by Talia M. Planas-Fontánez
During the week of March 18th, the Myelin Gordon Research Conference (GRC) took place in Ventura, CA. This year, the Myelin GRC was focused on human biology throughout various ages of development, while also offering perspectives on age-related myelin dysfunction that lead to debilitating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and leukodystrophies, which currently have no cure.
Myelin GRC brings together senior and junior investigators in the basic and clinical sciences, as well as leaders and scientists who are new to the field, all with the intent to encourage and promote innovative discussion that extends the impact of myelin biology. To my surprise, this year the Myelin GRC provided a workshop that discussed the transition from PhD or postdoc training to an industry career. The workshop was offered by two Sanofi Scientists, Dr. Karen Chandross, Senior Director of Drug Discovery, and Dr. Carlos Pedraza, a Neuroscientist in the Neuroscience Research Therapeutic Area.
Throughout their talk, Drs. Chandross and Pedraza mentioned a few points that they believe are critical for junior investigators and graduate students in academia, who wish to set themselves up for a smooth and successful transition to industry.
One important quality is the ability to work as a member of a team. At Sanofi and other biotech companies, interdisciplinary efforts are critical for scientific discovery and translational research efforts, with the ultimate goal of bringing a product to market. In contrast, academic training encourages and rewards work that goes off on tangents and allows you to explore interesting questions around your project and interests. Additionally, once your laboratory obtains enough funds, you can determine the direction of your research career. However, this can be very different in industry, where you will work on a project team for only as long as the program is active. This is mainly due to the fact that the process of discovering and developing a drug is expensive and time-consuming. Also, if the project is not doing well, a decision can be made to stop the program, at which point it is dropped immediately and members get reassigned to another project.
So, be flexible and adaptable! The culture of working in industry is very different than academic science, where persistence can be seen as a virtue. In industry, you should be prepared to let a project go. Being able to adjust to shifts in organizational dynamics is necessary. This approach can not only guarantee a position, but can also work in your advantage by allowing you to build employee trust and commitment and as you move up in the company.
Some questions that came up included, “Is it necessary to pursue post-doctoral work? And if so, should it be in academia or industry?” The speakers stated two points: (1) some positions do not require an additional training after your PhD, however, (2) additional training can get you a better starting position. Both a postdoc in academia or industry will provide you with great training. One thing to take into consideration is that if you are planning to apply for a job in industry, some companies do not allow their trainees to apply to job positions in their own companies. In this case, be aware of the rules of your position as a trainee.
How should I build my CV? There is no right and wrong way to format this, but here are some highlights you can use to tailor your CV.
- It should be clear as to why you are nominally qualified for the job.
- Write out all of your skill sets! This is the time to sell yourself as a professional. Present the research and other skills that fit the listed job requirements.
- Make sure to include all the conferences, activities, and service activities that demonstrate that you are an independent, creative, and innovative scientist.
- Industry is the epitome of applied science, and getting products out the door is the goal and primary focus. Once again, be sure to demonstrate that you have a flexible attitude and can respond positively to change.
This informal and interactive workshop was very helpful for the young scientists that attended the Myelin GRC. I will close this article with one last point: networking. As scientists, we risk underestimating the importance of casting a wide network of contacts through extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities and networking can help give you a better appreciation of what a job in industry would be like and what an employer might require/expect from an employee. For example, even being part of the iJOBS blog has allowed me to meet and network with other scientists at Rutgers, who I would have never met otherwise!
Edits and suggestions that contributed to the development of this post were made by fellow bloggers, Eileen Oni and Paulina Krzyszczyk.