BGS Career Development

Making It Count!

Career: Teaching (university)

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.

CTL Workshop: “Preparing Students for Midterms and Exams in STEM Fields”

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At the university level, midterms and exams in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses increasingly challenge students to think critically and apply classroom knowledge to novel problems. TAs, teachers, and mentors can equip students with the skills to effectively study for and take tests in STEM, enhancing the opportunity for success.

Come and learn to assess the structure and content of an exam/midterm, design sample test questions, recommend study strategies for your students, and teach helpful test-taking strategies.

Counts toward the CTL Teaching Certificate. Also counts as a follow-up workshop for students in TA Training.

 

When: Oct 03 2018, 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm

Where: CTL/OLI Seminar Room, 134 Van Pelt Library

RSVP here.

Contact Katerina Placek for more information.

 

Science: “Explore the skills that can open career doors after your doctoral training”

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This Science article discusses a survey of 3,803 science and engineering Ph.D.s working in various industries. Survey respondents revealed that while many believe they began developing important professional skills while in grad school, there are a number of skills that they have found very important at work that were not a central focus of their Ph.D. training (for example, personnel management.)

The article’s authors developed an interactive graphic based on the survey’s data. It compares the extent a skill is developed in grad school with its importance in 12 career sectors, including research, consulting, teaching, and more. It is intended to give doctoral students an overview of the day-to-day duties and responsibilities of jobs in a variety of sectors and to shed light on which skills should be prioritized, either within their Ph.D. training or through extracurricular activities.

IHE: Building an Endpoint to Your Faculty Job Search

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This Inside Higher Ed article addresses a tricky topic for graduate students and postdocs searching for a faculty position – determining how much time to dedicate to the search. Of course, temporary positions such as adjunct teaching or visiting professorships are valuable opportunities in their own right and can serve as stepping stones on the track to a faculty position. At the same time, the article suggests, setting a clear limit on these temporary positions is one way to remain open to other career possibilities.