Career Changes in ScienceIt is now the rule rather than the exception for professionals in our society to make one or more career changes during their working lives. If you are a highly trained research scientist, a change in career path can be particularly challenging, specifically because the training itself - getting the Ph.D., then doing postdoctoral research before ever acquiring a "real job" - is such a long, intense process.
If you are considering such a career change, either from need or desire, you may be looking for opportunities to use the knowledge and skills you've acquired. But you may not fully appreciate the extent of your expertise, or the number and variety of new opportunities available to former academic or industrial researchers.
To inform you about the process of changing careers, and the possibilities that may await you, HMS Beagle presents the moderated dialogue "Career Changes in Science." The moderator is a young neurobiologist who wants to move "beyond the bench." She queries a panel of former "lab rats" who went into a variety of professions - editing, technology transfer, patent law, journalism, consulting, and recruitment. Panelists discuss which aspects of their science training they are putting to new use, and they provide insights into how successful professional changes are made. Finally, the panelists tell us about the responsibilities and rewards of their new professions.
Read the dialogue, then see the forum of letters from our readers, describing their career changes. Learn about Web resources for alternative careers in science in the In Situ feature Check Out the Alternatives. Explore our updated Job Alert for current employment possibilities. Then, join our reader discussion in BioMedNet, where we will continue to share information on strategies and tactics for making successful career changes in science.
Our SponsorGenentech is the leading biotechnology company that uses human genetic information to develop, manufacture, and market pharmaceuticals to address significant unmet medical needs. Its high standards of integrity contribute to the best interests of patients, the medical profession, and our employees, and to seeking significant returns to our stockholders based on the continued pursuit of excellent science.
Along with the fundamental biomedical research and novel therapeutic development, Genentech also initiated and is the sole sponsor of Access Excellence, a national educational program that provides high school biology teachers World Wide Web access to their colleagues, scientists, and critical sources of new scientific information. The program reflects the company's commitment to improving science education in America.
Andrzej Krauze is an illustrator, poster maker, cartoonist, and painter who illustrates regularly for HMS Beagle, The Guardian, The Sunday Telegraph, Bookseller, and New Statesman.
