BGS Career Development

Making It Count!

Career: Research (academic)

NEW! Career Path Alumni Videos

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As a reminder, the BGS Career Development Site extends beyond this Career Blog and features a wide variety of resources, from a description of the Core Competencies developed through predoctoral training to websites for career exploration. Noteworthy among the site’s resources is the ‘Career Paths’ section, which provides a description of the profession, advantages of an advanced degree, key competencies, on-campus student organizations, first steps, alumni videos, and resources.

Two new alumni videos have been uploaded to the site. Aaron Gitler, Professor at Stanford University, and Josh Friedman, Director and Lead at Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., share insights on their respective fields of academic and industry research. The BGS alumni describe their typical day, the things they like most and least about their chosen career, the typical traits and skills required, and much more.

New iBioSeminar: Visual Communication in Biology

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“Scientists commonly use visual representation of data to show their results and ideas. In this seminar, Dr. Janet Iwasa provides an introduction to the field of molecular animation, and walks us through the process of using visualization tools to communicate scientific information. In her first video, Iwasa summarizes the common types of visualizations used in biology, explains the steps you should take to create a model figure, and summarizes key elements you should consider when creating your figures and models.

In her second and third videos, Iwasa provides an overview of the animation process. She shows different software that can be used to create molecular models (e.g. UCSF chimera), and illustrates the process of creating an animation and finalizing the video using software like Maya and Adobe After Effects. These videos will familiarize you with the process of creating an animation and show best practice techniques when using visual communication in biology.” (Via iBiology)

Watch Janet Iwasa’s iBioSeminar: Visual Communication in Biology

iBiology: “Let’s Experiment: A Guide for Scientists Working at the Bench”

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iBiology is offering a free, 6-week online course that teaches how to think through the design and execution of experiments.

Scientists from a variety of backgrounds give concrete steps and advice to help you build a framework for how to design experiments in biological research. Case studies make the abstract more tangible. In science, there is often no simple right answer. However, with this course, you can develop a general approach to experimental design and understand what you are getting into before you begin.

By the end of this course, you will have:

  • A detailed plan for your experiment(s) that you can discuss with a mentor.
  • A flowchart for how to prioritize experiments.
  • Tips and best practices for how to get started with an experiment.
  • A lab notebook template that is so impressively organized, it will make your colleagues envious.
  • A framework to do rigorous, reproducible research.

The course is built with a busy schedule in mind and is designed to take 1.5 to 3 hours per week. It begins Tuesday, February 19, 2019. Content will be released week-by-week each Tuesday.

For more details and to register, click here.

Career Services: Negotiating for Faculty Positions and Postdocs

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Have you ever negotiated with an employer for salary or a job offer? Have you done it successfully? A Career Services counselor will discuss strategies for what to think about and do when you interview and when you receive an offer. This workshop will address:

  • The basic principles of successful negotiation
  • What can be negotiated
  • How should you respond when offered a position


We also have online resources on negotiating academic job offers, please visit: https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices//careerfields/academicfaculty.php

When: February 19, 2019, 12 – 1:30 PM

Where: McNeil Building Conference Room 97

Register here

Understanding the Journal Publishing Process for Early Career STEM Authors

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Join us for a conversation with Dr. Kenneth Zaret (Joseph Leidy Professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine) as he discusses the journal publishing process for early career graduate students and faculty in the sciences. This workshop will provide a casual, interactive opportunity to learn more about tips and best practices for successfully navigating the world of academic journal publishing from the perspective of a practicing editor.

Dr. Zaret has served as an editor of the journals Molecular and Cellular Biology (1993-1997) and Development (2006-2012), as a guest editor of Methods: A Companion to Methods in Enzymology (1997), Current Opinions in Genetics and Development (2001), and Mechanisms of Development (2003). Dr. Zaret is currently on the Editorial Boards of Science, Genes and Development, Development, and Current Opinion in Genetics and Development, on the Board of Directors for the International Society for Differentiation. (Via the Graduate Student Center)

Register here.

When: Tuesday, February 12, 2019, 01:30 PM – 02:30 PM 
Where: Room 305 (3rd Fl), Grad Center, 3615 Locust Walk