For some people “networking” is an intimidating word. They say, “I don’t have any contacts and networking sounds scary.” If you start by thinking about what careers you want to learn about and who you can reach out to who is working in those career areas, the process may feel less intimidating. Calling these interactions informational interviewing can take some of the stress out of learning about career options and developing new contacts.
Submitted By: Lori Conlan
Submitted By: Amanda Dumsch
Many PhD students and postdocs wonder if they really need a LinkedIn profile. Very often they are told by their advisors that using LinkedIn is a waste of their time. Perhaps it might not be the best go to website for academic job searches; however, if you are exploring any non-academic options, then you need to start using LinkedIn.
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Submitted By: Amanda Dumsch
Post written by Sandra Bonne-Année, former postdoc at NIAID and current detailee at OITE.
If definitions like ‘an individual fact or item, a minor decorative feature, or a meticulous cleaning of a motor vehicle’ come to mind when you hear the word “detail”, you are certainly not alone. As a postdoctoral fellow at NIH, I had a vague understanding of what a detail was and no real understanding of when or how to secure one.
Submitted By: Amanda Dumsch
There are hundreds of professional associations and these organizations are typically not-for-profit groups with the mission of furthering the advancement of a particular profession as well as the general interests of people within that career field. Most associations require an application and an annual membership fee; however, they help connect you to like-minded professionals and a slew of resources. Many organizations also offer discounted rates for students/trainees or new graduates.
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Submitted By: Amanda Dumsch
Some people really enjoy networking; after all, at its essence, it is just talking to others. According to Merriam-Webster, it is simply “the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions.” It sounds pretty innocuous, so why then do so many dread and even fear this activity? At OITE, we hear a lot of reasons why individuals avoid networking. Here are the most common:
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Submitted By: John Taborn
Post Doc Alumna: Anu Nagarajan, PhD
Industry Position: Senior Scientist
The OITE interviewed a NIH postdoctoral alumna who successfully landed a position in industry. She shares her career exploration process, job search strategies, and knowledge that she gained about her employability as a professional scientist.
OITE: Tell me the story about how you began to search for career options as post doc.
Submitted By: John Taborn
One of the most important skills to develop and use as a professional scientist is networking. It is valuable for making important connections related to your research, learning about job opportunities or gathering information about graduate school applications.
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Submitted By: John Taborn
On May 11, 2017 the OITE will again host the NIH Career Symposium! This year is special…we will celebrate its 10th anniversary. This event is one of our favorites, it highlights the multitude of career opportunities for biomedical scientists—and in the past decade over 7500 graduate students, postdocs and fellows have attended the event to propel their own careers. Our invited speakers tell us about their career paths, how they got their jobs, and advice to attendees as they plan their careers.
Submitted By: Amanda Dumsch
Albert Chen, an MD/PhD student at the University of Michigan designed the ACE plan. ACE is short for Active Career Exploration. According the Chen and colleagues within their four-part series on Science Careers, “ACE is your protocol for career experimentation, a logical progression of steps designed to overcome common barriers and give visible results after just 10 hours.”
Just 10 hours?
To be clear, the authors note that this means 10 hours within one month.
Submitted By: Amanda Dumsch
What are you interested in? Are you a knitter? A rock climber? A serial book club attendee? Whatever your interests, chances are you have endeavored to carve out time to enjoy them, or found a group of people who share them.
Similarly, we all have career interests–whether we are ready to pursue said careers or not. I, for one, have a children’s book manuscript hidden in my desk drawer that is not yet ready for prime time. I would, however, be interested in meeting a group of people curious about the same field.
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