Are you in the right place?

Beyond the Bench: Training for a Career Bob Tillman, Ph.D.

You and your PI You Be aware of your career and development needs Capitalize on your skills, achievements, motivations, and personal qualities Communicate your development plan to PI Your PI Provide guidance for career direction Provide resources and training that will allow you to advance Provide tools to help find right direction

Help! I need a job plan! Training is ending (Denial) What is available? (Anger) Write CV/resume Search job ads (Bargaining) Send out CV/resume (Depression) Go to interviews (Grief?) (Acceptance?) Typical approach Self-Assessment Career Exploration Narrowing Options The Job Search How about this approach?

Values Skills Anchors Anchors: Managerial Technical/Functional Independence/Auton. Entrepreneurial Service Oriented Challenge Security/Stability Work/life integration Skills: Speaking? Critical thinking Writing? Specialized training Values: Ethical/moral Ideological Social What makes you tick? What makes you tick?

Activity  Write down three of your strongest skills and three that are weak  Write down your strongest 2-3 anchors ManagerialService Oriented TechnicalEntrepreneurial ChallengeSecurity Work/life integrationIndependence

Assessment: experiences Assessment: experiences What jobs / activities do you enjoy the most? What about your current work do you currently like / dislike? What do other people say about you? Complements: written or verbal Nicknames or tag lines Ask for feedback - remember, good feedback is specific, clear and constructive

Self-Assessment excerises Copyright: Jorge Cham

Self-assessment exercises Self-assessments can provide insights into values, behaviors, attitudes, interests, etc.  Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): personality inventory developed Katharine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers  Strong Interest Inventory (SII) shows how certain interests compare with the interests of people successfully employed in specific occupations  Personal Interests, Attitudes and Values Assessment (PIAV)

Skills your training gives you Transferable skills Public speaking Teaching skills: conceptualizing, explaining Mentoring skills Ability to communicate ideas and concepts in writing Adaptability to a variety of environments and roles Develop and design studies and projects Project management Organize and analyze data Combine and integrate information from disparate sources Critical thinking and critical evaluation Problem-solve and trouble-shoot Ability to work with others Ability to acknowledge different viewpoints and arguments Ability to suspend judgment, to work with ambiguity Sources: Peter Fiske & Friends

Where do I fit in? What jobs are out there for me?

Activity  Write down three jobs you think you would be interested in.  Write out three things you have done with regards to a job search.

Gather information on & contacts for careers  Read books, career oriented websites  Internships, experiences  Network take advantage of seminar speakers conduct informational interviews find a career mentor attend conferences, interest groups, etc. online networking: Linkedin, etc. People like to talk about their jobs too! Looking Outward: Career Inquiries

Networking is essential …connections are crucial in today’s work environment  We hire known quantities  Your network helps keep you informed as to what jobs are out there and what advances, trends, etc. are happening  Network when you don’t need a job  You are always networking My labmates: Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Academia (8), Genentech, IAVI, Sanofi- Adventis, Regeneron, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Life Technologies, Postdoc (4)

Looking forward Looking forward  Make choices on careers/jobs to explore further  Set goals  Use SMART to set goals Specific : Define Who, What, When, Where”, Why Measurable: How will I know I have accomplished my goal? Attainable: Are my goals attainable and how do I obtain them? Realistic: Am I willing and able to reach the goal (motivation) Timely/Tangible: Setting times or having a tangible outcome increases motivation and chances for success.

Activity  Write down three things you can do to learn more about various jobs?

Skills/experience required What is your day like? Structure/culture of organization Where are jobs located? What opportunities for promotion are there? What is required? Typical salaries? What does future for business/market look like? (What trends or issues are present in those career paths) What is involved in the hiring process? What to ask about jobs

You have developed a better self-awareness for your qualities and attributes. You know how to get information on careers You can assess what careers or jobs you are best suited and competitive for. Putting it together The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen. - Lee Iacocca

Getting the job Getting the job Five Points:  Networking  Search Savvy  Well written C.V., resume, cover letter  Expected level of accomplishment  Evidence of self-motivation, interest & involvement  Interviewing well Plenty of resources are available to help you with all points. Make sure to have anything you write for a job application reviewed by a knowledgeable person for content and by others for grammar and spelling.

Resources Resources