould

Contributor Lynn Kimlicka

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Publish or perish holds true in most research environments, but a single publication in a high-tier journal can make a huge impact on one’s academic career path. For this reason, Kyle Vogan, a senior editor at Nature Genetics, provided insider publishing tips May 20 to early-career scientists at the Naturejobs Career Expo in Boston on how to land a paper in one’s dream journal. Nature Genetics ranks among the top five subdivisions of Nature, so the audience received wisdom from someone in the know.

Editors at top journals seek exceptional qualities, in particular, in two components of a paper, Vogan says: its content and its style. When it comes to content, Nature editors look for novelty and conceptual advancement. The finding must not have been published before, however not all new concepts merit publication in high-impact journals, where the readership is broad. The work must provide a significant step forward for the field and provide a new direction. Continue reading →

Funding opportunities in Europe

Posted on 04 Jun 2014 by Julie Gould

Contributor Saheli Sadanand

With funding cuts a seemingly constant threat to both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation, the U.S. academic research community has been pretty gloomy of late. In a discussion with the editorial board of USA Today on April 23^rd, NIH director Francis Collins highlighted studies showing that 18% percent of young scientists are considering immigrating to other countries where research is more stably supported [1]. As a testament to this interest, almost forty people attended a workshop on resources and funding opportunities in Europe.

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The workshop was led by Viktoria Bodnarova and Marco Masia. Bodnarova is a regional representative at Euraxess Links North America. Euraxess is a European Commission initiative that posts opportunities for researchers of all nationalities to work in Europe. Bodnarova described Euraxess as well as two European funding programs available under the auspices of Horizon 2020, a seven-year European parliament-backed initiative that has about 80 billion euros available for collaborations and individual fellowships: the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCAs) and European Research Council (ERC) grants. Masia is a recipient of the former. Horizon 2020 hopes to facilitate more efficient, groundbreaking research by providing funding with minimal restrictions.

MSCAs are grants for both doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. MSCAs are available in four forms – innovative training networks, individual fellowships, research and innovation staff exchange and co-funding of regional, national and international programmes. Continue reading →

Transferable skills: Keys for standing out from the crowd

Posted on 03 Jun 2014 by Julie Gould

Contributor Aliyah Weinstein

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“I am a leader and a visionary. I have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. I am a researcher. I am extremely analytical. I am an excellent planner and implementer.”

Everyone who attended Sarah Cardozo Duncan’s seminar on Transferable Skills at the NatureJobs Career Expo Boston on May 20th was told to turn to the person sitting next to them and repeat those sentences. There were uncertain glances and giggles at first, but the room quickly grew noisy as attendees gained in confidence and declared these traits to one another – ones that they, and all other scientists, will organically absorb as part as their research training.

Duncan’s point: while scientists can easily get bogged down by the technical requirements of their work, there are many other skills they will have picked up that are key to remember when interviewing for a job. Continue reading →

Putting your science to work: You WILL find a great job

Posted on 02 Jun 2014 by Julie Gould

{credit}David Fox {/credit}

Contributor Scott Chimileski

No matter how tough you are, everyone needs a little pep-talk once in a while. Dr. Peter S. Fiske, science communicator and CEO of PAX Water Technologies, Inc., knows exactly what it is like enter and navigate a complex and sometimes challenging scientific job market. After paving his own way through many jobs and career advancements, Dr. Fiske offered advice to early career scientists by suggesting 6 strategies for “putting your science to work.”

Twenty years after finishing a PhD at Stanford, Dr. Fiske has seen the number of available science positions rise and fall several times. Like any market, the job market is cyclical. And for that reason, he believes that no matter what the career landscape looks like right now, “you will find a great job, really, you will.” All researchers finishing a PhD in the life sciences need is some good advice and a little confidence boost. Continue reading →

#NJCEBoston – a review

Posted on 27 May 2014 by Julie Gould

{credit}David Fox{/credit}

On Tuesday May 20th the Naturejobs team hosted their first international Career Expo in Boston. We’d like to give a big thank you to everyone who made it and we hope you managed to get a lot out of your day with us: making new contacts, become inspired and picking up some freebies!

As with our previous London-based Expos, we like to learn from your experiences to make sure that each time our Expo gets better and better; that you continue to gain career inspiration and insights from our conference speakers, and that you meet the right people at the exhibition. In order for us to do this, we would be delighted if you could give us some feedback. We will shortly be sending out some evaluation forms, but if you want to leave us some feedback now, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below, use Twitter or Facebook, or email them directly to naturejobseditor[at]nature[dot]com.

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We would also be very keen to know if any of your new contacts and networking opportunities lead to something further. Whether it is just an informational interview, a coffee or (wouldn’t this be a lovely) a job, we want to hear about it.

For those who couldn’t make it, there was plenty of live Tweeting on the day, and you can find many comments, thoughts and discussions under the #NJCEBoston tag. We will also be uploading our coverage of the day, thanks to our #NJCEBoston journalists. But just in case you can’t wait for those pieces, here are the three key points that people took away from the day:

Networking: it’s not a bad thing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with knowing people – it’s all about who you know, that’s how business works. Joanne Kamens from Addgene did a great presentation on this, and a write-up will follow shortly.

It’s all about the story: from the moment you start looking for a job to the moment you’re in the interview, it’s all about telling your stories. Interviewers dont want to hear facts, they want to know you, and your story.

Communication: according to both industry and academic experts, this was The most wanted transferable skill. After all, without any communication, nothing gets done.

But now that the Expo is over, take a look at our handy tips for how to follow up on your networking at a science careers fair: After the fair.

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

Posted on 08 May 2014 by Julie Gould

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 →

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Tag Archives: #NJCEBoston

How to develop an effective job search strategy

How to network effectively

Surviving and thriving in academia

How to get published in high-impact journals: An essential guide

Contributor Lynn Kimlicka

Funding opportunities in Europe

Transferable skills: Keys for standing out from the crowd

Putting your science to work: You WILL find a great job

Contributor Scott Chimileski

#NJCEBoston – a review

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