Author: Jason Burns
The article below is written by Sci.bio’s technology partner, Jason Burns of Kortivity. This piece really resonates with us at Sci.bio, as professionalism and customer service are our top KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).
Myth: Good performance is enough to create a successful career. Variations of this myth include: your work speaks for itself, and results matter most.
Yes, your performance and results matter. They are necessary ingredients for career success, but they aren’t enough. They aren’t even the most important.
Professionalism matters more.
What does Professionalism even mean?
The term professionalism may conjure up images of a person in a suit with a briefcase full of TPS reports, swiping their key card at 7:30am to beat everyone to the 8am meeting.
But that’s not what it is. A surfer whose job is to hang out on the beach waiting for the next righteous barrel can show more professionalism than an office worker.
Professionalism, in any industry, simply means that you treat others with respect, value people’s time, keep your commitments, and act with integrity.
Professionalism is essential to career success.
How can you practice Professionalism?
- Show up on time. Showing up on time to meetings, lunches, phone calls, video chats, and appointments shows that you respect others and value their time. Of course, you can’t always control your circumstances. If you’re going to be late, let the other parties know. When you do arrive, be ready. If you find yourself perpetually late, allow for more time between appointments, leave earlier, or change the habits that make you late.
- Maintain a professional image. Many modern workplaces have adopted more casual dress codes, offer remote work options, and encourage employees to be authentic. None of this should compromise your professional image. Dress appropriately for your situation, use respectful language, maintain eye contact, and actively listen regardless of where you are.
- Be present. Get rid of distractions. Put your phone or watch on “do not disturb” and do not check messages while you’re in a meeting with others. Checking messages, looking around, or allowing your phone or watch to buzz over and over doesn’t make you look important, it makes you look unprofessional. If you’re too busy to be present in a meeting, you should reschedule it for another time.
- Show integrity. Be accountable for your actions, take pride in your work, admit when you’ve made a mistake, and commit to fixing it.
- Take ownership. Don’t ask questions you could easily look up. Think of possible solutions to a problem before you present it. Don’t turn in unfinished or sloppy work. Be honest with yourself and others about your capabilities and timeline.
- Treat others the way you like to be treated. If you don’t like waiting on people when they’re late, not being listened to, sending emails or voicemails that don’t get a response, or being let down when you’re counting on someone, don’t do it to other people. Following this rule takes care of 95 percent of being professional.
Why does Professionalism matter more than performance?
- It’s rare. Unfortunately, professionalism is becoming increasingly harder to find among job candidates. Especially in entry level positions, many people can do the work. Finding someone who will show up on time, treat others with respect, be present, take initiative, and act with integrity is much harder. But in the long run, it matters more. Professionalism is an attitude and a mindset. Performance requires skills and training that are easier to teach.
- It’s transferable. Professionalism matters in every job, across every industry, in every location. Your performance and results may vary based on your tenure, position, and outside factors, but you can maintain professionalism in everything you do. It follows you throughout your career and sets you up for success.
- It’s memorable. A truth (often attributed to Maya Angelou): “People will forget what you said. They’ll forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel.” Your professionalism or lack thereof in any work situation is more memorable than how you performed. Because it’s about treating yourself and others with respect. It communicates that they matter, and what you’re doing matters to you.
Your performance and results pale in comparison to your professionalism. Failing with professionalism will serve you better than succeeding without it. Your level of professionalism builds credibility, trust, and relationships or damages them. Great performances don’t require professionalism, great careers do.
Author: Claire Jarvis
A career in the biotech industry is a dream for many STEM professionals, though it can be a challenging, demanding career. As in all industries, there’s a lot you can do to prevent burnout and enjoy a healthy work-life balance.
Challenges of work-life balance in biotech
STEM professionals seek biotech careers because they want to make a difference to the lives of patients, and they enjoy working in a stimulating environment. Working at a small biotech start-up, where the long-term success of the company isn’t guaranteed, can be stressful, but agile biotech employment also comes with the possibility of greater responsibility and rewards than at a more established pharma company.
While larger pharmaceutical companies may offer better job security, project deadlines mean that employees are always “on” and expected to be reachable via email. However, in return there is usually good compensation and opportunities for advancement.
Remote and flexible working patterns
COVID-19 has disrupted most of our working patterns, and increased the flexibility of most employers regarding remote work. Even as companies are returning on-site, many still allow employees to work from home several times a week. In return, employees appreciate the reduced commute times, and feel better able to look after family.
The benefits of remote working for improved work-life balance are obvious. The downside of remote working is that it’s important to set boundaries, or else the lines between work and homelife become blurred. For instance, employees who work remotely may find it easier to reply to emails on the weekend or in the evenings.
Negotiate for what you value
To reduce burnout and improve your work-life balance, it’s important to decide what you value and discuss this with recruiters and hiring managers as you consider new biotech roles. Your initial allowance of vacation days can be negotiated for, alongside starting salary. If the job conditions are more competitive, it is important that the number of vacation days, flexible working options and salary compensates.
Struggling with work-life balance? Sci.bio is hosting a work-life balance event on April 28th, 2022! Registration details here.
Author: Cliff Mintz
One of the trickiest parts of the job seeking process is negotiating an employment offer if one is extended. Generally speaking, there is a lot of anxiety, trepidation and misinformation surrounding the entire job negotiation process. This is because jobseekers, for the most part, spend much of their energy and focus on researching would be employers, resume writing, and preparing for face-to-face interviews. Little or no attention is paid to the art of negotiating an actual job offer. To that point, the following article is intended to demystify the job offer negotiation process.
Perhaps THE MOST important aspect of the job offer negotiation process is starting salaries. While many people tend to downplay its importance, at the end of the day, it is always about money. And, there is no reason why a jobseeker ought not try to get the best possible salary from a prospective employer. Therefore, it is incumbent upon jobseekers to gather as much salary intelligence about a possible position before the interview and after an offer is extended. Websites like Salary.com, Glassdoor.com and PayScale.com, which list salary ranges based on industry and geography, are a great place to start. However, because these are self-reporting websites, a better option may be to talk with employees working at the company that extended the offer or with others who work for its competitors.
Other things to consider besides salaries include healthcare benefits, vacation time, financial benefits, bonus structure and corporate culture. However, most of these benefits are standardized for new entry level employees so there is little to negotiation that can take place surrounding them. This means that salary is perhaps the only place where real negotiation can take place.
Let me give you an example. Your research suggests that a person with your job title at a particular company ought to make between $70,000 to $75,000 per year as a starting salary. Your would-be employer makes you an offer with a starting salary of $70,000. If you think $70,000 is a fair salary—then take the offer. However, you likely may be “leaving money on the table” For this reason, I advise persons who receive an initial job offer to not immediately accept it!
In the above example, I would make a counter offer of $75,000 as a starting salary. Once the company receives and considers the counter offer, several things can happen. First, the company can simply say no to your counteroffer (they will not rescind the original offer as urban legend suggests simply because you are asking for a higher starting salary). Second, the company may agree to the $75,000 as a starting salary. Third, more often than not, the company is likely to counteroffer with a starting salary of $72,000 or there about. This is because companies spend a lot of time, effort and money to get to the point to extend an offer to the “right fit” candidate. The prospect of starting the job search process all over again or settling for the “second best” candidate is usually not a viable option for most employers. Put simply, the company wants you and will in good faith negotiate a deal to induce you to join them.
Finally, negotiating a job offer as a jobseeker can be very emotional and stressful. Perhaps the best way to avoid the stress is to work with a professional recruiter during your job search. If you work with a recruiter, he/she not you, will negotiate the offer if one is extended.
Author: Cliff Mintz
Most job seekers understand that a job interview can be very stressful and emotionally draining experiences. After all, how you perform in a face-to-face job interview will likely determine whether or not you get a job offer. To that point, we provide below some tips to pull off a successful face-to-face job interview.
Professional Attire is Mandatory
In general, most scientists do not like to dress up. However, professional attire for both women and men is required for ALL face-to-face job interviews. This means suits and ties for men (no exceptions) and similar professional attire for women. First impressions do matter and a professional, well-polished appearance will help set a positive tone for the job interview.
Be Prompt or Arrive Early
Ideally, you should arrive at least 10 to 15 minutes early for an interview. This allows you to relax and compose yourself prior to the start of the interview. Tardiness implies that time management—required by all employers may—be challenging for you.
Bring Extra Copies of Your Resume
Interviewers sometimes “misplace” or have not read your CV prior to the interview. Rather than spend limited interview time reviewing information that is readily available on your CV, hand the interviewer a copy of your CV. This will save precious interview time and signal that you are organized, forward-thinking, reliable and helpful; desirable traits that most hiring managers are looking for in new hires.
Be Personable and Always Remain Positive and Upbeat
One-on-one interviews are an opportunity for you to demonstrate that you are socially-engaged, personable and have reasonable interpersonal communication skills.
Regardless of what is going on in your life, it is important to be positive, upbeat and outgoing during a job interview.
Eye Contact is Imperative
A lack of eye contact (or an inability to look directly at a person during a conversation) may signal to a hiring manager that they lack social and interpersonal communication skills, both of which hiring managers are looking for in right fit job candidates.
Answer All Questions Concisely and Honestly
It is not a good idea to waste an interviewer’s time with answers that are rambling, unfocused or irrelevant. Most interviewers expect direct, concise and well-thought-out answers to their questions. They are not interested in chit chat, professional gossip or who you may know in the field.
Never Interrupt an Interviewer
Interrupting anyone before they finish talking is rude, inappropriate and unprofessional. Therefore, it is imperative to never interrupt an interviewer and allow him/her to complete a question before you answer. This signals to the interviewer that you listen, can engage in a professional conversion and implies that you will likely fit in to the organization’s reporting structure.
Act Professionally at All Times
Job candidates frequently eat breakfast, lunch or dinner as part of the interview process for life sciences jobs. Viewing candidates in these settings offers prospective employers’ insights into a job candidate’s social skills and how he/she may represent the organization in future social situations. Remember, although it may feel as though you are in a social setting, you are still being scrutinized by your host for professional behavior.
Ask Questions
Prospective employers expect job candidates to ask questions about their company or organization. This shows them that you have done your homework and are interested in learning more about the organization. Employers generally view job candidates as not being interested in a company if they don’t ask any questions during a job interview.
Never Criticize or Say Anything Negative
The scientific community is a small one and chances are that any negative, pejorative or derogatory comments made about an individual or organization will get back to them. Also, like it or not, it is simply unprofessional to say negative things about a previous or current employer, colleague or organization. Again, nobody wants to work with a naysayer or an indiscrete or inappropriate colleague.
Turn Off All Cell Phones
Surprisingly, many job candidates don’t remember to turn off their mobile phones or other electronics prior to the start of an interview. Nobody likes being interrupted during a conversation or a discussion by annoying, ringing or vibrating cell phones. While being connected at all times is de rigueur, a ringing cell phone during a job interview can certainly be a job killer.
While there is no way to eliminate the anxiety or uncertainty of a face-to-face job interview, making use of the tips and suggestions offered in this post may make your next job interview less stressful and hopefully increase the likelihood of a job offer.
Author: Cliff Mintz
There was a very insightful article in the NY Times Science Section entitled “Building Resilience in Midlife.” that I thought was applicable to the challenges that many job seekers face while searching for a new job or pondering a career change. These insights were offered in a book entitled ‘Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges’ by Dr. Dennis Charney, a resilience researcher and dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York after being shot several years ago by a disgruntled former employee while leaving a NYC deli.
Practice Optimism. According to Dr. Charney, optimism is part genetic, part learned. That said, looking for a job in a highly competitive field without success can easily lead to feelings of defeat, failure and even depression. Put simply it’s normal to feel sad or “down” when things are not going your way during a job search. Rather than succumb to pessimism, Dr. Charney suggests that learning to think positive thoughts and surrounding yourself with optimistic people (there are people out there who ARE really optimistic all the time) can help. It’s easier to think more optimistically if the people around you are upbeat and always putting a positive rather than negative spin on things. I am not suggesting that you jettison all of your pessimistic friends but finding new optimistically-thinking ones will not only increase the breadth and size of your social circle but may also help to elevate your emotional state during a frustrating job search.
Rewrite Your Story. Instead of focusing on your shortcomings or difficulties that you have experienced, it may help to change your internal narrative and focus on accomplishments (rather than setbacks) and things that you may have learned about yourself to this point in your life journey. While this may sound like an existential exercise, changing the internal story that you tell yourself (from a negative to a more positive one), may help you to feel better about yourself and make things easier for you. And believe me–from my own personal experiences– others around you will notice the change; most importantly prospective employers and hiring managers!
Don’t Personalize Your Failures. Everyone tends to blame themselves for life’s setbacks and ruminate about the decisions that they have made to put them in difficult situations. A way to counteract this is to recognize that, generally speaking, other factors and uncontrollable life events likely contributed to the so-called bad decisions that you made. In other words, unexpected, mitigating factors, not simply your poor judgment, likely contributed to the situation that you find yourself in. Recognizing this may help to assuage that nagging tendency to blame yourself for your current situation and may also allow you to “learn from your mistakes” to avoid making them in future personal and career decisions.
Remember Your Comebacks. It is easy to wallow in your failures and feel bad about your current situation. Rather than letting things get you down, try to remember times earlier in life when you were able to overcome adversity and still “land on your feet.” This will remind you that you have the skills and experience to overcome a current “bad” situation. Also, it may be helpful to read about others who seemingly failed and were able to turn those failures into positive personal and career moves. In my experience, failure is a key ingredient to a successful and meaningful career.
Take Stress Breaks. Stress is a fact of life that nobody can escape. Rather than succumb to life’s constant unrelenting stresses, it is important to take breaks to regroup and push forward. For example, take walks, have lunch with friends, go to the gym or even meditate. One way that I relieved stress as a graduate student and postdoc was to play intramural softball as much as I could and then drink beer with teammates after the games. Putting your “head down” and pushing forward will not relieve stress or eliminate anxiety in your life.
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone. It is easy to continue to do the same thing even if that thing is stressful or hurtful because you are comfortable (despite assertions to the contrary) with what you know. However, doing the same thing over and over again because you’re familiar with it will not improve your current situation or change how you feel on a daily basis. Perhaps, taking yourself out of your comfort zone and placing yourself in new challenging positions may help to overcome those feelings of “being stuck.” For example, if you don’t want to do laboratory research for the rest of your career, learn new skills (that may have always frightened you) to help find a non-laboratory PhD job.
While doing the things that Dr. Charney recommends may not materially improve your current job situation or career choice, they may help you to look at the world in different terms, feel better about yourself and provide some clarity/insights into future career directions or job choices.
