How to use your graduate school training to create a successful business without any investors
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Meditation on a Caltrain: Understanding where to travel to next
Exploring options and thinking laterally about where you can use your scientific skills might be the key to successfully transitioning into industry, learns George Busby.
This piece was one of two winners of the Science Innovation Union writing competition, Oxford.
“This is downtown San Francisco, our train’s final stop. Can all passengers please detrain? All detrain please. All detrain.” Perhaps it was the heady fug of jetlag that made this broadcast particularly amusing to my UK-English language sensibilities, but I “detrained” all the same and stepped into the crisp morning air of the Californian rush hour.
I was on the west coast to visit two genetics start-ups as part of a whirlwind three-day tour of the US. With a long postdoc and several first author papers tucked into my belt, I wanted to see if these credentials would pass muster in the tech haven of Silicon Valley. I’ve always found the loneliness of solo work-travel to be highly amenable to strategic thought, and this American adventure was an opportunity to reflect on why I was there and what I wanted.
Employment rights in post-Brexit Britain
As the UK prepares to trigger Article 50, signalling its departure from the EU, opponents of Brexit worry that that employment rights will be eroded and the UK will become a less welcoming place, particularly for LGBT people.
A placard waved at the anti-Brexit demonstration, held in London on March 25 2017.
“Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves, First we’ll kick the Poles out, Then we’ll get the gays.”
Liberal democrat peer Liz Barker reminded a business summit on LGBT rights last week that the above chant was heard in London the day after the EU referendum in June 2016, and that in the three months following there was a 147% increase in reported homophobic crimes.
“Among the very many half-truths bandied about during the [referendum] campaign, the idea that the EU played very little or no parts in gaining rights in this country was most egregious,” she told The Economist’s Pride and Prejudice event, held in London, Hong Kong and New York on 23 March. Continue reading
How useful is an MBA?
Speakers from industry at the Naturejobs Career Expo, London, 2016, discuss the advantages an MBA and other qualifications bring to your career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKOadartwHs
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Science doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Most researchers pursue their career because they not only love science but because they want to have an impact on the world – to help cure cancer, build a better dam, discover new planets, ease hunger. But those findings have to get from the lab to the market before they can become useful.
{credit}Topp_Yimgrimm/ThinkStock{/credit}
Why building a start-up is probably your most sensible career path
Your PhD has given you the perfect tool set to start a high-tech company, and it’s nothing to do with your technical skill, says Mark Hammond.
In stark contrast to the proliferation of web based start-ups led by young founders, science based start-ups have typically remained the domain of seasoned professors, spinning out breakthrough technology built on years of research. This is changing rapidly, and it’s now more viable than ever to start a science based company straight out of a PhD. In fact, it might just be one of the most sensible career paths that you can take.
Students at Imperial College’s Marker’s meetup present ideas and get feedback
Eight things that are more important for success than intelligence
This week: a quick infographic explains why emotional intelligence is so important.
Bridging science and real world impact with confidence
What does it take for someone in science to make a difference in the world? We often seek success and validation through the rigour of our research and studies, but the key may be in our attitude.
Naturejobs career expo journalism competition winner Diane N.H. Kim
Confidence is not something we normally associate with science. In this field, grounded in facts and far from emotions, it’s no wonder we have trouble seeing how our attitudes affect our success. A confident attitude is considered much more important for an actress on the red carpet, or a politician delivering a speech. Scientists are still largely portrayed and perceived as solitary individuals with passive personalities, spurred by a media portrayal of a lone scientist in their basement lab.
Continue reading
Selling yourself: 7 sales techniques to advance your career
In an increasingly competitive job market, knowing how to properly sell yourself as a candidate may give you the edge, says Kristopher James Kent.
In certain circles, ‘sales’ has become taboo; the word summons memories of double glazing, cleaning supplies, or accidents that weren’t your fault. Despite this, a great salesperson simply believes in their product, and knows how to portray its finer points in an effective way.
Similar knowledge could give you the edge in applying for your next job or promotion. Sure; having the requisite qualifications and soft skills (being personable, confident, organised) is essential, but understanding your own value, and knowing some of the finer skills that salespeople use in their pitch, may help you to better present yourself to an employer.
Bench to Business: How women in STEM academia can use corporate models to their favour
Women in STEM can learn to become scientific leaders by taking a leaf out of the corporate skills handbook, says a panel at the World Economic Forum.
Contributors Mandë Holford and Ivana Gadjanski
From left to right: Lawrence Krauss, Justine Cassell, Ivana Gadjanski, Mande Holford, Tony Pan and Diva Tommei {credit}World Economic Forum / Faruk Pinjo{/credit}
Scientists may not readily identify themselves as entrepreneurs, but a comparison can indeed be made between the corporate business sector and the scientific enterprise. Are their skills that women in business have that women in science can acquire and benefit from? The intersection of STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering and Math), Innovation, Business and Women were recently addressed on a panel at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Summer Davos meeting in Tianjin China. Together with Justine Cassell, Tony Pan, Diva Tommei, and Lawrence Krauss we discussed ‘why aren’t more women entering careers in science and technology (in academia and industry) given the role of STEM in the future of economic growth?’
The reasons women are lacking in STEM industries and academia are multiple and complex, however one major hurdle we discussed is the lack of business knowledge among the women STEM scientists.
The current knowledge economy calls for educated specialists who can leverage their currency across multiple platforms. Scientists by nature are opportunity driven specialists who can, and should, be thriving in the knowledge economy. Running a successful laboratory is very similar to running a startup or a company. Principal Investigators (PIs) need to be good in fundraising, team- and project management, even marketing (e.g lab twitter accounts). Interestingly, the science-business interface can be a good opportunity for women scientists in STEM academia to get more exposure to these tasks and thrive. Continue reading