Career Development for Scientists

If you’re looking for my more recent articles, check out the ACS Careers Blog.  I post about twice a month there, and that’s taking most of my blogging times these days.

You’ve probably noticed I haven’t posted here in awhile.  I do still write and lecture on career development for scientists, but most of my postings now are on twitter -  http://twitter.com/balbes/ .  Follow me there for links to interesting articles, as we all navigate the ever-changing landscape of scientific employment.

There’s a great blog article on one person’s experience of the difference between working as a chemical contractor and working in a “permanent” job.  Check it out - Life as a chemical contractor.

Another blog post over on the ACS Careers Blog (seems that’s all I have time to write for these days!).  This one has my favorite title ever – You Have to Earn the Liz.

In some ways, telephone interviews are harder than in-person interviews, because you have to both read the interviewer, and shine yourself, without visual cues.  A few of my tips for telephone interviews are now online on the ACS Careers blog.

There’s a great professional profile of a medical writer Kelly Keating, writting by Just Another Electron Pusher that just appeared online - A chemist’s journey through academia, government, industry, and into medical writing .

Another great example of someone who wasn’t afraid to learn new things, take advantage of opportunities, and ended up somplace completely unexpected, but wonderful.

There’s a great article over at Cult of Mac that describes, in detail, the interview process is like for a job at an Apple Store.  It’s a great inside look at how the interview process works, and what it takes to make it past each stage.

Check it out!

Interesting article reports that the closer the first and last author of a paper work geographically, the higher the impact factor of the publication.

Thanks to ChemJobber for pointing out this resource – a blog on process chemistry, which includes a Checklist for Developing a Scaled up Step in a Chemical Process.  If this fascinates you, you may be a process chemist at heart.

I am participating in a series of webinars on how to plan and conduct a job search, sponsored by the American Chemical Society.  The first two are over (but the recordings are available online), but there are two to go.  They are free and open to everyone.  The description is below, or click the link for all the details.  Looking forward to seeing ya’ll there!

ACS Webinars: Your Career GPS! Series

Does the thought of searching for your next job make you feel queasy? It’s no secret that the chemistry job market is tough right now. Fear not as we bring you expert guidance to survive and thrive through any economic roller coaster.  Using these helpful hints and tips, you’ll be on your way to finding the perfect job in no time! Looking for employment doesn’t have to make your stomach flop.  By the end of this ACS Webinars Job Search Series, you’ll be pumped and prepped to make a lasting impression on prospective employers. You may even have some fun along the way!

Tuesdays from 2-3 pm EST in March 2011!