Research Career Research Career DevelopmentDevelopment

Gail P. TaylorGail P. Taylor

Spring 2005Spring 2005

2005

Career Goals and How to Meet Career Goals and How to Meet them…them…

Career selection and satisfaction Career selection and satisfaction influenced by match between:influenced by match between:

► Personal Attributes:Personal Attributes: BackgroundBackground Past MentoringPast Mentoring SkillsSkills

►EducationEducation►ExperienceExperience

TemperamentTemperament Values/PrioritiesValues/Priorities Life responsibilitiesLife responsibilities

►Work environmentWork environment Job ImpactJob Impact Challenge/growthChallenge/growth RecognitionRecognition Hours/stressHours/stress Human interactionHuman interaction Buy-in on directionBuy-in on direction Overall job stabilityOverall job stability Annual incomeAnnual income Percent growth/job Percent growth/job

availabilityavailability

Focus of this Set of LecturesFocus of this Set of Lectures

►We will look at Careers in Science and We will look at Careers in Science and EngineeringEngineering

►Specifically the Ph.D.Specifically the Ph.D. Highest Degree that can be earned…Highest Degree that can be earned…

General Motivating Factors for General Motivating Factors for Pursuing SciencePursuing Science

► Love scienceLove science► Benefit world/humanityBenefit world/humanity

DiseaseDisease HungerHunger PollutionPollution Green ChemistryGreen Chemistry

► CuriosityCuriosity Kids who ask “why”Kids who ask “why” Thrive on intellectual Thrive on intellectual

stimulationstimulation ““Explorers”Explorers”

► Space; How works?Space; How works? ““Inventors” Inventors”

► Next best laserNext best laser

► AutonomyAutonomy You carry your careerYou carry your career Set your own hours…Set your own hours…

► FinancialFinancial CompaniesCompanies Not hugely, but Not hugely, but

comfortablecomfortable► EducatorsEducators

Only way to be college Only way to be college fac.fac.

Want to educate othersWant to educate others Want to mentor othersWant to mentor others

► Public PolicyPublic Policy Want to impact nation…Want to impact nation…

Which is Most Legitimate?Which is Most Legitimate?

ALL!ALL!

Why Earn an Advanced Degree – Why Earn an Advanced Degree – Ph.D.?Ph.D.?

► Learn to perform Learn to perform researchresearch Further fieldFurther field Love doing itLove doing it

► Skills setsSkills sets SpecificSpecific Non-specificNon-specific

►Critical thinkingCritical thinking►AdministrationAdministration►Planning, etc.Planning, etc.

►OpportunityOpportunity Teach at Teach at

College/Univ.College/Univ. Required for running Required for running

research programsresearch programs Can be “in charge” Can be “in charge” Required for Required for

advancementadvancement► FinancialFinancial► Prestige/authorityPrestige/authority

Highest degreeHighest degree

Most Biological Scientists Most Biological Scientists Work:Work:

► Colleges/UniversitiesColleges/Universities► IndustriesIndustries►Government:Government:

FederalFederal StateState

►More than ½ outside of academeMore than ½ outside of academe► Fewer academic positions availableFewer academic positions available► Increases in small and medium corporationsIncreases in small and medium corporations

Ph.D. Career PathsPh.D. Career Paths

► ResearchResearch AcademicAcademic GovernmentGovernment IndustryIndustry

► TeachingTeaching All levelsAll levels

► JournalismJournalism► Engineering FirmsEngineering Firms► Technical writingTechnical writing► PublishingPublishing► Intellectual propertyIntellectual property► Patent lawPatent law► Public policyPublic policy

► Museum curatingMuseum curating► Investment bankingInvestment banking► Research adminResearch admin► Educational adminEducational admin► Grants adminGrants admin► Program adminProgram admin► Public HealthPublic Health► BioinformaticsBioinformatics► BiotechnologyBiotechnology► Independent consultingIndependent consulting

… … and much moreand much more

Training…Training…

►All of these careers come out of basic All of these careers come out of basic training as a research scientist, in an training as a research scientist, in an academic institutionacademic institution

Standard Ph.D. Training PathStandard Ph.D. Training Path

UndergradStudies

M.S. Degree

Post BaccResearch

DoctoralStudies

Academic Postdoc

Industry Postdoc

Government Postdoc

ContinueEducation

Other Career

Academics

Government

Industry

Other

Engineering

Why NOT to enter Grad Why NOT to enter Grad SchoolSchool

► Prestige/Impress Prestige/Impress othersothers

► Boost weak egoBoost weak ego► Job guarantee (not)Job guarantee (not)► For your parentsFor your parents► Personal Personal

intelligence testintelligence test

►Delay entry to work Delay entry to work forceforce

►WealthWealth

Attributes of a Successful Attributes of a Successful ScientistScientist

►Depends on whom you ask….Depends on whom you ask….

http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/careers/appb.html

Advice to Young ScientistAdvice to Young Scientist

► Graduate Programs are Graduate Programs are arduous…arduous…

► Do rewards and Do rewards and compensations compensations outweigh outweigh disappointments and disappointments and toil?toil?

► Yes, if hooked…Yes, if hooked… Exhilaration of discoveryExhilaration of discovery Satisfaction of solved Satisfaction of solved

problemsproblems

► ““One does not have to One does not have to be terrifically brainy to be terrifically brainy to be a good scientist…”be a good scientist…”

► Virtues: Virtues: Common senseCommon sense ApplicationApplication DiligenceDiligence Sense of purposeSense of purpose ConcentrationConcentration Perseverance in Perseverance in

adversity…adversity…

Peter Medawar, Advice to a Young Scientist

Scientist Characteristics IIScientist Characteristics II

► S S tudy skills (discipline to learn and maintain tudy skills (discipline to learn and maintain field)field)

► C C uriosity and flexibility in adjusting beliefsuriosity and flexibility in adjusting beliefs► I I ntelligence (knowledge base/critical thinking)ntelligence (knowledge base/critical thinking)► E E nthusiasm to overcome disappointmentsnthusiasm to overcome disappointments► N N ever-ending attention to detailever-ending attention to detail► C C ommittment to personal and professional ommittment to personal and professional

honesty and responsibilityhonesty and responsibility► EE nduring respect and appreciation of foundation nduring respect and appreciation of foundation

workwork

Newton Website, DOE http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen99/gen99983.htm

• ProfHoff

Scientist Characteristics IIIScientist Characteristics III

►1. imagination1. imagination►2. concentration 2. concentration ►3. integrity 3. integrity

Peter Faletra Ph.D. Office of Science Peter Faletra Ph.D. Office of Science Department of Energy Department of Energy

Newton Website, DOE http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen99/gen99983.htm

Scientist Characteristics IVScientist Characteristics IV

►1. A keen sense of curiosity1. A keen sense of curiosity►2. Natural skeptic- 2. Natural skeptic-

strong reliance on "the data“strong reliance on "the data“ ““show me your numbers".show me your numbers".

►3. Tenacity3. Tenacity►4. Analytical skills4. Analytical skills►5. Critical thinking5. Critical thinking

Where to Find out about Where to Find out about Careers?Careers?

►Work on laboratoryWork on laboratory Programs such as Programs such as

RISE/MARCRISE/MARC VolunteerVolunteer

► Take coursesTake courses►Mentor, friends & Mentor, friends &

acquaintancesacquaintances► Shadowing Shadowing

someone someone ► Summer programs Summer programs

& internships & internships

► InternetInternet► Placement officesPlacement offices► Professional Professional

societiessocieties► Advertisements Advertisements

Graduate School Graduate School Fields/ProgramsFields/Programs

► Neurobiology/NeuroscienceNeurobiology/Neuroscience► PhysiologyPhysiology► Microbiology/Immunology/Microbiology/Immunology/

EndocrinologyEndocrinology► Cell/Molec./Dev. BiologyCell/Molec./Dev. Biology► Biochemistry/Biological Biochemistry/Biological

chemistrychemistry► Biomedical EngineeringBiomedical Engineering► Chemistry (various sorts)Chemistry (various sorts)► Pathology/Molecular ToxicologyPathology/Molecular Toxicology► PharmacologyPharmacology► Radiological SciencesRadiological Sciences► BiostatisticsBiostatistics► Ecology and Evolutionary Ecology and Evolutionary

BiologyBiology► Environmental Health SciencesEnvironmental Health Sciences

► EpidemiologyEpidemiology► Oral BiologyOral Biology► Biological and Medical Biological and Medical

InformaticsInformatics► BiophysicsBiophysics► GeneticsGenetics► PharmacogenomicsPharmacogenomics► ForestryForestry► Integrative BiologyIntegrative Biology► Molecular and Biochemical Molecular and Biochemical

NutritionNutrition► Plant BiologyPlant Biology► Vision ScienceVision Science

► And Many MORE!!And Many MORE!!

What is a good field?What is a good field?

► What inspires you?What inspires you? Matches your passion?Matches your passion? Matches your values?Matches your values?

► What do you think will be “hot” in 5 years?What do you think will be “hot” in 5 years? Biodefense?Biodefense?

► MicrobiologyMicrobiology► Cell BiologyCell Biology

Health?Health?► Age-related illnesses (in neuro, diabetes, cancer, etc)Age-related illnesses (in neuro, diabetes, cancer, etc)► Biomedical applications of Genetics?Biomedical applications of Genetics?► Drug development – Pharmacology/toxicologyDrug development – Pharmacology/toxicology► Immunology – good for future biotech industry…Immunology – good for future biotech industry…

Computational BiologyComputational Biology EngineeringEngineering ????????

My Career PlanMy Career Plan

►Personal Values/PrioritiesPersonal Values/Priorities►Top Career ChoicesTop Career Choices►Research Tools (where learn materials)Research Tools (where learn materials)►Educational PlanEducational Plan►Goals/TimelineGoals/Timeline

Work on Exercise #1Work on Exercise #1

►Please fill out Exercise 1.Please fill out Exercise 1.