Month: August 2015
4 Tips for living in Boston: a Postdoc perspective
1. Reconcile the cost of housing in Boston
Due to the large population, limited space and antique infrastructure, housing in Boston is one of the most expensive in the country. The average STUDIO apartment goes for an average of $1000 a month. Combine that with a high cost of living (Boston is 28% higher than the national average) and your postdoctoral stipend can be eaten up fairly quickly. Luckily Boston is an amazing city and when you have the opportunity to hear about amazing new startups and collaborate with some of the best researchers in the world, so hopefully the fact that you can’t save as much as you want to during your postdoc can be mitigated by the awesome scientific community around you.
2. Utilize the amazing science community around you
Regardless of whether you want a career in academic science or private industry, networking will further your career goals in ways you cannot even foresee. The great thing about Boston is that there are an incredible amount of networking opportunities and seminars for you to attend! From the great events put on by the Postdoc Association and Graduate Student Councils at Tufts to outside organizations that bring people together. Here is a short list of some organizations and events that are well worth looking into! There are plenty others!
- Propel Careers – Futures in Life Sciences Series
An annual seminar series that delves into different career paths for people in the life sciences using great panelists from the Boston area. - Biotech Tuesdays
A monthly meetup of people from biotech, academia and pharma industries. If you register on their site, you can RSVP and attend their event for free! - Venture Cafe
A weekly beer hour for startups, entrepreneurs and innovators, held in Cambridge MA. - Association for Women in Science (AWIS) – Mass Chapter
Hosts networking events, workshops, seminars and runs an award-winning mentoring program. All events are open for both men and women. - Women Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology (WEST)
Hosts networking events, workshops and seminars: all events are open for both men and women.
Start networking yesterday!
3. Take advantage of the seasons
Boston is known for its amazing seasons. Spring is revitalizing with flowers blooming and warmer weather rolling in. Summer is hot and sometimes humid, perfect for enjoying the beach or esplanade. Fall brings the gorgeous autumn colors and cooler nights and preludes to the colder winter months. Most Bostonians understand that for 4 months of year (December through March), they may be stuck inside due to bad weather, so they make the most of the spring, summer and fall months. There are a myriad of activities during this time, from concerts and Shakespeare in the park to food truck festivals, sporting events and much more.
4. Explore the city
Boston is one of the oldest cities in the USA and is world-renowned for it’s amazing history. However, don’t just get a Lobster Roll and stroll through Faneuil Hall and call it a day. Boston and the surrounding area is teeming with great sights and sounds. Here are a few ideas:
- Explore the harbour islands, a national and state park with camping, historic lighthouses, beaches and much more! (Did you know that the movie “Shutter Island” was inspired by Long Island, one of the harbour islands!)
- Get your dose of culture at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), Museum of Fine Art (MFA) or the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum – if you sign up to be a member of the Boston Public Library, you can also get discounted passes to all of these museums there!
- Let your geek flag fly at the MIT Museum, Museum of Science, or the Harvard Museum of Natural History.
- Relax in some of Boston’s great parks such as the Arnold Arboretum, Boston Common, Public Gardens, the Esplanade or many many others.
- Try some craft brew and go for a brewery tour at one of the many brewery in the city! Check out Harpoon, Samuel Adams or the many other amazing breweries in the area.
- Want more? Here are 43 unconventional things to do in Boston!
Although the lab is always calling, try to take some time out for yourself and make sure you get to experience the fantastic city Boston is!
Weekly Highlights – 28th August 2015
Upcoming Events:
Sept 9
Get Powerful: Achieving influence, a MASS-AWIS Seminar
Click on link for more details
Sept 15
Futures in Life Sciences: Big Data Careers
(One of our former postdocs, Viktoria is a panelist!)
Saturday, Sept 19th
Sarah Cardozo Duncan: the Career Strategist’s guide to finding a job after your PhD.
A Career Development Workshop
12pm – 4pm
Behrakis Auditorium, Jaharis Building, Boston campus, 150 Harrison Ave, Boston MA 02111
- Identify your best skills to fit your dream job and how to leverage them
- Learn how to network from a pro!
- Includes a free lunch!
12pm – 4pm, Jaharis Auditorium, Boston campus, 150 Harrison Ave, Boston MA 02111
Register for free HERE!
Thursday, Sept 24th
Postdoctoral Office Poster Competition
9am – 11:30am
Sackler 114, Boston Campus
The event will be a great opportunity for postdocs across all of Tufts to come together and present a poster showcasing their research! First and second place winners in junior and senior categories will receive a travel award to be used towards travel to a meeting or conference. First place awards will be $1,000 and second place will be $500. Please contact Sara for entry form and guidelines. Entries are due by September 16th. Please send completed applications and any queries to Sara: Sara.Abbott@tufts.edu
Take your PI to lunch (Boston campus)
12pm – 1pm
Sackler 216A
Bring your PI to a nice lunch to celebrate postdocs or come by yourself!
Please register with Sara: Sara.Abbott@tufts.edu
Friday, Sept 25th
Take your PI to lunch (Medford campus)
12pm – 1pm
Aidekman Arts Center, Remis Sculpture Court
Bring your PI to a nice lunch to celebrate postdocs or come by yourself!
Please register with Sara: Sara.Abbott@tufts.edu
Aeronaut Brewery Tour
5:30pm – 8:30pm
14 Tyler St
Somerville, MA, 02143
Join the Tufts Postdoctoral Association in celebrating the end of Postdoc Appreciation Week! We’ll be touring the inner workings of the Aeronaut Brewing Co. and then sampling their wares (try a craft beer on us) and dining on the finest local pizza!
It’s going to be a fun night of the science of brewing, enjoying great beer and company. Come and meet your fellow postdocs! Significant others are welcome at this social event.
Tours are available 5:30pm – 6pm and 6pm – 6:30pm.
You can register online HERE. Cost is $19.45 and includes the tour, a craft beer and pizza. Password is pstdocslovebeer
Please note, you can also register and pay for the tour in person via cash (only $17.50) at the Boston and Medford campuses and save yourself the processing fees! Please see the following locations. Please bring correct change!
Boston campus: Jaharis cafe, Mon 8/31 & Wed 9/2 from 12pm – 1pm (Ania – anna.wronski@tufts.edu)
Medford campus: 8/28 from 12:30pm-1:30pm at 200 Boston Ave, 4th floor lounge and 9/1 from 3:30pm-4pm in the Barnum lobby (Sarah – sarah.dykstra@tufts.edu).
Posts from our Facebook page:
Career development:
- Taking my Parents to College (a great essay with helpful insights into understanding classroom experiences) by the New York Times
- A week in the life of: Benjamin Levitt (Friday) – Editor at Springer Press by PhDs at Work
- Advice for the first year on the tenure track by The Professor is In
- Online collaboration: Scientists and the Social network by Nature News
- How to stop overplanning (even it you’re a perfectionist) by Harvard Business Review
- Why the best grad students make the worst job candidates via LinkedIn
- What it’s like to get your PhD in Science by Slate
- $10 National Postdoc Association Membership Drive: Convert your Tufts Affiliate membership to full membership for just $10.
- Career Lingo: “Ability to teach the following…” by Chronicle Vitae
- Ode to scientists on visas and permits by Olga Degtyareva
- 3 Keys to transitioning into industry by Cheeky Scientist
- Effective Laboratory Management by ASBMB
- Advice from MCB-funded Investigators to young scientists by MCB
- [Book Review] What color is your parachute? 2016 by PhDs at Work
- Papers with shorter titles get more citations by Nature News & Comment
- Latest issue of POSTDOCket by NPA
- Top STEM jobs: 8 science and tech careers in high demand by AOL
- UW struggle: Scrap the Tenure File Edition by Chuck Rybak
- 25% discount on SciPhD Online Self Assessment Training Course. Now only $14.95 for National Postdoc Association Members (NB: All Tufts Postdocs are Affiliate members!)
Lab Resources:
News/Opinions
- What’s your burning science-careers question? A survey by Naturejobs blog
- Working long hours is linked to significantly higher risk of stroke by ScienceAlert
- Adjunct Faculty: Highly educated, working hard for society and struggling to survive by American Psychology Association blog
- The Widening world of hand-picked truths by NY Times
- White House Office of Management and Budget wants feedback on reducing federal grant reporting burden
Fun
Job Opportunities:
- Rancho Biosciences are looking for exceptional curators with backgrounds in genetics, biology & diseases. Viktoria is a former Tufts postdoc!
Highlights of the Week – 21st August 2015
Upcoming Events:
Sept 9
Get Powerful: Achieving influence, a MASS-AWIS Seminar
Click on link for more details
Sept 15
Futures in Life Sciences: Big Data Careers
(One of our former postdocs, Viktoria is a panelist!)
Sept 19
Postdoc Appreciation Week: Career Development Workshop with Sarah Cardozo Duncan
Details TBA
Sept 24
Postdoc Poster Competition on Boston campus
Details TBA
Take your PI to lunch – Boston campus
12PM Sackler 216A
Sept 25
Take your PI to lunch – Medford campus
12PM Aidekman Arts Center, Remis Sculpture Court
Posts from the Tufts PDA Facebook page:
Career Articles & Resources:
- Turning your complex career path into a coherent story by Harvard Business Review
- Freelance academics as public intellectuals by Chronicle Vitae
- Science communication: keep it simple on Nature blog
- Just say “thank you” to the people you work with by NY Magazine
- Metrics with meaning: shaping your scholarly identity by Nature Blog
- How to embrace complex change by Harvard Business Review
- Ask the expert: Meet Thi Nguyen, career development programme director at UCSF by Nature blog
- Creating a research brand by Science Careers
- A week in the life of: Benjamin Levitt (Mon); editor at Springer by PhD at Work
- How to know if you should leave academia… before wasting years in postdocs by Next Scientist
- Transferable skills: seek development opportunities by Nature blog
- Uncertain what to do next? Career options for life science graduates by Aspiring Professionals Hub
- What can you do with a humanities PhD anyway? by the Atlantic
- How to prepare a syllabus for a college course by Inside Higher Ed
- Book suggestion: What you really need to lead: the power of thinking and acting like an owner by Robert Steven Kaplan via Harvard Business Review
- How to plan your research and writing trajectory on the tenure track by the Professor is In
- The research is clear: long hours backfire for people and for companies by the Harvard Business Review
- I look like a professor … gender struggles in academia by Chronicle Vitae
- Career A or B: Making the decision by Nature blog
- Writing in the Sciences by Stanford Online
- How to go from unemployed PhD to successful industry professional by the Cheeky Scientist
- What distinguishes great leaders from average ones? Emotional Intelligence by Harvard Business Review
- Understand the 4 Components of Influence by Harvard Business Review
- When to give feedback in a group and when to do it one on one by Harvard Business Review
- Career destinations by discipline infographics by the Vitae
- Advice for academics starting their careers by Insider Higher Ed
- HOWTO: Get Tenure (article) and video by Matt Might (warning – this may make you tear up!).
- Teaching how to think is just as important as teaching anything else by The Conversation
- Postdocs, put your best foot forward for industry jobs by Science Careers
- How to inspire future generations without quitting our day jobs by ASCB
News/Opinions
- Ending All-Male Panels by Insider Higher Ed
- More gay and lesbian researchers are out in the lab by Nature
- Scientists share their funniest blunders with #FieldWorkFail by the Washington Post
- Judge invalidates component of foreign student work program by Inside Higher Ed
- Another mass retraction by The Scientist
- Essay by a gay faculty member at a Christian college on Inside Higher Ed
- Grad students discuss next steps after losing health insurance by KBIA (Note: NOT at Tufts! This was at the University of Missouri).
Awards, Grants, Job Postings & Other Opportunities
- Publishing better science through better data writing competition by Nature Magazine
- Genetics Careers: faculty positions at NC State, Louisiana-Lafayette and Cornell. Postdocs at UT Southwestern, Belgium, research scientist at DuPont, Pioneer
- Early career leadership opportunities with the Genetics Society of America
Fun
- An assay (on cards) for ‘reliably funny’ scientists by ASCB (i.e. cards against science!)
Highlights of the Week – 14th August 2015
Upcoming Events:
Sept 9
Get Powerful: Achieving influence, a MASS-AWIS Seminar
Click on link for more details
Sept 19
Postdoc Appreciation Week: Career Development Workshop with Sarah Cardozo Duncan
Details TBA
Sept 24
Postdoc Poster Competition on Boston campus
Details TBA
Take your PI to lunch – Boston campus
12PM Sackler 216A
Sept 25
Take your PI to lunch – Medford campus
12PM Aidekman Arts Center, Remis Sculpture Court
Posts on the Tufts PDA Blog:
Posts from the Tufts PDA Facebook page:
Career Articles & Resources:
- STEM Education: To build a scientist by Nature
- Lab budgets: a numbers game by Nature
- Finding career and Family balance in a naturally imbalanced situation by Pipette Gazette: UT Health Science Center Graduate School.
- Science communication: a new generation of communicators by Nature Careers
- Build STEM skills, but don’t neglect the humanities by Harvard Business Review
- Work less, Play More, Go to Sleep by Chronicle Vitae
- Why you should join a professional society by Aspiring Professionals Hub
- Why you need a 5 year plan by The Professor is In
- Avoiding “Drive by” Job Searches, an interview with the founder of Cheeky Scientist by NatureJobs Blog
- A guide to applying to jobs at small liberal arts colleges by Daily Nous
- Create a “Mastermind group” to help your career by Harvard Business Review
News/Opinion pieces/Other:
- Summer reads selected by Nature
- Podcast from Eppendorf 2015 Winner
- We must prepare PhD students for the complicated art of teaching from the Chronicle
- International Postdoc Survival Guide by the National Postdoc Association
- Membership in the National Postdoc Association – note: you are already an associate member by being a Tufts postdoc!
- Should PhD students be classified as employees? By The Guardian
- Interview with NIH director, Dr. Francis Collins on how science happens and scientific breakthroughs by our very own Sarah Dykstra for Science Sound Bites.
- Postdoc Symposium Toolkit by National Postdoc Association
- It’s time to take some of the secrecy out of science by the Slate/Retraction Watch
- The trouble with reproducibility in Science by The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Science Writing and Communication Club
- Nominations for AAAS Award for Public Engagement with Science
- Celebrating R & D Expenditures badly misses the point by PNAS
- The future of science will soon be upon us by Nature
- AAC&U’s moderate, strong voice on competency-based education and disruption by Inside Higher Ed
Events:
- Get Powerful: Achieving influence; Wednesday September 9th from the Association of Women in Science
How to work out what you want to be when you grow up – An intro to Individual Development Plans
What are you going to be when you grow up?
We are already adults, yet the majority of postdocs and PhD students are likely plagued with this simple question that we have been asked since we could talk.
As scientists, we have a large number of scientific, analytical and managerial skills that benefit a wide array of jobs. You possess many transferable skills (such as project and time management, risk analysis and conflict resolution) that you may not even be aware of. In the haze of all the possibility – how do you know what is the best career for you?
One strategy is to create a list of must haves and deal breakers and try to identify career paths that fit what you are looking for. Do you want to work 9-5? Perhaps consulting is not for you. Do you need financial stability? An academic career may make this more difficult (although definitely not impossible, and once you gain tenure, faculty positions are arguably one of the most stable jobs).
Another very useful tool is to use an Independent Development Plan. Science Careers has a fantastic one that is free to use upon registration. It is a three part assessment tool that analyzes your skills, interests and values to identify career paths that align with all of these areas. The hardest part of the process is being completely honest with yourself about your responses – the tool does a better job if you range your responses from 1 to 5, rather than answering everything as a 5 or “strongly agree”.
These are my top 10 results from the Science Careers IDP tool:
One thing you will notice is that my percentage skills match for all paths was between 93% and 87%, pretty high! This means I have the skills to do all of these jobs, however – would I like doing them? Thats where the Interests match comes in. It tries to align what you enjoy doing and your requirements for a content life with what jobs require of you and can also give you. My percentage match based on my interests varied much more than my skills match (I did pull out the spreadsheets and crunch the numbers!). This means you shouldn’t necessarily be looking at jobs just because your skills matches what they require. You have a much better chance being successful in a career if you are happy doing it!
Tools like an independent development plan are just the first step to your dream career. Once you have identified where you could be looking, you then need to head out into the world, network, do informational interviews and really find out what the job is about. Does it really match your interests? If not, head back and try researching a different career path. By doing these informational interviews and networking you are also expanding your own network of people, one of whom may know of a job that might be perfect fit for you.
It is definitely a long road, but as seasoned researchers, our major skill is to find information and critically evaluate all options. Why only research your lab work? Why not apply your research skills to finding the best career that aligns with your goals and interests?
Good luck!
Cover Image By Afirsichbaum (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
First published on Adage of Ania