If you are currently searching for a job, it’s hard to avoid pessimism about the state of the US and international economies. Even so, it is important to be realistic and flexible in your job search. It is also important to be positive and targeted. Through research about employers, and networking with professionals in fields that interest you; you can identify and possibly create new opportunities for yourself.
It is important to network and seek advice from people who work in job settings and career areas that match your goals. How can you do this?
- Some ways to identify professionals to contact for informational interviewing include LinkedIn (don’t forget to use groups like the NIH Intramural Group on LinkedIn or ones specific to your career path), the NIH Alumni Network for fellows who have left our hallowed halls and other professional association/society networks (utilize your membership to search for fellow members, it gives you a good starting point for your conversation).
- Informational interviewing can help you tremendously, for a primer on the topic see this handout: https://www.training.nih.gov/assets/Informational_Interviews.pdf
- Ask for help: if you are an NIH Intramural fellow make an appointment with an OITE Career Counselor https://www.training.nih.gov/career_services/
- Read other articles with suggestions about planning your job search. Science Careers and Naturejobs.com are the pioneers in publishing career information for scientists. For fellows looking for a career in academics, the Chronicle of Higher Education has always been a resource for career hunting (There are also many new kids on the block such as biocareers.com, New Scientist , and more. Do you have a favorite that we have not listed?
- Learn from books about networking: Power Networking by Donna Fisher and Sandy Vilas and Networking for People Who Hate Networking by Devora Zack are two good options available in the OITE Career Library in Building 2.
- Review the OITE Upcoming Events Calendar for career panels and presentations: https://www.training.nih.gov/events/upcoming
- And past events that have archived material:https://www.training.nih.gov/events/prior
Any more suggestions for our intrepid readers?
