BGS Career Development

Making It Count!

Science: Working Life

OITE: “Cognitive Distortions Create Imposter Syndrome”

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NIH’s Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE) Careers Blog recently wrote about imposter syndrome. The article acknowledges the difficulties of maintaining a work-life balance with a career in science. When handling a large amount of external stress, internal challenges can also arise. These include automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) and imposter syndrome. The article defines these and other cognitive distortions before explaining how recognizing and consciously countering these thoughts can help minimize their effects.

Read more here.

SfN: “How This Postdoc Found a Position Right for Her”

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The Society for Neuroscience interviewed Elizabeth Glover, a postdoctoral fellow at the Medical University of South Carolina. In this article, Glover reflects on her search for a postdoc position and shares the qualities she sought in mentors, such as expertise in certain methodological approaches or success in obtaining grants. She also speaks to the importance of lab culture, networking, and female mentors in her career development path.

Read more here.

ASCB: “COMPASS Career Perspectives”

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The American Society for Cell Biology’s Committee for Postdocs and Students (COMPASS) has compiled a list of career perspectives. These profiles are an excellent resource for students considering different industry careers; they provide detailed information on the various professionals’ current positions, their academic and research backgrounds, how they conducted their job search, and many other important topics. Featured interviewees encompass diverse positions, from audit assistant to bioinformaticist.

Biophysical Society: “What to Expect in a Letter of Recommendation”

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This article from the Biophysical Society lists some of the information that might be found in a thoughtfully crafted letter of recommendation. This might include a brief description of the writer’s relationship with the letter’s subject, a statement on their accomplishments and strengths, or specific examples of excellence, such as demonstrated leadership abilities. Having a sense of what constitutes a high-quality recommendation enables students to provide their mentors with the additional details and background information they might need. The author also explains the importance of professionalism in requesting letters of recommendation.

BGS Professional Skills Series – ‘Time Management’

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BGS is pleased to announce the first workshop in this year’s Professional Skills Series for PhD students – “Time Management.” The workshop will cover a variety of strategies that can be used to manage time effectively. Light refreshments will be served. The workshop will be led by Julie A. Blendy and feature insights from Scott Hensley and Montserrat Anguera.

When: Tuesday, October 9, 2018, 4:00-5:30PM

Where: Smilow 10-146AB

Please register by October 5, 2018 to guarantee your spot!

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

https://goo.gl/forms/8tCM7NX8jaVPtIgN2

If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca Lopez.

Academic Medicine: Rationale and Models for Career Advancement Sponsorship in Academic Medicine

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An article from Academic Medicine differentiates mentorship from sponsorship in academic medicine. While the former centers on personal and professional development (e.g., skill-building and goal-setting), the latter concept targets overall career advancement through an understanding of organizational structures, by enhancing one’s visibility, credibility, and professional networks. The authors detail the gender disparities that exist in sponsorship, with men more likely to receive sponsorship. They discuss two existing sponsorship models and call for their broader, more equitable implementation.