On January 26 of this year, the iJOBS program took a trip to East Hanover, NJ to visit the Novartis campus.  I say ‘campus’ because this place felt like a community, not a business.  Overall, the atmosphere was inviting and everyone we met seemed genuinely happy to be working there.  Several employees emphasized how Novartis encourages a place of diversity and comradery, and what a great overall place it is to work.

Last week, iJOBS hosted a career panel featuring professionals from WuXiAppTec. This panel operated slightly differently than previous ones in that the panel featured a single company rather than showcasing a single career with individuals from different companies. There were two PhD scientists, an HR representative, and a recruitment officer at the panel-this allowed for a well-rounded view of the company.

One of the things you will likely have to do once you get a company’s attention is pass a phone screen with a recruiter.

Last month, iJOBS held a career panel titled ‘How to find and apply for an internship’. Here is a quick summary of the event. The panel consisted of students with a broad spectrum of experiences gained from participating in different kinds of internships.

By: Fatu Badiane Markey

Through Phase II of the iJOBS program, I was able to take a project management course at Rutgers Business School.  As I progressed through the course, I gradually realized that the experience acquired while pursuing a PhD could easily translate to the knowledge and skills necessary for project management.

There are five major phases in project management: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring & controlling, and closing.

Phase I: Initiating

Response to: http://chronus.com/how-to-use-mentoring-in-your-workplace

Effective mentors are critical to success.
I am a proponent of mentoring because everyone benefits.

In a recent survey, the European Science Foundation reported “considerable dissatisfaction and stress” among the post-doctoral population due to insufficient scopes in academia. The report has urged universities and governing bodies to make doctoral candidates aware of the current dim academic job prospects.

By: Chris Lowe

Friday, January 15, 2016 was landmark day for a group of 35 young scientists at Rutgers University. While the typical pathway to FDA review of a new drug, including discovery, development, preclinical studies, and clinical trials, requires more than a decade of work and hundreds of dedicated chemists, scientists, and clinicians, the students of the 3^rd Annual Interdisciplinary Boot Camp in Quantitative Biology were able to take a drug through this process in just two weeks.

Scientific writing and communication is always a popular iJOBS event topic.  In choosing this path, our love of science and extensive schooling is used in a meaningful and fulfilling way with a broader focus and increased flexibility compared to “traditional” science careers.  This career path is often not discovered until late in a graduate career when some of us realize bench science just isn’t for us.  For others like Dr.