Smooth Transitions Taking the first steps to a fulfilling career in science

Transcription

1 Smooth Transitions Taking the first steps to a fulfilling career in science Joanne Kamens, Ph.D. Executive Director, Follow Addgene on Facebook and LinkedIn for career and science content

2 Addgene Helps Scientists Share Plasmids Non-profit, mission driven company dedicated to facilitating collaboration and sharing in the scientific community We fund this mission by making it easy to share plasmids!

3 Addgene Statistics >40,000 plasmids stored >500,000 plasmids shipped to 5,000 institutions in 78 countries From >2,300 contributing labs, >500 institutions worldwide >2,400 plasmids shipped each week 51% shipped to scientists outside the United States I do science differently because I can use the Addgene library to find reagents

4 Addgene.org Resources

5 Benefits of a Central Plasmid Repository Save time on request mailing Depositing is free Access all plasmids in one request No loss due to turnover of lab members New labs hear about your work, more citations Archive historical clones and standards, rigorous QC Get a list of who has your plasmids any time (for grants or Tech Transfer offices) Collaborate! Participate in our Community!

6 Depositing in a Biological Resource Center Increases Citation Rates Climbing Atop the Shoulders of Giants: The Impact of Institutions on Cumulative Research. Jeffrey Furman and Scott Stern. American Economic Review (2011):

7 Why Are We Talking About This? NSF survey of 130,000 PhDs

8 What Should I Do Now? We think we make decisions based on logic and reason, but often a decision is based on emotions that we justify with logic after the fact Looks Right Makes Sense Feels Right Sounds Right But there is a lot you can do to gather data and prepare

9 Why Would I Move Out of Academia? Can get used to moving jobs every 4-5 years You are ready for more movement--projects end but good performers move around You prefer a more structured approach to your time management Ready for collaboration and always working in a team Love science but not interested in bench work (in the short or long term) Want to be closer to the technology of treating patients & solving problems Want more money to play with and not willing to enter the grant writing fray Relocation requires it

10 Why Would I Stay in Academia? Prefer a greater sense of autonomy and are a confirmed individualist Want to focus on science for science s sake Love the intellectual atmosphere and ferment Would like to train and teach students Prefer your time to be more unstructured Not because you think it is more rigorous Academic researchers must be extreme self-starters and good at self-promoting No one is going to tell you to pick up the pace Success in industry also requires these skills, but expectations are clearer and more defined (many) more people watching Think about your own motivations and what aspects of science you enjoy are you ready? It is still a little harder to go back to a traditional academic path after a stint in industry

11 What Can I Do to Get Ready? Leadership and Management Supervise undergrads or less experienced grads Manage a project involving multiple scientists, create and stick to timelines Be a mentor in a formal program Start something (a journal, a science lunch club, a biotech club) Be the head of a group (like a grad student or post-doc association) Learn about budgets and purchasing Collaboration and Teamwork Collaborate with another lab, in another field maybe, and publish Join a lab that has multiple collaborations, even with Industry labs Work on a big project that relies on a division of labor Serve on a committee and do something big like plan a conference Recruit many supporters and mentors that will speak for you (and you for them)

12 What Can I Do to Get Ready? Communication Teach classes Go to workshops on interviewing, resume writing, networking Practice your English if you need to, go to ESL classes Practice your presentation skills (as much as you can), form a peer mentoring group to get real feedback Write whenever you can, find supportive editors so 1rst drafts are always excellent Technical Knowledge and Creativity Become a thought leader, develop a technical niche, develop a useful new assay, master a new technique Join/create a consulting club/company like The BALSA Group at WashU Maintain a content-useful website, start a Blog Pursue speaking invitations by inviting others (speaker committee) Follow industry publications like FierceBiotech to learn the business Attend events with local networking and trade organizations

13 How Can I Meet People (especially outside Academia)? And Why Should I?! Networking of course (but I hate that name for it) Developing diverse relationships (not just contacts) is the key to having access to opportunities and help And you can t wait until the last minute Watch my Not Networking 101 video on YouTube How People Get Jobs Source: US Department of Labor, 2001

14 Know Yourself Some of the information you need is about yourself It is worth taking some time to consider your own style and needs before making this important decision What do you care about? What is fun? What are you good at? And of course these might change over time

15 What Should a Scientist Look For? Studies show that salary and other benefits are less important to job satisfaction than how much you feel you belong, are valued and are contributing. Engagement and Learning Is there opportunity for growth and development? Will the work challenge you? Do I have or have access to the tools, knowledge, technology and training I need to do this job Coping and Balance Find out what coping resources you will be given? Is there a culture of flexibility that matches my needs? Do the demands match the time I have? Atmosphere and Social Exposure Are you going to enjoy yourself at this organization? Will you get on with your prospective colleagues? Is this a pleasant working environment? Do the employees seem happy? Congruence with your values Are there some things or jobs you would prefer NOT to do because of what you believe?

16 Why is This Such a Big Deal? For choosing any workplace: It is actually something you CAN choose! Most people see the job as choosing them instead of them choosing the job Most of us don t ask the right questions of ourselves, much less of potential employers For choosing a training lab: Choice of your grad or post-doc lab will directly influence your future Your success in science is directly linked to these experiences

17 Warning Signs Future coworkers speak disrespectfully of supervisors and/or each other (unless you like that sort of thing) You aren t given time to talk to people alone People seem to be hiding their work and are not upfront in discussing or publishing data and results There is hesitation before answering your questions about culture Gut feeling that something isn t right

18 How You Can Feel The Zone You are happy at work so that you lose track of time Things seem to frequently fall into place You feel confident in your abilities some of the time You have periods of intense concentration and focus Sometimes it doesn t even feel like work You won t always be in the zone, but even brief stays there can make all the difference!

19 Last Words Activate your network and nurture it Be prepared to work at the bench first, that s what it looks like you know how to do Whiney doesn t usually cut it (it does sometimes in academia, so break the habit) Try looking at small biotechs/organizations and Follow the money Treat this like a research assignment: educate yourself, get data

20 A Better Way to Share Plasmids and Science blog.addgene.org Scientist Networking: What is an Informational Interview? Advice for Moving Into Sales After Your Science Postdoc Developing Transferable Skills During Science Training "What Makes a Good Mentor?" and 6 More FAQs About Science Mentoring Plasmids 101: What is a plasmid? The 10 Most Distributed Plasmid Technologies in Addgene's First 10 Years Using CRISPR/Cas9 to Edit Disease Out of the Genome Drew Endy Introduces the Biobrick Public Agreement Plasmid Collection Overwhelmed? Take a Break with our 5 Favorite Science Comics Kiran Musunuru on the Newest TALEN Genome-Editing System From our Table to Yours: An Inside Look at Lunch at Addgene Let There Be LITE Plasmids

21 Thanks for Listening Follow Addgene on Facebook and LinkedIn for career and science content

22 Biotech vs. Pharma? = Big vs. Small? Pharma Develop expertise areas quickly More sources of training and resources within the company A bit less crazy Specific requirements for hiring more common Can have a long term career with advancement in one company, good performers in for the long haul Real diversity and acceptance can be an issue in getting promoted (especially race and gender) Biotech Jack/Jane of all trades Must find own sources of knowledge often externally Crazy hours (really) Likelier to hire on general talent and not specific skills Limited movement in one company, likely will need to move around every 3-6 years a short and exciting ride Interpersonal issues can create interpersonal issues (one bad apple can change entire culture) Can move between the two (helps to know the right people)

23 When Should I Move to Industry? After 3-4 post-doc years In can be a disadvantage to wait longer When you can easily describe your marketable skills and talents When you have a great job talk ready When you have some visibility in the community

24 Do I Really Have to Be Linked In? Yes Make a professional Linked In profile (or maybe Viadeo) Linked In should look as good as/better than your resume Take time to make a good profile keep it current Put up a professional, clear picture DO invite people you have really met and talked with DO use it to remind yourself details about people you will meet (especially for interviews!) NEVER use the generic Linked In invite text DO NOT ask people you don t know for connections or favors