Table Of ContentC
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Career Planning for e
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Research Bioscientists P
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Sarah Blackford n Career Planning for
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R Research Bioscientists
Career Planning for Research Bioscientists is an essential careers guide for bioscience doctoral
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students and postdoctoral researchers. It contains a wealth of information and resources specifically e
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targeted at research bioscientists, with practical strategies to enhance career success in an increasingly c
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B Sarah Blackford
competitive job market. Advice on how to write a winning CV together with examples adapted for different
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jobs is presented, as well as practical exercises to assist with skills analysis and decision making. Profiles c
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of PhD-qualified bioscientists in a range of professions including academic research, industry, science
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communication, management and consultancy provide valuable insights into how others have managed s
their careers, and tactics such as networking and using social media demonstrate how new opportunities
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can be discovered. The content of this book is aimed primarily at research bioscientists, however much
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of the advice and information will be a useful reference for other students and researchers looking for an
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effective career planning strategy. l
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Sarah Blackford is the Head of Education and Public Affairs of a large international bioscience learned society.
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With a Master’s degree in career guidance in Higher Education and a background in bioscience research, scientific
publishing and university careers advisory work, Sarah is uniquely qualified to support research bioscientists with
their career planning and management. For over a decade, she has been delivering talks and career workshops
in university departments and at international scientific meetings and career events, as well as providing individual
career coaching to students and postdoctoral researchers.
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9 781405 196703 erf esti
Career Planning for Research Bioscientists
COMPANION WEBSITE:
This book has a companion website:
www.wiley.com/go/blackford/careerplanning and you can
visit the author’s blog at www.biosciencecareers.org for more information.
Career Planning for
Research Bioscientists
Sarah Blackford
Society for Experimental Biology
Bailrigg House
Lancaster University
Lancaster LA1 4YE
&
Charles Darwin House
12 Roger Street
London WC1N 2JU
A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication
This edition first published 2013 © 2013 by Sarah Blackford
Blackwell Publishing was acquired by John Wiley & Sons in February 2007. Blackwell’s publishing
programme has been merged with Wiley’s global Scientific, Technical and Medical business to form
Wiley‐Blackwell.
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The right of the author to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance
with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
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Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks.
All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks
or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publisher is not associated with any
product or vendor mentioned in this book. This publication is designed to provide accurate and
authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold on the understanding
that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. If professional advice or other
expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data
Blackford, Sarah.
Career planning for research bioscientists / Sarah Blackford.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4051-9670-3 (pbk.)
1. Biology–Vocational guidance. 2. Career development. I. Title.
QH314.B53 2013
570.23–dc23
2012016866
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print
may not be available in electronic books.
Cover image: Tom Donald (http://clearwood.co.uk)
Cover design by Steve Thompson
Set in 10.5/13pt Janson by SPi Publisher Services, Pondicherry, India
1 2013
Contents
Author’s note ix
Acknowledgements xi
1. Introduction 1
Who is this book for? 1
The process of career planning 3
Helping you with your career planning 3
Content of the book 4
How to use this book 5
2. Planning your career 7
The importance of career planning 7
What is career planning? 8
Career planning in action 10
Conclusion 10
3. Self‐awareness 13
What is self-awareness? 13
Practical ways to analyse your ‘self’ and increase self-awareness 15
Conclusion 29
4. The job market 31
Career sectors 32
Examples of job advertisements 34
Analysis of job advertisements 40
Self-employment 43
Where are the jobs? 44
Conclusion 51
vi 5. Enhancing your employability 53
The changing nature of work 53
Taking responsibility 53
C Taking a proactive approach 54
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n Planned happenstance 55
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n Personal and professional development 55
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s Conclusion 64
6. Making applications 67
Employer perspective 67
Presenting a professional image 68
Methods of application 69
Conclusion 82
7. Successful interview technique 83
Types of interviews 83
Interview content: what questions will you be asked? 87
Answering the questions 90
Thinking of questions to ask the interviewer 91
Preparation 91
If you are offered the job 92
If you are not offered the job 93
Conclusion 94
8. Decision making and action planning 95
Careers in research 95
Other career options 96
Decision making 97
Taking action 98
Turning decisions into action 99
Conclusion 102
Afterword 103
Appendix 1: Career narratives 105
Summaried list career narratives 105
1. Michel: professor, US university 106
2. Teresa: research fellow, Austrian university 109
3. John: lecturer, UK university 110
4. Andrew: lead scientist, protein design team, large
agribiotechnology company 113
5. John: scientific team leader, drug metabolism and
pharmacokinetics (DMPK), global contract research
organisation 114
6. Joanna: product and R&D manager, small
biotech company 116
7. Petra: scientific adviser, protein interaction
services company 117
8. Ann: president and chief executive officer, small
immunoreagent company 119
9. Yfke: senior medical writer, medical vii
communications agency 120
10. Carol: freelance science editor, writer and
training consultant 122 C
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11. Mary: features editor, Teaching Tools in n
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Plant Biology (learned journal) 124 n
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12. Linda: teacher training co-ordinator, public s
research institute 126
13. Ruth: freelance science journalist 127
14. David: research associate, Committee on Science,
Engineering, and Public Policy, National Academy
of Sciences; Outreach Committee Co-chair, AAAS
Science and Human Rights Coalition 129
15. Edward: clinical trial co-ordinator, university
cancer trial centre 131
16. Miguel: patent examiner, European Patent Office 133
17. Florent: scientific officer, Marie Curie Actions,
European Commission 135
18. John: healthcare analyst, self-employed partnership 136
19. Annie: technology consultant, international
technology consultancy 138
20. Ian: sound engineer, production services provider 140
Appendix 2: Social media 143
Appendix 3: Example CVs 151
Appendix 4: Support and resources 167
Index 175
COMPANION WEBSITE:
This book has a companion website:
www.wiley.com/go/blackford/careerplanning and you can visit
the author’s blog at www.biosciencecareers.org for more information.
