Preparing for the BioSciences Career FairBPC_2018).pdftake your resume What should be your primary...

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Preparing for the BioSciences Career Fair

Dr. Joseph Barber

Senior Associate Director

Career Services

[email protected]

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1. Exploring careers at career fairs

2. Networking at career fairs

3. Applying for positions at career fairs

4. Resumes for career fairs

5. Career fair do’s and don’ts

6. Winning at career fairs

Search for “Career Fair Plus”

University of Pennsylvania

Do not copy or distribute without permission

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What is a career fair?

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1. An opportunity for employers to connect with future talent

2. An opportunity for employers to improve their on-campus branding – and to create a recruiting pipeline

3. An opportunity for employers to hire

1. An opportunity for you to connect with future employers (even if you aren’t job hunting right now)

2. An opportunity for you to explore different career paths

3. An opportunity for you to make yourself known by recruiters/Penn alumni at organizations that interest you

4. An opportunity to get a position

– (yes, this happens every year to students/postdocs like you!)

YOU

EMPLOYERS

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What happens at a career fair?• Employers send recruiters and sometimes employees of

departments that are hiring and/or alumni of Penn• Employers answer questions about their firm and their hiring

processes• Employers take in a first impression of you; sometimes they

take your resume

What should be your primary focus?• Building a relationship between you and the

company/organization• The secret to career fairs is treating the event as a networking

opportunity, not like a one-stop-shopping expedition



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What are the overall benefits of career fairs?

– An opportunity for you to identify possible career paths, or to rule out unsuitable ones

– An opportunity for you to identify actual steps you can take over the next 6-12 months to make yourself a better candidate in the future

– An opportunity for you to gain additional information and contacts = networking

– An opportunity for you to practice introducing yourself to employers = networking

– An opportunity to apply for jobs!

– Getting names of people you can include in cover letters

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If I’m uncertain about career paths; how are fairs helpful?

– You can attend employer presentations during the BioSciences Career Fair

– Explore the types of jobs advertised by the employers (e.g., on their website, via Handshake)

– Think about how your skills and experiences match the requirements of the positions, then chat with employers

– Ask informed questions to employers at fairs that can actually give you actionable information on how to apply

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“I have a year left of my research, but I am looking to transition into careers in your industry. From my research I know your company values X, and so I was wondering what type of skills you are looking for in candidates?”



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Besides being here, what else should I do to prepare?

– If there are companies/industries at the fairs that you want to learn more about, you need to investigate ahead of time:

• View the list of companies and their positions on Handshake

• View the company websites

• Reach out to people in your network to learn more

– Know your skills and interests, and be prepared to present your strengths:

• Think about whether you are a good match

• Prepare your resume, and what you will say to employers

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https://upenn.joinhandshake.com

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https://upenn.joinhandshake.com/career_fairs/5049

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EXPLORENETWORK

APPLY&

WIN



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EXPLORE

• Review list of registered employers and visit their websites• Look on their careers pages and search by keyword (e.g., PhD)• Refine keyword and do it again• Look at any open positions using Handshake• Take note of skills required and job responsibilities• Make a note of these in your networking database• Think of 1-2 questions about these positions or the employer• Bring questions with you to the career fair• Attend info sessions • Speak with representatives• Ask questions

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10-minute information sessions given by employers in an adjacent conference room during the career fair

Times to be confirmed:

Consulting:• Alcimed• Charles River Associates• Herspiegel Consulting

Pharma:• CSL Behring• Regeneron• Pfizer

Research:• GENEWIZ• VWR International• GenScript

Science Writing:• PharmaWrite• ICON – CHC Group• Research Square



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50% of networking is gathering information you can use

to achieve your career goals

RESEARCH

50% is sharing information about yourself with others

to achieve your career goals

PERSONAL BRANDING

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Identifying your networking goals:

Research and information gathering:• Find out about different types of jobs, firms, career paths• Learn from the experiences of others in your field• Learn about skills necessary to do the jobs• Learn about the culture of different organizations• Learn about resources and best practices to help you• Learn how to apply and interview successfully

Network building and personal branding:• Share information about your skills, strengths, and interests• Demonstrate the value you can add• Showcase your motivation and energy• Find opportunities to help others

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Practicing your pitch



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Developing one version of your professional pitch for networking

Goals:• 30-60 seconds• Shares relevant information (can be adapted based on situation)• Promotes additional conversation• Helps people to remember something about you once you leave

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Keep smiling and nodding; perhaps he’ll make sense

eventually

Why are we meeting in this

dark, creepy room?

Blah blah tripto-2-3-hexase… blah blah pseudo poly-resonant cellular pathways… blah blah

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Your career fair introduction



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You are more than your research…

• Your narrative must be relevant to the person who you are talking to – and concise

• General subjects to address:

– What you do, and how you do it

– Why what you do is important (to your field/the world/to the jobs that interest you within their organization)

At career fairs:• The very specific research you have spent years working on may

not be that important to the person listening.

• Consider: what transferable skill has allowed you to be successful in your line of research? What challenges have you overcome?

• Give an example of how you have used this skill

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A general 30-60 second introduction might include:

• The role you play (not your title)• The skills you are using• The problem that you are solving• Your future goals• What you know about the employer

And then…

• A question to get the conversation started

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• Hello [insert name here – they are wearing name badges]

• Thanks for coming today – I’ve been looking forward to chatting with you. My name is ___, and I am a ____ [skill, not title]

• Over the last couple of years I have been… [describe something relevant to employer that you do such as research; science writing; PBG projects; Policy work, etc.]

• Given my experience, I have been exploring career options in [add career field] and I am hoping to… [talk about what you are hoping for in the future in terms of your career]

• I’ve seen from your website that…; I recently spoke with one of your colleagues who said… [tell them what you know about their organization]

• I was hoping you could tell me more about [opportunities; projects; culture of organization; etc.], and how you see my experiences as being a good fit



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STEP 1

Your name:• Don’t rush this• Consider the reverse James Bond approach – you can mention

your first name twice to increase the chance it will be heard and remembered

Hi, I’m James…, James Bond

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STEP 2

What you are…, what you do:• Think about a theme that describes how you do what you do• Think about what problems you solve rather than what you do

“I am trying to discover how our own cells can be reprogrammed to fight cancer by combining innovative computational approaches with an exciting international collaboration with labs in three different scientific disciplines”

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STEP 3

Tell a brief story:• People remember stories more easily than factual statements • Effective stories should show your skills and expertise in action

Keep the story brief!



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STEP 3

Tell a brief story:

“I just got back from France where I was helping our collaborators in a bioengineering lab figure out why their data didn’t match ours, and I really enjoyed helping them troubleshoot the process they were using – we’ll be writing about the solutions we came up with in a new paper over the next few months”

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STEP 4

Bring your listener into the conversation, then ask a question:• No-one wants to listen to a 2-minute monologue• Effective networking is achieved through engaging conversations• The more you learn about your listener, then better you can

tailor the conversation to be of interest to them• Your goal is to make the person you are interacting with feel

positive about the conversation. They will associate this positive feeling with you

• Get your listener talking

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“I saw from the job posting in Handshake that your current analyst opening is focused on market research in the oncology space. I have had some experience in this through a student-run consulting project here at Penn, but I would love to hear more about this position, and the types of skills you are looking for”



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What are your 3 main takeaways?

What should someone remember about you a week from now?

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NETWORK

• Use your well-practiced narrative/pitch• Look for employer representatives wearing “alumni” ribbons –

they are mostly PhDs, and can give additional insight• Ask your questions

1. Asking employers how your unique skills and knowledge could best be applied at their organization

2. Speaking with Penn alumni or former postdocs who are representing their employers about their own career pathways

• Enjoy the conversation• Take a business card• Ask if you can follow up if you have any additional questions• Follow-up after the fair to say thanks, and to ask any additional

questions• Add contact information to your networking database

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Some general tips

• Have a plan of action

– Who you will visit, what you want to discuss, what steps will happen after the fair

• Give yourself plenty of time

• Don’t ask these questions:

– “So…, what does your company do?”

– “I don’t have any questions for you, but can I just give you a copy of my resume?”

– “Looking at my resume, what do you think I could do at your company?”

• Don’t just be a generic “postdoc” or “PhD student”



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First impressions are made by:

• How you are dressed• Your body language• What you say• How you interact with others

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• Face the person, with good eye contact, when reaching out

• Have dry hands

• Keep your thumb pointing up

• Move your hands forward firmly; don’t squeeze until the web of your hand has firmly engaged with the web of your partner’s hand

• Use a firm grip – the type you use when holding a door handle

• Don’t bring your hand in from the side as if you are slapping someone on the back

• The shake should last 2-3 seconds, with 1-3 up-and-downs

• Shake from your elbow; you don’t need to engage your shoulder to do any heavy lifting

• Maintain eye contact during the shake

Handshaking the right way



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1. Find the BioSciences Career Fair on Handshake: https://app.joinhandshake.com/career_fairs2. Browse the various employers who have registered, and take a closer look at their open positions3. Think about some of your career fair goals. Are you exploring, networking, looking for information,

checking in with employers you have already interacted with, or applying? You might be doing something slightly different with each employer

4. Create a list of employers at each fair that you want to connect with, and organize it with your favorite employers at the top

5. Do research on all of the employers you have listed. Look at their website to know what they do and how they do it. Look at the jobs that they have posted on Handshake. Look at the jobs they have posted beyond Handshake. Create a list of smart questions you want to ask

6. Practice the introduction you want to use for different employers aloud, and do it several times until it sounds and feels natural

7. Think about what you want to wear. Your appearance should be similar to the appearance of the representatives from the employers you are most interested in

8. Have a good resume to share. Get it reviewed by a career advisor before you go to the fair9. Don’t start by handing someone your resume – start with a strong handshake and good eye

contact. All employers have name tags on, so you can even start with a “Hello Julie, thanks for being here today…”.

10. Introduce yourself, ask some smart questions, have an energetic discussion, consider sharing your resume, ask for a business card, and offer to follow-up with an electronic version of your materials.

11. Thank them, shake their hands, and move on with a smile!12. Within 24 hours, and using the email address from their business cards, send an email thanking

them, telling them why you found your conversation helpful, and sharing anything that you said you would share

Your career fair checklist

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EXPLORENETWORK

Career fairs are relevant to PhD students/postdocs in ALL stages of program/appointment

Encourage your lab mates who aren’t currently looking for jobs to attend this event as well. Their future self will thank you

Networking = relationship building = takes time



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Your lab mate

Their very happy

future self

Listen to the advice you were given – go

to the career fair

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APPLY

• All organizations at career fairs have some sort of current or future opportunities – ask them what they have

• Some have specific open positions they are looking to fill

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APPLY

• Tailor resume to advertised positions• Have a general (industry-focused) resume for other organizations*

*you can have a resume with you even if you aren’t planning on applying…, why?



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Do you have a resume?

If you are not actively job hunting, you don’t really need a resume…, but you might get some feedback on how

relevant your skills, knowledge, and experience are if you do

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APPLY

• You can share a resume for their information, but you will want to submit an updated version through Handshake, their website, and by email

• Take a business card so you can follow-up• You can use your thank you email to also attach a copy of your

resume

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Resumes = currency of career fairs

• Transactions that occur at career fairs:

– Be prepared to give your resume to employers*

– Always ask for business cards from employers

– Generally, business cards are not given to employers

• Resumes need to be tailored

– At least for industry (e.g., consulting, pharma, R&D)

– Perhaps even for specific employers (based on research on who will be attending fairs)

• Keep it concise; ensure it is easy to read over quickly

*You will have an opportunity to apply formally after the event



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• Contact information

• Education

• Relevant experience

• Skills

• Contact information

• Education

• Dissertation/thesis topic

• Postdoc training/fellowships

• Awards

• Research experience

• Publications

• Teaching experience

• Abstracts and presentations

• Symposia/lectures

• Professional affiliations

• Research grants

• Certifications/licensure

• Committee appointments

RESUME (skills) CV (experience)

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Resume speed

• Recruiters may only spend 30 seconds reviewing resumes

– If your skills aren’t obvious then you are not maximizing your chances of getting noticed

• What do you want the main takeaways to be for your resume – what should stick in the reader’s head?

• Quickly look at your resume:

– do you see these takeaways easily?

– Have you illustrated them clearly?

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YOU EMPLOYER

Are you communicating effectively?

RESUME



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YOU EMPLOYER

• Your descriptions do not match what you actually did• You are describing tasks not skills• You are assuming a common knowledge of experience/research• Your language is problematic (unclear, jargon, too specific)

RESUME

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“My research focuses on elements of interspatial, surface-to-surface binding that has a critical function

in nanoscale friction, and relates to a broader understanding of sub-surface matter stratification”

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“Managed 3 collaborative projects spanning materials science and physics labs to develop innovative

assessments of friction between nanoscale surfaces, resulting in 2 co-author publications ”



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YOU EMPLOYER

• Your statements are misinterpreted• The reader pictures something different than you do• There is no shared contextual experience• The reader does not understand what is written

RESUME

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• Assisted with analysis of dataset using random forest algorithms

• Participated in collaborative efforts to understand the accuracy of lab-on-chip tools in cancer assessment

• Held office hours

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67YOU

“Assisted in 2 projects”

68YOU


69YOU




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70YOU


CommunicationStrategic planning

Team work across disciplines

Ability to successfully

complete 2 projects within a short

timeframe

71EMPLOYER


72EMPLOYER

Assisted in 2

projects




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When talking about EXPERIENCE

Skill – Situation – Outcome

• Skill= active doing verb (taught, researched, solved…) that is directly relevant to the reader/position you are interested in

• Situation

= enough context to make the skill make sense without distracting reader from the skill

Not just “analyzed data” – think type, amount, method used

• Outcome = the result of you using that particular skill in that context (e.g., paper, presentation, new collaboration, more efficient approach, new insight, finished project…)

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Skills in action

• Good teamwork and management skills

• Worked with team on research projects

• Oversaw progress of team towards completing research

• Oversaw 5-person team working on research

• Oversaw 5-person team comprised of researchers from 3 departments by developing action plans for research project, resulting in effective completion of project on-time and under budget.

Be skill & outcome specific –

add quantifiable elements to make your experiences

believable

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SPELLING MISTEAKS

Why are these so important?

– Attention to detail

– Effective communication

– Distracting from actual content of CV/resume

Why do these happen?

– Your brain falls asleep after reading your own materials for the 100th time (resume blindness)

– You haven’t selected the option in Word to spellcheck words in ALL CAPITLES

– You haven’t had a critique from a career advisor



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Common errors

PROFESSIONAL EXPEREINCE

– PROFESIONAL EXPERIENCE

Words that are spelt correctly but that are not the right words:

– From/form; asses/assess; discuss/discus; is/if

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https://vimeo.com/294839748

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What is more important at a career fair, you or your resume?



https://vimeo.com/294839748

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What you learn from a career fair discussion can be

integrated into the resume you actually use to

apply for an opportunity



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Using your resume at a career fair

1. Have the best version of your resume for the fair (sometimes more than one version)

2. Make a solid introduction (handshake v. resume)3. Share your relevant skills and experiences4. Demonstrate knowledge of the company and their

opportunities5. Ask smart questions6. Share you resume – point to something in particular7. Ask for a business card8. Offer to send an electronic version that may be updated

based on their answers to your questions, and ask about any formal application process

9. Send a thank you email within 24 hours, and possibly attach an updated version of your resume

10. Apply online as appropriate

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Notes for candidate profile database, not for application

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Do…A perfect introduction – firm handshake and good eye contact!

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Take Care! Consider putting your bags on your left shoulder so they don’t slip

down and knock everything off the table as you reach to shake hands!

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Do…Ask interested, informed questions and express enthusiasm about what

you know – it will help with making a positive impression



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Take Care! Don’t be overly distracted by the knick-knacks; they are

meant to be a draw for conversation, don’t grab and run…

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Do…Always have plenty of copies of your resume available to hand to employers. Remember, the answer is always Yes!

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Take Care! Cups of liquid have the tendency to spill when you least want them to. Always keep your right hand free to shake hands with the employer.



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Do…Enjoy yourself at career fairs, and always project a positive, lively persona. Employers meet many people, help yourself be noticed.

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Take CareLab coats don’t make the best

impression

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Do…Speak clearly and loudly – you have to be heard above the noise.



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Take Care!Do not leave without discussing what the next steps are to follow up. Make sure you get the recruiters name and business card.

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DoWrap up your interaction strongly. Restate that you will follow

up, and then make sure to send a thank you email

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Post Fair Follow up• Good follow up starts at the fair:

– take notes on what you remember from your conversations with the employers (you can use the app)

– For each employer, remember/write down the “what next” part of the conversation

– Keep track of business cards

• If no specific “follow up” was discussed, write thank you emails to the contacts you made that you want to maintain, reminding them of your conversation

• Think about skills you want to develop or industry information you could learn more about. How will you be more prepared for the jobs you want going forward?

– Set up an appointment at Career Services



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What should I bring to the BioSciences Career Fair?

– Resumes

– Phone with Career Fair Plus app

– PennCard (or CHOP ID)

– Smile

– Your lab mates

– Your other PhD/postdoc colleagues

– Your strategic plan

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EXPLORENETWORK

APPLY&

WIN

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WIN



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Questions?



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