Advice for Scientists

Aníbal
Valentín-Acevedo

How to say no to your boss

Is it appropriate to say no to your boss when he or she asks you to do something, or to take on a new project? First, let me tell you that it is indeed ok to say no to your boss. However, you have to say it in a specific way and only under certain situations. Otherwise, it can hurt your career....


Shu Chin
Ma

Cut the productivity clutter

I will be the first one to admit that I am mighty talented when it comes to finding ways to procrastinate or frivolously waste time on a daily basis. You’d think it was an Olympic sport. So, past the half way mark of 2015, I am finally getting around to my awfully neglected New Year’s resol...


Thomas Patrick
Chuna

Networking – Scary and Misunderstood, pt 2 - “but I don’t know anyone”

The word “networking” terrifies a lot of people..jobseekers “know” they need to do it, but the prospect can be very overwhelming, especially if you think you don’t know anyone..if that’s you, here’s how to get started. You might think my premise is silly, but I assure you, the num...


Tom
Ruginis

Six lessons learned while I quit grad school to become an entrepreneur

Life changing decisions do not happen often. They are difficult and will require you to dig deeper into your brain, gut, and soul to find the best path towards your happiness. I was 28 years old in 2008 when I decided that a PhD and a life as a scientist, wasn’t a good fit for Tom Ruginis.It ...


Aníbal
Valentín-Acevedo

Being passionate about what we do

I recently gave a talk to a group of undergraduate students about how to identify their goals and the importance of passion during that process. Although most of them agreed with me on the importance of being passionate, the reality is that most people have a hard time identifying what they are...


Judy
Lytle

Imposter Syndrome

The term “imposter syndrome” was coined by a couple of clinical psychologists in the late 1970s. This is when high-achieving people have freak-out moments, and think that they’re going to be called out as frauds. I think PhDs coming out of academia often suffer from imposter syndrome.&nbs...


Suzane
Ramos da Silva

How to multi-task?

My challenge began around a ago, when my PI invited me to manage the lab, while at the same time, I was developing my post-doc projects. At first, I said no, but after considerable thought, I decided to accept the new task. Apart from the new routine, it also came with a lot of new responsibili...


Judy
Lytle

The Seven Archetypes of Difficult Co-Workers, Part 1

Seven dwarves, seven deadly sins, seven Wonders of the World, seven consecutive post-doc positions if you stay in academia… Since seven seems to be a magical number, I stopped my list at seven. But there are so many archetypes to choose from! I’m going to talk about some of the archetypes I...


Judy
Lytle

The Seven Archetypes of Difficult Co-Workers, Part 2

In my last post, I described seven types of difficult people I’ve encountered since leaving academia. Here, I’ll talk about how I deal with those people.In a previous role, I managed a staff of 15 people. While my staff was generally fantastic, I spent a lot of time addressing personnel issues. ...


Robert Cory
Bernhards

Giving Your Research Presentation

Presenting your research well is critical to being a successful scientist.  If you’re a good presenter, you’ll be able to get people excited about your research, which may lead to collaborations, funding, awards, and jobs.  Now that you know how to prepare your presentation from my pre...