Tips of the Week:

7.23.07

Science Careers

For job listings and career development, see http://www.sciencecareers.org/.

Career Basics Booklet: Available for Free Download
Science Careers' editorial team released "Career Basics: Advice and Resources for Scientists" in early 2007, and in less than three months, more than 5,000 print copies of the booklet were distributed. To keep up with demand, Science Careers has made both an HTML and a PDF version available for download. The booklet provides advice and help on preparing CVs and resumes, writing grants and scientific papers, networking, and more. Access your copy.

Feature Article: Getting Published in Scientific Journals
Gain valuable insight and tips for writing and submitting work to major journals. Read the article.

Special Feature: Science Careers for Undergraduates
Undergraduate scientists can take advantage of a leg up to the first few rungs on the career ladder. Starting with the 6 July issue of Science , we have extended coverage of science careers to the issues and decisions undergraduates face. Read the special feature.

INTERVIEW TIPS
Tom Vangen works as a national recruiter for the Internal Revenue Service in Seattle. He scouts job candidates for positions in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and he's pretty much seen it all when it comes to interviews. Here are a few tips from a hiring insider:

Come prepared. Know the basic information about the organization and the position. Wear business attire, preferably a suit.

Have specific examples ready. Vangen said many interview questions regard behavior, such as how a person handles conflict. Think of examples beforehand and be ready to explain them. Vangen suggests using the acronym CAR: describe the Challenge; explain your Actions; describe the Resolution.

Make cold calls to ask career questions
Use "I" statements. Starting sentences with "we" doesn't tell a potential employer much about you.
Convey confidence. Potential employers want to see people who are sure of themselves and confident that they can handle the job.

Don't ask stupid questions. By stupid, Vangen means questions that are either basic or aimed at the wrong person. The person hiring you for the job knows about the job and the company, but probably not the ins and outs of the organization's benefit plan. Save these for HR.

Don't make employers prod you for information. Listen to the interview questions. If you don't understand, ask for a clarification. Then give as complete an answer as possible.

Don't ignore the small things. Sit up straight. Shake hands when you leave. All are part of a good first impression, which might lead to a second interview or job offer.

Arrange informational interviews

REVAMP YOUR RÉSUMÉ
Judy Colburn, manager of University of Washington-Tacoma's Career Development Center, said job seekers need to make sure their résumés are relevant to the jobs they are applying for - and highlight the accomplishments of previous jobs, not the duties. She offers these six tips:

Choose the direction you want to take
Tailor your résumé to the job you want. If you are applying for a job that supervises people, highlight previous experiences that speak to that.

Match your qualifications, experience and accomplishments to the employer's needs. Colburn said the job description is the answer key to what your résumé should include.

Focus your objective on the employer and the job it is hiring for, not on you. Make sure the rest of the résumé matches the objective.

Start sentences with active verbs. Make the experiences section of your résumé action-oriented, with a focus on results and measurable achievements.

Organize your experiences and accomplishments so that the ones at the top are strongest and most relevant to the job.
Proofread your résumé for spelling errors, missing words or punctuation.

WHAT'S IN A LETTER?
Cover letters are a chance to expand on what's in your résumé, said Judy Colburn, manager of University of Washington-Tacoma's Career Development Center. Here are a few tips on how to get your letter noticed:

Tailor each letter to the company and job.
Mention how you found out about the position.
Provide new information about yourself instead of repeating what is in your résumé.
Build a strong connection between yourself and the position by highlighting your skills, any special training and accomplishments.

Tell the employer what you can do for the company and why you want to work there.
Include contact information: phone, address and e-mail.
Close the letter with something that encourages a response, such as a polite request for an interview or your willingness to provide any additional information.

3.20.07
Are You Doing What You Love?
As life progressed, opportunities for education and jobs heavily influenced our decisions and destinations. Real or imagined barriers came between the practical, everyday us and the person we had at one time hoped to become. We may have decided we couldn't afford the time or expense of going to college. We may have accepted jobs that were very different from the career field we had imagined, but which still met our basic needs at that time.

Over time, however, we may find that we have lost our original passion and sense of fulfillment. Because happy and fulfilled employees are healthier and more productive, it's good for both us and our employers to look at the following questions:

1. Am I living the way I want to live? Think about your youthful dreams and aspirations. Are some of those idealistic and ambitious goals still attainable? What would it take to reach them? Be specific.
2. Do I know how to find out what's important to me? It may be time to reevaluate your personal values. If you like home and hearth, traveling with a rock band probably won't fit your current needs.
3. Do I know why I need passion? When you're doing something because you're passionate about it, you'll be better at it and more successful. If you don't know what you're passionate about, ask your friends and family--they know!
4. Have I lost passion for my work? Think about why you used to like your job and what made you feel fulfilled. Make a list of the things you do in your job that make you feel good, and another list of the things you just don't like or care about. How can you focus on the important, fulfilling aspects of your job?
5. Am I resistant to change? Do I know how to change? Consider obstacles that are preventing you from adapting to the ever-changing conditions of the modern workplace. Are you up to speed with current office technology? Do you lead the charge to test a new idea or drag your feet in hopes it will go away?
   

We've all had it happen--an interruption at the worst of times. We can't prevent it--people will be people, after all--but there are some things you can do to minimize the effect of those interruptions with diplomacy and professionalism:

• Don't give others the opportunity to manage your time for you. An "open door" policy doesn't mean you must be available at all times.
• Close your door. Put up a sign. Move to a conference room. Work at home.
• Consider placing books on the visitors' chair, or remove the chair from your office.
• Arrange your desk to avoid facing the door since this "invites" people into your office.
• When someone walks in, stand up. Your visitor will be less likely to sit down.
• Let others know that you are most productive in the morning and appreciate some uninterrupted time.
• If someone asks for some of your time, take control by telling them, "It would work better if I drop by your office after lunch".
• If they need to speak with you immediately, reply with a time--"I can give you seven minutes."
• If they ramble, request that they tell you in two sentences what you can do to help them.
• If they present a problem, ask them what they think they should do.
• Agree to help when necessary, but schedule a specific time to do so.
• "Remember" a meeting that you have to attend or a call you have to make.
• Do not look at e-mail until you have the time to handle it.
• Place your phone on "Do not disturb" (depending on your role and company policy).
  

Time Management for Academics -- What Are Your Priorities?
If you’re a Scientist struggling to find enough time to write and do research, you might benefit from the advice of Mary McKinney, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist and professional coach who is the founder and director of Successful Academic Consulting.

McKinney offered participants several recommendations for having enough time for writing and research:

• Block out your time for your research and writing  priorities first, rather than letting these tasks revolve around other  scheduling commitments. You can block out this time as you would for another  appointment, McKinney said. When people ask for that time, you can let them  know you’ve got another commitment.  
• Try writing in frequent bursts, rather than infrequent  marathons. Robert Boice’s studies of faculty have found that short-term,  frequent writers—those who  write for 30 minutes a day, for example—produce more pages and are more likely  to get tenure than writers who devote long but infrequent blocks of time to  writing. “Eight hours is just too long to sit down,” McKinney  said.
• If anxiety gets in the way of you addressing your  biggest priorities, try doing a “tolerable ten,” or a commitment to spend  just 10 minutes on an anxiety-provoking task. You might find that the  10-minute session expands into something longer, McKinney said. But if it  doesn’t, you are still restoring your own faith that you can indeed make  progress.
• Make it easier to do the right thing—and harder to do the wrong thing. Put a  note on your office door saying you’re working on an important deadline and  ask not to be disturbed until, say 10 a.m., McKinney recommended. Cancel  your cable or loan out your TV. If you’re a compulsive email checker or web  surfer, choose to use a slow Internet connection or work at a coffee shop  where there’s no wireless access.       

What's New:

•8/2/07: Updated job listings, PDA Seminar series, social events, Executive committee, announcements page and general site maintenence.

•6/13/07: Updated all pages to include Shana Deferrari as the new PDA contact/administrator. Updated job listings, PDA Seminar series, social events, Executive committee, announcements page and general site maintenence.

•3/23/07: Added pictures for the PDA March Madness party, updated Career development workshop series, social events, Tip of the Week and general site maintenence.

•3/9/07: Added pictures for the past PDA presidents, updated Career development workshop series, social events, Executive committee, Tip of the Week and general site maintenence.

•3/1/07: Updated job listings,Career development workshop series, Grants & Funding, announcements page and general site maintenence.

•12/15/06: Added pictures from the PDA 2006 Holiday Party, updated job listings, PDA Seminar series, social events, Executive committee, announcements page and general site maintenence.

•4/1/03: The newly designed Baylor PDA website was launched!