BGS Career Development

Making It Count!

Science: Working Life

OITE: “Using Online Job Simulations for Career Exploration”

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InterSECT Job Simulations

InterSECT Job Simulations

A recent post from the NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE) careers blog features a useful tool for career exploration: InterSECT Job Simulations.

As OITE explains, “It can be difficult to find internships or detail opportunities that allow you to see if a field is a good fit for you in real life. And while informational interviews are fantastic, they don’t allow you to try things out for yourself. This is where an online job simulation can be of help.”

Each task has been reviewed by professionals in that field for authenticity. Read more here.

BGSA & BGS Alumni Networking Happy Hour

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Are you interested in learning more about how you can apply your Ph.D. training to careers beyond the bench? BGSA and BGS are hosting a mixer event so that you can interact with former BGS trainees who have gone on to be successful in alternate careers! Join us for drinks, food, and great conversation with our alums! RSVP to secure your spot in this event!

Friday, April 26, 2019, 4:00 – 6:00 PM

Jordan Medical Education Center Lobby

Please RSVP here – note that registration will be closed at 50 participants.

Email Rebecca Lopez for more information, or if you are no longer able to attend.

BGS Improv Workshop Series

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Do you want to improve your science communication skills? Do you wish you found it easier to ask questions in crowded seminars and at conferences? Do you want to become a more confident networker?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you should attend the free BGS improv workshop in April and May. Improv is not stand-up comedy; it is acting without a script. It’s about think on one’s feet, solving problems as they come, authentic and effective communication, projecting confidence, facilitating team work, and not worrying about making mistakes. These are transferable skills that we need both in the lab and when communicating our science to our colleagues and the public. This 5-week workshop, led by professional instructor Sharon Geller, will provide a supportive environment for us to explore the improv techniques, stretch our communication muscles, and more importantly, have FUN!

Quick details:

Tuesdays (April 16th – May 13th) 5:30-7:30PM

Room 425 Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center

Instructor: Sharon Geller (Improv instructor at the Walnut street Theater)

We have limited capacity. If you are interested, please fill out this application form: https://forms.gle/BaPNcF64GqChLry77

If you have question, please contact Yunshu Fan: yunshuf@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Workshop planning committee: Yunshu Fan, Rebecca Somach, Patti Murphy

BGS Professional Skills Series: “Informational Interviews”

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Next up in the BGS Professional Skills Series: “Informational Interviews”! This talk will take place Tuesday, April 16, 2019  from 4:00 – 5:00 PM in Barchi Library (140 John Morgan). Co-hosted by PGWISE and EE Just. Light refreshments will be served!

Dr. Helen N. Pho, Associate Director at Penn Career Services, will address the following topics:

  • How to prepare for an informational interview, including what questions to ask
  • How to create a good impression when answering the “tell me about yourself” question
  • How to ensure that your networking conversation is beneficial to you and meaningful for the professional

To register, click here or copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser:

https://forms.gle/GtwJL5zcoeTMApy2A

If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca Lopez.

“Where Does Science Fit On Capitol Hill?” by Sam Sander Effron

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The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) held their Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. this past February 14-18, 2019.

Sam Effron (CAMB) attended, and he shares his personal reflections on some of the meeting’s main themes (such as, “the collectivity of science, the intersection of science and policy, and the complexity of science communication”) via a series of blog posts.

The latest installment in Effron’s 3-part series explores the question, “Where Does Science Fit on Capitol Hill?” Though scientists may understand the need to contribute their expertise within the political sphere, many may not know where to begin. Effron describes the important connections one must forge in order to navigate bureaucratic red tape, such as with staffers, and delves into concepts such as “activated science” that are key for prompting action.

Read the entire article as well as the rest of the series on the PSPDG blog.

Nature: “From academia to industry: seven tips for scientists making the leap”

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In this Nature article, Dr. Crystal Upperman discusses her own career path and provides tips for diversifying one’s CV as a doctoral candidate. Briefly outlined, the seven steps for making the leap to industry include:

  1. Learn and inventory your soft skills
  2. Learn project management
  3. Less time thinking, more time doing
  4. Network within and outside your discipline
  5. Learn technologies that have cross-applicability
  6. Simplify your science
  7. Advertise and market yourself

Read the specifics on each step here.