An unexpected career path can be the most rewarding

I am a psychology researcher, public relations (PR) information specialist, and a career services professional. Looking at my resume, you will see a career path that moves from a doctorate in experimental social psychology, to healthcare PR research, to career and professional development services.

Here is a simplified snapshot of my evolving career path. As a social psychology researcher, I studied the effect of messaging on motivation. Understanding motivation was key to moving to a marketing job in healthcare PR. Because I developed strong research skills in graduate school, I easily segued from the PR account side to PR research. After years of significant business experience, I had the know-how (and the persistence) to open my own healthcare PR information consulting firm. As a seasoned PR professional, I was often asked to help with resumes and networking for those entering the field. I enjoyed these experiences so much that I wondered how I could apply these skills to a career.

Mindfully Transitioning

I began to attend local professional association meetings. Networking at these meetings led to my first job in the field, at a small liberal arts college. To grow my skills, I got more actively involved in local and national professional career services organizations. I also enlisted mentors, networked at professional meetings, joined and chaired committees, and never turned down an opportunity to learn. These efforts opened doors and led to a position as assistant director at a larger university. There, I continued to advance my skills in career coaching, office management, and employer relations. My next move was to my current position, where I work with postdoctoral scholars and doctoral students. Here, I have the exciting opportunity to combine my psychology background, my love of research, and my expertise in career services.

Each of my experiences provided me with knowledge, skills, and capabilities that were assets for each successive profession. My unconventional route increases my appreciation of the challenges that others face as they embark on their unique career paths. But no matter what your path has been, career success only comes to those who proactively seek, take advantage of, and, if necessary, create opportunities. The key is to be forward-thinking (where are you going next?), reflective (what have you done that can contribute to your future success?), and proactive (what can you do to get there?).

How to take responsibility of your own career

Here are six proactive steps for taking responsibility of your own career:

1. Set goals: Research interesting career paths. Consider more than one path, then work backwards to determine what is needed to get there. You aren’t going to get to your destination if you have no idea where you are going.
2. Self-reflection: Reflect on your experiences – academic, professional, and personal – at your institutions, in your free time, via your hobbies, or volunteer activities. What are your assets? What value do you bring?
3. Self-assessment: Use tools (such as myIDP) and self-scrutiny to assess current skills and experiences. Where are significant gaps?
4. Find support and guidance: Determine how to gain needed skills and experience. Network and conduct informational interviews. Seek support from a variety of people to create your own steering committee.
5. Be open to opportunities: Francis Bacon famously said, “A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.” So seek opportunities, but if you don’t find them, create your own.
6. Market your brand: Cultivate a message about what makes you unique and a great fit. Remember to make use of all those assets from step two. This is your brand. Learn how to market yourself.

My career path – as someone with an experimental psychology doctorate, years of professional business experience, and a passion for career and professional development – has not been traditional, but it has its own advantages. I come with distinct knowledge and skills that I use to help others achieve career success.

I am a psychology researcher, PR information specialist, and a career services professional. Who are you, where do you want to go, and how will you get there?

Diane A. Safer, Ph.D., is the director of the Career and Professional Development Program for Graduate Students and Postdocs at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.

Experiences of Women from Underrepresented Groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

The data on women, and, especially, historically URM women, demonstrate a stark picture of racial and gender inequality in academic engineering. For example, during the 2016-2017 academic year, only 23.5 percent of the doctorates in engineering were awarded to women, and only 16.9 percent of engineering faculty were women, as reported by American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). The numbers are significantly smaller for URM women in engineering. In 2017, URM women, specifically African American, Hispanic American, Native American, and Pacific Islander women, earned just 194 doctorates, less than 1.7 percent of all engineering doctorates earned. During that same year, less than eight percent and six percent of engineering faculty were URM assistant and full professors, respectively; numbers for URM women in engineering faculty positions are so small that they are not enumerated in the ASEE report.

In order to increase representation of URM women in faculty positions, the retention of women in engineering is especially important. Two critical periods of attrition in engineering are the postdoctoral and early-career tenure-track faculty stages. The loss of URM women among highly trained and advanced engineers, who are poised to launch their independent careers as innovators and educators of the next generation, is tragic, both for the women engineers’ careers and for the future of engineering. A number of factors, including hostile workplaces, lower pay, bias in promotions, and lack of collegiality serve as significant barriers to the success and advancement of all women in STEM. As a result of intersectionality, women of color in STEM can face additional barriers and challenges, such as isolation, institutional biases, the need to work harder to be viewed as successful, reduced access to informal networks and mentoring, and the emotional tax of navigating majority spaces.

The transition from graduate school to postdoctoral scholar, or later from postdoc to early-career faculty positions is certainly “an exciting time of scientific growth, creativity and independence.” It can also be a time of isolation and uncertainty, and the newfound independence can be overwhelming. The nature of these stages provides a career space filled with incredible possibility, growth, and chaos. In such times, career development and support through community is especially important. Postdocs must often learn to navigate a new institutional culture, career stage, and personal community, whether part of a larger lab or as an “only” postdoc in their research group or lab. The resulting isolation is particularly acute for individuals who are an “only” in terms of their social identity (i.e. gender identity, race, ethnicity, ability status, among others). Research shows that a strong connection to community can counter this isolation and that the resulting sense of belonging is important to individual success and persistence in STEM, especially for postdocs from groups underrepresented in their fields.

The LATTICE professional development program has a focus on community, ongoing connection, and skill building to support women who are engineers as they navigate the postdoctoral and early-career stages. The first LATTICE symposium was held May 18–21, 2017. The second LATTICE symposium for women of color in engineering will be held May 30–April 2, 2019.

Why is LATTICE unique?

The LATTICE symposium is a four-day symposium that takes place at a retreat-like setting with a focus on developing skills such as time management and communication with a cohort of peers. LATTICE leverages three key features: community, ongoing connection, and counterspaces- gleaned from previous successful efforts at the University of Washington (WEBS, Women Evolving the Biological Sciences and BRAINS, Broadening the Representation of Academic Investigators in Neuroscience). These program demonstrated the importance of providing professional development in an ongoing manner through community connections and strong relationships. Within this community, aspects of social identity are woven into conversations about career success and experiences. The LATTICE community extends well beyond the symposium itself. Participants regularly join peer-mentoring circles after the symposium to continue their connection to the community and engage in ongoing career development.

What have we learned?

Thirty early-career women in EECS attended the first LATTICE symposium in May of 2017. Results from post-symposium evaluation, as well as an online follow-up survey, demonstrate that the LATTICE experience was valuable. In particular, participants reported increases in their self-confidence and networking activity. For example, one participant wrote, “I became more confident in standing up for myself and expressing my needs, asking for resources, seeking advice, starting more collaborations, and designing a new course.”

Participants also noted the importance of their peer mentoring circles participation in providing community, ongoing connection, and accountability. For example, one respondent wrote, “I was motivated by the LATTICE workshop, but the real benefit has come from my ongoing LATTICE calls. Although our group is small, I can't overstate how wonderful it's been to have someone to check in with every other week who can be honest with about the good, the bad, and the ugly of my professional experiences!”

A second goal of the LATTICE program is to conduct an anthropological investigation into why and how the LATTICE intervention works, and how the diverse team of LATTICE organizers work together. In early work, the team has examined how race, gender, and academic discipline intersect to create solidarity and a collective identity among the leadership team, termed a coherent group. A recent paper explores the formation of this coherent group and how it functions in broadening participation in academic engineering.

Claire Horner-Devine, Ph.D., is one of the NPA Diversity Officers. Horner-Devine is co-founder and co-director of national programs designed to accelerate and improve the career advancement of early-career women and researchers from underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and founder of Counterspace Consulting (www.counterspaceconsulting.com). Horner-Devine can be contacted at claire@counterspaceconsulting.com.

Meet Sudha Krishnamurthy

Krishnamurthy is the director of the Office of Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Affairs at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco. In this role, she advises on career and professional development, career path education, training, and programs, and is involved with the academic affairs of postdocs and graduate students. She is a clinical scientist with a dental degree from India, and obtained her doctoral degree in oral health sciences from the University of Michigan. She completed her postdoctoral training as an Odyssey Fellow at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. As one of NPA’s International Officers, she hopes to help improve the integration of the international postdoctoral population into the scientific community.

Meet Juliana Vasco-Correa

Vasco-Correa is a postdoc and Schlumberger fellow in the Biobased Systems Analysis Laboratory at The Ohio State University. She is originally from Colombia, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in biological engineering and a master’s degree in food science and technology. Vasco-Correa obtained her doctoral degree in food, agricultural and biological engineering at The Ohio State University with a Fulbright fellowship in 2017, working with lignocellulosic biomass for the production of fuels and chemicals. She has held several leadership positions in her department, campus, and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). As an NPA International Officer, Vasco-Correa wants to advocate for improvement of the training experience of international postdocs.

The new International Officers are currently recruiting volunteers interested in working on issues affecting international postdocs. For more information, contact international@nationalpostdoc.org.

NSF statement

NSF is following the NASEM recommendation and addressing harassment. In a press release and a fact sheet the NSF announced that beginning October 21, 2018, awardee institutions must directly report findings/determinations or administrative actions regarding any kind of harassment or sexual assaults by an NSF funded PI or co-PI directly to NSF within 10 business days. These changes will apply to all new awards or funding amendments. The term and condition will be available on the federal register on September 21, 2018.

In an NSF press release, the director, France Córdova, Ph.D., stated, “This action furthers that proud tradition, and recognizes that, at times, the scientific community has not sufficiently protected all of its members. For the good of the United States science and engineering enterprise, this neglect must end. This new policy is intended to provide targeted, serious consequences for harassers. It gives people tools to make harassment stop without disturbing others' careers and lives.” Accordingly, to minimize damage to the awardee institution and other researchers funded through the grant, the NSF will work with the institution to determine the necessary actions. Potential actions include substituting or removing the PI or co-PI, while continuing the project at the same level of funding. However, if those options are not possible or adequate, the NSF may reduce the award funding or suspend or terminate the award.

The NSF has indicated that this is only their first step of many. However, it is important to note, the institution must first take concrete steps in responding to harassment and sexual assault before the NSF can take action.

NIH statement

The NIH, bound by rulemaking processes, is unable to legally respond as swiftly as the NSF. However, the NIH is also taking action to address harassment and hostile work environments. They released a statement announcing an upcoming Federal Register Notice on new anti-sexual harassment initiatives. This includes an updated policy on harassment, a centralized process for harassment reporting, an education and training campaign, and a plan to administer an internal NIH survey to help inform future actions targeting sexual harassment in the workplace. Additionally, to increase the visibility of their policies, they have launched an anti-sexual harassment website that comprehensively outlines NIH policies, practices, and initiatives concerning sexual harassment.

Finally, the director of the NIH, Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., stated that he and Córdova will work together as co-chairs of the National Science and Technology Council Committee on Science, to identify and implement uniform federal measures that would be the most effective in changing the pervasive culture of sexual harassment in science.

There is still a long way to go, but the NPA applauds the NIH and NSF for taking the initial steps necessary in the paradigm shift of scientific culture required to achieve real inclusivity and diversity in research.

Megan Sampley Bohn, Ph.D., is the co-chair of the NPA Advocacy Committee and the assistant director for the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, where she works on policies and programming for postdoctoral training.

Catherine B. Zander, Ph.D., is an American Society of Hematology/American Association for the Advancement of Science Science and Technology Congressional fellow. She is also the vice chair of the Outreach Committee for the NPA and the co-chair of the Advocacy Committee for the NPA.

Portfolios often contain collections of records, reports, and miscellaneous documents that demonstrate an individual’s expertise in an area. Unlike a resume and curriculum vitae (CV), which only highlight qualifications, a portfolio offers detailed insight into an individual’s expansion of knowledge and skills over time. Portfolios allow one to present a more complete narrative of development than a simple resume or CV, which in fact are often only one of many components of a complete portfolio.

Compiling Evidence of Success can be Key in Job Searches

These collections can serve as an important repository of evidence useful in promotion and tenure evaluations, but persuasive portfolios can also strongly serve individuals actively searching for jobs. When used effectively, portfolio documents can present a strong argument for the degree of fit between an applicant and the respective job. Job seekers can use portfolios to provide specific examples of their best work during interviews and to show development of skill and knowledge over time. On the other side of the table, prospective employers can use these document collections to evaluate the qualifications of applicants.

Compiling a collection of evidence into a portfolio can strengthen postdoc confidence and performance during interviews and other hiring activities. In some cases, portfolios may be specifically required by employers when evaluating a candidate. Many academic programs, including graduate and undergraduate programs for the arts, education, and business administration, often require a professional portfolio as a graduation requirement, in part, to improve employment outcomes.

Although some recent initiatives prompt undergraduate STEM students to prepare portfolios, STEM graduate students are rarely encouraged to compile a portfolio of professional work artifacts that stand as evidence of their skills and competencies outside of a CV or other traditional application items. The irony that ensues is that STEM graduate students and postdocs become skilled at collecting and communicating evidence in support of their research hypotheses, but have failed to collect and are sorely under prepared to communicate evidence about their own personal and professional qualifications. Moreover, those who do attempt to "sell" their knowledge, skills, and abilities in this manner often feel like impostors when they begin self-promote; these individuals are far less likely to effectively market themselves to prospective employers.

Personal Websites can be a Modern Portfolio

Some people might only think of a portfolio in a paper-based, folder-bound form, but this is not the only medium that can be used to present examples of work. Personal websites represent another tool that can be used to offer portfolio items, and websites used as online portfolios can strongly position job candidates to stand out in a competitive job market by increasing online visibility—globally—thereby increasing the likelihood of being discovered by recruiters and employers. Personal websites also allow individuals more freedom to present their personal brand and their unique value proposition in a manner not offered by LinkedIn (sorry, LinkedIn), resumes, or CVs; if used strategically, personal branding content on a website can better present one's personal narrative and perspective than resumes or other traditional self-promotion items, which typically lack this depth of information.

Given the narrowing career opportunities available in academia and the degree of competition for jobs in other sectors, STEM graduate students and postdocs should be encouraged to articulate their unique value, strengths, passions, and career vision through an online branding strategy that includes not only social media, but also a personal website. Moreover, graduate STEM trainees should appreciate that portfolios allow them to present direct evidence for their capabilities rather than merely "hand-waving" about how well they perform skills.

When encouraged to pursue this route, some students and postdocs might be less inclined to commit to the process of developing an online portfolio because personal websites are not seen as a standard job-search tool for STEM professionals. However, that is exactly why more advanced degree holders in STEM should use personal websites! Similar to improving signal to noise ratios, any tool that that enhances the ability to distinguish personal accomplishments from those of other job candidates will most likely also enhance the ability to land a job.

Jason Cramer, Ph.D., M.Ed., is the director and co-founder of the Accelerate to Industry (A2i)^TM Program offered by the NC State Graduate School.

As a scholar in the academic world, the question of what to do next can often be on the mind. Career exploration can be daunting and overwhelming, but there is no need not to worry as there are three simple steps to help you get started.

1. Know yourself
2. Be open-minded
3. Seek hands-on experience

Self-knowledge is key

The first step is to know yourself. What does this mean? Knowing yourself and what you like and do not like will help you get started on career exploration. For instance, someone who is an extrovert may enjoy a career that requires client interaction or customer service. A good place to start is by taking a personality test such as Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or Birkman. It is also very important to talk to those who are close to you to make sure your results make sense and to learn more about how others perceive you.

The next step is to be open-minded. Or, more specifically, having a mindset where you are open to learning about new careers and opportunities never previously considered. To explore and learn more about different careers, first get a general sense of what is out there, and a great resource is the Next Gen PhD: A Guide to Career Paths in Science. Career exploration should not be a one-time Google search but a process that begins with understanding what general kind of career areas there are. Next, seek more in-depth information in two or three areas of interest. Informational interviews with people in these fields are a great way to learn more.

The last step is to seek hands-on experience. This experience does not necessarily mean abandoning your research commitments. Rather it can be an extracurricular activity, an internship, or volunteering. It is only through first-hand experience that one can truly learn if the work is enjoyable or not. Thus, it is time well-invested to seek those hands-on experiences during your academic training.

Not knowing what one wants to do next can be a scary place to be. But know that the next job is not an entire career. By trying something and not liking it, it is then okay to change to a different track. This process is not and should not be done alone. Find others who in a similar position and share findings about different career options. Having a support system is the best approach to alleviating some of the stress and anxiety associated with career exploration. Not only that, it also keeps you accountable.

Aline Nachlas, is doctoral candidate at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Black holds a doctorate in nutrition and animal sciences from North Carolina State University, where she also received her Master of Science in poultry science and a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences. She strives to improve professional development programs and standards, especially in higher education. Moreover, she is passionate about increasing nutritional literacy within the education system by advocating for policies that will expose children to the importance of nutrition and agriculture in the classroom. In her spare time, she enjoys working on arts and crafts projects, staying active with her dog, and exploring Washington D.C. with friends and family.

Black is looking forward to working and connecting with NPA members. She can be reached at sblack@nationalpostdoc.org or 919-247-2303.

Sustaining Members are the backbone of the NPA. They are the organizations that belong to the NPA. For example, Stanford, University of Michigan, Merck, and the National Institute of Health are all Sustaining Members. A Sustaining Member can be a university postdoctoral office, a postdoctoral association, a research institute, a pharmaceutical company, professional societies and organizations, or a national laboratory. In this category, the NPA has one contact person to whom all emails and information are sent. The contact person can vote for NPA Board of Directors members on behalf of their organization during elections. Postdoc office or postdoc association Sustaining Members can opt to send the NPA the names of their postdocs. Then, the NPA will enroll them as Affiliate Members so they receive direct information from the NPA and access NPA benefits.

Affiliate Members are underneath the Sustaining Member umbrella. ALL OF THE POSTDOCS, faculty, graduate students, and staff at a Sustaining Member organization can be an Affiliate Member of the NPA. For example, a postdoc at the University of Florida is eligible to be an Affiliate Member of the NPA. Click here to view a list of all Sustaining Members. While they are not allowed to vote for the NPA Board of Directors, Affiliate Members receive all of the other benefits of the NPA. They can benefit from the various volunteer opportunities available through the committees to develop their leadership skills. The ability to network while volunteering on NPA projects has helped numerous postdocs achieve their ultimate career goals.  

Individual Members are full members who can vote for the Board of Directors and have all NPA membership benefits. The cost for a postdoc or graduate student is only $35 per year!  This is one of the best deals in town and is the same price as when the NPA was formed, more than 17 years ago. This is a great option for individuals who want to fully support the NPA or whose institution is not a Sustaining Member. In addition, there are several joint memberships available to postdocs and graduate students. These provide the all benefits of membership in two societies at a discounted rate. Participants include:

• The American Association of Anatomists (AAA)
• The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)
• The Genetics Society of America (GSA)
• The National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP)
• Sigma Xi

We want to encourage individuals who leave their postdoctoral position to remain active in the organization, so there is also a non-postdoc Individual Member category. We have a vision that, soon, we will be able to form an alumni association to keep in touch with the many individuals who have been a postdoc and moved on to a great career!

Benefits of Membership

• Access to our monthly webinars - myPDO Monthly and myPostdoc Monthly
• Access to present and past issues of The POSTDOCket, the monthly newsletter
• Awareness of advocacy efforts for postdocs by the NPA Access to research into various postdoctoral issues including institutional policies (survey is conducted triannually), sexual harassment, parenting, and an upcoming study on mental health and wellness
• Discounts to costs related to the NPA, including the NPA Annual Conference, which is the only national conference focused on postdocs and postdoc leadership
• Access to a postdoc forum for discussion of issues faced by postdocs
• Access to an industry postdoc forum for discussion of issues unique to industry postdocs
• Promotion and support of National Postdoc Appreciation Week activities
• Ability to form relationships with organizations concerned with postdoc issues
• Access to the NPA Career Center, including:
  • Access to job postings of postdoc positions, faculty positions, industry research positions, and more
  • Sustaining Members receive 10 free job postings
  • All member may post resumes at no cost
  • Access to career advice (more to come soon)
• Access to volunteer opportunities for members that promote skill development and provide networking opportunities
• Eligibility to vote and run for the NPA Board of Directors (Individual members and Sustaining Member contacts only)

In 2019, we will launch a new and improved website that will better serve the NPA membership. Stay tuned!

I hope this helps to clarify the membership structure of the NPA.  I want to encourage all postdocs who are eligible for Affiliate membership to register directly with the NPA so you can customize your profile and receive information directly from us.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our office via phone (301-984-4800) or email (contact@nationalpostdoc.org).

Julie Fabsik-Swarts, MS, CFRE, CAP, is the executive director of the NPA.