setting yourself up for success

8/8/2019 Setting Yourself Up for Success

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Setting Yourself Up ForSuccess

Practical Tips for a SuccessfulGraduate Career & Achieving

Your Long-Term Goals


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What is Success?

ALBERT SCHWEITZER: Success is notthe key to happiness. Happiness is thekey to success. If you love what you

are doing, you will be successful.


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What is Success?

HENRY DAVID THOREAU: I havelearned, that if one advancesconfidently in the direction of his

dreams, and endeavors to live the lifehe has imagined, he will meet with a

success unexpected in common hours.


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What is Success?

G. K. CHESTERTON: I owe my successto having listened respectfully to thevery best advice, and then going away

and doing the exact opposite.


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Taking Charge of Your Career

Develop a roadmap for graduateschool

Ask yourself whether decisions willlead you to your destination

Sit in the drivers seat


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Your Own Personal Roadmap

What are your core values? Where do you want to be in five years?

In ten?

What are your immediate-term and

short-term goals?


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Mission Statement

To train independent and creative scientists To mentor emerging scientists and young

people

To contribute new and important informationand ideas to my chosen field

To act with integrity, honesty, and fairness


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Mission Statement (circa 1989)

To contribute new and importantinformation to my chosen field

To act with integrity, honesty, and

fairness

To become a tenured faculty member

at a top research institution


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Where Do You Want to be in 5 or 10Years?

Postdoc? Entry level position in Industry?

Teaching at Four Year College? Faculty Member at Research

Institution?

Scientist at Start-up Company?

Management? Sales?


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What are the Basic Requirementsfor Your Desired Position?

Ph.D.? Postdoc?

Teaching Experience? X Years Industrial Experience?

If you arent sure, ask youradvisor/mentor and check job

listings (http://www.cen-

chemjobs.org/)


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RESEARCH SCIENTIST

Amgen Inc.From the May 10, 2004 issue of Chemical & Engineering News

Salary:Location:Type:

OpenThousand Oaks, CaliforniaFull Time - Experienced

RESEARCH SCIENTIST. Resp. for design & development ofpractical synthesis of drug candidates to support drug discovery &

development. Utilizes modern spectroscopic analysis for isolating &characterizing products, e.g. HPLC, MMR, UV, IR, & MS. Req Ph.D.Organic Chemistry & 1 yr exp in job/1 yr exp as a Research Assoc.Send ad & resume: Kyle Foster, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Dr.,Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-1799 (jobsite). Include Ad# 02-557FV.


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Research Scientist I/II -Medicinal Chemistry

Roche Palo Alto

OpenPalo Alto, CAFull Time - Entry Level

MULTIPLE POSITIONS AVAILABLE: In this position you will plan and execute thesynthesis of organic molecules for evaluation in drug discovery projects. You will use allavailable resources in solving problems encountered in the synthesis of target organicmolecules, and evaluate the results from biological experiments to propose new targets

for chemical synthesis. Working in a team environment, you will participate on drugdiscovery project teams, providing chemical expertise, and contributing to the design ofnew drug targets. Effective communication of research results in both oral and writtenform will be essential, as is the maintenance of a safe laboratory working environmentand compliance with environmental health and safety requirements. Other responsibilitiesmay include supervision of professional staff, including training, development, andevaluation.

Requirements:Ph.D./equivalent in Chemistry and 0-4 years of relevant experience, possibly includingpost-doctoral experience. Experience in the synthesis of organic molecules, includingplanning synthetic routes, conducting experiments, purifying products and analyzingresults is required. Knowledge of literature database searching and molecular modelingexperience is preferred.


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VISITING ASSISTANTPROFESSOR -- CHEMISTRY

Saint Michael's College

From the Apr 26, 2004 issue of Chemical & Engineering NewsOpenColchester, VermontFull Time - Experienced

VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR -- CHEMISTRY The Department of Chemistry andPhysics at Saint Michael's College, a residential, Catholic, liberal arts college, is seekingto fill a one year visiting assistant professor position in chemistry beginning August 2004.

A Ph.D. in chemistry and prior teaching experience are required. Teachingresponsibilities will be general chemistry lecture and three general chemistry labs eachsemester. The individual will be stepping into an established general chemistry labsequence and will work with the department's lab coordinator who normally teaches twoof the five general chemistry labs each semester. The department anticipates filling atenure track position for the 2005-2006 academic year. To view information about theexisting general chemistry sequence refer to the following websites:http://academics.smcvt.edu/chemistry/CHEM_103/CHEM_103/chemistry_103_Index.htm

, http://academics.smcvt.edu/chemistry/CHEM_107/chemistry_107_Index.htm.Applicants should submit a letter of application, a curriculum vitae, official transcripts, andthree reference letters to: Chair, Chemistry Search Committee, c/o Office of HumanResources, Saint Michael's College, One Winooski Park, Colchester, Vermont, 05439.The application deadline is May 21, 2004. EOE


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Unstated Requirements

Example: most research departmentsexpect postdoctoral research

Contact someone in the type of position that

you are interested in to find out whetheryour application would be competitive (& ifnot, what you should do to make it

competitive) Ask your advisor if he/she thinks you are

qualified for the position


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What are the Success Criteriafor Your Desired Position?

Communication skills Knowledge base

Leadership/supervisory skills

Organization and efficiency

Working relationships

Creativity

Independence


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Defining Immediate-TermGoals (6 months 1 year)

Experiments needed to put togetheryour next paper or a poster

Obtaining preliminary results on a new

project to determine feasibility

Preparing for qualifying exam

Developing research proposals foracademic job applications


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Defining Short-Term Goals (1

week - 1)

Completing an experiment Preparing or ordering starting materials for

the next experiment

Preparing figures for the paper you arewriting

If you find it hard to get organized, make a

daily or weekly to-do list and check off

tasks as you complete them

Making The Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management forPostdocs and New Faculty (www.hhmi.org/labmanagement)


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Setting Priorities

Making The Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for

Postdocs and New Faculty (www.hhmi.org/labmanagement)

A lab fire

Preparing for tomorrowsgroup meeting

Instant messenger

Ringing telephone

Urgent

Ongoing experiments

Keeping a good notebook

Preparing poster for ACSmeeting

Most email

Lab pool for

basketball

NotUrgent

ImportantNot Important


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Focus on Important/Not-

Urgent Quadrant

Plan ahead & know your deadlines Set aside blocks of time for specific

tasks

Break large tasks into smaller tasks

Delegate tasks

Complete tasks on time




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Project Management

Take ownership for your project Develop a statement of work

Meet with advisor to discuss and

revise Develop work breakdown structure

and timeline for key events/milestones

Meet with advisor to discuss andrevise


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Developing a Statement of

Work

Purpose. This section should include: Background:Why the project was initiated

and by whom, what happens if itd not done,

and what else relates to it. Scope of work:What you will do a brief

statement describing the major work to be

performed. Strategy:How you plan to perform the work.




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Developing a Statement of

Work

Objectives. Objectives are the end results tobe achieved by the project. Each objectiveshould include:

Statement:A description of the desiredoutcome when the project is done.

Measures:Indicators to assess how wellyou have achieved the desired outcome.

Specifications:Target values of themeasures that define successful results.




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Work Breakdown Structure

Start with broad work assignments, breakthem down into tasks, and divide thesetasks into discrete subtasks

What level of detail is necessary? Can you come up with a reasonable estimate of

the resources required for this work

Can you come up with a reasonable estimate of

the time required to do this work? Would someone else reading this task

understand it well enough to complete it?




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Good communication with your

advisor is essential

Make your long-term goals clear Propose and discuss strategies for

research

Schedule individual meetings for

regular feedback


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How to be Mentored Well

Foresight:Start early to think about yourfuture.

Proactivity:Dont expect to be taken care of.

Probing:Ask tough questions. Find out theexperiences of others with this potentialmentor.

Respect:Be polite. Make and keep

appointments. Stay focused. Dontoverstay your welcome.




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How to be Mentored Well

Gratitude:Everyone likes to bethanked

Reciprocation:Repay your mentor

indirectly by helping others. Humility:Be willing to accept critical

feedback so that you are open to

learning new ways of thinking aboutand doing science.




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Acknowlegements

Gerhard Closs /Piotr Piotrowiak(University of Chicago, RutgersUniversity)

Jim Collman (Stanford University) Jeremy Berg (Johns Hopkins School of

Medicine, NIH)

My colleagues and students atNorthwestern University


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References

Making The Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific

Management for Postdocs and New Faculty(www.hhmi.org/labmanagement)

Barker, Kathy. At the Bench: A Laboratory Navigator. ColdSpring Harbor, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Press, 1998.

Barker, Kathy. At the Helm: A Laboratory Navigator. Cold SpringHarbor, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Press, 2002.

Covey, S. R., Merrill, A. R., Merrill, R. R. First Things First: ToLive, to Love, to Learn, to Leave a Legacy. Free Press, 1996.

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