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Science, “To advance your career, think of yourself as a business”

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In a recent article in the Science career advice column, career consultant and professional speaker Alaina G. Levine promotes the practice of thinking of yourself as a business. According to the author, whether you work in government, academia, or another field, thinking of yourself as a business with “products” (or valuable skill sets) to offer allows you to incorporate useful business practices into your career development. A few examples include understanding what potential “customers” (or employers) find valuable and building your brand.

Read the complete article here.

Penn Career Services: Beyond Academia

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In a recent blog post published by Penn Career Services, Pharmacology graduate student Katherine Webb shares what she’s learned from coordinating Penn’s PhD Career Exploration Fellowship 2020. According to Katherine, the fellowship provides an opportunity to, “simultaneously support other graduate students’ career exploration as well as improve my own professional skill-set and networking.”

Read the full post here.

ASCB, “Four Ways to Use Social Media”

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The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) maintains various Career Topic Blogs, including one about Professional Development. Their latest post covers four ways to use social media to boost attendance at your poster or talk. Much of the advice is applicable for anyone trying to boost their professional presence on social media in general. This is a growing trend, as a growing number of scientists use social media to network and discuss publications.

Read the full post here.

NIH: “Marketing Your Research Experience for Project Management Positions”

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Interested in a career in management consulting, or other fields where project management skills are highly valued? This feature from NIH’s Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE) Careers blog describes how to market lab-based skills that also apply to project management: https://oitecareersblog.od.nih.gov/2019/12/09/marketing-your-research-experience-for-project-management-positions/

If you are interested in learning more about project management, consider exploring the topic on LinkedIn Learning, an online training library free for Penn students.

IHE, “The Stress of Interviewing and Negotiating”

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The Carpe Careers blog published in Inside Higher Ed features advice from PhD/postdoc career advisors on topics including job searches, career development, building professional relationships, and more.

The latest publication about harnessing the stress of interviewing and negotiating was written by Dr. Joseph Barber, Associate Director of Penn Career Services. He addresses the anxiety and fear that many people face throughout these processes, stating, “Rather than dwell on the negatives, if we can train our thoughts to be more positive, to picture what success will look like and imagine the how great we will feel when these job-search situations go well, then we will be better positioned to make the most out of them.” The article then provides a list of strategies to harness excitement rather than fear. Read more here.