Transcript Research Career Development Gail P. Taylor Spring 2005 Career Goals and How to Meet them…

Research Career
Development
Gail P. Taylor
Spring 2005
2005
Career Goals and How to Meet
them…
Career selection and satisfaction
influenced by match between:
► Personal
Attributes:
 Background
 Past Mentoring
 Skills
► Education
► Experience
 Temperament
 Values/Priorities
 Life responsibilities
► Work
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environment
Job Impact
Challenge/growth
Recognition
Hours/stress
Human interaction
Buy-in on direction
Overall job stability
Annual income
Percent growth/job
availability
Focus of this Set of Lectures
► We
will look at Careers in Science and
Engineering
► Specifically the Ph.D.
 Highest Degree that can be earned…
General Motivating Factors for
Pursuing Science
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Love science
Benefit world/humanity
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Disease
Hunger
Pollution
Green Chemistry
Curiosity
► Space;
How works?
 “Inventors”
best laser
Autonomy
 You carry your career
 Set your own hours…
►
Financial
 Companies
 Not hugely, but comfortable
►
 Kids who ask “why”
 Thrive on intellectual
stimulation
 “Explorers”
► Next
►
Educators
 Only way to be college fac.
 Want to educate others
 Want to mentor others
►
Public Policy
 Want to impact nation…
Which is Most Legitimate?
ALL!
Why Earn an Advanced Degree –
Ph.D.?
► Learn
to perform
research
 Further field
 Love doing it
► Skills
sets
 Specific
 Non-specific
► Critical
thinking
► Administration
► Planning, etc.
► Opportunity
 Teach at College/Univ.
 Required for running
research programs
 Can be “in charge”
 Required for
advancement
► Financial
► Prestige/authority
 Highest degree
Most Biological Scientists Work:
► Colleges/Universities
► Industries
► Government:
 Federal
 State
► More
than ½ outside of academe
► Fewer academic positions available
► Increases in small and medium corporations
Ph.D. Career Paths
►
Research
 Academic
 Government
 Industry
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Teaching
 All levels
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Journalism
Engineering Firms
Technical writing
Publishing
Intellectual property
Patent law
Public policy
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Museum curating
Investment banking
Research admin
Educational admin
Grants admin
Program admin
Public Health
Bioinformatics
Biotechnology
Independent consulting
… and much more
Training…
► All
of these careers come out of basic
training as a research scientist, in an
academic institution
Standard Ph.D. Training Path
Post Bacc
Research
Academic Postdoc
Academics
Government
Postdoc
Undergrad
Studies
Doctoral
Studies
M.S. Degree
Government
Industry Postdoc
Continue
Education
Industry
Other Career
Other
Engineering
Why NOT to enter Grad School
► Prestige/Impress
others
► Boost weak ego
► Job guarantee (not)
► For your parents
► Personal intelligence
test
► Delay
entry to work
force
► Wealth
Attributes of a Successful Scientist
► Depends
on whom you ask….
http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/careers/appb.html
Advice to Young Scientist
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Graduate Programs are
arduous…
Do rewards and
compensations outweigh
disappointments and toil?
Yes, if hooked…
 Exhilaration of discovery
 Satisfaction of solved
problems
Peter Medawar, Advice to a Young Scientist
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“One does not have to be
terrifically brainy to be a
good scientist…”
Virtues:
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Common sense
Application
Diligence
Sense of purpose
Concentration
Perseverance in adversity…
Scientist Characteristics II
►S
tudy skills (discipline to learn and maintain field)
► C uriosity and flexibility in adjusting beliefs
► I ntelligence (knowledge base/critical thinking)
► E nthusiasm to overcome disappointments
► N ever-ending attention to detail
► C ommittment to personal and professional
honesty and responsibility
► E nduring respect and appreciation of foundation
work
• ProfHoff
Newton Website, DOE http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen99/gen99983.htm
Scientist Characteristics III
► 1.
imagination
► 2. concentration
► 3. integrity
Peter Faletra Ph.D. Office of Science
Department of Energy
Newton Website, DOE http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen99/gen99983.htm
Scientist Characteristics IV
► 1.
A keen sense of curiosity
► 2. Natural skeptic strong reliance on "the data“
 “show me your numbers".
► 3.
Tenacity
► 4. Analytical skills
► 5. Critical thinking
Where to Find out about Careers?
► Work
on laboratory
 Programs such as
RISE/MARC
 Volunteer
► Take
courses
► Mentor, friends &
acquaintances
► Shadowing someone
► Summer programs &
internships
► Internet
► Placement
offices
► Professional societies
► Advertisements
Graduate School Fields/Programs
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Neurobiology/Neuroscience
Physiology
Microbiology/Immunology/Endocrin
ology
Cell/Molec./Dev. Biology
Biochemistry/Biological chemistry
Biomedical Engineering
Chemistry (various sorts)
Pathology/Molecular Toxicology
Pharmacology
Radiological Sciences
Biostatistics
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Environmental Health Sciences
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Epidemiology
Oral Biology
Biological and Medical Informatics
Biophysics
Genetics
Pharmacogenomics
Forestry
Integrative Biology
Molecular and Biochemical Nutrition
Plant Biology
Vision Science
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And Many MORE!!
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What is a good field?
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What inspires you?
 Matches your passion?
 Matches your values?
►
What do you think will be “hot” in 5 years?
 Biodefense?
► Microbiology
► Cell Biology
 Health?
► Age-related illnesses (in neuro, diabetes, cancer,
► Biomedical applications of Genetics?
► Drug development – Pharmacology/toxicology
► Immunology – good for future biotech industry…
 Computational Biology
 Engineering
 ????
etc)
My Career Plan
► Personal
Values/Priorities
► Top Career Choices
► Research Tools (where learn materials)
► Educational Plan
► Goals/Timeline
Work on Exercise #1
► Please
fill out Exercise 1.