Posted on by ScientistSim

Globe-trotting for Dummies

Hell, if one believes in these sorts of things, would be a wifi connection that keeps kicking you out. In fact, having landed 1 hour ago at Heathrow, I have spent all my time mindlessly clicking “join”. The definition of insanity is trying things the same way expecting a different outcome and yet here I sit, idly. I could be typing the 42 million papers I have to write up, or conversing with my travel partner but no, 21st century rules dictate that I must have my nose firmly attached to some sort of technology. Welcome to the world of travel for international conferences.

I have been extremely fortunate to be part of a lab that thinks big and requires that all the students be regularly exposed to international conferences. It fosters great collaboration and gives you the confidence you need to succeed in this field. Having said that; travelling does have its strains. A guide, then, and a bit of a diary for you, dear reader, on the day in the life of an exhausted, “hangry”, excitable traveller!

My little collection of name tags from conferences!
My little collection of name tags from conferences!

In the last 2 months I have been to Melbourne and Chicago for conferences. Things NOT to do include:

1) Getting stuck in a turnstile in the middle of the American Midwest.

2) Avoid checking your ticket until the last possible second in order to approve the way your lab is sending you (A 9 hour layover in New York and a 12 hour layover in London have literally sapped my soul of vitality)

3) Try not to offer your colleague something to try that you later discover contains the only thing that she is allergic to.

4) Wear high heels that are twice your height in a city where you walk everywhere. Turns out buildings look pretty grim when your feet need to be amputated because of exceptional blistering.

5) Mumble your name to a Starbucks barista. The result:smolin

Despite the series or unfortunate events, there are many things that I recommend you should do:

1) Bask in the glory of all the collective genius in your field in one place

2) Make use of networking lunches that allow you to chat to other principle investigators and get their input. It can be a little scary and a bit awkward to start but it really is worthwhile.

3) Make time to socialise with peers from other labs around the world and have some truly awesome conversations about their PhD experience; it makes you realise that you are not alone in a global village sort of way.

4) Be confident in your work. After all, there is no one that knows it quite like you do.

5) Feel super privileged if you come from a lab where you get individualised attention, because you will realise quickly that that is not the norm.

6) Enjoy the science! There will be some very exciting things presented. Take the opportunity to ask these people questions — after all, at heart we are all still the 8-year olds playing with chemistry sets, trying not to lose the sense of wonder.

7) Learn from how people present and try to incorporate the things you like into your own style: conferences have nearly always added something to my repertoire.

8) Use your free time to hang out with your lab mates. Conferences are a nice time to share a meal and have a fulfilling conversation and explore the city! These people, like you, have the same core passion for science and that, in my book, makes them immediately interesting.

A bit of the Morris/Moore lab+ honorary members in Chi-town!
A bit of the Morris/Moore lab+ honorary members in Chi-town!

Ultimately conferences help you grow and connect with something greater than the sequence that just won’t work or the cells that refuse to stay alive. Science is about solving a puzzle; the only one that matters. Learning to do it with other people may result in some spats about where to look  or fit the next piece and some people may be critical of what the shape of your piece is but you get it done a lot quicker. Conferences are a wonderful and sometimes scary part of sciencing. Do it often, if not for yourself, then for the puzzle enthusiast in you screaming for the corner piece.

Posted on by Odi · 4 Comments

Making the most of your time as a PhD student

Throughout my academic career I have been told that once I complete my studies the doors of opportunity would fly open for me. I have not found that to be true. Getting a secure job, or even accessing the funds to create your own job, is not guaranteed. A study undertaken by Dr Amaleya Goneos-Malka found that a PhD may actually decrease your employability as this qualification is not necessarily valued outside of academia. More than once, I have had to climb laboriously through narrow windows because those proverbial doors never just sprung open. With this experience it is strange that I haven’t been more intentional or strategic about preparing for the world of work and life post-PhD.

I recently started a process of finding out which skills I have that can be transferred to industry outside of academia – just in case my original plan does not pan out.

septemberblogGetting an academic job is no mean feat. A short while ago I read a book called the ‘Professor is in’ by Professor Karen Kelsky. Actually, I received the book as a present a long while ago, but I was too afraid to read it. In a nutshell, Kelsky lays out the skills and techniques that doctoral candidates need in order to secure a tenured position at a university. And yes, the South African market is not the American market, but we’re heading straight there. I found Kelsky’s book simultaneously comforting and frightening. Comforting, as she lays out a roadmap to follow in making yourself marketable for an academic job; frightening, because she also paints a very bleak picture for those who wish to follow the tenure track. The crux of what I got out of the book is that: to be competitive, you need to be intentional about the additional skills you acquire over the course of your degree, and you also need to package yourself appropriately; YOU are the product.

If I had the opportunity to go back in time, I would have done things a bit differently from the start of my PhD, which includes being mindful about opportunities in the private sector. Below is a list of four things that I would have done differently (and I am working on correcting):

  1. Develop three different aspirational resumes: one for the corporate world, one for the NGO sector and, one for academia. These resumes would be modelled on the skills and expertise that I need for each sector. The idea is that by the time that I am done with building up my skills, I have three different areas that I have the capacity to enter based on my initial skillset and area of interest.
  2. Learn how to network better. I do not understand how networking really works although I know it is important. I am never sure what I am supposed to say to strangers and how to cultivate professional relationships outside of my area of expertise. I have made it my mission for the rest of the year to get better at building relationships.
  3. Be more adaptable and always have a willingness to learn. The reality is – the world has problems that need to be fixed. I need to adapt my skillset to meet the ever-changing challenges ahead and never say NO to learning something new. I am kicking myself for somehow Unlearning how to be adaptable:While studying towards my undergraduate degree, I worked part-time as an outbound insurance telemarketer. I was forced to learn about various insurance products, but I also had to learn how to “sell”. I earned a pretty decent commission on top of my basic salary. What I learned in that call centre is that your primary job is to figure out what your customer needs and give it them. Somewhere along the line I lost that person, who was always ready to think out of the box to meet society’s needs.
  4. Make better use of free university workshops while I can. I have come to realise that many of the capacity building workshops that are offered for free at university, such as journal writing or learning how to use the latest software, are worth a premium outside the ivory towers. All that it costs me is time and a few weeks of commitment but the rewards are immeasurable.

My list is not in anyway complete, as I am working out the details. I plan to book a few sessions with a career coach in the near future to help figure out how to navigate my post-doctoral life. I would appreciate any tips that you may have in the comments section below.