Advice for Scientists

Charlene
Milliken

Did I Just Waste All Those Years in Graduate School?!

I’ve asked myself this question a lot over the past couple of years.  I spent years in graduate school, focused on becoming an expert in a subject matter that I was passionate about…only to leave it behind as soon as my Ph.D. was in hand.  Did I just waste 8-1/2 years of my life?! &nbs...


Lamar
Blackwell

Searching for our career north: The Process- Step 1: The Actions

After we have made an honest assessment of what our values are and how our choices aligns with our values, we can think about how we should go about this change.  It is important that this is personalized because this is your path.  Then we can take inventory of where we are and where we w...


Robert Cory
Bernhards

Preparing Your Research Presentation

Research presentations are a vital part of science.  Your preparation process for an oral presentation will depend on how experienced you are and how well you understand your research, however, here is a tried and true method that can work for you at any level.


Michael
Salgaller

Job-Hunting: Riding the Emotional Roller Coaster

Looking for a position – even voluntarily – is stressful. If the job-hunt is discretionary, if you can stay where you are long-term and perhaps are simply bored, it’s comparatively less stressful. But even then, there’s something unsatisfying about where you are that’s making you look...


Judy
Lytle

Planning a Career

In the third and final interview for my current position, my soon-to-be-boss (who happens to be the CEO and President of the Institute) asked me what my aspirations were. I told him that I didn’t have any. You read it right. I told my potential boss that I didn’t have professional aspiratio...


Aníbal
Valentín-Acevedo

The danger of a comfortable job

For most of us, finding a job after we graduate is our main goal. We want a salary that is nothing close to what we were making during graduate school, to be financially and professionally stable, and to work for 30+ years until we are ready to retire. We want a job where we can feel comfortable ...


Lamar
Blackwell

Searching for our career north: The Process- Step 3: Roadblocks and evaluation

Congratulations!  Most people never think about how their career pursuit aligns with their values.  They will not prepare a plan and break it down into actionable, manageable steps.  You already have a competitive edge and are in the top 10% of pursuing a career.


Judy
Lytle

Going Back to School

I know what you’re thinking. Why on earth would I go back to school?! I have a Doctorate! Plenty of us go back – for an MBA, or a graduate certificate, or a Masters in this or that. Almost 10 years after earning my doctorate, I’m back to school, earning a Master’s of Science degree in R...


Lamar
Blackwell

First year on the job: Understanding why you are there

This post, and the next couple of posts, will describe some of the things that are important in establishing yourself as a successful scientist in pharma in your first year.  The goal is to provide you a framework to think about how to be successful.As the title describes, it is important that ...


Michael
Salgaller

Meetings and Conferences: Go for the Professional Development, Stay for the Buffet

I’ve always enjoyed attending meetings and conferences, and not because I’m a technology nerd or need to escape my work environment. Whatever field you’re in, here’s hoping you’re really into it, or at least find it provides more than a paycheck. If you at least like what you do, you ...