Career Paths

Clement
Weinberger

So what's it all about?

Well, this time, it’s about “information flow” and more about publications. Actually, good, readable, interesting, quickly published, frequently cited articles begin long before the writing. They start with “a good idea at the time,” which then becomes “your problem,” i.e., an ide...


Charlene
Milliken

Travelling A Lot for Work Isn’t Really That Glamorous!

I travel a lot for work.  When I interviewed for my current job, I was informed that there would be a lot of travel.  “How much?”  I asked.  “A couple times a month or so.  It depends,” they said.  I love travelling!  Awesome!  But what’s the reality...


Clement
Weinberger

So what will you do today?

How many times has someone asked you “what do you do all day?” or “what’s your day like?” or “tell me about your day?”. Most PhD students, postdocs, and academic faculty spend hours at the bench doing research, recording, and analyzing results that will either confirm or reject a ...


Tom
Ruginis

The path to quitting my PhD

It was summer of 2005, the beginning of a PhD program at the University of IL-Chicago. I was grateful for my Student Mentor, Aaron Place, as he taught me the ropes. I was comfortable. Then classes started and I couldn’t stay awake. A dark auditorium and 8am classes?! Doubts began. Will I surviv...


Sandlin
Seguin

Seeing Yourself as a Technical Writer

As I mentioned before, my team has been looking to hire a couple technical writers. While the requirements for any specific role may vary, I find that it is a role that scientists can transition into fairly easily, because so much of what we do hinges on our ability to communicate clearly and c...


Charlene
Milliken

Pitfalls of Going from Academia into the Federal Government and How to Deal with Them, Part 1

A career in the federal government can be rewarding and interesting.  However, if you’re considering a career in the federal government, here are a few tips to keep in mind.  They’re broad generalizations, but you’ll most likely run into at least one of them.  Knowing these thin...


Charlene
Milliken

The Major Pitfalls of Going into the Federal Government from Academia, Part 2

I knew before I graduated with my Ph.D. that I would not be pursuing a career in academia.  When I received an AAAS fellowship and was placed in the Science & Technology Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), I was thrilled…mainly because I got the AAAS fellowship, but ...


Hamilton
Lenox

Scientist or Businessperson??

My name is Hamilton Lenox, and welcome to my first blog on Bio Careers.  When I was first approached and asked to contribute to the site, I readily agreed, in the hopes that I could potentially offer some insights that will help others who are just starting their careers, or those looking for a...


Andrea
Habura

Conference Ecology for Job-Hunters

“At scientific conferences, there are three classes of attendees: Eminents, Lowlies, and Everyone Else. Grad students, of course, fall into the Lowlies group. An ecotone, or edge effect, where all three classes come into contact can yield higher biodiversity and productivity than in any one group ...


Suzane
Ramos da Silva

The Zika opportunity

I think, by now, everyone is updated about all the troubles Zika might be causing around the globe, especially in Brazil. Suddenly, all eyes were tuned to Brazil, not just to understand what is going on, how the virus and if the virus is really causing all the damage reported in fetuses, but also...