BGS Career Development

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“LinkedIn for Scientists”

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In this article, Dr. Milka Kostic notes the scientific community’s initial lukewarm response to online networking platform, LinkedIn. However, as the scientific career landscape changes, LinkedIn grows increasingly relevant. Dr. Kostic details some of the site’s useful search functions and other features. Her article focuses on how to use LinkedIn to accomplish the following goals:

  • Build and/or enhance your professional visibility as well as scientific credibility
  • Jump-start your information and intelligence gathering
  • Find mentoring and coaching highly tailored to your needs and aspirations

Read the full article here. BGS students may also wish to join the BGS Alumni & Current Students LinkedIn group.

Nature Career Column: Conference Tips

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This Nature Career Column provides, “Three tips to avoid becoming a ‘conference zombie.’” The author shares her realistic suggestions to gain maximum value from a conference, following these three tips:

  1. Set flexible goals
  2. Take breaks to regenerate
  3. Defeat insomnia

She provides examples from her own experience on how to follow each of these tips. Read more here.

Workshop: “Creating Effective Application Materials for Academic Jobs at Different Institutions”

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In this workshop, a Career Services advisor will present some best practices for formatting and structuring your application materials, discuss tailoring your materials to different types of institutions, and will challenge you to think about what you want to get across in these documents.

Many of the topics covered will be applicable to students applying for postdocs.

Find more info and RSVP here.

Wednesday, August 14th 2019
12 – 1:30 PM
McNeil Building – Conference Room 97
Hosted by Penn Career Services

Vitamin PhD Podcast

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Vitamin PhD is a podcast produced at Boston University for anyone who is pursuing a doctorate, has a doctorate, or supporting others on their doctoral journey. The podcast delivers career narratives and skills know-how in two formats. In Career Pathways episodes, we help you explore career options by interviewing people who have earned their doctorate and now work in a variety of sectors. In our Navigating Challenges episodes, we discuss issues that can present difficulties in graduate school, and we provide tips to help you succeed. Whether you tune in during your daily commute or while working on your research, we hope that Vitamin PhD can help you learn, laugh, and connect to our listening community.

Follow us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

(Via BU Graduate Affairs)

Nature Career Column: “Networking for introverted scientists”

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Illustration of 3 nervous blue people poking their heads out of holes in the ground to look and comment.
Credit: Alashi/Getty

Those who struggle with networking may benefit from a more structured approach. This Nature Career Column offers tips for strategically navigating a networking event. The author recommends identifying a “core group” of people you’d like to meet for various reasons (i.e. potential collaborators, employers, funding sources, etc.) ahead of the conference. Once you arrive, you should not leave until you have accomplished three goals with each person you’ve identified: introduced yourself, shared your specialty and industry, and exchanged contact information.

The article also provides a list of anxiety-management strategies and alternative networking options. Read more here.

SfN, “Insights From an Editor: Choosing a Journal and Publishing Your Paper”

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“In his 12 years on the editorial board of JNeurosci, David Perkel — a senior editor for the journal and a professor at the University of Washington — has acquired numerous insights into science publishing.

Here he answers commonly asked questions about the publishing process and shares advice applicable to neuroscientists at any career stage, whether you’re preparing to publish your first paper or looking to keep up with best practices.” (Via SfN)

Read Dr. Perkel’s insights here.