A benefit of blogging that you may have not considered is that it can sharpen both your scientific and “soft” skills.
The iJOBS Networking Event for Students, Postdocs and Alumni was held on September 15th in the Research Towers on the Rutgers Piscataway campus. This casual event, held after hours, provided a fun (and food!) filled informal, stress-free environment where several Rutgers alumni shared their job hunting and career experiences with current students. Attendees had the opportunity to directly interact with alumni to gain insight into what they have been up to since graduation.
By: Yaa Haber
By Jennifer Casiano A year ago, I started my journey to a PhD. Full of excitement and memories, this year was filled with challenging experiences and self-growth. Since the beginning of the summer to now, I’ve been constantly reflecting on what I would have done differently, problems that I heard from friends, and the variety of experiences of this year. Starting a doctoral degree is a life-changing decision with more personal compensation and fulfillment than pitfalls. The majority of people who pursue a research career do so because we love what we do.
Towards the end of April, earlier this year, I had the opportunity to take part in a science advocacy day on Capitol Hill organized by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB). I stumbled across this opportunity as part of an iJOBS event email and decided to apply simply on a whim. If the outcome was in my favor, it would be a great experience to add to my tool belt in my exploration of the policy career field. Fortunately for me, I was accepted!
By: Yang Chen After graduating with a Ph.D. and moving to London, I started my job hunting journey. I have to admit, it is tough to get started with a limited network; however, after submitting applications for several jobs on sites such as LinkedIn.com, and Glassdoor, I began to get phone calls from job recruiters to discuss positions that are suitable for a fresh graduate with a Ph.D. in biomedical science.
By: Zakiya Qualls Whether you plan to branch into one of the alternative career paths iJOBS prepares you for or stay in the traditional academic environment, one thing is certain: the ability to communicate your science and skillset with others is the first step to success. Graduating Ph.D. students, while experts at the bench and possessing a vast amount scientific knowledge, are not necessarily trained to communicate this knowledge effectively with other academics, industry professionals, and laymen.
By: Maria Qadri In honor of our recent two-year anniversary, we’re going to get a little meta today and talk about what goes on backstage here at the iJOBS blog. If you’ve ever asked, “how do they find the time to write?” read on!
For the past few years, I have been exploring my interests in science policy. I first participated in iJOBS Phase I programs and specifically engaged in policy-driven workshops hosted by iJOBS and the Eagleton Institute. During these workshops, I was introduced not only to current issues that drive health policy, but also to the transition of a policy from its initiation to its implementation at the federal level. The experience that I gained from the Phase I programs influenced my decision to pursue a career within science policy.
Without fail, ever
y four years, the Summer Olympics craze gets me hooked. I am pulled in by the backstories of these impressive athletes--hearing about their struggles, their tenacity, and their climb to success. I am invigorated by those adrenaline-inducing track-and-field finishes, and those breath-taking, record-breaking swim races.