Lauren Celano, CEO, Propel Careers wrote this blog for Bio Careers as part of her monthly contributions. To learn more about Bio Careers, see link: https://biocareers.com. To see this link directly on the BioCareers site, see link: http://biocareers.com/bio-careers-blog/importance-elevator-pitch

Have you ever been in the situation where you meet a person who you have never met before, and they ask you for a description about yourself or what you were looking for. They were in essence asking for your "elevator pitch," that is, key information about yourself delivered in a short amount of time. The information should be memorable. What you say will create an impression and will be what the person walks away from the conversation remembering you by. These elevator pitches are wonderful tools to open conversations and provide the person you are talking with a short snapshot of who you are, what you do, and what you are looking for. They should be short (~30 seconds) and highlight key points that you want to get across. They should entice the person you are talking with to want to learn more. They should be clear, concise, and focused. A key point to remember, if the person you are talking with wants to learn more, then can always ASK for more details. These should also be practiced – you want this to come across as easy to deliver and seamless. If you remember anything from reading this article, remember, concise, focused, and practiced.

As you deliver your elevator pitch, you want to be respectful of the listener's time and attention. Remember, people can only comprehend so much information at one time. Giving it to them in short snippets will help them remember what you are sharing with them. It will also make you look more prepared and savvy in the world of networking. When delivering your elevator pitch, don' t make the most common mistake of turning this into a 10 minute dialogue about everything you have ever learned, about your entire research focus, or about why you don't like what you are doing. If you barrage someone with too much information, it will probably turn them off and cause them not to engage in further discussion.

Below is an example of an elevator pitch that could be used for a postdoc who is looking to move into industry. The parts that are underlined are ones that you could replace with your information allowing you to tailor this for yourself.

Hello (PERSON YOU ARE TALKING WITH). My name is (INSERT NAME) I am a (postdoc) at(LIST University) studying (neuroscience – specifically Alzheimer's diseases therapies). I will be finishing up in (6 months) and looking for a (research role) in a (smaller biotech) in the (Boston area). What is your background?

At the end of the pitch, instead of just finishing up talking about yourself, ask them about their background. This will easily lead you into a conversation, and it seems seamless.

Why does this example above deliver key elements about you? Well, it tells a few things.

1. Institutional Link: That you are a postdoc at a certain university. Maybe the person you are talking with also went there or perhaps knows people who are there. This could help with relationship building.

2. Thematic Link: It tells what you are focusing on – in the larger context. People like to hear disease or therapeutic relevance as compared to something like – I study intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. Most people will have no idea what this means. More than likely, they won't know that this is related to Alzheimer's research. Start high level – you can always dive deeper into specifics if the person you are talking with asks about it.

3. Timing Link: You mention when you will be finishing up which is helpful in case the person you are talking with knows of companies that may be looking for someone in ~6 months time. It's always helpful to give people an idea of when you may be making a transition especially if you are a student or postdoc.

4. Aspirational Link: You tell them what kind of role you are looking for – Research. As compared to consulting, project management, etc

5. Preferred Organizational Link: You mention that you want to be in a smaller biotech. This enables the person you are talking with to start thinking about who they may know at smaller biotechs who they could potentially introduce you to.

6. Geographic Link: You mention location – Boston – great! Now the person can think about who they might know in Boston. What you don't do here is specifically ask for a job, which is wonderful. Asking specifically for a job makes the conversation awkward. If the person you are talking with knows of a potential opportunity, they will probably mention it to you if they like the dialogue that you are having.

People generally want to be helpful and like to do so. But they can only do this if you make it clear what you are looking for. If you are not sure about what you want, perhaps you modify the elevator pitch slightly to:

Hello (PERSON YOU ARE TALKING WITH). My name is (INSERT NAME) I am a (postdoc) at(LIST University) studying (neuroscience – specifically Alzheimer's disease). I will be finishing up in (6 months) and looking for a (research role or a consulting role) in an(entrepreneurial company) in the (Boston area). What is your background? It's okay to mention that you are looking for a research role or consulting role – this is your time to explore options. By being specific, though, you allow the listener to understand more about what you are looking for. Perhaps they know of people in both types of roles that they can introduce you to.

By changing smaller biotech to entrepreneurial company you still show the listener that you are looking for something smaller. A smaller biotech is an entrepreneurial company, and there are many boutique consulting firms which are entrepreneurial.

Good luck as you go through your process. If anyone has any great elevator pitches or stories about how your elevator pitch worked well, let me know.

Lauren Celano, CEO, Propel Careers wrote this blog for Bio Careers as part of her monthly contributions. To learn more about Bio Careers, see link: https://biocareers.com. To see this link directly on the BioCareers site, see link: http://biocareers.com/bio-careers-blog/importance-tailoring-resume-when-applying-jobs

Resumes are important to showcase your "personal brand". They are what companies and individuals see when you apply to jobs. They highlight your skills, tell a story, and explain why your skills are relevant for a particular job. Many times, people create a "standard resume" that they use to apply to jobs and in theory this document is transferable between different types of jobs. While a standard resume is good and the exercise of writing down your experiences and skills is helpful, it is always better to customize this to draw out the specific experiences that you have that are applicable to the specific job that you are applying for. Without this, a company may overlook you in favor of others who are more blatantly obvious.

When people apply to jobs, they are usually one of a hundred or of a thousand applicants. Because of this, it is critical to make sure that your information is clearly presented. You definitely do not want to rely on the ability of the HR person to guess that you are relevant. Therefore using a tailored resume will in most cases, allow you to bubble to the top of the pile, IF your skills and experiences are truly relevant. Tailoring a resume can be as simple as stating the key words that the company is looking for from the job description in your resume under your experiences, as long as you have these experiences. When you send in your resume, companies evaluate not just your hard skills, but your leadership skills and other "soft skills". They want to see that you are a well-rounded person, that you can take initiative, and that you can make the company better for being a part of it. Leadership skills can be gained from leading a student group or post doc association as well as taking on leadership responsibilities in jobs that you may have worked in (whether or not they are related to the final career choice that you pursue). Networking abilities are also valued by companies. The more you get involved in the community, the more appealing you could be to the company. Also important to highlight are internships especially if they are relevant to what you want to do, as well as papers and presentations. Most companies want to see that you have good communication and presentation skills. Typically if someone has presented numerous times, they have this.

As you apply for roles, think about what the reader is evaluating and what they are looking for. Based upon this, tailor your resume to enhance odds of being looked a further. Good luck on the application process.

On March 20th 2012, over 100 graduate students, post docs and medical residents joined us at Genzyme Center in Kendall Sq Cambridge for the 3rd Futures in Life Science Event of 2012. To view a picture video from the event, click here: http://video214.com/play/NhVWW108Sbi20irU03SPQw/s/dark. Below is the blog writeup from the event.

Many people involved in academic medicine and research are interested in shifting to more business-oriented positions in the private sector. However, the path to such careers is unclear. How do you convince prospective employers of your qualifications in a discipline with which you have limited experience? The March gathering of the Futures in Life Sciences Career Panel, presented by Propel Careers, MassBio, and MassBioEd, discussed these questions and more. It concentrated on Marketing, Product Management, and Business Development careers. The panel included Catherine Thut, Ph.D., Director, Strategic Alliances, Ophthalmology, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Eric Olson, MBA, MS, Senior Associate, Genzyme Ventures, Frank Deane, Ph.D., Founder, Lumleian, LLC, and Maude Tessier, Ph.D., Licensing Manager, Technology and Innovation Development Office, Children's Hospital, Boston. John Hession, J.D., Partner, Cooley LLP, contributed his wealth of experience to the discussion as well as moderated the panel.

The answer to the primary question, "How do I get into a business-related position from academia?" is in short, networking. While there are many jobs posted on the Internet, a significant number of the desirable ones are not. Getting an interview "cold" by simply submitting a resume online is difficult when you are qualified, but as an academic with limited business experience it is even harder. A "warm" connection through a personal referral is much more likely to get your resume the attention you want. For hiring managers a referral reduces the burden of choosing amongst similarly qualified applicants. It also indicates that a candidate has the basic interpersonal skills necessary and motivation to navigate the business world. It is worth keeping in mind that networking is not only about finding potential job leads; it is also about meeting potential mentors or advisors or future colleagues. Conversely, as part of a network you should endeavor to "pay it forward," by offering assistance wherever you can.

Another common question for academics looking to transition to business roles was "How do I get the business experience that hiring managers want?" Taking classes in a business school is one possibility, but there are more informal avenues to gaining knowledge. Seminars offered by the MassBio committees on finance and business development are one route. John Hession is in the process of organizing a "Business Development for Scientists" seminar series through MassBio that will begin this May. Another method for academics to obtain some relevant experience is to intern at your institution's technology licensing office.

Are there advantages or disadvantages to working for smaller startups vs. larger, more established corporations? Simply put, the tradeoff is typically opportunity for stability. Since younger/more entrepreneurial companies operate with only critical staff, there are opportunities to assume responsibilities outside your experience level. At a larger company you may not have as many chances to expand your competencies and upward mobility may be slower, but you are more likely to receive formal training and guidance. Alternatively, choosing to work for smaller divisions at a large corporation may provide some of the experiential advantages of a startup. For your career development, try to get involved in projects that involve many different internal groups to maximize your exposure to different business aspects and build your network within the company. Regardless of your organization size, it is important to understand how you add value to the greater enterprise. Do not just focus on your assigned responsibilities, but try to see where you can make the greatest contribution overall.

While technical competency is important in business positions, "soft" people skills are even more important. Every panel member affirmed the importance of being able to understand people's needs, listen, empathize, and communicate with others to execute their responsibilities. Business is a human enterprise, which means you need to convince people of your viewpoint and build consensus in a group.

The next event in the Futures in Life Sciences Series, on careers in Research and Development, will be held on April 17th at the new MassBio offices in Kendall Square. To register, follow this link: http://fils42012.eventbrite.com/

Lauren Celano, CEO of Propel Careers, wrote this blog post for MassBioHQ to provide career insights for individuals in their job search. To see the original post, click here: http://massbiohq.org/2012/03/13/guest-post-by-lauren-celano-of-propel-careers-focus-focus-focus/

Quite often, people ask me for advice regarding their job search and, in particular, whether there is something universal that companies look for. In my experience, there are a few universal qualities aside from the obvious (e.g. honesty, intelligence, hard work). One that comes up over and over again is "Focus." Focus is one of the most important characteristics that companies look for when evaluating potential hires. Moreover, focus is critical for all aspects of your job search, from start to finish.

Focus is more than applying for the right job. Focus is about knowing what you want to do, why you want to do it and, most importantly, being able to articulate your thoughts. This focus should be evident in your resume, cover letter, and social/on-line presence. If you can't make it perfectly clear why you are a good fit for a particular role, chances are you won't get a second look.

Focus Your Goal

As you approach your job search, you need to constantly be asking yourself what it is you want to do and why. This will go a long way in keeping you focused on your search. Self-awareness and situational-awareness are critical to all successful job searches. Take an inventory of your strengths and weaknesses, the pros and cons of potential career paths, and your long term goals. This will help you stay focused on relevant roles and accelerate your career search.

If you are not sure what you want to do or if you are choosing between a few different options (i.e. research or project management), then conduct informational interviews with people who are actually in these roles. Informational interviewing is a wonderful way to find out if a specific role or company would be a fit for you. If an interviewer asks why you are interested in the company or the role, he/she will respond positively if you mention that you did a lot of soul-searching, networking, and informational interviewing which provided you with the context to know why this opportunity is a perfect fit. I cannot stress enough that companies want to hear that you know what you want to do and that you are focused on what you are looking for.

Focus Your Passion

When you apply for jobs, companies want to see that you are passionate about the position that you are applying for. They want to see that you are eager to join their team and excited by doing the activities of that position. I know this sounds incredibly basic, but so often, it is hard to assess whether people who are applying for roles are really interested and relevant.

It is also important to think about the types of people you would like to work with, including but not limited to:

- Ideal management style

- Your preferred company culture

- Size/stage of company

Attention to this type of detail will allow you to focus your search on only those opportunities that could be a fit for you. (Every minute you spend applying for positions that are not a good fit is time that you could have spent perfecting your application for the position you really want. If you are guilty of sending out resumes with generic cover letters in bulk, hoping that something will magically stick, STOP.) Focus your efforts on positions you are truly interested in and, equally important, that are a good fit.

Focus Your Scope

Try not to apply for multiple types of jobs within the same company. This will make you look unfocused and could discredit your application for any and all of the jobs. For example, if you apply for a research job, a project management job and a business development job, within the same company, with the same resume and cover letter, the company will wonder if you are actually serious about any of these. Instead of contacting you, they will most likely contact other applicants who seem much more focused in their search.

Focus on Relevancy

As you begin applying for different roles, apply only for ones that you are relevant for. If you are applying for a role that is a reach, explain why you are relevant. Don't just gloss over it and assume that this will be obvious to the HR person(s) reviewing your resume. Trust me, it will not.

Focus Your Resume

When applying for jobs, ensure that your resume and cover letter are tailored for each role. I can't stress this enough. If you are applying for a research role, make sure your relevant research experience/techniques are front and center. If you are applying for more business focused roles, send a resume that reflects more of your business experience and training. You want companies to see that your background is a fit. If you have the right skills to fit their job description, then make it clear and tailor your resume and cover letter to the job. It's that simple.

Focus Your Presence

LinkedIn is important. Don't give mixed messages. If you apply for a research role, an HR person may look at your LinkedIn page after you apply to learn more about you. If they do this and see that most of the emphasis is on business development, finance or other non-research areas, they might doubt the sincerity of your research interest and go with a stronger research-focused candidate. Your LinkedIn profile should reflect your job interests.

Focus Your Pitch

My last piece of advice for today is that everyone should have a 10-30 second "elevator pitch" ready when someone asks, "What do you want to do?" If you cannot come up with a succinct pitch, then you should do more research to solidify what you want to do and why. People generally want to help individuals get connected and find the right opportunities, but it is really difficult to do this if you cannot articulate to them what you want.

In Conclusion...

The key to any successful venture, including looking for your next big thing, is first and foremost FOCUS, second FOCUS and finally FOCUS! Finding a new career can be daunting, but it can also be a wonderful opportunity to discover your passion for an exciting new career. With focus comes tremendous opportunity!

Lauren Celano, CEO, Propel Careers wrote this article for Bio Careers as part of her monthly contributions. To learn more about Bio Careers, see link: https://biocareers.com/

In today's competitive marketplace, the ability to differentiate yourself is critical to stand out from the crowd. LinkedIn is such a useful tool for branding yourself, showcasing your background, building connections and job searching in the online world. We are so fortunate to have this tool – it's hard to think how people functioned without it... Many people have asked for my advice on how to best use LinkedIn to search for jobs. Therefore, I decided to write this article to provide tips on how to leverage the value of LinkedIn so that you maximize the value of this tool.

Tip #1: Build out your PROFILE When you build your profile think about who will be reading this information. Your profile should explicitly explain who you are, what experience you have, and what skills you master. Potential employers and also people who you ask for informational interviews, will almost certainly review your LinkedIn profile. The more professional you can make it, the more attractive you become as a candidate. This shows that you are serious about your career and your personal brand. Especially if you are looking for a job, your profile should include additional information such as lab techniques you know, presentations you have given at large conferences, publications you have, etc. Many companies and recruiters use LinkedIn to search for individuals who have specific skills. If you have these in your profile, then you increase the chance of being "found" by an HR person when they search. If you do not have details listed, then your chance of being identified, is almost 0.

LinkedIn is a powerful tool, but so many people do not use it to their advantage. For example, just listing, "Research associate, X Biotech company" or "Ph.d student, X school", without any details about what you have done, provides the reader with little context about your background. If you are a student or postdoc, list information about when you think you will be done. Without this, companies may be reluctant to contact you about jobs since they won't know when you will be done. Recruiting is extremely time consuming for companies, so the easier you can make it for companies to know what you want and when you will be available, the better. To learn specifics about building and taking advantage of your LinkedIn account, use the LinkedIn learning center (http://learn.linkedin.com/what-is-linkedin/ ) Don't forget, your online presence is often the first thing that potential employers see, so don't lose the chance to make a positive first impression.

Tip #2: Have a PROFESSIONALLY LOOKING LinkedIn picture. In general people are extremely visual and usually remember faces more than names. For example, if you meet a person at a networking event and send a LinkedIn invitation afterwards, your profile picture will immediately help them to connect your name with your face. Sometimes people may attend a few networking events throughout a day or week, so pictures are so much more helpful than only names. Your image is part of your brand – you should make the effort to have a professional photo that will be noticed by your colleges and perhaps your future employer. Ideally you should have a professional take your photo, but since most digital cameras work well enough for this purpose, digital cameras can usually work. Have a friend take your photo, stand against a blank wall, avoid objects of distraction in the photo, have a professional outfit on, and smile. This extra effort will go a long way.

Tip #3: Make sure that your name on your LinkedIn Account is the same as your resume Potential employers will almost always look at an individuals LinkedIn account as they are reviewing resumes. If they cannot find you on LinkedIn, it can create a red flag. If the name on your resume is different than the name on your LinkedIn account, you should modify one of them to make them the same so that you are easily found.

Tip #4: Link into people that you know. As you grow your LinkedIn network, you should only connect with trusted contacts. In this way, your network becomes personal and actually useful for you as you grow in your career. Aim for quality not for quantity. Adding a lot of people just to increase your numbers actually dilutes the value of your own personal LinkedIn network.

Tip #5: Do not send a LinkedIn invitation to a hiring manager right after you submit your resume Oftentimes, people seem to use LinkedIn so casually. When you apply for a job, it is not recommended to link in to the hiring manager. They usually don't know you, so why would they connect with you? People, especially as they become more senior in their career, are very careful and selective about their LinkedIn connections. People like to have individuals in their network who they know and have something in common with – perhaps they worked together, went to school together, did a project together, etc. If you ask someone to link in to you who does not know you, it may make them uncomfortable and may even hurt your application chances.

Tip #6: Join groups to be updated on areas of interest If you are looking to learn more about a certain area, join a group in that area on LinkedIn. There are thousands of groups in LinkedIn. When you are new to the job search process, using this feature is extremely valuable to get a lay of the land in your particular field. To find groups, you can search for them by keyword under group categories. Use the following link to learn more about groups in your LinkedIn profile http://learn.linkedin.com/groups/. You may be surprised by how many groups may be relevant to you. Also, you can become an active member or a group and share your expertise's. This can build thought leadership.

Tip #7: If you send someone a LinkedIn request, mention where you met them or why you are connecting with them. People are busy and have a lot of things in their mind. The easier you can make it for people to remember how they met you or what you are looking for from them, the better. If you met someone at a international networking event and are following up with a LinkedIn request, say in the subject line, "international networking event follow up" and in the body of the LinkedIn request, say, Dear X, It was a pleasure meeting you at the international networking event on DATE. To follow up, I would like to link into you so that we can keep in touch" or something like this. It is amazing how many times people don't do this. I wonder how many LinkedIn requests do not get answered because people cannot remember the context in which they met someone.

The connections you develop over time are a valuable part of your professional career, respect your network, be responsive, and finally, "keep it human".

Lauren Celano, CEO, Propel Careers wrote this article for Bio Careers as part of her monthly contributions. To learn more about Bio Careers, see link: https://biocareers.com/

As you undergo the challenge of applying for jobs, setting yourself up for success is critical. A tailored cover letter makes a huge difference, but in order to write a good cover letter it is essential that you understand the following:

1. Why you are writing this letter. 2. Who is going to read it. 3. How you will ensure that it captures the attention of the reader to get you to the next review phase.

This process is not only about sending your materials in for a position, it is about showing why you are relevant for the position. This is your chance to shine. Below are a few tips to give you some understanding of how to respond to a job posting effectively. In many cases when people apply for jobs, it seems as if the sender just replaces the "To" and "Company" names, sending the same generic cover letter for many different listings. If your letter lacks the specifics of why your skills are relevant for each specific job, the chances of accomplishment (i.e. moving to the next phase in the review/interview process) are pretty low. When people send a generic resume and cover letter, they are relying on the recruiter's and/or the hiring manager's ability to determine that their skills match up. Relying on the potential for someone to guess that your skills are relevant certainly decreases the odds that you will be called for an interview, even if you are qualified.

When companies provide a job description, they are providing you with a listing of what they are looking for. Instead of just blindly sending in a resume and cover letter, take a little time to customize how you describe your background for the precise role to which you are applying. Just because you have a molecular biology degree does not mean that you have experience with yeast and e.coli, just like having a bioinformatics degree may not mean that you have experience with Perl, R and Python. By clearly highlighting your skills and experiences, and how they relate to the job description, you make it easier for the hiring manager and HR to see that you are relevant. Because companies get so many applicants for roles, most won't write back to you asking for more info if they are not sure that you fit. They will default to putting you in the "not a fit pile," meaning that you won't even be called to clarify your skills. This is a huge missed opportunity for you.

One important point to keep in mind through this process, though, is that even before you take the time to write a tailored cover letter and resume, you should reflect to make sure you are focusing your energy on the right positions for you. By doing an honest self-evaluation prior to your job search, you should have a good idea of what type of job you are qualified for, what size company you want to work for, and a realistic expectation of how far you are willing to move/travel for work. Making these decisions ahead of time can prove helpful for understanding whether a job posting is for a fit for you. For example, if we look at a job description, a few points are important to be aware of.

Company Description

This tells you a lot about the potential company. If the company says they are a start-up or entrepreneurial, they will (most likely) be looking for you to show an interest in entrepreneurship or experience with an entrepreneurial setting, be able to multi task, learn quickly, and assist with projects that may be outside of your job description.

Location

If the job is located in an area different from where you live, the company will be looking for a reason why you are (or have an interest in) moving to their area. With all of the things to worry about when onboarding a new hire, a company does not want to worry that you won't be a fit for the area to which you are moving.

Job Description

The company either wants to see previous experience with the type of job, or a reason why your skills are relevant for the job for which you are applying. Be explicit and use the space wisely as your share your information.

Job Requirements

This is where you have huge power to indicate your skills and show relevance to what the company is seeking. Don't be shy here! Indicate what you know/have experience in and how this relates to what the company is looking for. For cover letters, I recommend using a table format which can be as simple as this below:

Job Requirement My Experience.

Experience with PCR - List your experience with the technique

Experience with Yeast and E.coli - List your experience with these systems

Experience with transfection - List your experience with the technique

Experience with cloning - List your experience with the technique

Interest in working in an entrepreneurial environment - List your experience and reason for being a fit here

By thoroughly addressing each of these job description aspects within your cover letter, the person screening your resume can see why you are applying and that you are relevant to this role. If you don't have the full range of experiences for which the company is looking, then list why you think you could do a certain task or experiment. List your transferrable skills and/or interest in a particular area. When you customize your cover letter, make sure you are also customizing your resume as well. Many times, a cover letter is separated from the resume after the first evaluation of the cover letter and resume. It's important to also show these skills and experiences on your resume. Otherwise, when people are interviewing you (if they have a non-customized resume of yours), they may wonder why you are applying!

By taking time to tailor what you are sending to companies and only applying to roles that are relevant to you, you increase the chances of being interviewed for a job, which increases your chances of being hired. Preparation on your side will go a long way. Good luck with the applications to find the right fit for you!

Lauren Celano, CEO, Propel Careers wrote this article for Bio Careers as part of her monthly contributions. To learn more about Bio Careers, see link: https://biocareers.com/

Let's face it, job searching is a tough, emotionally stressful endeavor. There are long hours looking endlessly for roles, time spent researching companies, networking to find people who could have roles that are a fit for you, sending your resume out and rarely hearing back, and going on interviews only to not get the job. Staying positive and focused during a job search is critical for your success, and you are the only one who can make sure this happens. This is not an easy task, but this article will provide suggestions for you to proactively approach your search so that your true personality shows through.

Use the job searching process as a time of self exploration Many people don't think of a job search as a positive or fun experience, especially if you are forced to search due to a layoff, downsizing, or lack of funding in your lab. However, you could look at the search as a chance to learn, find or rediscover your passion, network, and even build new skills. Looking for a job can actually be a fun experience if approached in the right way.

A search can be an opportunity to learn what you want to do, where you want to be, and who you want to work with. As you talk with people in industry about their careers, career paths, day to day responsibilities, companies, and culture, you may find that you like certain aspects of what you hear and don't like other aspects. These are great discoveries, as they will help you refine what you are looking for. The more you can focus on what you want, the easier it will be for employers to see your enthusiasm and realize that you are a fit for their role.

Be as focused as possible and stay open minded about your search. During each job search, companies see hundreds of applicants (or more) for a given job. They are looking for those people who show passion, drive, and motivation for the job being applied for. The more you can build your skills and network to show relevance to the role you are interested in, the more likely you are to be interviewed for the role. Your focus should help you standout from the crowd. One way to keep focused is to set goals for yourself and keep track of your progress. Below are a few goals that I recommend to individuals looking for a role.

Goal Option 1: Learn about companies of interest to you

One goal could be to learn about 5 new companies in your area of interest each week. Maybe this is biotech companies focusing on oncology research, or boutique consulting firms focusing in the life sciences area. Whatever the interest is, set a goal. You could research companies by reading through news sources like Xconomy (http://www.xconomy.com), or state biotech associations like MassBio (http://www.massbio.org) or conferences like AACR (http://www.aacr.org). You could use RSS feeds from google reader to keep track of companis/areas of interest. There are so many ways to learn about companies which may be relevant for you – you just have to start taking initiative and begin the process.

Goal Option 2: Learn about people in the industry of interest to you and talk with them.

If you don't know where you start to look for companies, then your goal could be to talk with 5 new people each week who work in your areas of interest. The goal here is to learn more about the industry, what these people do, what skills are necessary for them to succeed, and which firms they know of that could be a fit for you. It's important to remember that these people do not necessarily need to be scientists (if you are interested in science). They could be architects who build life sciences buildings, financial analysts who cover life sciences companies, accountants or lawyers who work with life sciences firms. All of these individuals have industry insights and connections that they could share with you. The goal is to start connecting with people who can get you closer to individuals who have the career paths that you are interested in. Over time, as you do this, you will suddenly realize that you are learning a lot and also meeting great people – some of whom you will develop a long term relationship with. Use the data collection to motivate you to keep going, making notes of what you are learning. It will be exciting to look back to those notes in the future.

Goal Option 3: Attend a networking event or a few

Another goal could be to attend 2 networking events per month in an area relevant to your interest. For example, if you are interested in oncology, perhaps you attend a local chapter meeting of AACR to meet with people who are in the oncology space. Many of the people at this meeting will be in industry, so it's a great way to start to build connections with people who can help guide you in your search and who may even know of roles in industry relevant to you. If you are interested in life sciences, and if you are a woman, perhaps you attend a local chapter of the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (http://www.hbanet.org/home.aspx). Attending these events will not only give you something to do, but they will help you build relationships with people who could help you find a role. You may even find that you like learning about different parts of the industry and the people in it. Who knows, you may even develop a few new friends!

After the process of exploration of the various opportunities by meeting and talking with people, try to use the connections you have built to gain a referral for a position. Hopefully, as you begin to apply for roles, you apply for positions that you want and are qualified for based on your experiences and transferrable skills.

Keep in mind that you are not the only one applying for a particular role and do not to take rejection personally. This is one of the hardest parts of the job search. Many of us take things personally because we feel programmed this way. However, companies are looking for the best fit for their firm, just as you are looking for the best fit for you. Companies can be incredibly selective since their goal is to find the right person for their needs to grow their business. In addition to hard skill fit (i.e. lab techniques you can do or relevant experience you have), companies often determine who they will hire based upon softer skills – culture fit, personality, and management fit. I know it's hard for people who have "on paper" a perfect fit, to not get a job, but many times, it's the "softer side" which makes a difference.

If you are fortunate enough to get personal feedback about why you were not a fit for a particular job, take this information to heart and use it to improve for the next time you interview.

One point to keep in mind is that to be successful in a job, both the employer and employee need to be the right fit. If you get hired into a job just to have one, instead of having the right one, you will not be most fulfilled, and this could hasten your search for a new job causing you to unfortunately repeat the job search process again. I know the job search can be a daunting, stressful experience, but with a little focus and initiative on your part, you could increase the chances of a successful outcome. Remember, you have control over your life with your actions, and your initiative will go a long way.

Lauren Celano, CEO, Propel Careers wrote this article for Bio Careers as part of her monthly contributions. To learn more about Bio Careers, see link: https://biocareers.com/

I wrote this article to provide thoughts on how to gain industry relevant experiences while still in the academic setting. Everyone knows that companies want "relevant industry experience," but how do you get it if you are a student, postdoctoral fellow, or otherwise in the academic world? People often ask me for advice on what would appear to be a catch 22. Never fear, there are actually many ways for one to gain experience that industry finds valuable, once you think outside of just your lab area. Below are a few thoughts to develop skills, gain experience, and make yourself more marketable. It's important to remember that if you are looking for a certain type of role (especially if you are new to industry), companies will want to see that you have invested in your own development and taken steps to figure out why a certain type of role/company is a good fit for you. Companies will ask you interview questions like, "why do you think this is a good fit for you?" or "what skills do you bring to the role?" A little time and effort on your end. to figure these answers out and provide concrete examples to share with the company, will prove invaluable in differentiating yourself and providing the right context for why the company should hire you.

Write for your school paper or industry conference - If you are looking to go into a communication career post academia, such as marketing, scientific/medical writing, PR/investor relations, honing your writing skills by writing for your school paper, school clubs, industry associations, or conferences can provide you with great experience. This allows you to develop and prove your writing skills outside of just your papers and grant applications, while also providing you additional insights into industry.

Blog on a topic pertaining to science to gain thought leadership Thought leadership is important for showing expertise in a certain area. Your online presence can be enhanced greatly via blogging, and you may even get individuals reading your blog who are in industry and perhaps looking for someone with your background. Blogging also helps develop your communication and writing skills, and your overall awareness of technical areas that could be relevant to industry.

Take on a leadership role at a school group or life sciences networking group - Companies want to hire leaders and always look to make the company stronger. By taking on leadership roles within your school or university, or outside organizations, you can demonstrate that you are an individual who wants to be involved and make the group better because you are there. Doing this specifically within industry associations also allows you to build relationships with people who are in industry. This network can be a valuable resource in your career search.

Volunteer to work at a Life Science Networking Group/Organization - Networking is critical to finding opportunities. In addition to building your network, volunteering at networking events can provide you the opportunity to develop leadership, communication, and team work skills, which are very much valued in industry. Companies want to hire leaders, now just followers and, many times, they want to hire individuals who are referred in for roles.

Take a business course or a few - Many academic institutions have business schools or relationships with business schools where you can take courses in relative areas of business/science. Courses such as intellectual property, business entrepreneurship, financial management can provide critical insight into these areas. MPH programs may also have courses that are relevant to individuals looking to work in industry.

Join your school's consulting club - If you are interested in consulting, the consulting companies that you apply to will want to see that you have consulting experience or, at minimum, an understanding of what they do. I can't tell you how many people inform me they want to be a consultant, but cannot articulate why or more importantly what a consultant actually does. Many schools have consulting clubs either for MBA's or Ph.D./postdocs, and these clubs perform consulting projects for startups, other entrepreneurs, more established companies, and academic researchers. Not only do you develop skills which are valued by consulting firms, you gain a new network of individuals who could assist you in your career search.

Volunteer/Intern at your institution's tech transfer office (TTO) - If you are interested in technology commercialization, intellectual property, or startups, you could volunteer at your institution's tech transfer office. These offices typically evaluate hundreds of technologies each year. Projects can range from technology due diligence, commercial potential evaluation, market assessment and competitive landscape evaluations. Also, you can find yourself building marketing and pitch decks, if a technology is at an advanced stage, so that the Intellectual Property (IP) can be licensed or spun out into a company.

Many of these technologies are highly scientific/technical, therefore the TTO might greatly benefit from your knowledge of a specific area. Working with the TTO can also expose you to technologies outside of your specific research focus, making you more marketable if you are looking for roles that may extend beyond your comfort level/research focus. Many consulting firms, for example, like to see that their hires can think and learn outside of their area of expertise since in most cases client's projects are not in their technology area.

Volunteer/Intern at a startup - Startups are always looking for help to advance their technologies and move the company forward. If you are looking to gain experience about what it is like to work in a company and/or to develop your skills, this can be a great opportunity to gain relevant experience, while you build your skills at the same time. If you have a specific technical background, you could use this to help the company evaluate their technology and or the competitive landscape to see how to position their technology. You could also gain valuable business experience working in a startup via exposure to different aspects of the business and wearing many hats. This could include marketing, business development, financial modeling, making slide decks, updating the website, etc.

Scientists who also work in startups, especially those with experienced CEO's and management teams get to learn from experienced entrepreneurs, not to mention making contacts with potential investors, clients, etc. This could be wonderful for your network, allowing you to build relationships with individuals who can help you in your career search. Not only would you gain new skills, you might identify what you like and, more importantly, what you don't like, which will help focus your career search.

Volunteer/Intern at a venture firm/investment bank - Many venture firms have internship opportunities for individuals with scientific backgrounds (Ph.D, MD) as well as MBAs. Many of them value scientific backgrounds since you could evaluate their investment opportunities from the technical side and help them analyze the competitive landscape. If you are an excel guru, you could also assist with financial models and various scenario projections. The knowledge you gain, and more importantly the networking you build through such an opportunity, will prove invaluable to your future career.

The details listed above are just a few examples of ways that you can gain relevant skills to industry even though you are in an academic setting. The goal here is to get involved, be proactive, and keep developing new skills. The effort will go a long way, and you may even find that you learn much more than you realize throughout the journey. Good luck cracking this code, it is a tremendous rewarding experience, you won't regret.

Lauren Celano, CEO, Propel Careers wrote this article for Bio Careers as part of her monthly contributions. To learn more about Bio Careers, see link: https://biocareers.com/

The years of academic research, perfecting your techniques, long hours, and design of novel experiments provides you with so much more than just a strong scientific foundation. As you perform your research, analyze results, and prepare your publications, grants, and presentations, you are using and building many other non-scientific skills which will benefit you as you grow in your career. Whether you pursue an academic path or an industry one, these skills are important to realize and cultivate to ensure a successful career

As individuals engage on a career search, it is important to reflect and differentiate yourself from the rest of the job seekers on the quest to find the perfect job for you. As you think about differentiation, one way is to focus on the transferrable skills that you have. These make you unique and also provide tremendous value to your employer. You can view these skills as your personal "tool kit" that you can transfer to the workplace. These include both the "hard skills" such as specific assay techniques and experimental design knowledge, and the "soft skills", such as being a team player and a good communicator.

The market place is quite competitive. Many individuals with advanced scientific degrees are looking for the same type of opportunities. Many have similar scientific experiences, publication records, and exemplary reference letters. The question then becomes, why would an employer choose you, over another seemingly equally qualified candidate (on paper)?

When transitioning from academia to industry, highlighting one's scientific skills and accomplishments is important, since industry is certainly looking for individuals with a solid foundation, expertise with specific techniques, and relevance to their research/therapeutic focus areas.

However, a solid scientific foundation is not enough. Industry wants more than just a stellar scientist. They want a stellar scientist who can be a strong part of the team, who can work across disciplines, who can communicate, grow and develop, so that they add significant value to the firm with their efforts. In many cases, these "non-scientific" transferrable skills, the ones that are often not as visible in academic settings, are the ones that make the difference between a person being hired, or not, in industry.

To succeed in industry, individuals should be organized, demonstrate attention to detail, be able to manage projects and people, have good communication skills (written and verbal), networking and relationship building ability, leadership qualities, and a strong work ethic. Fortunately, many scientists have these skills. Many just don't realize it or, more importantly, showcase them in the career search and interview process. The more individuals can highlight their skills, the easier it will be for industry to realize their relevance to the open jobs.

Depending upon the type of career path interested in, you will want to highlight different skills. For example, in business development roles, scientific knowledge with a commercial perspective is valued as is financial skills. Networking and relationship building is also extremely important in these types of roles. Marketing roles value writing ability, creative skills, and branding insight/experience. Product and project management roles value organizational skills, the ability to work with many different types of people, attention to detail and strong communication skills. Strategy consulting roles value analytical and logic skills, scientific knowledge (in many cases), the ability to evaluate trends and see the larger view of how research, development, and commercialization fit together. Strong presentation, written, and verbal skills are also highly valued. Research and development roles in industry value strong scientific foundations, adaptability, interest in working cross functionally, and commercial focus on the research that you are performing. Research and development in industry is not just an academic exercise. Rather it is performed to develop a novel technology which will be used, bought, sold, or acquired, with the overall effect of impacting human health.

Evaluating and deciding your career path, will certainly take self reflection and time, but the exercise of deciding what interests you, what you are passionate about, and what skills you can offer, is well worth it in the end. This will lead to you being more focused and sure of what you are looking for and where you want to be. This clarity will help you identify with relevant employers and clearly articulate why you are relevant for the open job. To start this process, you can read a book like "What Color is Your Parachute" to assist in defining the qualities and transferrable aspects of your career and life which could be relevant to your career path. As you begin this process, remember that graduate school teaches you many foundational qualities which are valued in industry careers. These include specific scientific abilities and research skills, strong quantitative data analysis skills, the ability to synthesize complex information and learn new areas, the ability to ask questions, a foundation built upon writing (abstracts, papers, grants), a work ethic and drive, decision making, perseverance, and the ability to work independently and to be accountable. The key is, to clearly articulate what you have learned, and why your skills are relevant to the role(s) being applied for. This makes all the difference.

Lauren Celano, CEO, Propel Careers wrote this article for Bio Careers as part of her monthly contributions. To learn more about Bio Careers, see link: https://biocareers.com/

In today's job market, there are estimates that more than 30% of jobs are currently filled by finding candidates through online job boards and sites like LinkedIn. This estimate is astonishing and very important to keep in mind if you are a job seeker. Times are changing. Never before have job seekers been able to so clearly highlight and promote their knowledge, their experiences, and their interests. I have often wondered though, why, so few people seem to realize the full potential to utilize their online presence to drive awareness and focus in their career search.

Building a detailed and clear online presence can be a key differentiator in your ability to be recognized by external recruiters and internal human resources professionals as they search for candidates that are relevant for jobs that they are working to fill. A number of people tell me that they have been looking for a job for a while, but they are not having luck. Surprisingly, when I ask them if they have spent time on their online profile, they say, "Why? People should be able to tell that if I am a molecular biology postdoc, I know all of the necessary skills/assays to excel in molecular biology. My PI is well known, so that should speak for itself."

Unfortunately, this thought process is not the way to approach your search. Assuming that a potential hiring manager can infer what you know from your title or position can lead you to miss exciting job opportunities. If you have no details listed in your online profile, the likelihood of coming up as a match when someone searches for skill sets, assay experience, or other terms, is almost zero. If you are serious about your career, you will have a profile on LinkedIn as well as other targeted sites such as BioCareers. These sources are tremendous resources for both job seekers and individuals looking to fill positions. These sites allow job seekers to add detail to compliment their resume and allow them to extensively build out their profile to increase the chances of being "found".

Many HR professionals, when looking to identify candidates, will perform searches on these sites to identify individuals with the experiences they are looking for such as a molecular biologist with specific assay experience or a neurobiologist with a particular therapeutic experience. Key word searches could be as simple as "ELISA" or as detailed as TDP-43 animal models. Hiring mangers or other interviewers will also look on LinkedIn and other sites to see your background before they interview you. If they cannot find you, it raises some suspicion.

As you think about your online profile on LinkedIn specifically, there are important areas where you can list information about yourself. These include the Summary, Experience, and Groups.

In the Summary, this is your chance to list a few bullet points about yourself. For example, Postdoctoral Fellow with >5 years of experience in oncology research studying the mechanism of ovarian cancer development. Research highlights include >20 publications, including three first author publications, and numerous presentations at international conferences. Upon completion of my postdoctoral work in 2012, I aim to enter industry to focus on translational research.

What does the above show about you? Well, you are translational/commercially focused, which is important to industry. You also have a strong scientific foundation, and you have highlighted your therapeutic relevance (oncology). This would appeal to the oncology focused companies.

In your experience section, much like how you build an industry focused resume, you can list your research focus, assays/techniques that you have used, presentations and publications, and anything else which you feel can highlight your skills. This is your chance to show the depth of knowledge that you have so that the person reading your profile can see what you have done and why you could be relevant to them.

As you search groups, you may be surprised to encounter so many various ones which meet your specific interests. This is your chance to start to get tied into the industry and learn about people who share similar paths and experiences. Join groups so that you can be up to speed on what they are talking about and relevant news related to the areas of interest.

In addition to highlighting what to do, I also want to highlight a few things to be careful to avoid. Keep in mind that your online avatar meets the hiring manager before you do and online material lives forever. Have you ever typed your name into Google to see what pops up? This could be a good way to see what others view when they search for you. You may be surprised by what you find.

Most people don't pay enough attention to their profile photo. However, this is extremely important. For both LinkedIn and Facebook, do not have a silly or unprofessional profile photo, since this may hurt you more than you realize. When using Facebook, be careful about being tagged in pictures. These can be searchable and, if inappropriate, can lead to you not getting an interview or a job. Pay attention to your activities and interests and make sure that these are "professional." Do not list things that could be taken as negative like "enjoys wasting time or too many cocktails." Last, but not least, you should not synchronize LinkedIn with Facebook or Twitter. Status updates for LinkedIn should be professional, not about what you ate at lunch.

Blogs, can be a tremendous way to show your thought leadership in specific areas. When done right, Blogs can provide you with a proactive way to develop and enhance your online presence, giving you the ability to channel your energy and focus. The key is to find the Gap in information and be responsible to fill the space.

Finally, think about who is reading this information, and keep in mind that a potential employer could make an impression about you before you even realize it. When used correctly, an online presence can differentiate you and make you standout from the rest. This is what you want and the goal of spending time building out your profile. Also remember, that your online presence should be continually updated – as you publish new papers, talk at new conferences, and learn new skills, add these to your profile. Like a lot of things in life, it takes nurturing, but the effort will pay off in the end.

Good luck on building up your online presence. I look forward to meet your online avatar.