Science Career Development Resources

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Graduate School

• The Graduate School Survival Guide – although everyone’s experience is different, there are plenty of common milestones to expect along the way
• What Makes a Great Grad Student – three tenured professors discuss what they’re looking for in a truly outstanding graduate student
• How to Become a Great Grad Student – follow these steps to stand out from the crowd and be one of your PIs most memorable graduate students
• Working for Assistant Professors? Call Me After Tenure – the terms “risk” and “reward” are often brought up in this discussion, but is working with an assistant professor a good idea for your career?
• I’ve Found a Job- Final Steps of Graduate School – getting a job seems like the end, but wait- there are a few things left to wrap up before you go
• 7 Steps to Successful Summer Student Supervising – lucky enough to have some undergraduates helping out in the lab? Make the most of them by following a few simple steps
• Graduate School by the Numbers: Interviews – before embarking on school (or lab) interviews, take some advice from someone who’s been there recently
• Graduate School by the Numbers: The Decision – getting in may seem like the hard part, but don’t overlook the stress involved with selecting the right place for you
• Graduate School by the Numbers: Aftermath of the Decision – congratulations, you’re going to grad school! (But these few things about the decision may still be stressing you out)
• Selecting a Postdoc: Should I Stay or Should I Go? – staying at the same institution might be easy and comfortable, but is it the best thing for your career?

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Postdoc

• A Degree of Stress – an interesting trend emerges when a group of seasoned postdocs graph their stress levels through graduate school and their postdocs
• Why is the Postdoc So Stressful? – you’ve already got your PhD- isn’t it all downhill from here? With the degree come a new set of challenges to be prepared for
• Non-US Postdoc, Pt 1 – considering leaving the US for a postdoc? Here are some common issues to be prepared for when settling in the new country and lab
• Non-US Postdoc, Pt 2 – a roadmap for the first six months of your postdoc- what’s expected of you and how to get through it
• Lessons from a Recovering Postdoc – not every postdoc goes as planned but when things go wrong, there’s still hope. Take it from this postdoc who dealt with the problem and is happier than ever

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Non-Academic Careers

• Careers After the Ph.D.: A Primer on Consulting – PhD-turned-BCG consultant explains what the profession entails and how to get there from the bench
• Curating Science, Genomes and a New Career – Never heard of a science content manager? Neither had this PhD when she created this opportunity at one of the most exciting personalized medicine companies around
• Escape Velocity: Non-Research Oriented Careers – research is not the only way to contribute to science- here are some easy transitions away from the bench
• Leaving the Academic Path to Find a Job – one researcher’s story of changing careers and countries in pursuit of a job
• So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur? – scientists make great entrepreneurs- here are a few easy steps to test the waters before jumping in
• Working at a Small Company, Pt 1 – considering a small company? Here’s a taste of the good, the bad and the ugly of life at a small company
• Working at a Small Company, Pt 2 – what to expect for the first six months of working in a small company- from expectations to stress to how to survive
• Technology Transfer: Applying the PhD Away from the Bench – moving away from the bench doesn’t mean you need to move far from research. See how a career in tech transfer keeps you right in the middle of the action
• Scientist Turned Comedian: Tim Lee – sometimes experimental results feel like someone is playing a joke on us- maybe it’s time to start telling some

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Professional Issues

• Exactly How Flexible is the Co-First Author Asterisk? – technically you may be equal, but does that mean you have the right to swap names on the byline?
• What’s in a Name? – are you a biochemist, a bioorganicchemist, or a chemical biologist? Does it really matter?
• Changing Scientific Focus: Jack of All Trades, Master of None? – is it better to know a little about a lot or a lot about a little? The answer can affect the way you manage projects as they unfold.
• Changing Labs: It’s Not You, It’s Me…Actually, It’s You – wondering if your issues with your lab are serious enough to consider leaving?
• 12 Reasons to Establish a Collaboration (or Not) – is it time to bring someone else onto your project? There’s a good chance it is
• 5 Reasons Every Scientist Needs a Homepage – the Internet’s not just for nerds anymore, so take advantage of what it has to offer your career
• Why Did I Become a Scientist? – find out what drove one professor into the career and how it’s helped him survive the ups and downs of research
• Challenges in the Scientific Curriculum – one professor discusses the opportunities to improve undergraduate and graduate science education
• Are We Failing Our Graduate Students – the stats on graduation rates aren’t pretty- but here are a few ways we could make the system more efficient
• Professor?  It’s Academic Entrepreneur to You – like it or not, we’re all in business now- see how academics are really entrepreneurs in disguise
• Academic Scientists Remember to Translate – a few simple actions will help ensure that any relevant research or technologies may be readily translated to the marketplace
• Working at the Interface – a Stanford professor discusses the role that working at the interface of fields and environments has played in his career development
• Collision of Science, Music and Theater – the Olson and De Cari duo use science as an inspiration for their music composition and play writing
• Revitalizing Science in the Classroom – Vanderbilt professor Virginia Shepherd shares her vision for the future of science education and what she’s doing now to make it a reality
• Innovation: Acting on Your Ideas – all successful labs and companies were founded on a great idea, so here’s how to run with yours when inspiration strikes
• Innovation: The Value of Your Ideas – before something can become a “million dollar idea”, it must at least be a “one dollar idea” – see how to identify the winners
• Innovation: Concept to Commercialization – so you’ve had your eureka moment and you’ve done the rough math to figure out that your innovation is probably worth pursuing.

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The Future of Scientific Impact

• The Impending Death of Scientific Journals – surely it’s not possible that science would exist without publishing in journals… well, it may be here sooner than you think
• The Evolution of Scientific Impact – journal impact factors were a decent metric for years, but are they still the best representation of importance?
• Why Do We Still Publish Papers – beyond the impact factor, perhaps journals themselves are in need of a major overhaul
• H-index: What it is and How to Find Yours – an emerging metric, the h-index provides researchers with a potentially improved measure of scientific impact

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See the Big Picture

• Can Positive Thinking Affect Your Experiments? – think attitude doesn’t matter? You might be surprised by what fellow scientists had to say
• 10 Ways to be a Successful Scientist – a list of ten things you can do immediately that will improve your chances of success in the lab
• 7 Habits of a Highly Successful Scientist – the scientist’s version of “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” tailored to the lab environment
• Seeing the Big Picture: Mark Changizi – author and scientist Mark Changizi explains his work and why it’s important to keep the big picture in mind in research
• The Four Steps to Finding Your Passion – looking for that spark that gets you excited to wake up in the morning? Follow these four steps
• Become a Scientific Expert in 5 Years – Malcolm Gladwell suggested how long it takes people to become experts- here’s how to get there in 5 years

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Manage Your Image: Put Your Best Foot Forward

• Networking Etiquette: Opening Lines to Avoid – of all the things to talk about with strangers, these are the 13 lines you want to avoid like the plague
• How to Craft an Elevator Pitch – learn to get people interested in your work in a sentence or two even if they don’t know anything about science
• How to Give a Good Talk – you’ve sat through good ones, you’ve sat through bad ones. Let’s avoid being the people giving the latter
• Don’t be Such a Scientist: Randy Olson -professor-turned-filmmaker describes the problem with scientific communication and how to solve it
• Having a Business Card Doesn’t Make You a Douchebag – a business card says a lot of things about you that future employers (and yes-PIs, too) are looking for
• Managing Your Online Reputation – take steps now to make sure your past doesn’t sabotage your future when employers look you up online
• LinkedIn for Scientists – networking is a cornerstone to finding a job so when building your own personal network go with the gold standard

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