If you've come here because you have ready my profile on STEMinist, I'm glad you stopped by! As you will see, I kept this blog primarily about my job hunt after graduating- and now that I have a job I've been pretty terrible at updating it.
BUT if there is anything you'd like to know more about or people I might be able to connect you with I'm still monitoring the site and would be happy to chat with you more.
Showing posts with label networking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label networking. Show all posts
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
Vignettes from my semi professional life
Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive after my last post, it really means a lot. It can be a little hard to explain the ups and downs of my life as a job hunter/contractor. I do still feel quite lost, but I am trying to enjoy the journey. Today felt like one of those significant days on the journey. I'm not sure how to respond to any of it, so I will just throw it out there.
Some things that happened today:
I woke up early to finish part of a writing contract. Have I mentioned I am really digging my current instructional design contract? I promise to write more on that later, but yeah, it's going really well.
I was at the Hutch to interview a scientist about her job in academic administration. Very cool job, and she is a very interesting lady. I will be writing that up for the Seattle AWIS newsletter- I promise to link to that later.
While entering the Hutch, I was passed by a professorially looking type. While I was filling out the visitor info, I noticed he approached a group of people centered around a young woman who was OmiGushing that she was soexcited, and sohappy, and so couldn't believe this was happening. I figured she must have defended or something. I wasn't paying too much attention until one of the photographers turned and said, "We'd love to get a picture of the two of you by your Nobel Prize." Why hello, Dr. Hartwell.
After the interview, I agreed to meet a contact for lunch in South Lake Union- this is the part of Seattle where most of the biotech and research institutes are centered, and it sits right on the lake. I was stunned to find myself sitting in a much too nice restaurant overlooking a marina and watching the float planes. This was a "what am I doing here?" moment. Turns out, this guy wanted my advice (MY advice) on this STEM program he is thinking about, and how it should be developed and what are the needs there. And he bought me that fancy lunch for the privilege of my opinion. Someone was schmoozing me!
I'm submitting an invoice for the most money I have ever made in a single two week period in my entire life. That's right, my time and effort are valuable.
As I said, it feels like a lot has happened. I learned about a whole new avenue for careers, I've decided I'm actually really loving my current line of work, I miss being starstruck by famous nerds, and somehow, despite spending all week at home in my PJs, people find my opinions and my work valuable. Huh.
Some things that happened today:
I woke up early to finish part of a writing contract. Have I mentioned I am really digging my current instructional design contract? I promise to write more on that later, but yeah, it's going really well.
I was at the Hutch to interview a scientist about her job in academic administration. Very cool job, and she is a very interesting lady. I will be writing that up for the Seattle AWIS newsletter- I promise to link to that later.
While entering the Hutch, I was passed by a professorially looking type. While I was filling out the visitor info, I noticed he approached a group of people centered around a young woman who was OmiGushing that she was soexcited, and sohappy, and so couldn't believe this was happening. I figured she must have defended or something. I wasn't paying too much attention until one of the photographers turned and said, "We'd love to get a picture of the two of you by your Nobel Prize." Why hello, Dr. Hartwell.
After the interview, I agreed to meet a contact for lunch in South Lake Union- this is the part of Seattle where most of the biotech and research institutes are centered, and it sits right on the lake. I was stunned to find myself sitting in a much too nice restaurant overlooking a marina and watching the float planes. This was a "what am I doing here?" moment. Turns out, this guy wanted my advice (MY advice) on this STEM program he is thinking about, and how it should be developed and what are the needs there. And he bought me that fancy lunch for the privilege of my opinion. Someone was schmoozing me!
I'm submitting an invoice for the most money I have ever made in a single two week period in my entire life. That's right, my time and effort are valuable.
As I said, it feels like a lot has happened. I learned about a whole new avenue for careers, I've decided I'm actually really loving my current line of work, I miss being starstruck by famous nerds, and somehow, despite spending all week at home in my PJs, people find my opinions and my work valuable. Huh.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Doing what I like so I can do it more
My dear friend the Blobologist recently wrote about a meeting she had with a science writer- they were talking about navigating your way to a successful career. She was sharing her worry about how to break in, and where to break in, and this guy told her that
On that note, I am headed to the Seattle Science Festival EXPO today. I'm going to be enjoying myself to bits for the morning, and then volunteering at the NWABR "Thank a Researcher Booth," which sounds like fun.
When you change careers, everything is going to be very difficult at first. Why bother going through all that hassle for an area you’re not interested in? Why not start with what you like?If it's going to be a long haul to get the right experience, meet the right people, do the right things and just BE the right candidate, we may as well find something enjoyable about the struggle.
On that note, I am headed to the Seattle Science Festival EXPO today. I'm going to be enjoying myself to bits for the morning, and then volunteering at the NWABR "Thank a Researcher Booth," which sounds like fun.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Don't bring your CV
When you go on an informational interview, everyone tells you not to bring a CV. "You are just getting information, you aren't asking for a job." I do a lot of informational interviews, and at least 1 in 10 will the person be confused that I didn't bring my CV. I think I look like a much better candidate in person than on paper, so I prefer this. When I say I have strong communication skills while I am talking comfortably about my background, it feels much more compelling than the line on my CV that says the same. I'll get back to this, but it also gives me something to follow-up with.
Recently I had an informational interview with a local small pharma company. Fortunately, the acquaintance of an acquaintance there is the CSO. I wasn't sure how much he would know about the actual position in question, but he had a Ph.D. I wanted to know the basics, how big is the company, who is the hiring manager for this opening, is 2-4 years experience essential? Sometimes I come away with a better global perspective (ie- we can't take you for this job, but check back in a month because things are bananas here), but I don't usually ask that.
Anyway, I sit down with this guy, and he gives me this quizzical look at asks for my CV. Instead I give him the twitter version. Holding his skeptical look, he asks for my life story starting with where I am from. I'm from Juneau, Alaska, which pretty much everyone thinks is cool. I told him about my undergrad research, and what I did in grad school. Or I tried to- he kept cutting me off with really odd, direct questions and that confused look. "Are you good at the bench? What are you good at?" "Are you smart? How do you know?" "What have you been doing since you graduated?" Contract editing. "Do you have classical training in writing?" Um...
It was hard to read. I couldn't tell if he was trying to make me uncomfortable so I would leave (I'm immune to awkward), or if he was pleased with my answers. He called in the Director of Pre-Clincal research and one of his PIs. He tried to look aghast that I didn't bring my CV, "But I'm not asking you for a job." "But you are looking for a job, aren't you?" The questions kept coming, ("What's your goal in life?" "Are you opposed to animal work? Ever work with Radiation") and I figured the game was already lost and simply mine to win. A year ago I would have been really intimidated, and what a difference a year makes. Finally, the CSO says, "I wouldn't hire you. You don't have any experience..." The Pre-Clinical Director says, "She has a experience- she has a Ph.D. She's been in the lab before." "You know that's different. Send them your CV. If they like you and want to bring you on as a contractor, that's great."
Cross your fingers that this works. I sent them my CV. I know my CV says I've worked on some random projects using a host of techniques, I published in mediocre journals and I've been up to all kind of other extra curriculars. Hopefully they'll remember that super weird meeting this morning and be curious enough to talk to me again.
But getting back to the point I started with, What would have happened if I'd had my CV? They might have left me with the same cliff hanger, and then I'd have to write back later and say, "So, um... do you like me?" I will probably still get to send that email, but that seems like a terrible place to start correspondence. Instead, my first email to these people was reiterating the conversation we had shared and giving them a tangible reminder of who I am.
Recently I had an informational interview with a local small pharma company. Fortunately, the acquaintance of an acquaintance there is the CSO. I wasn't sure how much he would know about the actual position in question, but he had a Ph.D. I wanted to know the basics, how big is the company, who is the hiring manager for this opening, is 2-4 years experience essential? Sometimes I come away with a better global perspective (ie- we can't take you for this job, but check back in a month because things are bananas here), but I don't usually ask that.
Anyway, I sit down with this guy, and he gives me this quizzical look at asks for my CV. Instead I give him the twitter version. Holding his skeptical look, he asks for my life story starting with where I am from. I'm from Juneau, Alaska, which pretty much everyone thinks is cool. I told him about my undergrad research, and what I did in grad school. Or I tried to- he kept cutting me off with really odd, direct questions and that confused look. "Are you good at the bench? What are you good at?" "Are you smart? How do you know?" "What have you been doing since you graduated?" Contract editing. "Do you have classical training in writing?" Um...
It was hard to read. I couldn't tell if he was trying to make me uncomfortable so I would leave (I'm immune to awkward), or if he was pleased with my answers. He called in the Director of Pre-Clincal research and one of his PIs. He tried to look aghast that I didn't bring my CV, "But I'm not asking you for a job." "But you are looking for a job, aren't you?" The questions kept coming, ("What's your goal in life?" "Are you opposed to animal work? Ever work with Radiation") and I figured the game was already lost and simply mine to win. A year ago I would have been really intimidated, and what a difference a year makes. Finally, the CSO says, "I wouldn't hire you. You don't have any experience..." The Pre-Clinical Director says, "She has a experience- she has a Ph.D. She's been in the lab before." "You know that's different. Send them your CV. If they like you and want to bring you on as a contractor, that's great."
Cross your fingers that this works. I sent them my CV. I know my CV says I've worked on some random projects using a host of techniques, I published in mediocre journals and I've been up to all kind of other extra curriculars. Hopefully they'll remember that super weird meeting this morning and be curious enough to talk to me again.
But getting back to the point I started with, What would have happened if I'd had my CV? They might have left me with the same cliff hanger, and then I'd have to write back later and say, "So, um... do you like me?" I will probably still get to send that email, but that seems like a terrible place to start correspondence. Instead, my first email to these people was reiterating the conversation we had shared and giving them a tangible reminder of who I am.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Disclaimer: I'm educated, not handicapped
When moving outside of academia, it's sometime hard to know how to address having a Ph.D. Lately, I've been trying not to overemphasize it (I'm a strong communicator and critical thinker who happens to have a Ph.D), but I think I am missing an opportunity to talk about what I really learned in graduate school. A lot of the feel good literature for Ph.D.s thinking about finding a new career path teaches us to recognize the value of the Ph.D. in terms of communications skills, teamwork, independent work, critical thinking... Sometimes I forget that other people (and I mean hiring managers), don't read this stuff. I have certainly written cover letters where I failed to address some of those secondary job requirements. I'm not sure if that cost me the job, but "strong communication skills," "attention to detail," or "Proficiency in Microsoft Word" sometimes seem to obvious to state.
Then again... I met someone a while back who was really surprised, could barely contain his surprise, that I was such a capable communicator. Not that I did anything out of the ordinary, he just assumed I would speak only in math equations and that I'd never hear a word he said. He really thought I'd be handicapped by my education. He was thinking about ways to get kids into STEM fields, and gave me one of those "geeks don't have social skills" lines that made me sigh. I carefully corrected him, scientists don't always value their interpersonal skills, but it is impossible to be successful in science if you cannot write a grant that present a compelling argument to fund your work or present a clear story of your novel finds that gives you credibility with your colleagues. He was sold, but it reminded me that a huge part of communication is understanding your audience. If I am applying to a position where a Ph.D. is unexpected, I should probably explain why I think that 5 years in drug discovery provides me enough professional experience to be successful in a new role. I gotta remember that to some people, a Ph.D. is for those who are too single minded to make it anywhere but in that chosen field. And saying, "This job isn't as hard a grad school," isn't likely to win any hearts or minds.
Currently, I am applying for a hot curriculum development position (LinkedIn can tell you how many people have applied- I'm #117. I suspect my application won't be read, or if it is, it will be forgotten. I'm developing the materials for similar positions, so what the heck- I'm being ridiculous and possibly memorable). My short cover letter explains my background and interesting in the position, but I felt it needed more. They wanted someone with a BA in Comm, so I included this paragraph.
Briefly, I want to address some of the other job requirements that may not seem obvious given my background. I earned my Ph.D. in molecular biology by taking the lead on a large collaborative project that involved investigators in 3 states, so I am familiar with team work, collaboration and the value of interpersonal skills. This project allowed me to share my work in both papers and talks for an audience of highly educated skeptics, so I have developed strong communication skills, attention to detail and a thick skin. As a freelancer working off-site, I have mastered independent work and time management.
Too much? My new, fatalistic attitude about the job hunt is helping me to try new things. But approaching every job thinking, "well, I already don't have this job, how bad can it get?" might not be the fast lane to my dream job.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Notes on working with entreprenuers
In a meeting the other day, an entrepreneur shared a moment of great self-insight. He said, "I'm an entrepreneur, I come up with all kinds of ideas. Some of them are great, and lots of them are terrible. I need people around me to tell me which is which. But I really need people to get things done." At first, I thought this was just his take on the role, but I've had the chance to work with several now and I see it's a bit of a universal truth. And knowing that can help those interactions quite a lot.
This is a guy I am day dreaming about a STEM program with. He loves it when I tell him which ideas might work, or how we are going to have to pull them off. He doesn't perceive those responsibilities as his role- his job is to have great ideas and find the resources to make them work. I am one of those resources, and I'm valuable because I can tell him when his ideas stink.
When I look back on my interactions with the algae guy, he had a lot of this too. Great ideas that weren't always bounded by our current access to technology, money or other practical considerations. I'll admit that that kinda spooked me a bit. A good entrepreneur is so compelling about that "The Sky is the Limit!" pitch that other people buy into it, literally giving money, and suddenly you've got everything you need.
Scientists can be a little like this too. If you dread showing your boss data because they will come up with 8 equally important follow-up experiments that don't overlap with the experiments they proposed that got you there in the first place.... you work with an innovator. I knew a guy like that. I work with some of these PIs now as an intern at C4C. The tech managers often complain that their teams can't make forward progress because they get distracted by all kinds of other considerations. You mix the entrepreneur's dream with a habit of basic research and it can be really tough to move a brilliant idea to a product on the shelf.
One of the (many) reasons I don't want to be a faculty member is because I don't think like that. I don't like to invent bad ideas to find good ones, and I am much more opinionated about the practical things. Honestly, I thought that made me less of a scientist. But I think in a commercial world, there is a real need for people like me. Brilliant ideas aside, if you want to put a drug through trials, there is a lot of regulation that doesn't usually benefit from creative thinking. I mention this, because I think recognizing which type of person I am and how I related to the other type has helped my professional interactions.
This is a guy I am day dreaming about a STEM program with. He loves it when I tell him which ideas might work, or how we are going to have to pull them off. He doesn't perceive those responsibilities as his role- his job is to have great ideas and find the resources to make them work. I am one of those resources, and I'm valuable because I can tell him when his ideas stink.
When I look back on my interactions with the algae guy, he had a lot of this too. Great ideas that weren't always bounded by our current access to technology, money or other practical considerations. I'll admit that that kinda spooked me a bit. A good entrepreneur is so compelling about that "The Sky is the Limit!" pitch that other people buy into it, literally giving money, and suddenly you've got everything you need.
Scientists can be a little like this too. If you dread showing your boss data because they will come up with 8 equally important follow-up experiments that don't overlap with the experiments they proposed that got you there in the first place.... you work with an innovator. I knew a guy like that. I work with some of these PIs now as an intern at C4C. The tech managers often complain that their teams can't make forward progress because they get distracted by all kinds of other considerations. You mix the entrepreneur's dream with a habit of basic research and it can be really tough to move a brilliant idea to a product on the shelf.
One of the (many) reasons I don't want to be a faculty member is because I don't think like that. I don't like to invent bad ideas to find good ones, and I am much more opinionated about the practical things. Honestly, I thought that made me less of a scientist. But I think in a commercial world, there is a real need for people like me. Brilliant ideas aside, if you want to put a drug through trials, there is a lot of regulation that doesn't usually benefit from creative thinking. I mention this, because I think recognizing which type of person I am and how I related to the other type has helped my professional interactions.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Work-Life Balance: AWIS Panel
Yet another thing I have done while looking for a job is join a couple professional societies here. I am on the Board of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS), which is a great organization because the membership is diverse and active. I've met a lot of interesting people as a result, and this is a fairly large organization, so I have been able to use that to connect with several people on LinkedIn. One benefit of being on the Board is that I feel compelled to attend all of our events, which are targeted to issues I actually care about.
This last week was a great panel on work-life balance, presented by women at different career stages and with different career trajectories. This wasn't just a Q&A on when the best time to have babies is, I think that these women were able to highlight some universal truths. For starters, AWIS National emphasizes that work-life balance is personal and changing. What makes you feel satisfied with your life and trajectory is different when you move to a new city to start grad school and don't know a soul than when you are mid-career and settled with a family.
These women talked about setting boundaries to carve out time for their families, but also finding ways to have a family while enjoying a fruitful career. The job is supposed to be satisfying, remember? Several people said that they considered the few hours of the day where the were at home were too precious to worry about maintaining their home, so they paid a house keeper or yard service. Others talked about finding a way to keep the pressures of family from preventing them having a fulfilling career. One worked from home after the baby went to bed so she didn't feel guilty about leaving early to be home, one who religiously took off at 5 would give herself a night to linger at work when she felt too much pressure from home. There was discussion about routine, for one woman a routine was so important to her she normally carpooled to have that added structure. Others felt that the best advantage of their career track was the the flexibility.
What was really helpful was to hear them say that they each felt like there had been some critical junctures where the idea of "balance," came to a head. How to solve that two-body problem? When to seek promotion? How to deal with a lay-off? How to deal with a teenager? I like this idea that work-life balance looks very different at different career stages, which means that our approaches can change, and that it is fine to reassess it whenever it feels off kilter.
There were several practical ideas floated, but in addition, it is always so helpful to hear successful women be honest about the challenges they have faced and how they were able to address them. It's one of the reasons I am glad to be able to participate in AWIS events.
This last week was a great panel on work-life balance, presented by women at different career stages and with different career trajectories. This wasn't just a Q&A on when the best time to have babies is, I think that these women were able to highlight some universal truths. For starters, AWIS National emphasizes that work-life balance is personal and changing. What makes you feel satisfied with your life and trajectory is different when you move to a new city to start grad school and don't know a soul than when you are mid-career and settled with a family.
These women talked about setting boundaries to carve out time for their families, but also finding ways to have a family while enjoying a fruitful career. The job is supposed to be satisfying, remember? Several people said that they considered the few hours of the day where the were at home were too precious to worry about maintaining their home, so they paid a house keeper or yard service. Others talked about finding a way to keep the pressures of family from preventing them having a fulfilling career. One worked from home after the baby went to bed so she didn't feel guilty about leaving early to be home, one who religiously took off at 5 would give herself a night to linger at work when she felt too much pressure from home. There was discussion about routine, for one woman a routine was so important to her she normally carpooled to have that added structure. Others felt that the best advantage of their career track was the the flexibility.
What was really helpful was to hear them say that they each felt like there had been some critical junctures where the idea of "balance," came to a head. How to solve that two-body problem? When to seek promotion? How to deal with a lay-off? How to deal with a teenager? I like this idea that work-life balance looks very different at different career stages, which means that our approaches can change, and that it is fine to reassess it whenever it feels off kilter.
There were several practical ideas floated, but in addition, it is always so helpful to hear successful women be honest about the challenges they have faced and how they were able to address them. It's one of the reasons I am glad to be able to participate in AWIS events.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Navigating recruiter relationships
Because I am not a naturally socially savvy person, learning to navigate the new cultural worlds of business and recruiters have given me some chances to reflect on how I do interact with people. I'll share a few of these here.
There is plenty of advice that if you are working with a recruiter, you should ping them every week or so to stay relevant. If you stop, they assume you found a job and don't bug you. I've let plenty of recruiters come and go out of my life. Since most of them never sounded like they would have much to offer a Ph.D. with no work experience, I let those relationships wither quickly- and guess what? They never got me a job. This time around, I am trying harder to build a relationship and be remembered, and do it with brevity. (Of course, this is easier to do when you are working with someone who will return your calls or emails- distinguishing which relationships to cultivate is a topic for another day).
I was sending out several of these pings this morning (I updated my resume to include being finished with my PM class). This afternoon, I had a meeting at the recruiting office of one of these people (to talk to someone else), and she was of course surprised to see me. She ended up introducing me to another person who might be in a better position to get me a contract position, and as I was leaving for the day she said, "Next time, let me know before you come down here. That way I can get you set up to meet more people." Oh.... that's actually the third time I've been in the office. New rule of thumb, when you go into an office where you know some people- go say hi to every single person you know.
I went to an AWIS event last night on work-life balance (I'll be posting more on that and giving myself a pep talk later in the week), but one of the panelists said if you aren't comfortable going to network events, just network where you are. Make conversation in the lunch room, and get around your department enough that you are well connected where you work. Basically, build the relationships you have already. I'm having a much easier time building relationships through introductions than I have through those overwhelmingly loud and friendly networking events.
There we go, some thoughts on networking and developing relationships in the arena of job hunting. If any of these golden nuggets turn out to be the one that gets me my big break, well, you saw it here first.
There is plenty of advice that if you are working with a recruiter, you should ping them every week or so to stay relevant. If you stop, they assume you found a job and don't bug you. I've let plenty of recruiters come and go out of my life. Since most of them never sounded like they would have much to offer a Ph.D. with no work experience, I let those relationships wither quickly- and guess what? They never got me a job. This time around, I am trying harder to build a relationship and be remembered, and do it with brevity. (Of course, this is easier to do when you are working with someone who will return your calls or emails- distinguishing which relationships to cultivate is a topic for another day).
I was sending out several of these pings this morning (I updated my resume to include being finished with my PM class). This afternoon, I had a meeting at the recruiting office of one of these people (to talk to someone else), and she was of course surprised to see me. She ended up introducing me to another person who might be in a better position to get me a contract position, and as I was leaving for the day she said, "Next time, let me know before you come down here. That way I can get you set up to meet more people." Oh.... that's actually the third time I've been in the office. New rule of thumb, when you go into an office where you know some people- go say hi to every single person you know.
I went to an AWIS event last night on work-life balance (I'll be posting more on that and giving myself a pep talk later in the week), but one of the panelists said if you aren't comfortable going to network events, just network where you are. Make conversation in the lunch room, and get around your department enough that you are well connected where you work. Basically, build the relationships you have already. I'm having a much easier time building relationships through introductions than I have through those overwhelmingly loud and friendly networking events.
There we go, some thoughts on networking and developing relationships in the arena of job hunting. If any of these golden nuggets turn out to be the one that gets me my big break, well, you saw it here first.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Interview: Patent Law
Working at the UWs tech transfer office puts me in touch with a lot of scientists using their training in a non-traditional way. I work directly with tech managers who have a portfolio of projects that they cycle through the development- moving from an idea, to a funded idea, to a company, or a patent or a license to another company. This is a very cool job that I might talk about more later, but these tech managers also work in close contact with patent agents and patent lawyers. In our office, these are all former researchers who've made the leap into law. I got to sit down with a woman from an engineering background to talk about her move into law and her job now.
When we first sat down, she said, "you know, all you need to become a patent agent is to pass the patent bar, and that's really no big deal. Seriously, just sign up, study for a couple weeks and take the test, and you can jump into law." Hold that look of cautious surprise while we back up a bit. Entering patent law is different than other forms of law- in order to sign up to take the Patent Agent Bar, you need a B.S. at least in a narrow list of technical or scientific fields. If you have gone to law school following that degree, you can take the Patent Attorney Bar, which is a different exam. I'm going to focus on the Patent Agent route, since there is no way I am going back to law school now.
What the patent Agent does is help prepare and file documents related to patents with the US Patent and Trade Office (USPTO). There are several levels of documentation that go in with a patent, depending on that nature of the patent and it's claims. What this looks like on a day-to-day basis is juggling several projects, each which requires about 8-80 hours of work, and doing anything from prior art searches, provisional patent language to prosecuting (fancy lawyer term meaning "to persue") patents. Sometimes patents come back from the patent office, and need a response, so you get to advocate for why your client's patent is different that patents 6,923,245. In order to be effective, you actually need to understand the fundamentals of your patents well enough to distinguish it from other patents/ literature available. Even though you don't "do" science in the traditional way, you really need to keep your understanding sharp and up to date.
A little more on the career path. I've heard people say that a Patent Agent is kind of a dead-end job, there isn't room for advancement. It's probably true that your job title doesn't change much over time, but my contact had a little more perspective on it. She said that most people start out in a law firm for at least a couple of years. You work with all the lawyers in that firm and really get experience in the entire life cycle. She said (and I was stifling a smile here), you really need to develop a tough skin and be prepared to put in long hows. You'll be doing a lot of work, getting different types of criticism from the partners. The stakes are high and the deadlines are short, so there is a lot of pressure. The hours can be long and the intellectual labor is exhausting. But after a couple years at a law firm, you have enough experience to pursue another position, like her position at the University, or in a USPTO office. In her position, she manages the law firms that are contracted to do a lot of that work for the tech transfer office. Or to work part-time, or generally take more control over your career. I'm not sure what the job opportunities for Patent Agents are right now or are predicted to be in the near future.
That said, this doesn't sound all that different from post-docing (or graduate school, she had a B.Sc. in engineering before making the switch). Except for the pay. The USPTO reports the average salary for a patent agent is $74500.
Back to the bar then. It's a 3 hour exam, you can probably take at your nearest testing center. You need to pass with a 70% score. The fee to take the exam is a few hundred dollars (which feels like a lot when you are out of work), but could provide some new exciting opportunities. Or, if you decide you don't like it, it doesn't shackle you to the debt of law school. For a career that is a dynamic, challenging way you use your training, the barriers to entry don't seem too high.
When we first sat down, she said, "you know, all you need to become a patent agent is to pass the patent bar, and that's really no big deal. Seriously, just sign up, study for a couple weeks and take the test, and you can jump into law." Hold that look of cautious surprise while we back up a bit. Entering patent law is different than other forms of law- in order to sign up to take the Patent Agent Bar, you need a B.S. at least in a narrow list of technical or scientific fields. If you have gone to law school following that degree, you can take the Patent Attorney Bar, which is a different exam. I'm going to focus on the Patent Agent route, since there is no way I am going back to law school now.
What the patent Agent does is help prepare and file documents related to patents with the US Patent and Trade Office (USPTO). There are several levels of documentation that go in with a patent, depending on that nature of the patent and it's claims. What this looks like on a day-to-day basis is juggling several projects, each which requires about 8-80 hours of work, and doing anything from prior art searches, provisional patent language to prosecuting (fancy lawyer term meaning "to persue") patents. Sometimes patents come back from the patent office, and need a response, so you get to advocate for why your client's patent is different that patents 6,923,245. In order to be effective, you actually need to understand the fundamentals of your patents well enough to distinguish it from other patents/ literature available. Even though you don't "do" science in the traditional way, you really need to keep your understanding sharp and up to date.
A little more on the career path. I've heard people say that a Patent Agent is kind of a dead-end job, there isn't room for advancement. It's probably true that your job title doesn't change much over time, but my contact had a little more perspective on it. She said that most people start out in a law firm for at least a couple of years. You work with all the lawyers in that firm and really get experience in the entire life cycle. She said (and I was stifling a smile here), you really need to develop a tough skin and be prepared to put in long hows. You'll be doing a lot of work, getting different types of criticism from the partners. The stakes are high and the deadlines are short, so there is a lot of pressure. The hours can be long and the intellectual labor is exhausting. But after a couple years at a law firm, you have enough experience to pursue another position, like her position at the University, or in a USPTO office. In her position, she manages the law firms that are contracted to do a lot of that work for the tech transfer office. Or to work part-time, or generally take more control over your career. I'm not sure what the job opportunities for Patent Agents are right now or are predicted to be in the near future.
That said, this doesn't sound all that different from post-docing (or graduate school, she had a B.Sc. in engineering before making the switch). Except for the pay. The USPTO reports the average salary for a patent agent is $74500.
Back to the bar then. It's a 3 hour exam, you can probably take at your nearest testing center. You need to pass with a 70% score. The fee to take the exam is a few hundred dollars (which feels like a lot when you are out of work), but could provide some new exciting opportunities. Or, if you decide you don't like it, it doesn't shackle you to the debt of law school. For a career that is a dynamic, challenging way you use your training, the barriers to entry don't seem too high.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Getting press for volunteering
Without a doubt, the best thing I have done as a job hunter was to volunteer with my local science center. It's provided me with many more opportunities then I could have imagined, because I ended up working with a phenomenal team- motivated, bright, well connected, clear vision- who for some reason, really needed what I had to offer at the moment that I walked into their office. As a result, a lot of fantastic work was done (sure, I contributed some, but it wasn't going to be lame without me), and they are very willing to give me credit and props for adding my unique perspective. The nature of their work also requires a little more... contact with media outlets and others in the field. A couple weeks ago, I gave an interview to someone writing a book about informal education. I gave a quote to someone writing an article about the work that led to the funtastic trip to NySci.
It's all been a lot of fun, no doubt, but I think it is really helpful to get plugged into to professionals who are willing to promote me for what I have to offer professionally. I know many scientists feel uncomfortable with self-promotion, either that it feels inappropriate or just difficult to get the chutzpah to do. One way around this is to work with people who will do it on your behalf. And, one way to encourage folks to do this for you, is to do it for them as well. You can give recommendations on LinkedIn, or just talk up your collaborators who have great ideas AND stick to their deadlines. Perhaps I'll have more ideas on this later, but sharing positive experiences is a really helpful way to add some content to your networking.
It's all been a lot of fun, no doubt, but I think it is really helpful to get plugged into to professionals who are willing to promote me for what I have to offer professionally. I know many scientists feel uncomfortable with self-promotion, either that it feels inappropriate or just difficult to get the chutzpah to do. One way around this is to work with people who will do it on your behalf. And, one way to encourage folks to do this for you, is to do it for them as well. You can give recommendations on LinkedIn, or just talk up your collaborators who have great ideas AND stick to their deadlines. Perhaps I'll have more ideas on this later, but sharing positive experiences is a really helpful way to add some content to your networking.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Being a role model: Illusions of granduer
Networking is a two way street- I need help finding a job, so I need to help anyone I can find a job too. A former student of mine from my first TA experience posted on Facebook that he is unable to find a position as a science teacher, and is hoping to find a tech position in Pittsburgh somewhere. Since I am an expert job hunter, I weighed in to wish him luck, and he asked me to be a reference. Of course! He was a great student and would be a great addition to a lab!
This is the third time I've been asked to be a reference for a student of mine, and I always think- don't you have someone... like, important to write you a letter? I mean, my grandmother thinks my Ph.D. is cool, but will your future employer be impressed by a letter from an out-of-work molecular biologist? Of course, both past students got the position they were hoping for, so maybe I am placing too much importance on the role of the reference.
It also reminds me, these people (not kids- they are in their mid-twenties for crying out loud) look up to me, and that gives me an unnerving sense of responsibility. Being a role model shouldn't be taken lightly. Example- I really look up to all the post-docs in my old lab. Seeing all of them hesitate (struggle, battle, endeavor, be rebuffed and dismayed) to move their careers ahead makes me so hesitant to think about post-docing. If scientists that motivated, committed and freaking brainy can't rise in the ranks, what am I going to do? When I left Pitt, I was excited to find a way to have a career without a post-doc and other grad students thought that was cool. I haven't figured it out yet, but sometimes I tell myself I am sticking to my guns for other grad students who wanted to see some alternate road to success. This isn't about me, it's about something bigger than me. I'm trying to find some way to make the public investment in ME worthwhile.
This is the third time I've been asked to be a reference for a student of mine, and I always think- don't you have someone... like, important to write you a letter? I mean, my grandmother thinks my Ph.D. is cool, but will your future employer be impressed by a letter from an out-of-work molecular biologist? Of course, both past students got the position they were hoping for, so maybe I am placing too much importance on the role of the reference.
It also reminds me, these people (not kids- they are in their mid-twenties for crying out loud) look up to me, and that gives me an unnerving sense of responsibility. Being a role model shouldn't be taken lightly. Example- I really look up to all the post-docs in my old lab. Seeing all of them hesitate (struggle, battle, endeavor, be rebuffed and dismayed) to move their careers ahead makes me so hesitant to think about post-docing. If scientists that motivated, committed and freaking brainy can't rise in the ranks, what am I going to do? When I left Pitt, I was excited to find a way to have a career without a post-doc and other grad students thought that was cool. I haven't figured it out yet, but sometimes I tell myself I am sticking to my guns for other grad students who wanted to see some alternate road to success. This isn't about me, it's about something bigger than me. I'm trying to find some way to make the public investment in ME worthwhile.
Monday, April 16, 2012
My article is on Page 8
Following the pretty obvious advice to network around when I moved to Seattle, I joined and was quickly added to the board of the Seattle Chapter of the Association of Women in Science. I'm on the newsletter committee, and I was pretty stoked when we decided that this quarter's newsletter was about bioethics. I designed a course in bioethics for undergrads as a graduate student, and it was a lot of fun to put together and teach- so in addition to bugging people (who mostly ignored my requests) for newsletter articles, I wrote one too. You can read it here.
It was challenging to write the article, because I wanted to balance it between "Things AWIS Members might actually want to read," and "Things I wish my future employer knew about me." Let me know what you think.
It was challenging to write the article, because I wanted to balance it between "Things AWIS Members might actually want to read," and "Things I wish my future employer knew about me." Let me know what you think.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Say less.
It's hard to know what to say. The first introduction, the cold call, the follow up email. I will often hear people give the synopsis of "how that interaction is supposed to go" but I find it takes me a long time to type out those email, to have those conversations, because I want to cushion my message with some fluffy social banter. This may be an over-compensation being a scientist- I don't want people to think I am direct to the point of lacking social skills. BUT, if it takes so much time to write up one email, it's hard to move through the many emails I should be sending, yes?
I was getting schooled in job hunting the other evening by a friend who is applying for more senior positions (ie, VP). I wanted to believe that his job hunt was moving faster and going better because he had experience and a network already. That might be part of it, but a lot of it is how he goes about his hunt. He paid for the full subscription on LinkedIn. He sends a lot of notes to people. And most of those notes are crazy short. One note he sends to HR people:
"I am considering exploring opportunities at YOUR COMPANY. Can you put me in touch with someone I can speak to about this? Please let me know if I should send a resume."
He gets lots of nothing from that, but he also got a job offer out of that. And an email that short, you can afford to send 100 times a day. He doesn't spend time justifying a career move, he let's his LinkedIn profile speak for itself.
I wonder if this could work for me. I'll let you know after I've had a couple days to try it.
I was getting schooled in job hunting the other evening by a friend who is applying for more senior positions (ie, VP). I wanted to believe that his job hunt was moving faster and going better because he had experience and a network already. That might be part of it, but a lot of it is how he goes about his hunt. He paid for the full subscription on LinkedIn. He sends a lot of notes to people. And most of those notes are crazy short. One note he sends to HR people:
"I am considering exploring opportunities at YOUR COMPANY. Can you put me in touch with someone I can speak to about this? Please let me know if I should send a resume."
He gets lots of nothing from that, but he also got a job offer out of that. And an email that short, you can afford to send 100 times a day. He doesn't spend time justifying a career move, he let's his LinkedIn profile speak for itself.
I wonder if this could work for me. I'll let you know after I've had a couple days to try it.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Do I have experience yet?
Oh, experience. Job ads always seem to think you should have it- and it's never clear where you are going to get it. The few times I have gotten feedback about why I am not the candidate have included notes of "you don't have experience." Arg. I sometimes list my entire time in grad school as experience- because, uh, it was all work. Doesn't seem to make much difference.
I have been feeling pretty unappealing as a candidate after numbly reading through so many ads. But I met with a more senior scientist recently who is also in between jobs, and he complained that there are tons of jobs out there for recent grads and early career people. What? I have a friend who is senior enough to have hired many folks in his day, and he always encouragingly says that 5 years can become zero years for the right candidate. How do I get to be the right candidate?
Just to be clear- the following pertains to industry careers in non-research positions. Part of the distinction that ISN'T clear from job ads is not that they want that 'job experience' you got in HS or summers in college. They aren't concerned you can show up for work 5 days a week. I think. They also don't really want to know that you can use pipettes or run a gel- although if you can't do those things, you aren't looking for a job as a scientist. It's got more to do with training you out of that Research mentality. For a publicly held company, or a company beholden to investors, not all ideas are worth pursuing because they are interesting. If you remove the incentives of publication, and replace those with profit, you end up with a different reasons to do the things you do at work. There isn't time to dither about making the decision to move ahead with a project, or strive to incorporate new and unproven tech just because it seems awesome, and you might make a major investment of money to shorten a schedule. The little work I have done with the start-up has showed me that. A company who wants to hire someone who not only has good ideas, but can follow all the way through with them. To a successful product, or project or outcome of some sort- I know I need to find a way to prove that.
I went to another networking event a couple nights ago, and one of the people I ran into is a manager at a major engineering recruiting firm (Experis). I recognized that I had introduced myself wrong when he started to suggest that I should find a company who would be willing to let me volunteer for a couple months, then go back out on the job market a lot more desirable. At the time I thought, "Are you kidding me? Haven't I volunteered enough- when does this count for something??" But, I realized I hadn't mentioned it. I told him I graduated in June and was looking for a job. So, a few things things:
1) volunteer work can be a legitimate form of work experience.
2) I need to find a succinct way to explain where I am in my career to people when I meet them.
3) Does my volunteer experience add up to sufficient 'experience' to sell it as such? Am I still a green newbie, or can I start to own the fact that I have accomplishments that occurred after my graduation, and were independent of my former adviser. Sure, I don't have my publication record in order yet (4th submission- keep your fingers crossed!), and I didn't do anything so famous or important in grad school to get a job on the merit of that alone. But since grad school, I've applied my experience there to becoming the Scientist in Residence at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, where I put together some successful demos, I've opened my own small business to cover my consulting and editing work, and I'm on the board of two important local professional societies. I should be on the cusp of having a job, right? Progressing to the next step is what I need to work on next- how do I sell that??
I have been feeling pretty unappealing as a candidate after numbly reading through so many ads. But I met with a more senior scientist recently who is also in between jobs, and he complained that there are tons of jobs out there for recent grads and early career people. What? I have a friend who is senior enough to have hired many folks in his day, and he always encouragingly says that 5 years can become zero years for the right candidate. How do I get to be the right candidate?
Just to be clear- the following pertains to industry careers in non-research positions. Part of the distinction that ISN'T clear from job ads is not that they want that 'job experience' you got in HS or summers in college. They aren't concerned you can show up for work 5 days a week. I think. They also don't really want to know that you can use pipettes or run a gel- although if you can't do those things, you aren't looking for a job as a scientist. It's got more to do with training you out of that Research mentality. For a publicly held company, or a company beholden to investors, not all ideas are worth pursuing because they are interesting. If you remove the incentives of publication, and replace those with profit, you end up with a different reasons to do the things you do at work. There isn't time to dither about making the decision to move ahead with a project, or strive to incorporate new and unproven tech just because it seems awesome, and you might make a major investment of money to shorten a schedule. The little work I have done with the start-up has showed me that. A company who wants to hire someone who not only has good ideas, but can follow all the way through with them. To a successful product, or project or outcome of some sort- I know I need to find a way to prove that.
I went to another networking event a couple nights ago, and one of the people I ran into is a manager at a major engineering recruiting firm (Experis). I recognized that I had introduced myself wrong when he started to suggest that I should find a company who would be willing to let me volunteer for a couple months, then go back out on the job market a lot more desirable. At the time I thought, "Are you kidding me? Haven't I volunteered enough- when does this count for something??" But, I realized I hadn't mentioned it. I told him I graduated in June and was looking for a job. So, a few things things:
1) volunteer work can be a legitimate form of work experience.
2) I need to find a succinct way to explain where I am in my career to people when I meet them.
3) Does my volunteer experience add up to sufficient 'experience' to sell it as such? Am I still a green newbie, or can I start to own the fact that I have accomplishments that occurred after my graduation, and were independent of my former adviser. Sure, I don't have my publication record in order yet (4th submission- keep your fingers crossed!), and I didn't do anything so famous or important in grad school to get a job on the merit of that alone. But since grad school, I've applied my experience there to becoming the Scientist in Residence at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, where I put together some successful demos, I've opened my own small business to cover my consulting and editing work, and I'm on the board of two important local professional societies. I should be on the cusp of having a job, right? Progressing to the next step is what I need to work on next- how do I sell that??
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Stories from the networking trenches
Last week I went to this really generic networking event organized by Prolango. They create events to bring together job seekers, recruiters and the employed who want to expand their network in a very non-smarmy kind of way. I was impressed, I met some nice folks, and even some other scientists. I've been basically following up with those people all week.
1) I went to my first "cloned" meeting. I wanted to meet with the two scientists I met at the Mixer, who apparently get together to share ideas and encouragement regularly, so all three of us got together. It turned out to be awesome for me to pick the brains of two seasoned scientists who are in career transition. We talked for 2 hours. Wow. I hope they thought it was useful too.
2) I'm growing the LinkedIn thing. Most of the folks I met at the Prolango event I had really nice conversations with, and we agreed to connect on LinkedIn. It's helping to grow my network towards new hiring managers and recruiters.
3) Speaking of which, I had a meeting with a recruiter at Aerotek. I think recruiters are meant to be vague, I have no idea whether he thinks I'll ever find a job or not, but it was a decent practice interview.
4) One of the people I met at the event who had a vague seeming job in a company that "drives consumer interest to major retailers" and I thought might have some writing work for me was actually an Amway sales lady. I felt silly thinking I was going to client meeting only to realize I was the product. Dang.
5) All this networking is starting to feel like it is paying off. I had an internal reference for a position at Amgen. Sweet.
Next week I'll be headed to the Eastside Networking Event, which is supposed to be pretty good also. I'm taking a wingman with me, which might change the dynamic a bit. Wish me luck!
1) I went to my first "cloned" meeting. I wanted to meet with the two scientists I met at the Mixer, who apparently get together to share ideas and encouragement regularly, so all three of us got together. It turned out to be awesome for me to pick the brains of two seasoned scientists who are in career transition. We talked for 2 hours. Wow. I hope they thought it was useful too.
2) I'm growing the LinkedIn thing. Most of the folks I met at the Prolango event I had really nice conversations with, and we agreed to connect on LinkedIn. It's helping to grow my network towards new hiring managers and recruiters.
3) Speaking of which, I had a meeting with a recruiter at Aerotek. I think recruiters are meant to be vague, I have no idea whether he thinks I'll ever find a job or not, but it was a decent practice interview.
4) One of the people I met at the event who had a vague seeming job in a company that "drives consumer interest to major retailers" and I thought might have some writing work for me was actually an Amway sales lady. I felt silly thinking I was going to client meeting only to realize I was the product. Dang.
5) All this networking is starting to feel like it is paying off. I had an internal reference for a position at Amgen. Sweet.
Next week I'll be headed to the Eastside Networking Event, which is supposed to be pretty good also. I'm taking a wingman with me, which might change the dynamic a bit. Wish me luck!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
"You aren't who we were expecting..."
A few too many times recently, I've gotten the above comment "You aren't who I expected" when I meet people in a professional context. I could diatribe that being a young-(ish) female scientist puts me in the way of all kinds of bias and discrimination. But given that presenting myself too young or girly is actually something I've worked really hard to scrub from my professional communications and presentation, that's not exactly what that comment means. I may have bleached all the personality out of my applications- possibly to my detriment.
I do a lot of informational interviews- which usually means I find via a contact someone who might be willing to talk with me, have a couple emails back and forth and meet in person. There is always that hesitation about approaching a stranger, but I had someone tell me recently they just assumed "Dr. Sandlin" would have more grey hair. Plenty of folks that I meet face to face tell me I am very personable, not at all like the stereotype of a scientist that they imagine. Or that someone with my passion for science shouldn't be unemployed. It's flattering, but it does make me wonder- am I doing something wrong? Have I drained the passion and personality away from my CV and resume in an effort to look like a moldable, blank canvas of a candidate? Would I have a job if I led the professional summary on my resume stated "Ph.D. who is much better with people then you would think, actually likes talking and communicating and really gets jazzed up about exciting science"?
I doubt it, but I have decided to give a once over to my professional documents again. I have a very plain-Jane business card with my contact info- which I like. I have a fairly bleached out photo of myself on LinkedIn, which I need to update to something less pasty. And I might retool the language there and on my resume to be a bit more honest about where my passion is. I already don't have my dream job, but I work enough to pay my bills. That should give me the leverage to really focus on just those pie in the sky opportunities- I don't need to be that blank canvas of an applicant anymore. I can focus on being the best candidate for only the types of jobs I would LOVE to do.
I do a lot of informational interviews- which usually means I find via a contact someone who might be willing to talk with me, have a couple emails back and forth and meet in person. There is always that hesitation about approaching a stranger, but I had someone tell me recently they just assumed "Dr. Sandlin" would have more grey hair. Plenty of folks that I meet face to face tell me I am very personable, not at all like the stereotype of a scientist that they imagine. Or that someone with my passion for science shouldn't be unemployed. It's flattering, but it does make me wonder- am I doing something wrong? Have I drained the passion and personality away from my CV and resume in an effort to look like a moldable, blank canvas of a candidate? Would I have a job if I led the professional summary on my resume stated "Ph.D. who is much better with people then you would think, actually likes talking and communicating and really gets jazzed up about exciting science"?
I doubt it, but I have decided to give a once over to my professional documents again. I have a very plain-Jane business card with my contact info- which I like. I have a fairly bleached out photo of myself on LinkedIn, which I need to update to something less pasty. And I might retool the language there and on my resume to be a bit more honest about where my passion is. I already don't have my dream job, but I work enough to pay my bills. That should give me the leverage to really focus on just those pie in the sky opportunities- I don't need to be that blank canvas of an applicant anymore. I can focus on being the best candidate for only the types of jobs I would LOVE to do.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
2 more Part Time gigs
Good news! I've got two new part-time job-ish things to keep me busy. At some point, I decided the monotony of the job hunt was wearing on me too hard, so I started applying for entry level jobs. This is how I landed a job as a teller at KeyBank. I have had several other PhD types seems surprised and excited that I was able to get this type of job- it is well paid, respectable work, even if it isn't what my committee had in mind for me. I told my interviewer that my passion for learning is what took me to grad school, and my passion for learning would propel me to success in a new industry as well. This meshes well with the corporate culture (which likes to promote from within, and encourages and facilitates training opportunities for career development), and I assume the fact that I can speak well, am personable and have been practicing dressing like an adult helped a bit as well. It's a bit humbling to decide to go this route, you don't need a college degree to do this type of work, but I am ready to get to work. And I am being reminded of all those nifty perks that other professionals get, like retirement options and paid time off. However, this doesn't mean I am done job hunting.
The other part time gig I'll be starting is as a commercial licensing intern at the University of Washington's Center for Commercialization (C4C) (Tech Transfer office). They have a nice program to provide Ph.D.s the opportunity to provide (unpaid) technical and intellectual support in terms of considering the commercial viability of ideas and products. I'll spend a few hours a week on campus interacting with licensing managers, Entrepreneurs in residence and innovators, digging up info on a tasked basis. And I'll get journal access, which I was worried was going to catch up to me eventually. It is awesome that they are able to provide this type of opportunity in the community, I am hoping to learn the language of business and expand my network while doing it.
While both of these feel like good opportunities, I still feel frustrated that the things I can do don't feel like they really get me that much closer to the prized job. Working as a teller will ease the financial burden of job hunting, and maybe give me some perspective to reassess what I really want out of my working life. But do you see that side-bar? Someone out there spend hundreds of thousands of dollars training up my brain, and I feel compelled to do something good with it. The internship is more like what I am looking for, but I have no expectation that a position will open up at C4C. Even though it is a much more relevant opportunity, it's not really the short track to finding work, either. A lot of this job hunting work doesn't seem to result in a job, it just primes you for when the job comes along. Wish me luck- both start in a couple weeks.
The other part time gig I'll be starting is as a commercial licensing intern at the University of Washington's Center for Commercialization (C4C) (Tech Transfer office). They have a nice program to provide Ph.D.s the opportunity to provide (unpaid) technical and intellectual support in terms of considering the commercial viability of ideas and products. I'll spend a few hours a week on campus interacting with licensing managers, Entrepreneurs in residence and innovators, digging up info on a tasked basis. And I'll get journal access, which I was worried was going to catch up to me eventually. It is awesome that they are able to provide this type of opportunity in the community, I am hoping to learn the language of business and expand my network while doing it.
While both of these feel like good opportunities, I still feel frustrated that the things I can do don't feel like they really get me that much closer to the prized job. Working as a teller will ease the financial burden of job hunting, and maybe give me some perspective to reassess what I really want out of my working life. But do you see that side-bar? Someone out there spend hundreds of thousands of dollars training up my brain, and I feel compelled to do something good with it. The internship is more like what I am looking for, but I have no expectation that a position will open up at C4C. Even though it is a much more relevant opportunity, it's not really the short track to finding work, either. A lot of this job hunting work doesn't seem to result in a job, it just primes you for when the job comes along. Wish me luck- both start in a couple weeks.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Referral Pool
Ever hear about someone getting a job cause they knew
someone who already had a job there?
This may seem unfair, but it’s a fact, and one I need to get better at
taking advantage of. Many big companies
have a referral program, some system through HR that let’s employees submit a
friend’s resume with some nice words about what a rockstar they are. These get immediate priority in many of these
systems. I was unfamiliar with this
system, and actually found that several of my employed friends were unaware of
the system in place as well. But, once I
asked them to look into it, they found it was pretty easy to add me to the
referral applicant pool- which is way better then the
suckers-who-applied-via-job-boards pool.
Some companies even offer a referral bonus to the employee- and that’s
in addition to the cold one you’ll buy them when you get a job.
At smaller companies (>1000 employees), there may not be
a formalized system, but there is still the option for an employee to forward a
resume to HR, or to request a specific person’s resume from HR. I haven’t entirely figured out how to take
best advantage of this behind the scenes stuff, but knowing it is there is
huge. At least it explains why I’m not
getting a lot of calls back about my resume: sucker-pool.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Another week of being a job hunter
I was pondering “what did I learn this week about finding a
job?” Not sure I have a great answer,
but I did stay pretty busy.
This week, I:
- Sent an email about an unpaid internship opportunity
- Met with a Scientist at Amgen
- Interviewed for a part-time job (counts as interview practice AND I might get a part time job)
- Finished my first educational writing contract
- Got two new educational writing contracts
- (Did not learn Python)
- Attended an AWIS Board meeting, got some newsletter help
- Found a location that might need some volunteer help: NWABR
- Had coffee with another job hunter to think about strategies for the job hunt
If I were new to this, I might feel really pleased that I
had some many different things going on.
But I’ve been at this a while- none of these seem like things are going
to transition to employment next week, so it’s hard to get real excited about
any of it. However, it does give me some
ideas about new things I can try next week.
Current Grad Students- Consider an internship
One of the major hurdles for finding a job is having "industry experience" and contacts who work in industry. We often bemoan that grad students in biology can't do internships to fill those gaps, but I am starting to think, why not? Sure, you might delay graduation by a couple months- but who hasn't had a few months where nothing works in grad school? And your boss will probably not understand why you want to intern. But unless your boss has tons of contacts in industry that are going to help you make the jump when you are ready, you might need to make a selfish choice.
And lest you think that such a thing doesn't exist, I will correct that with a list of companies that do offer internships for graduate students who are pursuing a degree in the life sciences. With a little work, you can probably find one that isn't a total waste of your education, too.
Amgen
AAAS
Bayer
Dupont
Genentech
GlaxoSmithKline
USDA and FDA
Perhaps you have heard of some of these employers? These are just what I came up with in a couple minutes on Google. If you can imagine that you might be interested, now is the time to apply for summer internships. Now may also be the time to suggest to your boss those in vitro experiments won't be wrapped up until the fall.
And lest you think that such a thing doesn't exist, I will correct that with a list of companies that do offer internships for graduate students who are pursuing a degree in the life sciences. With a little work, you can probably find one that isn't a total waste of your education, too.
Amgen
AAAS
Bayer
Dupont
Genentech
GlaxoSmithKline
USDA and FDA
Perhaps you have heard of some of these employers? These are just what I came up with in a couple minutes on Google. If you can imagine that you might be interested, now is the time to apply for summer internships. Now may also be the time to suggest to your boss those in vitro experiments won't be wrapped up until the fall.
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