BGS Career Development

Making It Count!

Rebecca Lopez

iBiology: Job Hunting in Industry

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iBiology has posted a series of four talks on effectively searching for industry scientist positions. See the following overview:

“Job hunting in industry might seem like a mysterious or overwhelming task, but there are specific skills you can learn to make the process approachable and successful. In a series of four talks, Bill Lindstaedt, the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Career Advancement, International and Postdoctoral Services (CAIPS) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), will show you how to effectively search, apply, interview and negotiate for industry scientist positions. In part 1, Lindstaedt covers how to set yourself up for success in the job search, including how to find out about biotech and pharma companies and how to set up informational interviews with industry professionals. In part 2, he describes how to write a winning resume, and how to effectively find out about and apply to industry scientist positions. In part 3, he teaches key interviewing skills so you will excel at the interview process. And, in conclusion, in part 4, he provides tips for how to successfully negotiate your industry scientist job offer.” (Via iBiology)

Watch the professional development talks here.

IHE: “Powering Up Your Résumé for a Nonfaculty Job Search”

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This Inside Higher Ed article details the importance of writing a nonacademic resume from scratch, rather than converting an academic CV into a resume. While the reviewer of an academic CV would understand the intricacies of a scientific discipline and eagerly read all relevant accomplishments, a hiring manager in industry will generally be interested in broad-picture competencies and skills. The author explains how to extract these wider competencies from specific academic accomplishments (as well as from volunteer or work experiences) and communicate them in the form of a resume.

Read more here.

Wharton Business Foundations Skills Courses on Coursera

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Many BGS students have expressed interest in learning about aspects of business as part of their preparation for various careers.  Wharton conducts a series of Coursera courses in business foundations. 
https://www.coursera.org/specializations/wharton-business-foundations

The courses are free for people who don’t want or need any course credit and simply want exposure to business principles and practices.  However, some people may wish to receive credit for individual courses or for a certificate (6 courses including a capstone project). Coursera estimates it takes 4-5 weeks to complete each course.  

The cost per month of Coursera is $79.  BGS can reimburse students for up to 7 months of Coursera who show proof of completion (*details below).

If you take any of the courses (whether for credit or not), we’d be interested to hear what you think of them.

*Tiffany Brooks (brookst@upenn.edu) can help with reimbursement. Reimbursement will be processed via Concur and require the following documentation:

  1. Proof of course completion plus credit received
  2. Proof of payment, which needs to be credit card receipt showing payment for this course
  3. Completed statement of Business Connection

Request for reimbursement must be submitted within 60 days of course completion/credit received.  Approval of submissions past the deadline is at the discretion of the program.

Science: “A social media survival guide for scientists”

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This Science article, posted under “Letters to Young Scientists,” describes the merits of maintaining a social media presence. Even without posting original content, becoming an active member of online communities creates a curated list of discoveries, events, and discussions. The authors also describe the potential outreach benefits, stating:

“Having a presence on social media may even lead to opportunities,  exposure, and impact beyond scientific circles. A recent study suggests that scientists with more than approximately 1000 Twitter followers reach a broad audience, including educational organizations, media, and members of the general public—people who are unlikely to dust off an academic journal to read your research.”

Read more here.

Science: “What I learned by leaving my comfort zone”

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Science features a career story from Jet-Sing M. Lee, an assistant professor of chemistry at Kyoto University in Japan. Lee describes how he made the decision to pursue a fellowship in Japan rather than a postdoc within his PhD lab. Despite natural misgivings, Lee sought the additional perspective that observing a different approach to science could contribute to his career development. In the article, Lee shares the challenges and rewards of gaining this perspective, both within and outside of the lab.

Read more here.