Many of our NIH post bacs, postdocs and graduate students ask the question, “What can I expect from my counseling or advising meeting?” To answer this question fully is to realize that the route to having successful counseling and advising sessions, like any relationship, is a two-way street.
The services that these career services professionals provide to you will come from one direction. For example, review the OITE blog post on reasons to seek career counseling. You may want to meet with a pre-professional school advisor who provide advice and suggestions for strategizing your approach to applying and gaining admission to the graduate (PhD) or professional schools (MD, MBA, JD, MPP, MS) programs. Often these are professionals who possess the degrees for which they are advising and/or give advice on school choice, entrance exam testing (i.e.: MCAT, DAT, GRE, etc.), course selection and prerequisites, personal statement review, and practice interviews for specific professions. What you bring from the opposite direction (as a trainee) will truly enhance your experience, help you to meet half-way, and work together towards achieving your career goals. Here are some suggestions about how you can prepare to make the most of your sessions. Ask good questions: review basic information before coming to the session
- Visit the OITE webpage and review the various resources.
- Read OITE Career blog, related to the topic for which you are seeking counseling and advising.
- Visit the OITE webpage for prior events and videos on job search strategy topics such as, networking, CV and Cover Letter writing, and information on a variety of career paths for scientists.
- Review OITE resources for applying to MD, PhD, MD/PHD, programs or taking the MCAT, GRE.
- Attend and NIH sponsored programs that are advertised by the various institutes of health.
Bring updated hard copies of documents to your session
- Print and bring a copy of documents such as CVs, resumes, cover letters personal statements, teaching philosophies and research statements, etc. Advisors like to write on them directly.
- Follow suggestions and make any recommended changes/edits before your next meeting.
- You will need to make the changes to your documents so it is in your own words. This is in your best interest so the document is genuinely from you.
Prepare for mock interviews beforehand
- Review OITE video casts and blogs on interviews for medical school, graduate school, academic, or industry jobs, etc.
- Ask for help answering questions that you are having difficulty with.
- Schedule a practice interview at least one month prior to beginning actual interviews. This will give you time to practice after receiving constructive feedback.
- Continue to practice your answers after your mock interview implementing any suggestions made by the advisor/counselor.
Do your homework
- Follow any suggestions for next steps and referrals provided by your advisor and counselor. Attending workshops or visiting websites, conducting informational interviews, and meeting with alumni are other opportunities that career professionals may suggest.
- Make any recommended changes to your documents before your next session.
- If you are having difficulty, be sure to tell your advisor so we can continue to help you.
Of course, we recognize that sometimes it isn’t easy to determine the specific reasons why you are coming in. So, if you are having difficulty with any of these suggestions, then just answer the question, “What brings you in?” Rest assured that your counselor or advisor will “take you where you are” and happily guide you towards your goals.
