BGS Career Development

Making It Count!

Career: Teaching (primarily undergraduate institution)

Careers at Community Colleges

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In this Careers Blog post, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) sheds light on a typically overlooked topic related to academic hiring – faculty and support positions at community colleges. With free tuition programs on the rise, enrollment at community colleges is increasing. The author then describes the similarities in structure between community colleges and other higher education institutions. The former is a subset of primarily undergraduate institutions. Finally, the author provides a sample of job postings as well as other job seeker resources.

Read more here.

OITE: “Basic Overview: The US Academic System”

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For students interested in pursuing an academic career path, the NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE) Careers Blog provides this overview of the US academic system. It provides information on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This listing allows you to search by classifications including graduate programs, undergraduate programs, enrollment profile, and more. The article then describes the types of jobs available within various institutions, as well as different classifications of funding.

Read more here.

Science: “Like virtual reality for careers: A new online resource helps scientists explore job options”

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This article in Science describes the career exploration path of Shengpei Wang—a fifth year Ph.D. student at Syracuse University in New York. While considering a move toward a career in data analytics, Shengpei found herself unsure of whether she was capable of the career switch. She visited her university’s career support center, where she learned of a set of online “job simulations.”

The author describes how the simulations helped Shengpei and other scientists at various points in their careers to explore various industries before making a decision. Each simulation takes about 4 to 8 hours, considerably less time than is required to explore potential careers through training, internships, or interviews. Topics include business, clinical trials, science communication, regulatory affairs, and more.

Read more here.

BPS: “How to Prepare for an Academic Job Interview”

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Those interested in a career in academia may find some helpful insights in this career article from the Biophysical Society. The author summarizes the various processes involved in an academic job interview. These may include a phone or Skype call, individual meetings, a research talk, a chalk-talk, or teaching a course. The author also lists characteristics of the academic institution that the interview candidate should assess, from resources available to programs promoting work-life balance.

Read more here.

Interviewing for Faculty Jobs – STEM

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This Career Services program is open to doctoral students and postdocs as part of the Academic Job Search Series. The panel presentation will provide insight into navigating a campus visit, a crucial component of the faculty interviewing process. Candidates, whether applying for a visiting assistant professor position or a tenure track faculty position, should be prepared with questions, negotiation points, and an understanding of what the search committee is looking for.

Take this opportunity to learn about campus interviews from faculty members who have been through the process as candidates and members of search committees.

The panelists include:

• Dr. Jonathan Heckman, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania

• Dr. Rebecca Hubbard, Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

• Dr. Vinayak Mathur, GR’15, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Cabrini University

• Dr. Megan Matthews, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania

• Dr. Yvonne Paterson, Professor, Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania (Via Handshake)

When: Wednesday, October 17th 2018, 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Where: Perelman Quad – Houston Hall, Golkin Room, 3417 Spruce St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States

ASCB: “Mentoring undergraduates: all you need to know to help your summer student”

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The American Society for Cell Biology has posted this insightful article about mentorship. It details the learning potential involved in mentoring undergraduates in the lab. Of course, it’s no secret that graduate students juggle numerous responsibilities. Still, they would be wise to view the opportunity to mentor as a teaching opportunity, rather than an additional task. The author emphasizes graduate students’ potential to strengthen undergraduates’ “scientific identity,” the extent to which they see themselves as scientists. Fostering scientific identity is crucial, especially for members of underrepresented minorities. The author makes a number of suggestions – allowing students to attend meetings with your PI, involving them in lower-stakes side projects, and more.