The Biggest Blunders of Job Searching

Part 1: Resumes

As a recruiter I’ve seen a lot of, ahem, interesting job search and interview techniques—everything from wearing  a tuxedo print T-shirt to the interview to misspelled names on resumes. Mistakes happen and small mistakes will most likely not cost you your dream job. I’d like to help you eliminate those mistakes. This is the 1st post of a 4-part series on interviewing and job searching. The suggestions below come from many different recruiters who have seen it all.

Creating a resume is typically the first step in a job search.  You want a resume that catches manager’s eye, highlights your skills,  and convinces recruiters of your superhuman powers (or at least your ability to excel at the job)—in short, you want a Resume Masterpiece. Like all masterpieces, it’s going to take some work. While I can’t do the work for you, I can provide a roadmap to help you avoid the common pitfalls.  Previous blog posts have provided some valuable resume suggestions (here and here).  Despite the information out there, people are still confused about how to create a stellar resume. Hopefully the list below will help clear up that confusion. Read on for things to avoid so that you can create your very own Resume Masterpiece.

Networking for Scientists Part III: Tips and Tricks for Online Social Networks

It’s 2012. Odds are you’re on a social networking site. And if you’re not, you need to be! At least for your job search. There are two kinds of social networkers: those who post every tiny detail that happens in their lives and those who do not. For the job search, you want to be somewhere in the middle. How you tailor your online profiles is very important. While you can keep the most stringent privacy settings, you never know who you know and you never know who will see what you post. An often overlooked fact about the internet that you should always remember is that everything you post is public! Always expect that potential employers WILL Google you.

That said, social networking can be a very powerful tool for the job search.

Working with RNA

Set up a lab RNA Zone

Working with RNA can be a tricky thing…it falls apart easily, and RNases (enzymes that degrade RNA) are ubiquitous. Successfully isolating RNA and maintaining its integrity is critical, especially when sensitive downstream applications are used (e.g., RNA-Seq).

Good techniques for RNA handling are simple to employ but crucial for success. All RNA purification and handling should take place in an RNase-free, RNA-only zone of the lab. Segregating RNA work from protein and DNA purification and handling will help minimize the potential for RNase contamination and help keep your RNA intact. Only buffer and water stocks treated to be RNase-free should be kept in the RNA area of the lab, and gloves should be worn at all times to prevent accidental contamination. Tools and equipment such as pipets, tips, and centrifuges should be designated for use only in the RNA zone as well. The location of the RNA zone in the lab is also important. Keeping traffic to a minimum and moving the RNA zone away from doors, windows, and vents can also help minimize contamination.

Using an RNase inhibitorcan also help safeguard your samples from RNase degradation. These inhibitors can bind to any RNases that may have been introduced into your sample and prevent them from cutting the RNA present.

Water and buffer stocks can be a source of RNase contamination. Several stocks from an RNase-free zone in an academic lab showed RNase activity. Recombinant RNasin® inhibitor protected all RNA samples from degradation.

Listening with Intent to Doodle

One of Perrin's professionally scribed notes from Science Online 2012.

I’m a doodler. It doesn’t matter if I am absolutely captivated by a topic or bored stiff–I doodle because doodling helps me listen a little better, and I’m not the only person for whom this holds true. When I am working with adult learners in workshops, I find I have greater success if there are “stress balls” and other things to keep the hands busy, so that the minds of the participants can focus. Many knitters claim that knitting helps them focus better on speakers as well. How many of you fiddle with pens and pencils while you are listening?

So, I was intrigued by the Science Scribe 2.0 workshop at the Science Online 2012 when I read its description and saw the links that provided examples of the output that results from “sketch noting” a seminar. As science communicators, we are constantly seeking fresh ways to communicate complex topics quickly to an audience that is busy.

Science Online 2012: First Impressions of an Unconference

Here are some pictures from Day One of Science Online 2012. This is billed as an unconference–a place where the agenda is crowd sourced, and most of the sessions are moderated discussions rather than traditional talks. The idea is that at most scientific conferences, the best conversations do not occur in the formal sessions, but rather in the hallways and over dinner. The unconference format seeks to involve all participants in the discussions and to bring these helpful, collaborative conversations out of the hallways and into the actual conference sessions. Three of us are here from Promega, all of us first-time attendees. As a newbie, I was glad to find some other first timers over breakfast. I met post-docs, grad students, policy makers, journalists and librarians, almost all of them involved in blogging or active on twitter, and all here because they are passionate about science communication and scientific literacy.
The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. There is a refreshing openness and sense of shared purpose. This is the annual gathering of a strong online community, and it is clear that the attendees relish the opportunity to meet in person and put faces and names to the people they already know only by twitter names online. This is an opportunity to meet virtual friends in the flesh. I have never been at conference with such a vibrant sense of anticipation, and such a palpable community feeling.