Changing Careers

Amber
O’Connor

Different Types of Science Writing

Hello Bio Careers® Community!  I have been invited to share my experiences as a Science Writer with you in the form of blogs.  I must say that I am a bit intimidated because there is a lot of good content already posted here that covers a lot of topics.  Bloggers Sandlin Seguin and C...


Kristine
Hennessy

Teaching at the High School Level

Welcome to the first of many blog entries about teaching at the High School level.   I have been a teacher for three years now at a local private high school.  I have taught all levels of difficulty, and have enjoyed my time thus far. I figured that I would begin my blog by giving everyone a li...


Nathan
Vanderford

PhDs Are Everything

Over 50% of PhDs work outside academia (Science and Engineering Indicators 2012) which means that many PhDs are indeed working in a variety of different jobs, and most importantly, this means that the majority of PhDs are not pursuing tenure track faculty positions. Despite this, a perpetuating stig...


Christine
Zafra

It’s OK to be Selfish!

I have a Type A personality (with a capital A), and so, when I face a big decision, I like to consider all aspects, both good and bad, prior to making it. When it comes to my career, part of that process has included talking to others with expertise or experience in the areas I am considering. Howev...


Erica
Taylor

Planning my career Part II

This is my second installment in 2013 on this site – for a brief introduction and background, please see my initial entry. I left consulting in spring 2010 to join the commercial organization of a large biotech company.  In the 3 years since joining this organization, I have grown both persona...


Dr
27

The new job, the interview process

In my previous entry, I mentioned that over the last few months I had a lot of changes coming at me, almost all at once. I promised to talk more about the interview process, and how I went from being a staff scientist to, all of a sudden, becoming a full-fledged lab manager. I hope this will be of i...


Sandlin
Seguin

The Amount of Writing it Takes to Become a Writer

“I earned my PhD in drug discovery in 2011, and now I work as a curriculum writer.”  When I introduce myself this way, especially to other trainees who are interested in transitioning away from the bench, I always get asked, “How did you do that?”  I usually say that I wrote a lot,...


Meghan
Mott

Alternative Careers for Science PhDs: Part III – Science Policy

Postdocs have few years to identify career goals, strengthen CVs, and construct a professional network, all while working full time in the lab. Given the current situation in academia, most of us will end up in what used to be considered alternative careers. There is a long list of non-academic care...


Arlen
Meyers

Planning a career transition

Physician career transitioning is a growth industry. Generational work-life attitudes, practice hassles, government regulations and just the meteoric pace of healthcare change are forcing practitioners to reassess their commitment to clinical medicine. A lot of them are plotting a plan B. As a resul...


Meghan
Mott

Leaving the bench to advance public knowledge of current research

Given the current dismal job prospects in tenure-track science academia, it’s no wonder more science PhDs are exploring alternative career options. Although we were groomed to succeed our mentors in the academy, bench life isn’t for everyone. Some of us don’t have the passion for conducting th...