1. K NOW Y OUR S KILLS P RODUCE A C AREER (STEM) Ruth Schemmer, PhD Assistant Dean for Career Development Graduate School 411 Kirkland

2. O VERVIEW Know Your Skills Produce a Career (how to get from Point A to Point B) Final Thoughts

3. Know Your S KILLS What skills do you possess? Name some. What do you think of when I say competency?

4. Know Your S KILLS National Post-doc Association 6 Core Competencies: Discipline-specific conceptual knowledge, Research skill development, Communication skills, Professionalism, Leadership & Management Skills, Responsible Conduct of Research

5. Know Your S KILLS Discipline-specific Conceptual Knowledge Courses, independent research Additional training (summer research programs) Improvements made in processes, outcomes, new knowledge

6. Know Your S KILLS Research Skill Development Data/Quantitative skills Scientific skills Ability to think through a problem logically from beginning to end

7. Know Your S KILLS Communication skills Conference presentations/Journal articles Science in the Classroom Grant proposals/reports to funding agencies/technical reports Successful proposals for funding—convincing someone to give you money! Ability to convey and explain complex concepts to undergraduates 3MT participation

8. Know Your S KILLS Professionalism Center for Teaching Graduate School Career Development BRET Career Development

9. Know Your S KILLS Leadership & Management Skills Training newer students in the lab Mentoring/supervising undergraduates Managing course section, making all plans Working with team on large project; multidisciplinary collaborations Project management: taking multi-year project from initial question to completion Evaluating student performance

10. Know Your S KILLS Responsible Conduct of Research Why do employers care? Ethics very important in the workplace Knowledge of proprietary information’s importance

11. Know Your S KILLS Others??

12. Know Your S KILLS MyIDP (Individual Development Plan): http://myidp.sciencecareers.org/ http://myidp.sciencecareers.org/ Hosted by Science Careers (AAAS) Assessments of interests, values, competencies; can also ask advisor/mentor to complete form and compare yours and theirs Offers career possibilities drawn from assessments Track goals and progress

14. P RODUCE A C AREER Consider Optional Paths: Alternate Academic (non- tenure track, higher education) Typical Positions: Lab Manager; Program Director; Development Assistant; Research Assistant/Associate Potential settings: Academic Departments; Research Labs; Teaching Centers; Development Offices, Research Institutes; Post-doc Offices; K-12 Teaching

15. P RODUCE A C AREER Non-academic: (business, government, non- profits) Typical Positions: Research Associate; Policy Analyst; Development Assistant; Analyst; Consultant; Data Manager; R&D Potential settings: Government Agencies; Health Care Organizations; Consulting Firms; Insurance Companies; Biotech Companies; Think Tanks

16. P RODUCE A C AREER Gain Experience Internships Volunteering at non-profits; Science outreach Grant-writing Interacting with undergraduates Campus/Community leadership

17. P RODUCE A C AREER Explore Options Network! ask for advice/suggestions/tips, not preferential treatment – Lit review for your career: gather stories, informational interviews – VUConnect.com: set up a profile, locate PhDs in interesting jobs – Alumni from your undergraduate institution – Alumni from your Department (ask professors for names) – Campus Staff (alternate academic careers) – LinkedIn (join groups for discussion; VU Alumni)

18. P RODUCE A C AREER Explore Options ScienceCareers.org: www.sciencecareers.orgwww.sciencecareers.org Chronicle of Higher Education: www.chronicle.comwww.chronicle.com Versatile PhD: www.Versatilephd.comwww.Versatilephd.com – Career Panels, STEM forum, PhD Career Finder – First access through Graduate School Career Development https://my.vanderbilt.edu/gradcareer/  Non-academic Careers  Exploring Options https://my.vanderbilt.edu/gradcareer/ Indeed.com – Web aggregator of job listings; read for skills in job descriptions

19. P RODUCE A C AREER Explore Options Career/Professional Development events & resources – Graduate School Career Development: https://my.vanderbilt.edu/gradcareer/ https://my.vanderbilt.edu/gradcareer/ – BRET Office of Career Development: https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/career- development/ https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/career- development/ – GradLEAF: https://my.vanderbilt.edu/gradleaf/https://my.vanderbilt.edu/gradleaf/

20. F INAL T HOUGHTS A degree of serendipity/chaos in any career journey. You may start below your skill level, with commensurate pay. Volunteering time and services may be necessary to demonstrate evidence of skills. Knowing your skills and creating a resume containing them is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for job searching: networking is a must!

21. C AREER D EVELOPMENT S ERVICES G RADUATE S CHOOL Ruth Schemmer; 411 Kirkland ruth.schemmer@vanderbilt.edu Twitter: @VUGradCareer Appts: Wednesdays, all day; Friday mornings Call 615-343-2727 for appt Walk-ins: Thursdays, 2:00 – 4:00 pm 15-minute short consultation (e.g., resume review)

22. T HANK Y OU & Q UESTIONS