Careers

Is This What a Scientist Looks Like?

Posted on by Michele Arduengo

scientists-at-workI am the mother of a six-year-old girl who loves to get magazines in the mail. For several years my daughter has received an enjoyed popular kids’ science/international culture magazine. The stories are short and simple, and this magazine usually does a good job of presenting factual information in easy-to-digest forms. Each magazine comes with a set of animal cards, which we have diligently collected.

However, the latest issue that came to our mailbox really got me thinking. The final pages featured artwork by the young readers. I love the idea of featuring the work of the readers.  Usually, my daughter loves seeing what other children her age from around the world draw and take pictures of, and sometimes we have some pretty interesting discussions about the work.

This time though we didn’t spend much time talking about the art work. She wasn’t particularly interested, and I wasn’t sure I what I thought. But I may have missed a teachable moment. The theme for the pages was a Halloween-minded “spooky science”, and all of the pictures were of “mad scientists” alone at work doing presumably nefarious things in their laboratories. Of the eight drawings pictured, six of them pictured scientists that were human, and five of the humans were male. All of them were pale-skinned. The sole female scientist, whose lab featured a certificate with the words “monster maker”, was drawn by a girl. The ages of the children submitting the work ranged from 9 to 14. Continue reading “Is This What a Scientist Looks Like?”

Compensation 101: What You Need to Know Now

Posted on by Becca McKnight

money in the handsCompensation is a bit of a mystery to most people outside of HR. We go to work to make money and receive benefits, but aren’t always sure how our salaries and benefits packages are decided. In order to understand if we are being paid fairly, negotiate an offer, or counsel a friend on a career change, we need to have some understanding of compensation. Interestingly, in most cases, the more people know about how they are being compensated, the better they feel about their pay and benefits.  I’m going to let you in on some secrets to help demystify compensation. Continue reading “Compensation 101: What You Need to Know Now”

Advice to Young Scientists: Obey the Passion

Posted on by Kelly Grooms

Do you remember what it was that first inspired in you your life’s passion for science? Was it collecting bugs, frogs or other creatures as a child? Or maybe that first chemistry set—the one that had your mother hovering behind you with a fire extinguisher. Perhaps it was a parent or teacher that first sparked something in you that never dimmed. Whatever, or whoever, it was that first kindled your interest in science, no doubt there have been times when you wished that someone would offer you some advice on how to navigate through the modern, rapidly changing world of science.

Written letter

On this past Saturday, I took a trip to my local library on a quest to get just exactly that. To be specific, I was going to check out a copy of Edward O. Wilson’s Letters to a Young Scientist (1). Although I haven’t had time to read more that the first chapter, the advice that he offers at the end of that chapter struck me as good advice to any young (or not so young) person:

It is quite simple: put passion ahead of training. Feel out in any way you can what you most want to do in science, or technology, or some other science-related profession. Obey that passion as long as it lasts.

Wilson is speaking specifically to young scientists, but it seems to me that this main point is more universal than that: It applies to the not-so-young scientist and the nonscientist as well.

I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the book, but for today I am challenging myself as well as all of you to “obey the passion”. Even if you can only do it for one day, put aside the demands of career or school, find that passion that started you on your journey in science and follow it!

Reference

  1. Wilson, E.O. (2013) Letters to a Young Scientist. Liveright Publishing, New York.

How Is a Molecular Biologist Like a Computer Programmer?

Posted on by Maciek Smuga-Otto

My wife, the molecular biologist, tells me she spends her days “at the bench” and “in the hood.” There, she works with cells, plasmids, RNA, enzymes and buffers, incubators, water baths, columns, gels, filters and spectrophotometers. She transfers various quantities of liquids into and out of plastics and glassware. At least, that’s what I understand when I ask her, “how was your day?”

I can’t really understand her fascination with all of this, but then I don’t have to: I’m an app developer, a programmer who designs and builds applications for smartphones and tablets. My work day consists of sitting in front of a laptop, cranking out code. There’s the occasional break afforded by meetings and presentations, writing up design documents, sketching out how a user interface might look like. Then it’s back to the computer, and programming.

But in spite of these differences, there is a critical aspect of my wife’s work that, whenever she speaks of it, I immediately recognize in my own professional life: We both rely extensively on kits and components, and doing so profoundly affects the way that we approach our jobs. Continue reading “How Is a Molecular Biologist Like a Computer Programmer?”

The Biggest Blunders of Job Searching: Part 4 The Interview Process

Posted on by Becca McKnight

Let’s review. Here we taught you how to craft a resume so amazing it will surely get your foot in the door at a great organization. Here we taught you how to nail your interview and avoid putting the aforementioned foot in your mouth. And here we taught you how to rock an interview presentation or seminar. You may be wondering what else there could be. In the last of this four-part series, we will talk about how to comport yourself with grace and dignity throughout the process. Some prospective employees forget about the process; the stuff in between the phone interview and the onsite interview. Sometimes the way candidates act when they are not being formally interviewed is the best window into how they will act when they are employed, and interviewers pay attention to that. Let us help you avoid some interview process pitfalls.

Continue reading “The Biggest Blunders of Job Searching: Part 4 The Interview Process”

The Biggest Blunders of Job Searching: Part 3 Presentations

Posted on by Becca McKnight

No matter what type of job you are interviewing for, you may be asked to give a seminar or presentation. When I interviewed for my first HR job, I had to give a presentation on any topic I wanted. Other jobs specify that you need to give a presentation on a topic specifically related to the job. In my case, they were looking for both presentation skills and my ability to teach. When asked to present on a job-related topic, a potential employer may be looking for your ability to organize information and your knowledge on the topic. Presentations can be scary, but some good old-fashioned preparation can make things go much more smoothly.

In order to prepare, you need to know what your audience is looking for. Read on for some things to avoid during your presentation. Continue reading “The Biggest Blunders of Job Searching: Part 3 Presentations”

The Biggest Blunders of Job Searching

Posted on by Becca McKnight

Part 1: Resumes

As a recruiter I’ve seen a lot of, ahem, interesting job search and interview techniques—everything from wearing  a tuxedo print T-shirt to the interview to misspelled names on resumes. Mistakes happen and small mistakes will most likely not cost you your dream job. I’d like to help you eliminate those mistakes. This is the 1st post of a 4-part series on interviewing and job searching. The suggestions below come from many different recruiters who have seen it all.

Creating a resume is typically the first step in a job search.  You want a resume that catches manager’s eye, highlights your skills,  and convinces recruiters of your superhuman powers (or at least your ability to excel at the job)—in short, you want a Resume Masterpiece. Like all masterpieces, it’s going to take some work. While I can’t do the work for you, I can provide a roadmap to help you avoid the common pitfalls.  Previous blog posts have provided some valuable resume suggestions: see the related posts below.  Despite the information out there, people are still confused about how to create a stellar resume. Hopefully the list below will help clear up that confusion. Read on for things to avoid so that you can create your very own Resume Masterpiece.

Continue reading “The Biggest Blunders of Job Searching”

Networking for Scientists Part III: Tips and Tricks for Online Social Networks

Posted on by Karen Reece

It’s 2012. Odds are you’re on a social networking site. And if you’re not, you need to be! At least for your job search. There are two kinds of social networkers: those who post every tiny detail that happens in their lives and those who do not. For the job search, you want to be somewhere in the middle. How you tailor your online profiles is very important. While you can keep the most stringent privacy settings, you never know who you know and you never know who will see what you post. An often overlooked fact about the internet that you should always remember is that everything you post is public! Always expect that potential employers WILL Google you.

That said, social networking can be a very powerful tool for the job search. Continue reading “Networking for Scientists Part III: Tips and Tricks for Online Social Networks”

Surviving the Job Hunt

Posted on by Traci Martinez

So you’re looking for a job.  Maybe you’ve been laid off, downsized, fired, or just finished school. The hunt is now on to find gainful and hopefully meaningful employment. There’s no way around it. Being unemployed is no fun. Trust me, I’ve been there – more than once! 

My first job casualty came after the combined bubble burst of 2000 and 9/11. This bout of unemployment was the longest and the most devastating.  I had never been out of work, a day in my life. I was crushed and didn’t know what to do with myself.  In the beginning I would spend all day every day looking for a job.  I wrote and rewrote my resume, agonizing over every word. Don’t even get me started on versions of my cover letter. Somehow I thought that if I had everything just perfect, I would at least get an interview. I would spend hours combing the different job boards, looking at different company websites, emailing people I knew, and yes (at the time) still checking the Sunday paper. Not only did these efforts leave me exhausted and frustrated, I didn’t get any interviews. 

I quickly learned that in order to be successful I had to structure my day more efficiently, take better care of myself, and have some fun. So after you’ve written your resume and had it reviewed (preferably by a colleague or a recruiter in your industry) here are a couple things you can do to keep your sanity and hopefully find a job.  Continue reading “Surviving the Job Hunt”

Networking for Scientists Part II: How to Get a Job (Hopefully)

Posted on by Karen Reece

Times are hard. Unemployment is high. Networking and maintaining job-relevant connections is more important than ever.  Employers literally get hundreds of applications for each job posting.  One of the most useful ways to make yourself stand out in a crowd (besides things like credentials and resumes) is to have a personal recommendation.  In my last post, I talked about the importance of making small talk (no matter how scary it seems!).  Here, we’ll take it a step further. Once you’ve met new people and added them to your contacts list and perhaps your social networking sites, how can you use these contacts to help you achieve your goals? Continue reading “Networking for Scientists Part II: How to Get a Job (Hopefully)”