On October 13, the RU Biotech Forum hosted Monica Kerr, director of the Science Alliance at the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS). For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Science Alliance, or the NYAS, or both, this should change. The NYAS is a non-profit scientific organization with a multi-purpose mission. This organization, located at 7 World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, is approaching its 200th anniversary and is still going strong. The NYAS aims to mobilize science to aid in global challenges, promote scientific literacy, serve as a means for scientific publication, and advance valid scientific policy. In addition, there are several community service-based programs sponsored by NYAS, including Scientists Without Borders, K-12 Outreach, Science and The City, and the topic of this article, the Science Alliance. The major focus of the Science Alliance is to fill in the gaps between universities, teaching hospitals, independent research facilities, industry, and non-profit organizations, all in the name of advancing the careers of students and postdocs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Given Monica
Kerr’s passion for science education and career planning, this was a match made in heaven.

Monica began the talk by discussing statistics regarding the jobs held by those with a Ph.D. in science, math, or engineering. Presently, there are 40,000 science and science-related Ph.Ds awarded on an annual basis in the USA, and there are approximately 55,000 postdocs. Of these, only 20% go on to pursue a tenure-track faculty position. Surprisingly, the remaining scientists do not all go into industry; only 28% enter the for-profit realm (i.e. pharmaceutical or biotech). The rest are distributed among the self-employed, nonprofit organizations, and non-research-based education. Given that the audience was mostly made up of career-hungry students and postdocs, Monica went on to focus on the strategies for landing a job.

It seems that many of us emerge from our Ph.D. programs wholly unprepared to enter the job market. Sure, we take a year or two of course work, are trained in ethical scientific conduct, and take a qualifying exam at some point during the process, but there are many skills that are not addressed during our formal scientific training. For instance, even though many of us are pursuing an academic position, we have received virtually no guidance with respect to learning the responsibilities associated with a faculty position (like lab management, teaching and mentoring, and grant writing). The situation doesn’t get better for those who decide to do a postdoc as, more often than not, there is very little oversight for postdocs. Monica pointed out that it is important to be proactive—prepare yourself and don’t wait for the opportunity to fall onto your lap. Although she cited a situation where formal postdoctoral training and oversight were directly correlated with happiness in the postdoc position, the reality is that most of us are on our own. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take responsibility and prepare yourself.

When thinking about which career path you should walk, it is important to undergo a selfassessment. You can make use of professionally developed algorithms, such as the Myers-Briggs Indicator and Strong Interest Inventory test, to get a sense of where you belong. Or, self-guided exercises can be employed. Ultimately, the goal is to identify where your interests, skills, and values intersect. Monica continued by asking the audience the question: “As a scientist, what are some of your transferrable skills?” The ice was broken when “not pipetting” was yelled out. This was followed by things like problem-solving, critical thinking, public speaking, and interacting on a professional level. Basically, she recommends that you list your top ten qualities, being sure to provide specific examples of these characteristics at work in your life. Another step to self-realization is to list at least 5 to 7 examples in which you were successful. This does not have to be related in any way to lab work. For instance, I provided an example of how I organized and participated in an Iron Chef competition during college. This, along with several other situations, led me to identify a pattern—I tend to take on “leadership” type roles, often organizing social and/or academic events (such as this specific talk). Ah, one step closer to finding my dream job, right? Well, in fact, yes! This was a major step in discovering what I want to be when I grow up. The next step is to assess your interests. To do this, it might be necessary to move away from your molecule/ pathway/favorite disease and uncover what it is that you truly like doing. Lastly, there are values. What are your must-haves or deal-breakers? This can often involve things like the work setting, the work content, and/or work relationships.

If you are or will be on the job market at any time in the near future, here are a few resources: Alternative Careers in Science by Cynthia Robbins-Roth; Outside the Ivory Tower: A guide for academics considering alternative careers by Margaret Newhouse; The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Test, Stanford University’s Career Development Center Guided Career Path Tool. Best of luck!