This post was written as a follow up to the iJOBS event on August 29 with Dr. Thomas Magaldi discussing career preparation for graduate students and postdocs. Dr. Magaldi led a very personable and informative discussion on August 29 at Rutgers Newark with current postdoc and graduate students regarding their career goals and how to prepare for the next step in our journey after graduate school. He took time to ask each individual person in the room what their plans were for the future and recommend pointed strategies for how to advance to the next stage. Interests ranged from tenure-track positions in academia, to scientist positions in industry, to medical writing, and science policy. [caption id="attachment_2053" align="alignleft" width="300"]
The Humble PhD and Postdoc seminar with Thomas Magaldi, PhD.[/caption] He recommended that, for starters, everyone should:
- Complete an IDP (or use a similar tool such as Strength Finder)
- Explore the career you are interested in pursuing
- Conduct a skills assessment to come up with a plan
When you have completed these tasks, you will be ready for the last step: applying for a job. IDPs are now required by the NIH for all graduate students who receive federal funding, so completing the first step on Dr. Magaldi’s checklist should be easy. A few ways to address the second item on the list—exploring career options—include informational interviews and networking, especially on LinkedIn and with Rutgers alumni. If you need a refresher on how to conduct an informational interview, check out one of our previous posts. There are also professional organizations that can be good sources of information such as the American Medical Writers Association. For example, one student at the event discussed her experience in conducting informational interviews to learn about the different aspects of medical writing such as freelancing, working for a pharmaceutical company, and informational writing. Dr. Magaldi stressed the importance of informational interviews as part of career exploration and explained that most people you meet will want to help you. After going over the basics with all the attendees, Dr. Magaldi took the time to specifically ask each person about what point they were in the above process. In return, he recommended some next steps. Overall, he was extremely knowledgeable and engaging by combining his own experience in finding his career path with tested advice he has offered other students in similar situations. I don’t think there was a single person who walked away from the seminar feeling that they could not achieve their immediate career goals and succeed in life post-Rutgers. Given that the time we spent with Dr. Magaldi was limited, I followed up with him after the event to learn more about his own career path and views on the current state of graduate education.
- What experiences during your graduate education helped prepare you for your current career? You mentioned during the Rutgers-Newark event that as a graduate student, you followed the more traditional path from graduate school to post-doc and were very unhappy with this experience. What impact did those events have in getting you to where you are now?
I knew early on in my graduate career that I did not want to pursue a faculty position, at least not at a research-intensive school—maybe at a small liberal arts college. And I also did not want to complete a post doc. I settled science policy as a career during my last year. However, I didn’t have the experiences I needed outside of the lab to land something like the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship. So, I took a postdoc position at NIH to build the skills I would need for the AAAS Fellowship. However, after four months I realized I was not passionate about the research enough to continue as a postdoc even though I had a great mentor. One thing I did do with my time at the NIH was to take part in professional development they offered that was related to science policy. In addition to applying for jobs in science policy, I also applied for opportunities in non-profits. I landed both an offer at the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) to run its professional development division and a final interview for a science policy fellowship. Because the offer at NYAS was so enticing, I declined the final interview for the fellowship and joined NYAS. After 14 months at NYAS, I left to run the Office of Career and Professional Development at Memorial Sloan Kettering.
- What does an average day look like for you at Memorial Sloan Kettering?
It’s pretty busy. I spend time planning events, developing courses, networking with speakers as well as the administrative responsibilities of the office. In addition, I meet with students to help them plan their career paths.
- Do you find it hard to find work-life balance in your current career?
Not at all. I have a fantastic work-life balance. When I first started in this field I had to spend extra time learning new ideas and protocols, but over time I have become more efficient in my work, which ensures that I rarely must take work home.
- With your experience in helping guide graduate students and post-docs in their career preparation, what do you think is currently lacking in graduate education that students need to focus on to reach their goals after graduation?
Students already have many of the skills necessary for the jobs that they want (i.e. soft skills, problem solving, and critical thinking). However, it is important to train students how to plan for their next steps and how to communicate their value to employers. More programs are starting to prepare students for roles outside of academia, which is great.
- Any thoughts on where you might be 5 years from now?
I don’t know where I’ll be 5 years from now. I could see myself being involved in a position that works with students beyond career development, such as a dean. But, that would involve leaving my current position. I enjoy what I am doing and I want to remain connected in the same networks I have now and still be able to use them in my next position. We were very fortunate at Rutgers University to have the opportunity to spend time with Dr. Magaldi discussing our career options. After speaking with him regarding my own career development, I feel good to know that I am at least on the right track. If you have any concerns regarding your own career development, Rutgers has many resources available to students such as the iJOBS program, ACA, and of course, this blog. Good luck in your journey!