Hope is Not a Plan: Self reflection and what's in it for you?

1. Hope is Not a Plan: Self reflection and what's in it for you? • Dr Lorraine Tracey, PhD • Chair, Board of Directors • National Postdoctoral Association • October 29, 2013 • Lorraine@nationalpostdoc.org

2. Mythical Career Trajectory Excel in high school science Major in science in college and excel Go to grad school, get Ph.D. in 4 years Do a postdoc for 2 years Publish 5-7 papers Decide which tenure-track offer to accept at age 28 Rise through the faculty ranks, tenure by 38

3. Reality Check • Since 1982, almost 800,000 PhDs were awarded in science and engineering • (S&E) fields, whereas only about 100,000 academic faculty positions were • created in those fields within the same time frame • The number of S&E PhDs awarded annually has also increased over this • time frame, from ~19,000 in 1982 to ~36,000 in 2011 • The number of faculty positions created each year, however, has not • changed, with roughly 3,000 new positions created annually • Currently only ~15% of postdoctoral fellows will become academic faculty • members (including non-tenure track)

4. Typical Career Trajectory Excel in high school science Major in science in college and excel Go to grad school because that’s what excellent students do Hang on for six years or more, get PhD Do a postdoc Hit the wall Scramble to find any job you can Hope to someday be happy

5. Typical Career Trajectory

6. Better Career Trajectory Excel in school, get a Ph.D., start a postdoc because it furthers your career Explore a variety of career options Decide what fits your personality best Set goals and work hard Find a job that is challenging, rewarding and satisfying to YOU

7. “Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.” Charles F. Kettering

8. NPA Core Competencies Scientific Knowledge Base and Creativity Research Skills Communication Skills Professionalism Leadership and Management Responsible Conduct of Research www.nationalpostdoc.org

9. Knowledge and Creativity Literature Knowledge and Creativity Defining Questions Broad Hypothesis Design “A problem well stated is a problem half solved” Charles F. Kettering

10. Can Creativity Be Taught? An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail. Edwin Land –founder of Polaroid

11. Research Skills Techniques and Safety Statistical Analysis Design Research Skill Development Data Analysis Data Interpretation Peer Review I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious. Albert Einstein

12. Communication Skills Writing Speaking Communication Special Situations Teaching Interpersonal

13. Professionalism

14. Professionalism Institutional Workplace Professionalism Collegial Universal Quality is not an act, it is a habit. -Aristotle

15. Leadership and Management Strategic Vision People Projects Leadership Resources Leadership and Management Skills Management Motivating/ Inspiring Others Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. Peter Drucker

16. Research Skills Communication Leadership and Management Responsible Conduct of Research Success Professionalism Knowledge and Creativity

17. Which Competencies Do I Need, and Where Do I Get Them?

18. Two Habits of Highly Effective Career Planners • Begin With the End in Mind • If you can’t see yourself as successful, you have already failed. • Put First Things First • You can’t do everything, prioritize your goals. “Don’t ever give up.” -Jim Valvano

20. Individual Career Planning Self-analysis Career aspirations (20-25 years) Long-term goals (5-10 years) Short-term goals (1-3 years) Annual Review and Work Plan (IDP) Monthly review

21. Career Planning Cycle Self-analysis Periodic Review/Reality Check Short-term Goals Annual Work Plan Long-term Goals Aspirations

22. Self-analysis • Success begins with introspection • What drives you? • Your interests • Your values • Your skills “He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened.” -Lao Tzu

23. What Drives You? • Myers-Briggs Temperament Indicator: • http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes1.htm • Seven Stories When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier. -Roy E. Disney

24. Your Interests • Campbell Interests and Skills Survey • www.pearsonassessments.com/tests/ciss.htm • Strong Interest Inventory • https://www.cpp.com/products/strong/index.aspx "When you follow your bliss...doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors, and where there wouldn't be a door for anyone else. " — Joseph Campbell

25. Your Values • Work Values Finder- https://secure.californiacolleges.edu/career/OnetWorkImportance/WorkImportanceProfiler.asp • Values Worksheet • Working conditions • Workplace values • Workplace rewards • Personal/Family considerations

26. Workplace Values • Independence/ Adventure/risk-taking- activities with high risk/reward • Ethical standards • Expertise/Competence • Utilize Skills- making the most of the skills you have at your job • Creativity/Problem-solving • Precision work - requires extreme attention to detail, with little margin • for error • Intellectual challenge- requires constant learning and thought to be • effective • Social contribution- work that focuses on improving society • Personal fulfillment- work that gives a sense of personal satisfaction, • with or without external recognition or reward

27. Personal Values • Regular hours- working a set number of hours per week on a set • schedule • Flexible hours- allows you to choose the time and days you work, so • long as the project is completed • High compensation/benefits • Easy commute/Work at home option • Diversity in the workplace • Leisure opportunities- good vacation benefits, balance between work • and home is expected and valued • Location- the job fits my desire to live in a certain region, city, or • climate • Family-friendly- the workplace values people with families, and makes • allowances that do not negatively affect their evaluations

28. Workplace Environment • Relaxed atmosphere/ competitive atmosphere • Energetic work/slower pace • Large company/ small company • Private office/ shared working area • Caring co-workers  • Respectful Supervisor- a boss who understands and respects your • needs • Competitive atmosphere • Variety/Uniform work assignments • Travel • Working alone/ Teamwork

29. Your critical values Social Contribution Variety Independence Competitive Atmosphere

30. Your Skills • Transferable Skills Worksheet • External Perspective • -Ask family, friends, co-workers, mentors what you are good at and what sets you apart from others If your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. -Abraham Maslow

31. Transferable Skills D P P D P P D P P P P D D P P P D P D D D P P D D P P D D D P www.sciphd.com

32. Career Visualization- Long-term goals • Career preferences worksheet • Doing this before the job search removes emotion • Imagine the job you will have at the absolute peak of your professional life, your dream job. • Describe the day to day tasks of this job • Financial needs, personal and family goals • Many of us dream of jobs that don’t exist! An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail. Edwin Land –founder of Polaroid

33. Medium-term goals (next job goals) • Using your ultimate career goal as a guide, ask yourself: • What should your NEXT job be? • Ask what do you WANT to do, not what you think you can get a job doing? • Describe the ideal next job • Geography • Physical environment (big office or lab? Small town or big city? Working alone or part of a group? Leader or follower? • Job activities (what knowledge, skills and abilities do you want to use most often?) • Supervisor/supervisory style (what kind of boss do you work best with? What is your own management style?) • Deal-breakers (things that you cannot work with, that would force you to not take an otherwise great job)

34. Career Exploration and Research • Explore potential careers • Create a list of potential job sectors that meet your criteria above • Explore these on the internet, with your network, and with informational interviews • Try to learn as much as you can about at least two types of career you'd be interested in pursuing • Write your plan to explore these in more detail, including your target hire date

35. Short-term goals (current job goals) • 1-3 years from now • Envision yourself at completion of this job • Accomplishments • Skills learned • Competencies acquired • What will your relationship be with your current supervisor? • What will you need from them to be successful? Never mistake activity for achievement. John Wooden

36. Your IDP • Compile the results of your self analysis into an Individual Development Plan. • Working backwards, start with your 1-3 year goal and get more detailed as you approach the present. • What are the 2-3 most important things you need to accomplish in the next year to move you towards where you want to be? • Prioritize - importance to YOUR career • Collaborate- who can help you? • This plan is most effective when written collaboratively with your mentor • Responsibility- focus on what you control and make no excuses • Use the NPA Core Competencies to track progress and stay focused • www.myidp.org is an excellent resource If the path before you is clear, you're probably on someone else's. -Joseph Campbell

37. The Importance of Mentoring • To get to where you are going and to be successful when you get there, you are going to need a mentor What is Mentoring? Advisor and Counselor Role model Teacher Advocate and Protector Encouragement Exposure

38. The Importance of Mentoring • To get to where you are going and to be successful when you get there, you are going to need a network of mentors • Your mentors • may be older or younger than you • know more about a certain area of expertise than you do • Mentorship is a learning and development partnership - Listen generously to what mentors need. You will find it easier to ask them for what you need. Don't be a taker! Be a giver! • Finding your mentors is up to you

39. Your Mentor Network

40. Annual Review • Past performance is actually a pretty good indicator of future performance • Taking time to reflect on accomplishments helps plan future goals • It’s hard to decide which way to go if you don’t know where you are • Use your IDP to • Reassess your values, goals and direction • Self assess your progress towards your goals • Inform conversations with your mentors about your progress towards those goals

41. Networking • Most important skill you need • Who is your network? • Expand your network • Linkedin • Facebook • Alumni network • Attend seminars, workshops and conferences

42. Resources • Put Your Science to Work- Peter Fiske • What color is your parachute? And workbook -Richard Bolles • Do What You Are- Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron • The Pathfinder: How to Chose or Change Your Career…. Nicholas Lore • The Career Coward’s Guide to Interviewing- Katy Piotrowski • The 250 Job Interview Questions you’ll most likely be asked- Peter Veruki • Thinkertoys- Michael Michalko • Eat That Frog!- Bryan Tracy (great time management book) • www.nationalpostdoc.org

43. “Where should I go?" -Alice. "That depends on where you want to end up." - The Cheshire Cat.― Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass