BGS Career Development

Making It Count!

Career: Research (government)

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

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iBiology is offering a new online course: “Let’s Experiment: A Guide for Scientists Working at the Bench.”

“This free 6-week course features scientists from a variety of backgrounds, who provide concrete advice on how to design and carry out experiments in biological research. We use case studies to 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.

The course is designed for students and practitioners of experimental biology with busy schedules. If you are interested in learning more, please watch the trailer, visit the course page, or take a peek at the syllabus. The course starts February 19th, 2019.” (Via iBiology)

SfN: Career Skills Toolkit: From PhD to Postdoc

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For doctoral students considering a postdoc position, SfN has created a toolkit for exploring career options. Its contents include advice on how to:

  • Explore career options and decide on your next steps.
  • Build the skills and network you need for career advancement.
  • Highlight your value on a CV or resume.
  • Identify and secure a postdoc position.
  • Plan your postdoc to help you achieve future career advancement. (Via SfN Neuronline).

Read more and download the toolkit presentation here.

Careers in Research Compliance

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The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) provides an overview of the importance of research compliance. The author asserts that the entire science community is responsible for holding one another to high standards of research integrity. They then delve into descriptions of key institutions (such as university research compliance departments) and core areas (animal welfare, conflicts of interest, and more.) Finally, they list a sample of job postings as well as relevant certifications and trainings.

Read more here.

“Learn How to Negotiate, When, and for What!”

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This Career Services workshop is open to all graduate students and postdocs. The workshop will address:

  • The basic principles of successful negotiation
  • What can be negotiated
  • How should you respond when offered a position
  • This workshop will focus on opportunities in the business, non-profit, and government sectors. (Via Handshake)

When: Thursday, November 15th 2018, 12:15 pm

Where: McNeil Building, Conference Room 97, 3718 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

ASBMB Today: “National labs offer options for science careers”

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This article from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology profiles two Ph.D. scientists who work at national laboratories.  Tom Metz leads a metabolomics team at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Mollie Rappé is a science writer at Sandia National Laboratories. The scientists describe how they reached their current positions and what working in the national laboratory system is like.

 

SFN: “How to Select and Plan for a Postdoc”

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The Society for Neuroscience provides this career advice article written by Dr. Donna Korol, Associate Professor at Syracuse University. Although she acknowledges that there are no concrete answers when it comes to finding and securing a postdoc, she provides her insights on a number of commonly asked questions, such as, “Is it okay to do more than one postdoc?” or, “If I want to go into academia, can I still do an industry postdoc?” Read her perspectives here.