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It is no secret that one of the greatest impediments to improving the public understanding of science is the inability of scientists to articulate the importance of their work and ideas to non-scientists. 

Early in my career I was guilty like most of the rest of you. The first hint that I was not getting through to lay people was their eyes glazing over when I attempted to explain what my research was about. I quickly realized that I needed to learn how to better present my ideas to non-scientists if I wanted to engage them in casual conversations about science. 

Unfortunately, most of the persons charged with training scientists see little or no value in teaching their students to communicate to lay persons about their research or science in general. After all, they wouldn’t understand it anyway so why bother? That justification may have been valid 30 years ago but with the advent of the Internet and more recently social media, it is vitally important that the correct scientific information is disseminated to the lay public. In case you hadn’t notices, there is an awful lot of scientific misinformation out there that is being taken as “the truth” by large segments of the American public.

Recognizing this, Pat Marsteller a biologist and science educator at Emory University in Atlanta developed a course entitled “Communicating Science” which is designed to tech graduate students to write for and talk to non-scientists. She teaches the course with two chemists, mainly because the majority of students who took the class last semester (the first time it was taught) were chemists. Apparently, most of the students were “volun-told” to take the class by a chemistry adviser. This became apparent to Dr. Marsteller during the first class meeting when a chemistry student quipped: “Why Should I want to talk to anybody who doesn’t understand carbon?” Go figure....

While the course is designed to eliminate jargon and science speak so it is more comprehensible to non-scientists, it also stresses the different ways in which scientific information ought to be transmitted to different audiences that a scientist may encounter during his/her careers. For an example of this click here.

Hat tip to Dr. Marsteller for developing such a forward-thinking and necessary course.

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!

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The recent article published in the NY Times about the decline of high school student participation in science fairs resulted in many letters to the editor. Many of them were from concerned citizens and a few were from university researchers decrying the lack of government funding for research and the funding of sports over science programs. Another railed against the Bush’s Administration’s poorly crafted and ill-advised No Child Left Behind Act. However, there was one letter that surprised me. It was written by John P. Holdren, President Obama’s science and technology adviser (see below)

To the Editor:

Your article points to deep budget challenges that many school districts are facing and problems with the Bush administration’s No Child Left Behind law.

But it does not mention much of the Obama administration’s extraordinary agenda for improving science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in this country: for example, the commitment to prepare 100,000 new math and science teachers over the next 10 years, the $4 billion Race to the Top program’s support for innovation in teaching these important subjects, and the administration’s blueprint for updating the Elementary and Secondary Education Act this year.

Recognizing that government alone cannot be the answer, moreover, the president has also called upon the business community, foundations, professional societies and others to do more. Already, the president’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign has attracted more than $700 million in nongovernmental financial and in-kind support for science and math programs.

And more than 100 chief executives have responded to the president’s “all hands on deck” call to action by launching “Change the Equation,” an unprecedented program to scale up effective models for improving STEM education.

John P. Holdren
Washington, Feb. 7, 2011

The writer is President Obama’s science and technology adviser.

What surprised me about the letter is that it took an article critical of the Obama Administration’s commitment to science education to provide the American public (at least part of it) with some insight into the government’s recognition of the problem and steps that it is taking to help to correct it. Perhaps the Obama administration needs to be a bit more proactive and publicly-vocal about its plans to improve American STEM education. This would go a long way to assuage some of the concerns about America's waning global competitiveness in science and technology.

Like Dr. Holdren, I believe that government alone cannot be the answer and American corporations must get actively involved by providing ideas on how to improve American science education and the financial support to implement them. While the CEO-endorsed program “Change the Equation” sounds great on paper, it is time for those CEOs to actually step up and do something about the problem. Many of these same CEOs have been complaining for decades about the lack of STEM preparedness of the American workforce. As somebody once said “Talk is cheap and actions speak louder than words!”

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Teaching!!!!

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In his State of the Union Address last week, President Obama acknowledged that US global competitiveness in science, technology engineering and math is at an all time low and that now may be America’s “sputnik moment” to turn this trend around. While I was pleased to hear the President say that we have a problem, neither political rhetoric nor turning the lack of science literacy into a challenge that resembles an arms race is going to solve the problem. What is needed are better trained science teachers who can engage science-minded students and a repeal of the No Child Left Behind Act that forces schools to focus limited financial resources on bolstering math and reading scores to maintain public funding. Sadly, neither of these things is going to happen any time soon. But I digress...

Historically, an option for science-minded students who wanted to be “engaged” was local, regional and national science fairs where students competed with one another for recognition of innovative scientific achievement. According to an article in the NY Times, science fairs grew in popularity after World War II and were intended for those who may not have considered themselves science fanatics but were interested in general science. Michele Glidden, director at the Society for Science & public, a nonprofit organization that administers 350 regional fairs contends that “Science fairs develop skills that reach down to everybody’s lives, whether you want to be a scientist or not. The point is to breed science-minded citizens.” Unfortunately, the number of high school students and high school participating in science fairs is waning. For example, in Indiana participation in the state’s science fairs plummeted 15 per cent in the last three years.

Experts contend that declining participation may be linked to competing demands placed on high school students for other extracurricular options like sports, music, and volunteering. Yet many science educators contend that meeting mandated state standards that usually require teaching fact-based knowledge rather than the scientific method leaves little time for them to stimulate students who may be interested in participating in science fairs. Further, many high school teachers lack the training or subject matter expertise to help students who want to enter science fear. Some have reached out to scientists in industry or local colleges and universities to help interested students but these types of connections are frequently difficult to make. 

Yet, despite these challenges, several hundred thousand American high school students will participate in over 350 science fairs during the next three months or so. If now is truly a “sputnik moment” for America, than President Obama and perhaps more importantly Congress ought to “put its money where its mouth is” and provide support to improve US science literacy.

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!

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I have been professionally critiquing curricula vita (CV) for scientists for the past 10 years or so. While some are better than others, they all tend to suffer from the same problems and mistakes. This is mainly because scientists, unlike many other jobseekers, are rarely taught the “ins” and “outs” of resume writing. 

 Like anything else, resume writing is more of an art than a science and it takes many years and lots of trial and error to discover a format that works. That said, I found an article written by Charles Purdy, the Editor of Monster Hot Jobs, that offer would-be resumes (CV) writers some useful tips.

In the original article, Purdy offered eight tips for resume writers. However, some of the original eight were not germane to science CV writing. To that end, I pared the list down to five and added my own titles and commentary.

1.  Customize the wording of your CV

An easy way to make sure your resume gets you in the door for an interview is to echo or parrot the language in a job post in your CV. This is because a resume reader—whether human or software-based —will be screening them for so-called “key words.” Failure to include key words in a CV will likely mean that it will be placed in the not interested pile.

Look for ways to creatively use keywords throughout your CV. And yes, for those of you who may be thinking ahead, this means that a new CV will have to be created for every job applied for! You cannot be lazy if you are seriously looking for a job.

2.  Insure the accuracy of CV content

There is a saying among professional recruiters that goes something like “they all lie.” This means that there is a general consensus among recruiters and HR professionals that most jobseekers include “little white lies” in their CVs to bolster their changes of landing a job.

While this practice may have been tolerated in the past, the advent of social media, online background checks and increasing competition for jobs suggests that person who knowingly include false or misleading information in their CVs will suffer the consequences for lying. Nobody is going to hire an individual who has the propensity for not being forthcoming or telling the truth. So, keep it real and honest; or you may find yourself unemployed for a very long time.

3. Objective statements are passé

Honestly, I never truly understood objective statements; especially if they said something like, “to obtain a position as a laboratory scientist.” Well...duh....we know that you want to be a laboratory scientist because you applied for a laboratory scientist position at our company! 

Instead of an objective statement, I highly recommend CV contain a section (at the beginning) called “Summary of Qualifications” or “Personal Profile” This provides jobseekers with an opportunity to tell perspective employers who they are, what they bring to the table and why  they, rather than their competitors ought to be considered for the job. It also allows jobseekers to generously incorporate as many keywords gleaned from the job post into their CVs.

4.  Keep the verbosity down and use exciting and laudatory language

Scientists tend to wax romantically about their work and in many cases are overly verbose when it comes to describing what they have done and where they have been. On the other hand, hiring managers, HR professionals and recruiters don’t have the time or patience to read dense, wordy and often times redundant CVs.

The key to success is to clearly, cogently and boldly express your skill sets, talent and other assets that you will bring to the table if hired at a company. This requires a substantial amount of thinking, time and word-smithing to get it right. In other words, you will have to spend more than 30 min throwing together your CV.

Also, it is vital to construct a CV using action verbs and flowery, laudatory adjectives to sell yourself to prospective employers. Writing in the passive voice is tedious and quite frankly boring. Prospective employers want to hire people, who are confident about their abilities, demonstrate the ability to take control and face challenges without flinching.

Further, I know that we scientists are told not to promote or say exemplary things about ourselves but it is time to get over it; the rest of the job-seeking world does it and we are no different than other persons!

5. Appearance does matter!

Let’s face it: nobody wants to read a densely-packed CV written in 10 pt font. While it is true that content is the most important thing contained in a CV, the way information is presented can influence whether or not a CV is read by a prospective hiring manager or employer.

I generally recommend an open, inviting design that allows a reader to easily find all of the pertinent information about prospective employees.  Truth be told that when I was working as a professional recruiter, I tended to not even look at dense, visually unappealing CVs unless I was desperate for a job candidate.

While I am sure that I missed a few things, these tips will help to improve your CV and possibly lead to gainful employment. Let me know your thoughts!

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!

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I found an article on the Investopedia.com website that provides some useful tips and ideas on how to improve your resume quality and increase the likelihood of a face-to-face job interview.  Some may be obvious while others are not. 

Nevertheless, they are worth reviewing and using if they may sense to you

1. References Upon Request

There is no need to waste valuable resume space on this outdated section. Employers assume that you will provide references if asked. Instead, keep a separate page with the names and contact information of your references ready to supply to the employer once you have advanced in the interview process.

2. One Resume Fits All

While it is smart to keep a master resume on file, you need to customize it to fit each job for which you apply. Job-seekers who take the time to tailor their resume to the employer's needs will stand out from the pack. Eliminate the details that don't apply to the position and emphasize the ones that make you look the most qualified. It might take a little extra time to apply using this technique, but it will be worth it when your interview offers increase.

3. Objective Statement

The professional summary or profile has replaced the objective statement. Employers are focused on what candidates can do for them, not what the business can do for the candidate. You will sell yourself better with a concise bulleted list of the qualifications and accomplishments that make you a match for the position.

4. Single-Page Resume

One of the most touted resume rules is that the document must be one page. Many people will go to extremes to follow this command, resulting in tiny, unreadable font sizes just to avoid having a resume that extends onto the second page.

Unless you are a newcomer to the job market, it is entirely possible that you'll need more than a page to adequately showcase your skills and qualifications. If you have enough job experience that fits the position, it is acceptable to extend your resume length to two pages. Keep your resume succinct and relevant, but don't go under a 10-pt. font size.

5. Lack of Social Networking

Websites such as Facebook and Twitter might be considered distractions in the workplace, but they can be an asset on a resume. Employers want to know that applicants are up-to-date with current technology and communication trends. Links to a professional online portfolio, blog or LinkedIn page should be included in your resume header. There is a good chance that employers will do an internet search to find out more about potential employees, so make sure that all of your social networking profiles project a professional image.

6. Too Much Information

It is not necessary to give your life story on a resume. In fact, providing an employer with too much information can be detrimental to your chances of employment. Delete information about where and when you graduated high school. Ditch irrelevant jobs from 15 years ago. Although it was standard practice in some industries years ago, it is now inappropriate to include personal details in a resume such as information about your hobbies, religion, age and family status. Not only does it look unprofessional, but that information could be used to discriminate against you.

An employer will ask if they want to know why you left previous positions, so don't mention it on your resume. The rule of thumb is to pare down your resume to only include things that show why you are the perfect fit for the specific position for which you are applying.

7. Outdated Terminology and Skills

Skills in obsolete computer software and systems should be removed from your resume. Technical experience is critical in nearly every industry and employers often use technology keywords to find resumes in electronic databases. Listing basic computer skills such as word processing and using an internet browser is not recommended because employers will assume that you have those proficiencies. The job description is the best guide to determine the terminology and technology skills that should show up on your resume.

While I am not totally “down” with the inclusion of social media links on a resume, it’s totally up to you! That said, if you choose to take her advice, I highly recommend that you review all of your online profiles and sanitize them.

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!

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There are rumors that companies are hiring again and that pharmaceutical jobs may begin to make a comeback over the next six months to a year. This  may be a real possibility based on a new report released yesterday the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas, Inc.

According to the report , 51,034 pharmaceutical employees lost their jobs by the end of May 2009. In contrast, by the end of May this year, only 34,157 pharma employees received pink slips. This represents a 33% reduction in the number of people being layed off as compared with the same time period last year. 

These data can be interpreted in a couple of different ways. First, fewer pharmaceutical employees are getting layed off which means that the economy may be getting better and the job market may be improving. Second, pharma companies can no longer continue to layoff employees at 2009 rates without impacting their with day-to-day operations.

Personally, as a half-empty kind of guy, I think the later hypothesis is more likely! Only time will tell whether or not the economy has truly turned a corner and when we can expect pharma companies to begin hiring en masse again.

Hat tip to Ed at Pharmalot.

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting???

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As somebody who has been unemployed more than once, unemployment can be depressing, very frustrating and extremely worrisome.  In addition to sending out resumes and networking, I highly recommend using the free time that you have at your disposal to learn new skills to either make your life more manageable or to increase your employability.  Obviously, unemployed persons usually don’t have the money to enroll in formal training programs but thanks to the Internet and social media there are a variety of free tools and options out there for people looking to pick up new skill sets. 

Amber Johnson at OnlineDegreePrograms.org has put together a list of 100 skills you should learn (for free) while unemployed. While many of her suggestions are intuitive, there are a few on the list that may surprise you and quite possibly improve your chances of finding a new job!

100 Skills You Should Learn (for Free) While You’re Unemployed

People Skills and Networking

Become a better networker, small talker and listener to improve your job prospects.

1. Listen: Become a better listener by tuning out background noise and making eye contact.
2. Build a portfolio: Have an organized hard copy and file on your computer that succinctly and accurately represents your best work.
3. Share the conversation: Don’t dominate the conversation: learn to take a step back when you’ve said your part, and know when to jump in if the conversation becomes all about them.
4. Understand your emotional intelligence: Become more socially aware and learn to evaluate your own emotions and reactions.
5. Bring personality to a company: Being able to provide something that people can relate to behind the big corporate name is priceless.
6. Make your resume Internet ready: Make sure your updated resume will display nicely when you e-mail it and post it on job sites.
7. Set an example: Learn how to inspire others by doing what you love, being expressive, and helping others along the way.
8. Expand your network: Tap into contacts two or three degrees removed from your regular network.
9. Network or interview on the phone: Stop working on your in-person networking skills for a minute and remind yourself how to win someone over via the telephone.
10. Give a strong handshake: Impress people with your confidence by giving a better handshake.
11. Remember people’s names: From face association to repetition, there are various ways to remember a person’s name.
12. Know when and how to use icebreakers: Become the one other people depend on to make connections and feel comfortable.
13. Make a point to grow existing relationships: Don’t just get to know people on the surface: get to know business and personal contacts on a deeper level.

Life hacks

From making your own coffee to saving gas, here you’ll learn valuable skills that save you money, too.

14. Make your own coffee: Cut back on expensive coffee runs by learning how to make your own cup.
15. Comparison shop: Comparison shopping will save you money and turn you into a more responsible consumer and better product researcher.
16. Learn how to be more energy efficient: Save money on energy bills at home and at your new office when you get hired again.
17. Save gas: Minimize the number of times you have to spend money on gas by making each fill up last longer.
18. Eat cheaply: Watch this video to learn how to make yummy meals out of dollar-store food.
19. Discover your life purpose: Discover how to tap into your life purpose and passion to give you more direction in your job search and life goals.
20. Face reality: Accepting and dealing with reality will help your career and your personal life.
21. Cook: While you have the time, learn to cook healthy, budget-friendly meals for yourself, and use leftovers.
22. Being positive: Stop complaining and turn yourself into a positive thinker.
23. Meditate: Meditation will help get you through the tough times.

Productivity and Task Mastering

Stay productive and learn to stay on task, avoid procrastinating and set goals even when you’re unemployed.

24. Get up on time: Learn how to get up right when your alarm goes off to get a fresh, productive start to the day.
25. Funneling: The art of funneling means that you know how to manage incoming projects and to-do lists, and prioritize them accordingly.
26. Speed reading: You’ll be able to stay on top of industry reports, news stories, job postings and more when you learn to speed read.
27. Break things down: Turn difficult tasks into easier ones by breaking them down and taking it day by day.
28. How to set goals: Setting goals will help you be more successful, in the short-and long-term.
29. Overcome fear of failure: Fear of failure wastes time and prevents you from doing what you really want.
30. Beat procrastination: This step-by-step guide will help you beat procrastination.
31. Prepare a to-do list: A well-organized to-do list will keep you on track and save time.
32. Learn the Pomodoro Technique: Those who are anxious about meeting deadlines should master this technique.
33. Eliminate distractions: Learn how to tune out distractions and interruptions.

Computer and Internet Skills

These skills will turn you into a better Googler, blogger and typer.

34. Online research: Besides helping you find a job, solid Internet research skills will make you a desirable job candidate.
35. Learn how to use different operating systems: Train yourself to learn how to use Macs, Windows and Linux systems.
36. Hack Google: Learn all of the Google shortcuts and business tools.
37. Build a high-traffic website: Promote yourself and show potential employers how you can improve their websites.
38. Use Facebook productively: Turn Facebook into a business tool for networking, branding and more.
39. Basic web design: Employers will snatch you up if you know even basic web design.
40. Blog: Becoming an expert blogger takes time, so use your unemployment to learn the technical and business side of blogging.
41. Telecommute: Learn how to work with others online.
42. Learn to type: Typing quickly and correctly saves you time and makes your work look more professional.
43. Create a podcast: This fun and simple skill could increase your job prospects too.

Organization

Organize your personal and professional life by learning these skills.

44. Be punctual: Being punctual forces you to map out your day according to appointments and to-dos.
45. Use spreadsheets: Spreadsheets are great organizing tools and are used at almost every office.
46. Sort email: Set up folders, archives, filters and searches to organize all of your emails.
47. Prioritize: Prioritize your tasks so that it’s easier to work down your to-do list.
48. Use a calendar: Make use of an online calendar to set up alerts and more tools to help you stay organized.
49. Improve your memory: Practice different techniques to improve your memory.
50. Organize your closet: A better organized closet will help you stay on top of chores and get ready faster in the mornings.

Writing

Write better emails, use better grammar and influence others with your writing.

51. Write better emails: Write effective, impressive emails and subject headings.
52. Learn correct grammar: Poor grammar will hurt your career prospects in a heartbeat.
53. Persuasive writing: Learn how to write more persuasively and passionately.
54. Write for the Internet: Writing online pieces is completely different than writing for traditional media.
55. Write the perfect cover letter: Write a better opening and remember to include all the important details.

Confidence

These skills will boost your confidence and make others take notice of you.

56. Work on body language: Learn how to stand confidently, make eye contact and relax.
57. Trust yourself: If you’re constantly worried about what other people think of you and your decisions, you’ll come across as weak and inexperienced.
58. Examine your soft skills: Discover what soft skills make you a good employee: leadership, dedication, or the ability to motivate others.
59. Master the job interview: Be prepared, be confident and research the company and person you’re interviewing with.
60. Handle rejection: Stay confident and inspired even when you aren’t getting call backs.

Promotion and Branding

The skills you learn to promote yourself now will pay off later.

61. Design for branding: Learn how to think creatively and visually in order to promote your brand.
62. Understand copyright: Learn about copyright laws and how to get your own patent.
63. Promote yourself without bragging: You’ve got to learn how to relate to people and make them interested in you and your experience, without bragging.
64. Know — and own — your best attributes: Show off your ability to close a sale or put on your resume that you’re the one to call if a decision needs to be made.
65. Being accountable: Monitor what’s being said about you online and on social networks, keep track of your brand’s reputation, and own up to any mistakes or issues people have with you.
66. Use Twitter effectively: Learn how to use Twitter to boost your brand and reputation, not diminish it.
67. Develop your message: Learn how to create a focused, engaging message.
68. Write a press release: Even if you don’t work in PR or marketing, being able to write a press release is a valuable, desirable skill personally and professionally.
69. Follow up: Make sure you follow up on promises and after meeting new people.
70. Identify an audience: Learn how to rework your message depending on who you’re speaking to.

Speaking and Communication

From better storytelling to learning a new language or becoming an effective public speaker, these communication skills will make you more influential and confident.

71. Learn a foreign language: Speaking at least two languages greatly increases your desirability as a job candidate.
72. Storytelling: For presentations and networking, it helps if you’re a good storyteller.
73. Keep it simple: Don’t babble; instead, learn to speak clearly and simply.
74. How to make transitions: Making smooth transitions in your talks and presentations will strengthen your speech overall.
75. Deliver bad news: You should learn how to be diplomatic and break bad news considerately.
76. Consider things from different points of view: Relate to your audience and act like a fair leader by considering various points of view.
77. Give a compliment: If you’re uncomfortable giving compliments, you’d better learn how to get over it.
78. Negotiate: Negotiate salary, job offers, payment, and more.
79. Conflict management: Learn how to be more diplomatic and solve problems in the workplace.
80. Speak to executives: Don’t be afraid to talk to the boss, just make sure you do it the right way.

Finance

Save money and learn smarter budgeting tips here.

81. Open a Roth IRA: Use a little of the money you have saved to start a Roth IRA for the future.
82. Pay taxes as a freelancer: If you’re freelancing between full-time jobs, you’ll need to learn how to do your own taxes.
83. Turn eBay into a money-maker: While you’re out of work, learn how to use eBay to make extra cash.
84. Haggle: Get better deals on food, entertainment, clothes and more when you learn to haggle.
85. Lower your cell phone bill: Learn how to lower your cell phone bill when you’re tightening your budget.
86. Get a tax extension: If you just can’t pay your taxes this year because you’re unemployed, learn how to get an extension.
87. Consolidate debt: This skill may help you with a finance problem at work and alleviate some of the burden of high interest rates.
88. Make a budget: This practical skill will save you money and help you trim expenses at work.
89. Find a bargain: Learn when to go generic and hunt for bargains.
90. Save: Practice restraint by setting up savings accounts and spending less.

Weird Skills

You never know when you’ll need to win a fist fight or have to know your tolerance for alcohol, so practice now.

91. Win a fist fight: Man up and learn how to win a fist fight or street fight.
92. Be more photogenic: Look more attractive and confident in photographs.
93. Know your tolerance: Before getting wasted at networking events or office parties, know how much booze you can handle.
94. Be a respectful house guest: Review basic etiquette and send a thank-you note the next day.
95. Know when someone is lying: Be able to tell when someone else is lying to protect yourself.

Miscellaneous

From tying a tie to taking better notes, here are more skills you should learn while you’re unemployed.

96. Stay on top of industry news: Make reading industry reports and niche news blogs a habit for when you’re unemployed and when you get a job.
97. Get comfortable with international travel: Even if you can’t afford a plane ticket, read world news, learn a language and keep up with other cultures to broaden your horizons and show potential employers that you’re open to traveling for them.
98. Tie a tie: Make sure you always look presentable by tying your tie correctly.
99. Keep your brain active: Keep learning so that you’re in shape to tackle new challenges when you do find a job.
100. Take better notes: Learn to take notes during interviews and meetings.

There you have it!

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!

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It should come as no surprise to most BioJobBlog readers that scientists are not known for their writing or literary skills. And, for the most part, graduate students in the life sciences receive little or no instruction or training in scientific writing. This wasn’t always the case. When I entered graduate school at the University Of Wisconsin way back in 1974, Joe Wilson, Chairman of the Department of Bacteriology at the time, insisted that all incoming graduate students take a semester-long course in scientific writing. Most of my peers thought it was a colossal waste of time but by the end of the semester we all knew how, in theory, to write a scientific paper, understood the peer review process and if nothing else could write something that resembled a scientific manuscript when asked to do so. I personally learned a lot during the course and thought it was extremely useful. 

I currently work as a freelance science/medical writer and I think the course has served me well throughout my career. In fact, while a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the University of Miami School of Medicine, many of my colleagues would give me their RO1 applications to review for content, grammar and editing before submitting them to NIH. As the former Chairman of my department said to me after I asked him what he thought after reading my first grant application, “It is extremely well written from a literary standpoint”. Not exactly what I wanted to hear but maybe that explains why I am a science writer and no longer an academic. So it goes....!

The reason that I am rambling on about scientists and their poor writing skills is that things haven’t gotten much better over the 35 year since I took that mandatory writing course as first semester graduate student at UW. Based on my observations, graduate students are only asked to do original writing when preparing their theses and in some instances when writing manuscripts (which are usually re-written by their mentors).  What is even more troubling is that science undergraduate students do virtually no writing at all! How then do we expect graduate students and postdocs to successfully write grant application and manuscripts if they receive no formal training in science writing?

To that end, I came across an interesting, albeit humorous, post from Dr. Isis, who according to her bio is “a physiologist at a major research university working on some terribly impressive stuff. She blogs about balancing her research career with the demands of raising small children, how to succeed as a woman in academia, and anything else she finds interesting.” Like me, Dr. Isis, doesn’t think that scientists spend enough time teaching other scientists how to write. In the post she offers some ideas, tips and solution to this increasingly vexing problem! 

Basic Writing Resources for Basic Scientists

Dr. Isis does hot science. Hot, hot, caliente science. I feel like we have already established that, though.

Learning to do hot science has not been a trivial thing, but learning to write in the scientific arena was orders of magnitude harder. It's still something that does not come easy for me and that I have had to practice to improve. I learned the first time I received my first crapvalanche of papers from a group of students that I am not the only one who has had trouble translating the suckquake of writing I learned in high school and as an undergraduate into successful scientific writing.

I wonder if scientific writing is something that we don't spend enough time teaching pre-graduate school level students.  I know that in science courses I've taught that have required papers, the most formal instruction time I have been able to devote to writing is showing them this: 

Video 1: Strong Bad teaches us how to write a successful paper. Strong Bad is full of wisdom and has taught me about 90% of the awesome stuff I know. I'd encourage you to check him out here.

But, I digress. This long, overly drawn-out, unnecessary introduction had tweo purposes -- 1) to give me an excuse to use Strong Bad in a blog. I <3 Strong Bad. 2) to point the following resource out to you.

This weekend someone showed me "Ask Betty: Grammar in College Writing." Ask Betty is run by the Department of English at the University of Washington and has all sorts of great information. It has a list of common editing symbols for those of us who edits papers and a lesson on common grammatical mistakes for those of us who are writing papers. I think this site could potentially be a fantastic resource for those of use who speak English as a second language. There's a Q&A page with examples of phrases and discussion of whether they are well-written. There is also a resource page with links to external writing resources.

Addendum: While Dr. Isis offers a good self-help solution to the problem, perhaps it might be more useful if graduate students and postdocs are required to take formal science writing courses as part of their graduate training. Technology has advanced considerably since 1974 and students no longer have to take time out from their busy schedules to attend a bricks and mortar class like I did. The course could be offered online and students could complete it at their own speed. The growing number of foreign graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, whose primary language isn’t English, suggests that a course like this may be in the best interests of American science.

Until next time....

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!

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A survey involving 2000 members of the public and 2500 scientists conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) revealed that almost two-thirds of Americans hold scientists and engineers (and their contributions to society) in high regard. However, in marked contrast, 85% of the scientists surveyed said that public ignorance of science was a major problem. And, not surprisingly a majority of the scientists surveyed feel that American media coverage of science is “fair or poor.”

While the reasons for this disconnect in opinions aren’t readily apparent, perhaps some insights into the public’s understanding of scientific concepts like evolution and climate might be informative. For example, almost 35% of Americans believe that “humans existed in their current form since the beginning of time” whereas only 2% of scientists hold this belief. Further, only about 50 percent of Americans agree that humans are behind climate change and a whopping11 percent believe that there isn’t global warming at all. These beliefs trouble many scientists because there is no credible scientific evidence to refute the theory of evolution and there is incontrovertible data which shows that humans are a major contributor to global warming. So, what’s the deal with Americans?

There is little doubt that American science education is lacking. For the most part, this deficiency has been blamed on poorly trained and uninformed primary and secondary school science teachers. While this may be partly true, scientists and engineers also bear much of the responsibility.  According to the report, only 3 percent of the scientists surveyed said that they “often” spoke to reporters and the media. In other words, a majority of scientists don’t feel that it’s important to engage the public in fundamental discussion about evolution and climate change.  A facile and convenient way for scientists to eschew any responsibility for the problem is to label the American public as “ignorant about science” and not do anything about it. If scientists truly want to improve the public understanding of science, it will be necessary to roll up our sleeves and do some work to better inform and educate them!  New social media tools like blogs, videos, podcasts and social networking sites like BioCrowd represent ideal vehicles to begin to make headway against this vexing problem! 

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Teaching!!!!!!!

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The US economy has lost about 7.1 million jobs since December 2007 and nationwide unemployment is hovering around 8.5 percent. Despite the lost of  about 80,000 pharmaceutical jobs over the past three years and unprecedented consolidation taking place in the life sciences sector—Merck-Schering Plough, Pfizer-Wyeth and Roche-Genentech—the job prospects for scientists at biotech companies, medical devices and diagnostics, and government appear to be stronger than anticipated. While drug discovery and sales jobs may be scare, there are rapidly emerging opportunities in the fields of medical communications, regulatory affairs, biomanufacturing, clinical trials management , bioengineering, medical devices/diagnostics and website development and management.

President Obama’s promise to restore science to its rightful place, his reversal of the ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and an unwavering commitment to alternate energy technologies suggest that the future may be very bright for bioscientists. For example, there are massive hiring initiatives at federal agencies like the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Unites States Department of Agriculture (UDSA) — as the Obama administration attempts to overall these agencies— and funding levels at the National Institutes of Health are on the rise (aided in part by a $200 million Challenge Grant stimulus program).

While the road to economic recovery may be a long one, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are currently engaged in life sciences research should “stay the course and not jump ship just yet.” The life sciences industry is more recession proof than others and it will be one of the first to experience an economic turn around. And, when it does it is best to prepared to find a job!

Until next time…

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!

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