2017 ASPIRE Cafe for Postdoctoral Fellows
Orientation to BRET Career Development Resources for Postdocs
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
306 A&B Light Hall
“Mastering the Art of Job Talk”
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
306 A&B Light Hall
Join us as we explore Story Mason (TM), an interactive tool developed to help you prepare for interviewing. Learn through peer-to-peer feedback how to instantly connect and develop rapport, handle unexpected disruptions, decode questions, and distinguish yourself with memorable answers. Find out how to turn intimidating one-way interviews into interesting two-way conversations, and how to close with purpose.
“Everyday Networking”
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
306 A&B Light Hall
Networking doesn’t have to be hard and laborious. In this session, we will talk about ways to incorporate networking into your everyday activities. We will discuss the importance of networking, identify some key ways to enjoy the process, discuss tools and resources available to facilitate networking, and talk about how to maintain and strengthen relationships over time.
“Project Management 101”
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
306 A&B Light Hall
Project management is an important skill to have whether you are a postdoctoral fellow, running your own lab, or working in a variety of academic or industry positions. In this session, guest speaker, Jan Varadarajan, Ph.D., Postdoc from PMI will help us learn what project management is, identify skills you are using now that are, in fact, project management in action, learn new tools that can help you manage your projects better. We will also hear from a panel of current project managers about how they made the transition to a role in project management. We are excited to welcome our panelists, Robert Lavieri, Ph.D., Project Manager, VICTR, VUMC, Henry Ong, Ph.D., Project manager, VICTR, VUMC, and Christine Micheel, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology and Managing Editor, My Cancer Genome, VUMC.
Handouts:
- 10 Questions to Ask yourself
- PM Job ads
- Project Management for Scientists- AAAS 2002
- Chalkboard notes
“Effective Mentoring: Developing your own Style”
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
306 A&B Light Hall
Join Kathy Gould, Ph.D, Louise B. McGavock Professor, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Associate Dean for Biomedical Sciences and Chuck Sanders, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research, Professor of Biochemistry, Investigator Center Molecular Neurosciences, Professor of Medicine, Aileen M. Lange & Annie Mary Lyle Chair in Cardiovascular Research, Director of Graduate Studies as they share tips and strategies for developing your own effective mentoring style. Learning how to help others learn, grow, and be more effective will also help you succeed. In this session we will explore what makes a good mentor, talk about different mentoring styles, and discuss ways you can develop your mentoring skills during your postdoctoral training.
Handout: AAMC Compact Between Postdoctoral Appointees and Their Mentors, Dec 2006
Orientation to BRET Career Development Resources for Postdocs
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
306 A&B Light Hall
“Navigating the NIH”
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
306 A&B Light Hall
David Sweatt, Ph.D., Professor and Chairman, Department of Pharmacology and Allan D. Bass Chair in Pharmacology, will discuss the ins and outs of the arcane NIH funding system. Using a “follow the money” approach, he will describe the multiple steps involved in getting a research grant dollar from the US taxpayer to the NIH-funded grant recipient. Various steps he will discuss include congressional allocations, Study Sections, NIH Program Officers, NIH Councils, and the various NIH Institutes and Centers that actually award the grants. Understanding the complex NIH funding process will help you in maximizing your likelihood of success in getting a research grant or fellowship funded, because the various components each have their own quirks and priorities that affect the final outcome of your grant review.
“From CV to Resume”
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
306 A&B Light Hall
In this session, led by Kim Petrie, Ph.D., Director of Career Development, BRET Office of Career Development, you will learn how to craft a compelling résumé that showcases your professional skills and accomplishments. We will discuss the differences between CVs and résumés, strategies for turning your CV into a résumé, and tips for clearly and concisely presenting your experience.
“Who Would You Choose? Hiring Manager Role Play”
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
306 A&B Light Hall
Join us for a mock hiring exercise! This session will be led by Kim Petrie,Ph.D., Director of Career Development, BRET Office of Career Development. You will play the role of hiring manager who selects candidates to interview for a job based on their résumé. This seminar will be useful for postdocs who need to create an industry CV for their industry job search, or a résumé for research-related jobs in academia or industry (e.g. science policy, project management, research administration, etc.)
“Maximizing Your Networking at the BRET 25th Reunion and Career Symposium”
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
306 A&B Light Hall
The BRET 25th Reunion and Career Symposium is coming up fast and we will be welcoming 16 invited alumni speakers. In addition, many other alumni attendees will be present for small group rotations (networking huddles) and a networking reception. How can you make the most of the networking opportunities that this event will present? Kate Stuart, BRET Office of Career Development Program Manager, will discuss the schedule of events and highlight where you will have the chance to meet and mingle with former trainees to learn about their career paths. We will talk about how to prepare for the events, including doing research on the speakers and their workplaces ahead, and connecting with them while they are on campus.
“Acing the Video Interview”
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
306 A&B Light Hall
One of the current trends in the application process for industry positions is to use video interviewing. Currently, business, science, and technology companies are using video interviews as the first step in the interviewing process. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 2016 Recruiting Trends report, there has been a 50 % increase in the use of video interviewing in the past year, which means encountering one of these in your job search is increasingly highly likely. (OITE Careers Blog). Join Kathy Gould, Ph.D, Louise B. McGavock Professor, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Associate Dean for Biomedical Sciences and Ashley Brady, Ph.D as we discuss the different types of common video interviews, why companies are doing them, what some major pitfalls are in doing one and how you can avoid these and make the best impression possible. We will also do some short mock interviews to discuss during the session.
“Exploring and Preparing for Faculty Careers”
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
306 A&B Light Hall
Do you know the different types of academic faculty positions that are available in the U.S.? What skills do you need for each type? What type of faculty position is right for you? Join Kathy Gould, Ph.D, Louise B. McGavock Professor, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Associate Dean for Biomedical Sciences for a session in which we will explore the different types of faculty positions available to life scientists and the variable skills a competitive applicant needs to demonstrate for each type. Participants will use the Academic Career Readiness Assessment (ACRA) Framework, developed by the UCSF Office of Career & Professional Development, to assess their level of preparedness for different positions and to set professional development and research goals that are aligned with the hiring criteria used to assess job candidates.
NO Session Scheduled
Thursday, July 13, 2017, 3-4pm
Lean Lab Management: Increasing Productivity and Reducing Costs
Thursday, July 27, 2017, 3-4 pm
350 Light Hall
Do you plan to run your own lab one day? Oversee a research team at a biotech company? Run your own business? Then this session might give you some valuable insight. Rob Carnahan, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Cancer Biology will discuss a practical approach to implementing lean management tools in the life science laboratory. Unlike some management trends and tools, the scientific method is deeply engrained in lean management, making it an effective strategy for lab workflows. Dr. Carnahan will introduce three simple lean techniques that his team has implemented for project management, inventory and ordering, and equipment maintenance. As these tools are largely scalable, they are used by individuals, teams, and entire corporations. There will be an interactive discussion of the tools themselves, as well as, how to begin implementation in attendee working environments.
Orientation to BRET Career Development Resources for Postdocs
Thursday, August 10, 2017, 3-4pm
350 Light Hall
“K Awards: Which One is Right for You?“
Thursday, Aug 24, 2016
350 Light Hall
Abby Brown, Ph.D., BRET, Director, Outcomes Research
Learn the basics about the different types of K awards, from institutional (K12) to K99 awards.
“Preparing a Faculty Position Application Package”
Thursday, Sept 14, 2017
419 A-D Light Hall
Please join us as we welcome James Dewar, Ph.D., Asst Professor of Biochemistry, and Chris Wright, D. Phil, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology and Louise B. McGavock Chair, to share their tips and strategies for preparing a faculty position application package that will make you stand out in a positive way. They will share their perspective as a newly hired faculty member (Dr. Dewar) who has recently been on the job search and a full professor (Dr. Wright) who has served on multiple search committees and has reviewed many application packages over his tenure at Vanderbilt.
“Grant Resources at Vanderbilt”
Thursday, Sept 28, 2017
350 Light Hall
Please join Abigail Brown Ph.D., BRET, Director, Outcomes Research to learn how Vanderbilt can help you write your grant: a focus on resources for writing career development or R grants. Will cover the many grant writing resources available to Vanderbilt researchers to help produce strong grant applications.
“Science and Social Media”
Thursday, October 12, 2017, 3-4pm
350 Light Hall
Join Josh Fessel, MD, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology, and Cancer Biology, as he shares his experience and observations upon joining the scientific social media world. He will share tips on social media etiquette, explain why engaging in social media can help you promote your science, and share some of the social media pitfalls you want to avoid when presenting your professional persona.
“Behind the Curtain: An inside look at Peer Review of F32 NRSAs”
Thursday, October 26, 2017, 3-4pm
350 Light Hall
“Think like a reviewer” is advice commonly given to new grant writers. But if you’ve never sat in on a peer review session, how do you do that? In this session, Kim Petrie, Ph.D., BRET Assistant Dean of Biomedical Career Development, will present a video of a mock review of a real F32 NRSA application and discuss how F32 proposals are reviewed. You, too, can learn to “think like a reviewer”.
“What to Expect from a Faculty Position Interview”
*Thursday, Nov 16, 2017
407 Light Hall
Bring your questions and hear from a panel of faculty members: David Cortez, Ph.D., Todd Graham, Ph.D., and Andrea Page- McCaw, Ph.D.
“How to Give A Chalk Talk”
Thursday, Dec 14, 2017
411 Light Hall
Bring your questions and hear from a panel of faculty members: David Cortez, Ph.D., Anne Kenworthy, Ph.D., and Chris Wright, D. Phil.
* Not regular 2nd and 4th Tuesday or Thursday schedule