Archive for April, 2007

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Career Prospectus – A Forward-Looking Document

Friday, April 27th, 2007

I received an interesting document the other day – a career prospectus.

The prospectus listed the objective of this person’s job search, qualifications, personal attributes – all things that might be found on a resume. However, it also included attributes of target companies, geographical preferences, contacts needed (job titles), and industries and companies of possible interest.

Knowing exactly what he was looking for made it much easier to help him, and I was able to provide him with multiple leads. I’m sure writing it also helped him focus his search, and figure out what he was really looking for. As he said, a resume is a backward looking document, and at this point he needs to be looking forward.

Something to think about as you plan your own career transition…..

Posted in Career Fulfillment, Job Searching, Networking, Resumes/CVs | No Comments »

Radical Changes

Thursday, April 26th, 2007

Because of my book and speaking engagements, I’m always looking for examples of people who have changed careers. I’m usually looking for scientists, but here’s one that was too good to pass up. A stockbroker turned gardener. Now that’s a career change!

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Excuses

Thursday, April 26th, 2007

There are many reasons why people have a hard time find a new job. A recent article lists three big ones, and gives pointers for getting over them. Which one is holding you back?

I don’t know what I want to do.
I’m afraid to make a change.
I don’t want to network.

Once you determine what your reluctance is, you can find a way to get past it.

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Tests of Entrepreneurial Ability

Friday, April 20th, 2007

I often talk to people who are interested in starting their own business, usually consulting or technical writing. They often ask me what it takes to succeed. While I can say what worked for me, it’s hard to know what will work for someone else.

However, there are some tests of entrepreneurial spirit that might provide some clues for those thinking about going this route.

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Your Reputation – online as well as off

Friday, April 20th, 2007

We all know that science is a small community. You have to be careful what you say since everyone knows everyone else – or at least knows someone who does. This can be good when you’re trying to network – it’s not hard to find someone who can put you in touch with the right person.

However, it works the other way as well. It’s very easy for potential employers to find out about you, and your past behaviours can come back to reward you, or to haunt you. And now the internet is taking that to the next level. Here’s a cautionary tale of how your online exploits can sabotague your job search, without you even knowing it.

Posted in Career Fulfillment, Job Searching, Networking | 1 Comment »

How to Find Small Companies

Friday, April 13th, 2007

At least 50% of the new jobs out there are at small companies, not large ones (see the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics if you don’t beleive me). But how do you find small companies? The best way I’ve found it to use a database, like Referenceusa.com or Hoovers.com. Most local libraries will allow free access to one or more of these.

Look up any company you know of that you’d like to work for, then find other companies that do the same type of work (ie, have the same SIC code). You’d be amazed at how many small companies you can find this way!

And if you need more info on how to read SIC codes, see Navigating the North American Industry Classification System from Western Illinois University.

Posted in Job Searching, Resources | 1 Comment »

Intellectual Property Protection

Thursday, April 12th, 2007

One of the things I tell new graduates is that they need to understand intellectual property – patents, trade secrets, copyrights, and so on. Protection of assets is a very big part of many companies, and it not taught in most chemistry graduate programs.

A recent article by Michael S. Malone entitled “Silicon Insider: Patent Weary” that talks about the current problems with the patent system, and how things may be changing. Food for thought…..

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What makes you a scientist?

Wednesday, April 11th, 2007

Are you a scientist because you are paid to do science, or because you were trained to think in a certain way? If you stop doing scientific research (because you’re laid off, or switch fields, or whatever), do you suddenly stop being a scientist?

There is an interesting discussion on this topics on Zuska’s blog, the most recent post is her third on the topic.

I have not worked in a lab (other than supervising Boy Scouts earning their Chemistry merit badge) for 15 years, yet I am still a chemist. I think differently from most people, and analyze everything. It’s partly inborn, and partly learned, but it’s not going to change anytime soon.

Posted in Career Fulfillment, Education, Nontraditional Career Options | No Comments »

Publication List

Tuesday, April 10th, 2007

Everyone knows they should include a list of their publications and presentations as part of their resume, or as an addendum if it’s too long, right? The 3rd edition of the ACS Style Guide was just published, and includes proper formats for citing such references. If you don’t have a copy of this excellent resource,
Nan Butkovich of Penn State University has published a Quick Guide to Citations Using the 3rd Edition of the ACS Style Guide. Quite handy!

Posted in Job Searching, Resources, Resumes/CVs | No Comments »

Rules for Ensuring Job Security

Monday, April 9th, 2007

The Career Journal has another great article, this one entitled Strategies for Ensuring Long-Term Job Security by Marshall Loeb. The 12 simple strategies here can be summarized as building connections with your co-workers, and be a good team player.

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