Career development workshops and resume critiques will be available in the Career Center from Saturday, February 15 through Tuesday, February 18. Andrew Green, Alaina Levine, and Richard McGee will lead workshops throughout the meeting and will also provide one-on-one career counseling.
Registration is required for the limited number of one-on-one career counseling sessions. Please sign up for these appointments onsite at the meeting beginning Saturday afternoon, February 15. These signups are on a first-come, first-served basis, one session per person. Please come prepared to your appointment with resumes, CVs, and any other appropriate materials.
Registration is not required for the workshops, but please show up on time! Workshops are held in Room 409B.
Engaging With Employers at Career Fairs, Info Sessions, Scholarly Meetings and Other Similar Opportunities
Presented by Andrew Green
Saturday, February 15, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Grad students, PhDs, and postdocs often have the chance to meet with employers who visit their campus for career fairs, info sessions, etc. This workshop would focus on how to best prepare to leverage these opportunities, build relationships and follow up after the event. It would be particularly of value for int'l scholars who often do not understand the need to promote their credentials and capabilities in a positive manner.
Networking for Biophysicists: How to Create Your Dream Career
Presented by Alaina Levine
Sunday, February 16, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
In this session, we will discuss how to leverage networking to create a unique, customized career, which we call Your Unicorn Career. Your Unicorn Career is an authentic career that brings you joy, meaning, and money, and we will address how to use a data-driven process to elucidate what Your Unicorn Career can be. We will address how to understand your unique value, skills and interests and how to align that with employers who will hire you. We will discuss various methods for finding and building win-win collaborations with people in different professions and pathways to create opportunities for your unicorn career to come to fruition.
What Can You Do with a PhD? A Lot More Than You Might Think
Presented by Richard McGee
Sunday, February 16, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Dr. Rick McGee and his research team have been following several hundred biomedical PhD students with annual in-depth interviews since they started their degrees until they ‘differentiate’ into a variety of careers. This talk and discussion will present some of the findings from their ongoing research with a focus on what factors and preferences lead individuals to pursue a large variety of different careers. Equally important will be insights into the pathways they take and the importance of prospective efforts to explore possible careers to decide which ones ‘fit’ each person’s skills and interests, scientific and personal. Preliminary findings with respect to the ‘phenotype’ of those who end up as faculty in research-intensive universities also will be presented.
Public Speaking Masterclass: How to Rock the Podium and Give a Fantastic Talk
Presented by Alaina Levine
Sunday, February 16, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
In this session, you will learn from a professional speaker how to deliver a fantastic talk every single time. Whether you are giving a poster, job talk, a speech for a colloquium, journal club or virtual endeavor, and everything in between, you will emerge with knowledge about the techniques of how to construct stories, utilize verbal and body language effectively, explain and reduce jargon, and create connections with your audience. You will emerge more confident and excited to rock your next talk!
A Novel Approach to Writing NIH-Style Research and Training Applications: Rhetorical Patterns, Storytelling, Verbal Feedback
Presented by Richard McGee
Sunday, February 16, 1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Writing research and training proposals is an essential skill to master not only for obtaining funding but also for clarifying research designs and career development goals. However, grant writing historically has not been approached as a complex skill to teach and learn. Over the past 20 years, Dr. Rick McGee has developed a novel approach to teaching grant writing by first demonstrating the rhetorical patterns that reviewers have been conditioned to expect to see. This workshop will introduce this approach to grant writing and the importance of viewing it as communication activity in which a compelling ‘story’ is created.
The NIH K99/R00 Award - A Unique Award for Postdocs Who Have Demonstrated Readiness for Independence
Presented by Richard McGee
Sunday, February 16, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
The NIH Pathway to Independence award (K99/R00) was created in 2006 in an effort to decrease the time between completing doctoral training and establishment of an independent research program. It combines 2 years to complete postdoctoral training with 3 years of research support in a tenure track or equivalent position. It is designed to support individuals who can make a strong case that they have matured as scientists to the point that they are, or soon will be, ready to establish their own independent research program. With ~250 awards being made yearly, it has become an invaluable asset when looking for faculty positions. This workshop will introduce the details of this unique award and provide insights into how to write an effective and compelling proposal.
Nailing the Job Talk, or Erudition Ain't Enough
Presented by Andrew Green
Sunday, February 16, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Congratulations! You've made it to the finals and are suddenly facing the most important presentation of your life. Answers to your questions about how to structure your presentation, how much detail to include, what they are really looking for, etc.
Demystifying the Academic Job Search I: Understanding the Search
Presented by Andrew Green
Monday, February 17, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
What goes on inside search committees; the “black box” of the academic job search process? How are they constituted, what are their processes, and what do they look for when assessing applicants? Answers to these and other questions presented by Andrew Green, PhD a veteran of the academic job search and numerous search committees.
Translating Your Credentials: Writing Effective Resumes + Cover Letters for Industry, Government, and Nonprofit Jobs
Presented by Andrew Green
Monday, February 17, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
You have a CV with its list of publications, presentations, honors & awards, etc., but jobs outside of academia typically require a resume. Very few job ads fail to mention the importance of teamwork, collaboration, and communication skills, yet if you take a glance at your CV, these are all likely to be absent or incomplete. Learn how to transform your CV into an effective resume that helps hiring managers recognize and appreciate the value you have to offer.
Marketing Your Value: Crafting Your Elevator Pitch/30-Second Value Statement/Brand Statement
Presented by Alaina Levine
Monday, February 17, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
How to effectively identify and communicate your value to decision-makers, including during networking, conference participation, and the job search process. We will delve into crafting the elevator pitch and key and clever strategies for amplifying your reputation.
Looking Beyond Academia: Identifying Your Career Options using MyIDP, LinkedIn and More
Presented by Andrew Green
Monday, February 17, 1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Not sure where your professional future lies or how to approach the process in an organized and strategic manner? This presentation provides a framework and resources for moving forward with confidence towards the next step in your professional future. In addition, it will provide specific examples of how to build out your knowledge of a new potential career field and forge valuable connections that can facilitate a successful transition.
The Industry Interview: What You Need to Do Before, During, and After to Get the Job
Presented by Alaina Levine
Monday, February 17, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Strategies and tactics to translate your unique expertise and skills into the language of companies, and tactics to effectively communicate your value in an industry resume to get an interview and an interview to land an offer.
Navigating an International Job Search
Presented by Alaina Levine
Monday, February 17, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
This workshop will delve into the details of how to plan an international job search, including what to do and when, no matter where in the world you are located or want to go.
How to Champion Yourself - In the Lab, at Work, in Your Career
Presented by Alaina Levine
Tuesday, February 18, 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
When you champion yourself, you advocate for yourself and clarify to another party that you can help them. In this workshop, we will learn why and how to effectively champion ourselves every day and how by doing so, we enable the success of our colleagues, peers, and PI.
Demystifying the Academic Job Search II: Preparing Your Written Application Materials
Presented by Andrew Green
Tuesday, February 18, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Over 90% of the cuts in a typical academic job search are made on the basis of your written application materials. Given the large number of candidates in a typical applicant pool, your documents must convey the most important information about you in the most clear and efficient manner. Learn about how your materials should differ based on the type of institution and/or program, and how to create “glance-able” documents to speak most effectively on your behalf.
Leveraging LinkedIn in the PhD Job Search: Networking, Informational Interviews, and More
Presented by Andrew Green
Tuesday, February 18, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
You’ve done some exploration and identified some interesting possibilities as the next step after grad school or your postdoc, but is it enough to convince you that research in industry, medical science liaison, data science, etc. is right for you? More importantly, do you know enough to craft a persuasive story about why you’re a credible and compelling candidate? This presentation provides specific examples of how you build out your knowledge of a new, potential career field, and forge valuable connections that can facilitate your successful transition out of academia using LinkedIn, professional societies, informational interviews, and more..