Advice from researchers-turned-career-counselors for their younger selves - and today's trainees
by
Sharon Ann Holgate
Science Careers
October
15, 2018
Be
open-minded. That’s one of the
messages that career
consultant Michelle Frank has for scientific job seekers. Read more...
The benefits of awards - even if you don't win
by
Sharon Ann Holgate
Science Careers
May
31, 2017
Awards
have played an important role in Haley Gomez’s
career. When the professor of astrophysics and head of public
engagement for
the School of Physics and Astronomy at Cardiff University in the United
Kingdom
interviewed for a €1.8 million European Research Council grant in 2014,
“the first thing I was asked about” was a Welsh public engagement award
that
she had received earlier that year. Read more...
From penning research papers to applying for grants, writing is an integral part of a scientist’s career. With this foundation, launching a blog or posting results on Twitter should be smooth sailing, right? Read more...
How to present a disability during recruitment
by
Sharon Ann Holgate
Science Careers
April
22, 2015
Most scientists applying for a job face uncertainties, but scientists with disabilities face the additional challenge of having to decide if and when to inform prospective employers of their status. In the United States and the United Kingdom, job candidates have no legal obligation to reveal or discuss a disability. Sometimes, though, raising the topic early in the process can be a good idea. Read more...
Ken O’Neill earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Strathclyde in the United Kingdom in 2012. Today, he is assistant statistician in the input-output statistics branch of the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser in the Scottish government, where he helps analyze economic data and calculate the gross domestic product of Scotland. In his spare time, O’Neill, who has been profoundly deaf since birth, heads a project aimed at expanding the representation of mathematical and statistical terminology in British Sign Language (BSL). Read more...
During the first decade or so of his academic career, David Smith focused his research on the fundamental chemistry of interactions between molecules. Read more...
In many countries nowadays, there is increased pressure for early-career scientists to do a postdoc abroad to broaden their experience and boost their competitiveness. Furthermore, the international nature of scientific research means that the permanent position you desire may well be outside your home country. Read more...
As a child of Jamaican origin growing up in the British city of Nottingham, Mark Richards experienced firsthand the disadvantages that can accrue to ethnic-minority students. At school, Richards—together with children from working-class backgrounds—was confronted with negative assumptions about his academic capabilities. Read more...
CAREERS SCIENCECAREERSMost job applicants are aware that their suitability for a position will be judged on the basis of their experience, skills, and education. Many also realize that personal qualities—their drive, amicability, how well they work with others, and so on—will help convince a prospective employer that they are the right candidate for the job. But prospective employees—and scientists in particular—may overlook another key factor, one that is harder to grasp, gauge, or predict: the general, personal impression you make during the interview. Read more...
When, nearly 40 years ago, Alex Bielak—who until he semi-retired was director of the Science and Technology Liaison group at Environment Canada—was flown to Brussels to interview for a junior position with the European Commission, he was surprised by the scenario he was thrust into. Read more...
Explicitly or not, potential employers in most organizations will analyze your personality during job interviews. They may want to know how closely you would fit the company culture, how well you would collaborate with colleagues, or how you would respond to an emergency situation. Read more...
Alex Hope is not your typical academic. Although today he is a lecturer in environmental sustainability and project management at Northumbria University, Newcastle in the United Kingdom, Hope first dedicated himself to a career in the music industry. Read more...
In the United Kingdom, "chartered status" is a common and well-known credential in exacting professions like surveying, accountancy, and engineering; indeed, for some aspects of these jobs it is required. Perhaps less well known is that some scientific fields also offer chartered status... Read more...
When Mike Herd started chatting with the technician who was fixing his parents’ heating system, he had no idea that the conversation would set him on a convoluted path to becoming a petroleum engineer—and eventually the head of a technology incubator. Read more...
Social media is rapidly becoming integral to many professional fields and industries, and there are signs, like the creation of social networking sites for scientists, that the same could soon be true in science. But until that day, social media—which is praised by some as an invaluable addition to one's work and vilified by others as a huge time sink—presents a dilemma for many early-career scientists. Read more...
Do you ever get a nagging feeling that you’re not quite as good as your colleagues? Do you shy away from voicing your ideas or from applying for positions or promotions? Or, on the contrary, do you apply for fellowships, jobs, and awards well before you have the necessary experience? Read more...
Scientist seeks honest, reliable fellow scientist for meaningful research discussions and maybe more. Great sense of humor and a view to long-term commitment preferred.
Sound like a comedy version of a lonely-hearts ad? Maybe, but anyone wanting to work in scientific research would do well to take it seriously. Read more...
As a scientist, do you routinely notice opportunities for research to be translated into tangible benefits for society? Do you believe that science often fails to benefit from what society has to offer? Read more...
Scientists are called upon to show strong leadership all along the career ladder. Early on, they may need to steer decisions during group meetings, develop research collaborations, or organize student conferences. Read more...
As a child growing up in the city of Cotonou in Benin, West Africa, Aude Alapini-Odunlade... Read more...
Do you dread your e-mail inbox upon returning from vacation? Do piles of unread journals grow like an organism on your desk? Read more...
Diana Hodgins's first experience of a start-up company didn't end well. In 1994, after 10 years working as an engineer, Hodgins joined a spinout company... Read more...
For a successful scientific career, presenting your work effectively is almost as important as obtaining results in the lab. But climbing onstage to showcase your results can be terrifying, especially for those who lack experience. Read more...
Colour vision to share
by
Sharon Ann Holgate
Interactions
April 2007
Profile of Pete Vukusic, available to read online by following the link.
A professor to watch
by
Sharon Ann Holgate
Interactions
March 2007
Profile of Jim Al-Khalili, available to read online by following the link.
Spinning out physics
by
Sharon Ann Holgate
Interactions
February 2007
Profile of John Hassard, available to read online by following the link.