Source Event

Last Friday was devoted to Nature’s science careers fair and conference. I was quite pleased to be invited to speak at the fair – some sort of recognition of what i have been doing here at King’s. Also some recognition of the role that professional careers advice can play in supporting the career management of researchers. Well done us – The Careers Group and King’s College Graduate school. 

Chairing my sesion was Tristram Hooley of Vitae. Tristram is moving onto head the Careers Research Unit at Derby University. So our paths might cross again in that context.

I went to session on bid-writing given by Tony Woods of the Wellcome Trust. Strongly recommend people to listen to the pod-cast: lots of very common sense points about bid writing. It reminded me of the sorts of things we say about CV’s. He reckoned that he could tell in about 80% of cases whether the bid would get funded within about 30 seconds; a bit scary if you think that it could take 6 months to put a bid together. Its all in the project summary. What is the research question, will the activities proposed answer that question. Use the classic SMART objectives.

A UCL lecturer gave a very personal account of the unpredictabilty of a Research career which in her case spanned a number of separate disciplines and roles and a many countries. She was a Marie Curie fellow.

There was a talk form Merck serono about Clinical trials management, and then a mad presentation by the brilliant William Bains. He had the audience in stitches though a couple of very strait-laced people did leave in the middle with very concermed looks on their faces.

The apparently rambling talk covered a steely analytical brain that was determined to have some FUN. We started with Isaac Asimov and electric trainsets, silicon, the cost of filing a patent (30 quid!), the importance of the confidentiality agreements, science as a personality defect (“How many of you are scientists?” Forest of hands. “Well half of you are wrong and the other half have my deepest sympathy”, how to lose 12 grand ( he did it his way). He is the Eddie Izzard of Biotechnology start-ups. He is that good.

Science Publishing

Chris S a professional science editor came to talk to about 15 Phd students and postdocs last night. He gave an amusing walk/talk through his CV starting as a would-be vet through to degree in Biology and Phd in Bio-Physics.

It was interesting to hear the publishers side of the process which many in the room had experienced from the author’s side. Does the author have any rights – asked one psotdoc. None whatsoever, Chris cheerily replied.

The difficulties of finding a review panel sufficiently close to the subject to be knowledgeable, sufficiently distant to be objective were touched on.

How its different for him to go to a conference as he become s a magnet for everybody there. It wwas fun – he acknowledged,  but exhausting.

One thing he said about applications intrigued me; the cover letter was really important ( some organisations claim not to read it). For him the cover letter had to tell an interesting stroy about ewhy they would be good for publishing and publishing good for them.

Research in Industry

Students at the Centre for Developmental Biology asked me to talk about the above topic – and my solution was to get an Industry researcher to tell it straight fromthe Horse’s mouth. I thought of MM because he had experience in big pharma and was a senior scientist in a biotech.

I suggested he did not present a power point but just talked us through his CV – i wanted the students to feel they were just in conversation with a scientist.

M had dashed from a City meeting – which was a good intro – Biotech scientists need to talk to potential investors in the business.

M thinks he is too honest and too negative or downbeat in his presentations, but I think the students valued his honesty. I ‘compered’ so I could direct his comments towards things that I thought would be of interest to students.

Not an easy audience but eventually they warmed up and began to ask pertinent questions – -some impertinent ones too – like salaries - discussion of which I squashed.

It was a good showcase for careers advice – none of them knew about me – needless to say.

MM said that when he was a PhD student he would not have come to this talk. He was surprised that the room  was full. “The credit crunch?” ventured one student.

One question which was asked was an obvious one which I havd never considered: students might consider jobs in Industry or Postdocs. But what is the relative number of positions? 50-50?

I have no idea of the answer. I wonder if anybody else does.

Cancer Research Postdocs

Sally Leevers Academic Director of the London Research Institute came to give a talk to our PhD students. Real breath of Fresh air- lots of sound common sense and students obviously got a lot out of it. There was something that she said that struck me. Employers of scientists find it hard to get good postdocs. This is at variance with the general view that many PhDs will need to look elesewhere for jobs once they graduate. Perhaps need to temper my approach in the induction phase. Got about 26 students along.

Sample interview questions – Big Pharma

Give an example of a research project that required you to use your analytical skills and demonstrated your technical expertise in a scientific area. Explain your work

 

Describe a project where it was important for you to collaborate or consult with another group or organisation with whom you did not usually interface. What steps did you take to facilitate co-operation or resolve a conflict? What was the outcome?

 

Even though we all try to be expert in our study, it is impossible to know and understand everything. What aspects of your technical field are you still working to master? What steps have you taken to further your learning

Division of Imaging Sciences

Do a session over at the Rayne Institute. Nice group of PhD students – who actually seem to know each other. Bit of banter as they wait for me to start. Goes well I think, though one guy at the back smirked the whole way through. Was I really that ridiculous? Good questions -already someone has followed up for a 1-1.

Inflammation Story

Told to me by Sean Thomas – who really liked it.

Second World War. Doctor operates on pilot who has had his eye pierced by a sliver of perspex. Does the operation. successful. Notices there is no inflammation – perspex is neutral, does not react with tissue. Soooo  – that was the basis for implants and contact lenses – an observation that could so easily have been overlooked leads on to a major development in science. I like that too

Wolfson Centre for Age-related Disease

Was asked by a student  – Christoforos – to do a talk about careers at their regular Friday afternoon meeting.  C said to bring a few figure on what happens to King’s Biomedical and Health Sciences PhD’s which I did. I also put a quote or two from the new concordat about career support for researchers in Universities.

30 miinutes of talk then they brought in boxes of hot pizza and a crate of cold beer. Now THATS what I call Graduate Skills Development.

Quite pleased today as I got my first confirmation of a speaker at my Autumn employer presentation programme. Sally Leevers who manages the post-docs at Cancer Research UK’s labs. She has agree to come and talk on December the 9th.

 

Notes on the Dental Postdoc Careers Day

Recently appointed lecturer: American Dr Karen Liu

Referred to differences between US and UK postdocs. More structured in US? Not sure.

The great thing about being an academic: – colleagues around the world.

 

Question for the audience – do you really want this job and would you be good at it?

The new elements will be ‘managing’  and ‘mentoring’ – and how do you fit yourself for these skills?

‘We’re figuring out little things’ – more relaistic than your first reasons for going into science.

CV: employers are going to look at your papers. You need to have a good story to tell.

Your letteres of recommendation need to be good. ( importance of productive collaborations)

You cannot succeed without a good network of support- colleagues who will read your draft proposals (for grants), will tell you about jobs.

How will you distinguish yourself, make yourself special. It may be that a department will like the way that you think. What will you add to the department?

Need to know what your goals are.

Q & A

What is preferable – one high impact publication or several low impact?

No clear answer. Did say that second and third author papaers are valuable – they demonstrate your ability to colalborate with others.

Q. What about open access journals?

A. Too early to assess – but at least your work is out there.

 

Remembers a professor and supervisor who confided that he still felt like an impostor who will one day be found out.

 

David Stokes – successful postdoc who switched to local government. Successful in that he got a patent out of his PhD work.

Changed because he saw redundancies at first hand in his institute. Joined the Kent Graduate Trainee programme. Interesting that he was able to move into projects that had an environmental / science emphasis.  

Interviews Session

4 students attended. It was good in that each individual got 30 minutes of interview practice and feedback. Slightly helped that they all havd a medical interest – one being a cliniicna doing an MD and going for consultancy posts. One was a post-doc