STEMulating Conversations with Dr. Q

Tis the season for giving, and that includes making sure that you gift yourself something too. If you don't invest in yourself, you can't expect anyone else to do so. How do you determine the best gift for you this year? It's simple, but will require you to reflect on some things.

In this hot topic I share a few thoughts on a paper published in the December 10, 2018 Proceedings for the National Academy of Sciences entitled the Changing Demographics of scientific career: The rise of the temporary workforce.

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It all began by pursuing a job posting on a bulletin board during his postdoc. Now, a little over 10 years later, he is the Senior Vice President of Science and Education at The Franklin Institute, one of the oldest and premier centers of science in the country.

Whether you are a student, postdoc or professional, this is a conversation that will shed much light and perspective on the critical skills needed along a career path.

Learn about The Franklin Institute

What career would you have if there were no self-imposed constraints on what you could do or be? Dr. James Tarver challenges us in this week's conversation to be open minded and open to opportunities.

Reflecting on conversations held at the 2018 ABRCMS meeting in Indianapolis, IN. Students wanted to know about a career in consulting. This also led to a discussion of ensuring that the brand you want speaks to the work you are doing. Establishing credibility and depth of expertise is important in the STEM field, especially when you want to your scientific voice as a platform to advocacy.

We learned about the 5 W's in grade school English as an approach to writing. A hallmark of a good story meant that we answered the Who, What, Where, When and Why questions.

In this episode, I use simple 5 W questions to share advice, challenge and encourage those in STEM graduate programs.

Why are you in graduate school?

What are you willing to sacrifice?

Who are you seeking guidance and counsel?

When do you want to finish?

Where are you going upon completion?

Bonus: How are you getting it done?

True to Entropia's meaning, today's episode are random thoughts, but intended to be an encouragement to all who listen!

She's always been about the SMARTs, so it's no surprise that Dr. Sherry Marts is doing what she has always done since her graduate school years at Duke- being an advocate. Over the past few years, Sherry has been raising the awareness about harassment at scientific meetings, and providing the training to organizations' leadership.

Sherry realized early on that she wanted a career BEYOND THE BENCH. However, she credits her graduate and postdoctoral training, along with a series of nontraditional career roles, as the foundation that has enabled her to garner the credibility to make a real impact in this area.

Mentioned in this episode:

What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles

To learn more about Sexual amd Gender-based Harassment Training for Scientific Meetings, visit Smartsconsulting.com

On a recent trip to the local library with my niece and nephews, I noticed a sign on the shelf entitled Five Finger Rule. Since children are often drawn to books because of pretty pictures and bright colors on the cover, this guide is used to help the young [new] readers determine appropriate books for their reading level. If the child is simply reading the book and doesn't know the words, all they are doing is flipping pages and never fully enjoying everything the book has to offer.

What if we had a Five Finger Rule to help us determine if we are in the appropriate job or career? Are you in your career because of the external appearances it gives, or are you walking in your called profession?

Dr. Karita Ambrose spent her entire undergraduate career doing research and continued on to receive a PhD in Biology. Her thoughts were on a life in academia and teaching and found the perfect post-doc that combined her love of research and teaching. But then, she did what many of people shy away from when it comes to their career--she was open to an opportunity. She left her postdoc early and began her career in industry. Starting out as an entry level bench scientist, then transitioning into a role that would ultimately turn into her career in scientific communications.