Medical College of Wisconsin Graduate School Career Services

One of the most common mistakes made by young scientists is that they begin with a search for specific jobs in specific organizations, neglecting the foundational steps of self-assessment, exploring a variety of career options, and developing a focused plan for their careers before beginning the job search. That would be like running an experiment and trying to collect data before determining the research question and research context. For that reason we recommend that you explore the following topics beginning with self-assessment, keep records of what you discover, and build a solid foundation for your current job search and those that will very likely follow in the future.

Find information about applying for jobs and much more...

• CV and Resume
• Cover Letter and Statements
• Job Search Links
• Interview Skills

It is best to delay salary discussions until an offer is on the table; however, salary requirement questions have become a standard part of the interviewing process. When asked about past salaries or salary requirements, it’s useful to delay the discussion with thoughtful responses.

• Academic Careers
• Career Planning
• Careers Outside Academia
• Job Search
• Lab Management
• Professional Networking 

Biochemistry

• American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)

Biology

• Society for Developmental Biology (SDB)
• American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS)
• Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)

Chemistry

• American Chemical Society (ACS)

General

• The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Medicine Biology

• Biomedical Engineering Society (BES)
• National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR)

Microbiology & Immunology

• American Association of Immunologists (AAI)
• American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

Neuroscience

• Society for Neuroscience (SFN)

Physics

• American Physical Society (APS)

Physiology

• American Physiological Society

Public Health

• American Public Health Association

Toxicology

• Society for Toxicology (SOT)

Organizational research is the first step of your job search. It is an essential component of your job search. You will learn different types of career opportunities and information, including industries, location, job titles, salary, benefits, organizational culture, job responsibilities and so on.

Research Organization Strategies

• Identify lists of organizations to approach for possible employment opportunities.
• Try searching for companies online by location, industry, or keywords and by contacting the Chamber of Commerce in cities of interest to you.
• Questions to ask: Where is the organization located? How many employees does it have? What industry is it in? What contributions does it make to the industry or field? What types of positions are available in this organization? What types of people work for this organization?
• Informational interviews and detailed research are required at this stage.

Resources for Research Organization

• Glassdoor is a resource that provides salaries of people employed at the companies you are targeting.
• LinkedIn: Company Profiles provide information about available positions, hiring activity, and first and second-degree connections to the company.
• SBIR/STTR: If you are interested in working on cutting edge technologies or for a start-up, you can find companies that have small business innovation grants.
• BIO International Convention: (BIO) attracts 16,000+ biotechnology and pharma leaders who come together for one week of intensive networking. You can search biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in the Bio member list.

Building your networking is the most important parts of the career exploration process. Information interview and networking with people in the fields are key strategies for learning about career options and understanding the job applications process. You will receive information about potential career opportunities and build your professional network by having discussion with professionals within your desired field or organization. First step, you need to identify a contact to speak with and start with your own network. Who will be? Faculty, advisors, coworkers, friends, families, speakers, alumnus, etc. You also can ask the contact person to recommend or refer someone to you for the information interview or networking.

• Networking: How to get a Good Connection
• Tips for Information Interviews by ASBMB (Video)

Networking Resources

The National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN)
NRMN is a nationwide consortium of biomedical professionals and institutions collaborating to provide all trainees across the biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social sciences with evidence-based mentorship and professional development programming. Consider joining this national mentoring community. This site has many resources for you-expand your own network of mentors, view helpful training videos, enhance your grant writing skills, develop leadership/mentorship skills!

Social Media for Professional Networking Articles

• Is Professorial Branding for You? Yes, It Is by Scott Talan
• Learn to Love Networking by Tiziana Casciaro, Francesca Gino, and Maryam Kouchaki
• Using LinkedIn as a Career Tool
• The Informational Interview
• The Vector Impact: How to Stand Out on LinkedIn

You can get additional experience to expand your skills and explore career options via Part-Time Employment, Internship, Job Shadowing, Volunteer Work, International Field Experience, Research Collaboration, Professional Association Engagement, and so on.

These experiences will give you more credibility, demonstrates your commitment to the field, and gain some experience for your résumé. Also, it is the way to find a job in the field or organization you want to work in future.

Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are extremely busy, you must consult with your program directors and PI to ensure that volunteer or an internship would be conducive to your schedule.

Internship and Volunteer Resources and Articles

• MCW Catalyst BioConsulting
• 10 Questions to Maximize Your Volunteer Experience
• Through Internships, PhD Students Expand Their Skills and Explore Their Options
• PhD Intern Jobs (LinkedIn)
• Internships: Mind Wide Open
• Land the Perfect Job or Internship

A high quality job search campaign results in truly desired job offers. Including preparation and implementation, it will take 6 to 18 months. Some campaigns can be condensed to a couple of months; however, most active professionals find that a one-year plan is more realistic. Whatever time you can and do spend on the job search campaign, the process will be more effective and less stressful if you can break it into pieces and proceed by steps.

*Note: For the Academic Research/Teaching Sector start 18 months ahead; for Commercial/Industrial, Not-For-Profit, Government, Military, Hybrid Organizations, etc., 12 months is recommended.

• iTunes podcast
• Full list of video interviews posted on YouTube

Negotiation in 10 Steps
1. Initially Respond. Respond gratefully even if the offer is below expectations. Ask to have some time to think about it and agree on a response date.
2. Understand the Offer. Review the terms of the offer, and don't be afraid to ask questions about job components, compensation, career advancement opportunities, stock options, benefits, time off, start date, etc.
3. Conduct Extensive Research. Know your market value--What are comparable salaries and positions? What do similar positions in the industry pay in the geographic region? How much do current employees in the same level earn? What issues are currently going on in the industry? Answers to these questions can support your requested changes to the offer. 4. Determine and Prioritize Your Needs and Wants. Decide what is a need versus a want and prioritize those most valuable to you. How well does the position as it stands meet your needs? Where are you flexible? Where are you not? What is the minimum you would accept for whatever element you are negotiating on? How much time do you need to make a decision on the offer? What is the lowest salary you will consider? How important is job security to you?
5. Develop a Strategy. Plan a realistic course of action based on solid preparation and a review of all resources, including your own strengths and weaknesses as a candidate. How serious are you about this position over another? Review past experiences (jobs, internships, class projects, etc.) to determine where you're strongest and where you could improve. Knowing such details about yourself can help you leverage these abilities for a more fulfilling negotiation outcome. Have other offers with pending deadlines? Time your negotiations accordingly, and don't wait until the last minute. And remember; only negotiate if you are seriously considering the offer.
6. Contact the Organization. Identify who is best to negotiate with -- Human Resources? Your interviewer? Once you know, call the employer to present your items to be negotiated--be enthusiastic and reassure them of your interest in the position.
7. Receive a Response to Your Offer. The employer will inform you what requests they can and can't fulfill. Remember, the worst thing they can say is "No".
8. Renegotiate If Necessary. You may find it appropriate to conduct a second round of negotiation depending on the situation. Don't be uncompromising or demanding--tact and reason are crucial in delicate circumstances such as this.
9. Get Terms in Writing. Always make sure you have an offer in writing prior to accepting to confirm all parties are on the same page.
10. Decide. Review your needs and goals to determine if the negotiated offer is the right fit. Ideally, you want to find a balance--the negotiation process will be a give-and-take scenario where each side (you and the employer) needs to feel the end result is win-win. Provide your response as soon as possible, especially if you decide to decline the offer.

Usually Negotiable:
• Offer Deadline
• Start Date
• Salary
• Signing Bonus
• Relocation Expenses

Sometimes Negotiable:
• Telecommuting
• Position Title
• Position Location
• Performance Review Timing/Frequency
• Non-Compete Agreements Timeframe

Usually Non-Negotiable:
• Vacation
• Health Insurance
• Retirement Savings Plan
• Non-Disclosure Agreements
• Other benefits that apply to all employees

• Always be polite regardless of your response to an offer.
• Start off with a positive statement thanking the organization for their offer.
• Let them know that you will unfortunately have to decline.
• Provide them with an appropriate reason for the decline (you have another offer you are going to pursue, the location, the benefits, etc.).
• Thank them again and wish them well.

• ASBMB: Job Hunting - Compensation Negotiation
• UCLA Career Preparation Toolkit: Evaluating and Negotiating Job Offers

• UCLA Career Preparation Toolkit: Transferable Skills Analysis 
• UCLA Career Preparation Toolkit: SWOT Analysis

• Skills Profiler
• O*Net Interest Profiler
• Work Values Assessment
• Marketing Your Transferrable Skills (PDF)
• Build a Bridge to Your New Career
• Interest Assessment
• Explore the World. Choose Right.

• UCLA Career Preparation Toolkit