Recently I was a guest speaker at the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences Tri-Institute Career Symposium. The objective of the symposium was to provide PhD students and early career post-doctural scientist insights into careers outside of academia, and to share career transition advice.
Deliberately design your career. |
As a Phd in Neuropathology, I am more than well versed in the art of career transition, leveraging the skills I learned during my doctoral training and extra curricular activities, I moved from science and medical communications into beauty product development and marketing. The most valuable advice I give students and junior associates that I mentor is to be deliberate and take control of your career.
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I was involved in the medical and science communications panel, where I enjoyed sharing the stage with an esteemed science journal editor and senior medical communications director. The session generated much excitement about marketing yourself, communications tools and tactics, networking tips and how to leverage research skills in a non-academic track career, and getting into industry.
As a scientist in a non-traditional field, beauty product development, I recommended to make a self-assessment of their core competencies and practice translating them against the skills outlined in their dream position description. Not only is this exercise great for understanding what you bring to the table, it's also valuable for your career development to understand how to get to the next level.
As a scientist in a non-traditional field, beauty product development, I recommended to make a self-assessment of their core competencies and practice translating them against the skills outlined in their dream position description. Not only is this exercise great for understanding what you bring to the table, it's also valuable for your career development to understand how to get to the next level.
An adaptable and easy to use tool I've engineered is a modified GAP analysis (PowerPoint template with instructions available for download ($2.50). This tool helps you make connections between your current skill set and target position description skills, and identify how to translate and address any skills gaps (growth and development opportunities).