Unlike most US students, Nathan Sanders declared his specialty as soon as he started undergraduate studies. He’d known for years that he wanted to study astronomy, but during his PhD at Harvard University he realized that the analysis itself enthralled him more than the applications for astronomy. He describes how he used his technical skills, and connections outside his academic program, to launch his career.
The career paths in science communication panel at the 2014 London Naturejobs Career Expo was chaired by the Naturejobs editor, Julie Gould, who was joined by Greg Foot (Freelance), Jonathan Sanderson (StoryCog), Steven Palmer (Cancer Research UK) and Celeste Biever (Chief editor for online Nature news & comment).
Greg Foot would have liked to have had a chance to experiment with it: could he have done both and use his research to build himself a science communication niche? But he thinks that science communication is now an “accepted and applauded thing to be done as training or to further science,” which means people don’t have to make the decision of “either or” anymore. Continue reading
January is almost over and spring is almost upon us (or at least for some of us it might be…).
Whilst you’re waiting, why not catch up on the most popular reads of January 2015, as judged by you, our readers??
How to procrastinate effectively (if you cannot stop) is a great piece by Daisy Hessenberger. She has been spending a lot of time writing up her PhD thesis… but this also means she’s spent a lot of time procrastinating. In this article she explains how she used that time effectively, and how you might too!
How easy is it to get into science communication? Very, actually. All you need to do is try it.
Going from academia to industry is a big transition, and to make sure that you get off to a good start, having an industry-ready CV will help. Carol Spenceley, a careers advisor at Surrey University, shares her top tips for academics on preparing an industry CV in Don’t panic! How to make your CV look its best.
From academia to industry with Paul-Peter Tak highlights his transition from pure academic research to a combination of clinical medicine and research.
We wanted to know what you, our readers, thought of the proposals that Theresa May put forward to the UK parliament towards the end of last year. Here’s some more info: Train ’em up and kick ’em out
We’re celebrating all transitional things this year: whether you’ve got a new postdoc position or a new job. If you’ve moved jobs down the corridor or are crossing an ocean for a new opportunity, we want to hear about it! We’re celebrating Scientists on the move!
Building a career in the biomedical sciences with Jim Smith is the full video of the London Naturejobs Career Expo keynote speech, where Prof Smith shares his career stories and advice with the audience.
Career paths: Beyond the Ivory Towers is this month’s podcast where I interview two people who share their job transition tips with you.
Happy Friday!
Like others that have excelled in their field, Smith’s career has the illusion of being planned from the start. He thinks otherwise. In his keynote speech Smith uses case studies from his own career to show that careers in science can be windy, unexpected and difficult to plan for.
He had six key take away points for everyone in the audience. Here’s a short summary, by Simon Hazelwood-Smith:
Learn how to write. Good communication skills are vital in science, particularly when trying to publish. Smith’s advice is to practice and read promiscuously to improve.
Take good notes. “You should record everything in your lab notes, I don’t think it is possible to record too much information,” says Smith. A good lab book will allow you to defend your work from scrutiny, and may highlight correlations in your data that would be otherwise lost.
Be your own biggest critic. “Never fool yourself,” says Smith, make sure you are completely confident that your data supports your conclusions.
Say yes. Smith says that his “Constitutive response to when something turns up is yes,” you never know when a good opportunity might present itself.
Create and use networks. Astute networking can also help young scientists find their passion. “You never know when a connection, however small, may have an influence later in your career.” Collaboration in science is important for building relationships with other scientists and networking will make this much easier.
Take control of your early career. Smith says successful scientists need three key attributes, FBI: Flexibility, Bravery and Imagination. They are often tied together earlier in one’s career and young scientists shouldn’t hesitate to take risks. “It is the easiest time in your life to move, and you will extend and diversify your knowledge and techniques,” Smith says.
Read more of Hazelwood-Smith’s summary of the keynote speech: How to build a career in the biomedical sciences.
Watch the other videos from the London 2014 Naturejobs Career Expo:
How to communicate your science in the best way
What attracted you to science communication?
How important is having a mentor in your academic career?
How do you achieve work/life balance in academia?
Should I apply for a fellowship or a postdoc after my PhD?
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a woman in science?
How important is it to move between academic institutions?
Nature Video presents four films from the 2014 Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau.
Reporter Lorna Stewart travels to the German island of Lindau to meet 600 of science’s brightest young minds and 37 rock stars – Nobel laureates.
In a series of four films, Stewart asks some of the most profound questions in medicine. In one film, superstar statistician Hans Rosling helps Stewart get to grips with the realities of an ageing global population. In other films, Stewart delves into the past 40 years of cancer research, wonders if we’ll ever eliminate side effects when we take medication, and receives a reality check on the battle against HIV.
Get a taste in this trailer.
You can view all the Nature Lindau films here and Nature Outlook also produced a supplement based on the Lindau meetings.
