Job Searching in an Uncertain Economy

If you are currently searching for a job, it’s hard to avoid pessimism about the state of the US and international economies.  Even so, it is important to be realistic and flexible in your job search. It is also important to be positive and targeted.  Through research about employers, and networking with professionals in fields that interest you; you can identify and possibly create new opportunities for yourself.

It is important to network and seek advice from people who work in job settings and career areas that match your goals.   

How can you do this?

1. Some ways to identify professionals to contact for informational interviewing include LinkedIn (don’t forget to use groups like the NIH Intramural Group on LinkedIn or ones specific to your career path), the NIH Alumni Network for fellows who have left our hallowed halls and other professional association/society networks (utilize your membership to search for fellow members, it gives you a good starting point for your conversation). 
2. Informational interviewing can help you tremendously, for a primer on the topic see this handout: https://www.training.nih.gov/assets/Informational_Interviews.pdf
3. Ask for help: if you are an NIH Intramural fellow make an appointment with an OITE Career Counselor https://www.training.nih.gov/career_services/
4. Read other articles with suggestions about planning your job search.  Science Careers and Naturejobs.com are the pioneers in publishing career information for scientists.  For fellows looking for a career in academics, the Chronicle of Higher Education has always been a resource for career hunting (There are also many new kids on the block such as biocareers.com, New Scientist , and more.  Do you have a favorite that we have not listed?
5. Learn from books about networking: Power Networking by Donna Fisher and Sandy Vilas and Networking for People Who Hate Networking by Devora Zack are two good options available in the OITE Career Library in Building 2.
6. Review the OITE Upcoming Events Calendar for career panels and presentations:  https://www.training.nih.gov/events/upcoming
7. And past events that have archived material:https://www.training.nih.gov/events/prior

Any more suggestions for our intrepid readers?

Get Your Job Search in Gear

Recent news reports suggest that the economy is slowly recovering, and that unemployment figures are falling. While this news is hopeful, it may be difficult to hear for those of us currently on the job market.

If you have been searching for a while, or are planning to start searching for a job, there are several methods you can use to increase your chance of being successful. Following are some points outlined in a talk I gave at last year’s NIH Career Symposium in Bethesda.

1. Plan ahead

Trainees often ask about the best time to begin a job search. My answer to that question is always the same: It is never too early to begin searching! According to the Labor Force Statistics for 2009, taken from the Current Population Survey developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (U.S. Dept. of Labor), the average length of time people have been unemployed—i.e. roughly the length of a job search—is 24.4 weeks, or almost 6 ½ months.

2. Know what you want

It is critical to make a decision on what type(s) of career(s) you are targeting before you search. It is a waste of time to sit in the lab, on your computer, searching endlessly through job listings. It is a far better use of time to visit a career counselor at OITE to conduct some self-assessment and find a career field that suits you. I also strongly encourage you to attend the upcoming NIH Career Symposium on Tuesday, May 18th, from 8:00am – 4:30pm at Natcher Conference Center in Bethesda. Rather than a typical job/employment fair, this is a professional development event with panel discussions and skills workshops that will assist you in the next phase of your career.

3. Create a support network

To assist you throughout the job search process, visit OITE often. Get to know the staff there. Also, consider starting a job search support group with friends or colleagues. In this setting, you can brainstorm ideas with one another, offer encouragement, share job leads or networking events, etc.

4. Use many strategies

Do not limit yourself to using one or two job search strategies. Use a myriad of approaches, as this will increase the likelihood of finding out about job openings. Consider using the following strategies for your search.

• Network
  • Tap into alumni/ae databases at undergrad and grad (and potentially postdoc) institutions
  • Join professional associations, which often have student/postdoc discount rates
  • Join local networking groups in your area (some resources for this are listed below)
  • Network online, using LinkedIn and other resources. And be sure to complete your profile on LinkedIn—and keep it updated with any changes.

• Identify specific organizations
  • Be aware of trends in career fields of interest. To do this, use local and national journals linked to your areas of interest.
  • Check broad, sector-based organizations for employer listings by geographic area, such as biotech council sites. (see below for link)
  • Once you have identified specific organizations, apply for jobs directly on their sites. This strategy is more effective than applying on mega-job listing websites.

• Consider temp to perm
  • Think about applying with several temporary agencies. Working as a temp gives you a chance to check out the organization, and vice-versa.
  • When you apply, ask agencies about their record of temp-to-perm hires. (Listings of some agencies follow below.)

• Attend local job fairs
  • Check local newspapers and community journals for listings.

• Consider professional fellowships
  • This strategy may provide an introduction to—and help you to develop substantial experience in—different career fields.
  • Some examples include: K-12 teaching , science policy , sustainable energy

• Contact placement agencies
  • Most agencies assist job seekers with several years of experience – and this may include postdoctoral work.
  • If you do opt to put an application on file with a placement agency, be wary of fees, as these organizations are well compensated by the firms that employ their services and should not be charging you, the candidate.

• Resume/job listing “banks,” databases, boards
  • Consider the pros and cons to using these mega-sites:
  • Pros: easy to use, free
  • Cons: time drain, one of the least effective job search methods (so don’t spend much time here!)

Here are some final tips for a successful search:

• Get organized! Create a system to keep track of your search: notebook, online, etc.
• Use a calendar and set short-term, achievable goals every week
• Keep in touch with people

And check out the resources below. Best of luck in your search!

Resources:

DC Job Search Group: http://www.workministry.com/jsg/washdc.shtml

One-Stop Career Centers: http://www.careeronestop.org/

Grant/fellowship listings: http://www.grantsnet.org

Online networking: http://www.linkedin.com/ , http://twitter.com/

DC/MD Business journals: http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/ , http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/

Tech Council of Maryland Membership Directory: https://techcouncilmd.com/members/directory.php

Temp and Placement Agencies:

Kelly Scientific Resources (Specializes in placing scientific professionals): www.kellyscientific.com

JobSpectrum.org (Resource for employers and job seekers in chemistry, pharmaceuticals, biotech, and the chemical sciences industry): www.jobspectrum.org

Evolution Recruitment Consultants (Provides recruitment services, positions, and candidates for all areas of the biotechnology sector): www.evolutionconsultants.com

Scientific Placement, Inc. (Specializing in recruitment of candidates with commercial product development experience in the microcomputer and commercial software industries): www.scientific.com

OneScience (Biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and scientific job listings, career insight, and news): www.onescience.com

Practice Makes Perfect

Last week, I was privileged to share some time with trainees at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Biomedical Career Fair in Durham, North Carolina. The goal of this conference was to:

“provide young scientists an opportunity to explore a myriad of fields and create a contact network as they plan for future careers in the biomedical sciences,”

according to the website above. As it turned out, however, just about every trainee I met has already acquired some level of career development savvy.

Most of the graduate students and postdocs I interacted with, whether from UNC-Chapel Hill (GO HEELS!), Duke, NIEHS, the EPA, or elsewhere, have served as volunteers, freelancers, adjuncts, interns, or apprentices in a wide range of career fields. It is precisely this type of hands-on training that will give these candidates an edge in the current job market.

If you are currently exploring or are curious about a particular field, test both your interest and skill by creating an opportunity to work in that environment. One of the trainees I met volunteers as an intern in an office of technology transfer, for example. In this setting, she has developed specific skills that are attractive to employers hiring for this field. Another trainee has sought out multiple teaching opportunities by contacting faculty at several institutions and offering to guest lecture. His CV is now much stronger, as he has oodles of classroom experience to show prospective universities.

Yet another trainee I met called on her problem solving skills and quick reaction time by jumping in when needed at the career fair. Any trainee involved with the planning and/or execution of a large-scale event like last week’s career fair will be sought after by employers from a wide range of fields for their demonstrated teamwork, problem-solving, and organizational skills. (And on that note, let me take this chance to say THANK YOU for a job well done, Diane, Raj, Michelle, and others!)

Another innovative way to expand your skill set is to enroll in or audit a class of interest. If you are seeking to move into consulting, for example, you may want to check out the offerings of local business schools. While this type of experience may not seem as hands-on as some of the examples above, it may prove to fill a skill gap on your resume in a field you’re considering.

So get your hands wet, dirty, or whatever the analogy is to build your resume or CV for careers that appeal to you. And for exceptional career advice, you may need to look no further than your own bench. Judging from the trainees I met last week, your lab mates may be pretty career-savvy folk indeed.