There are many exciting career opportunities and challenges faced by the next generation of early career science communicators as they transition into the professional industry. Last week in the department, LSC alumni from various companies came together to provide career development advice and guidance for LSC students at all stages of their careers.
As a part of a larger LSC career panel series, this panel focused on the health and biotech industries. LSC alumni panelists included Kylie Gullett (’17) who works for PharmaSeek as an Associate Manager of Marketing and Communications, Amy Olejniczak (BS. ’03, MS. ’05) who is the Associate Director for the Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health, Kate Rodgers (’16) who is the Communications Lead at GE Healthcare, and Julia Tweeten (’16) who works for Propeller Health as the Program Coordinator.
Panelists provided great advice about what students can be currently doing for their careers, and how to advance their skill sets while in school. They also spoke about the best practices for finding open positions in their respective fields and selling one’s passion and willingness to learn when speaking to a prospective employer.
A few key takeaways from the event were:
- Create an online portfolio for prospective employers to view. When applying for positions, employers like to be able to view your work while looking at your application.
- When asked for a writing sample, tailor it to whomever will be reading it. Send science related pieces to a science corporation. Employers are looking to see that you can write for their intended audience.
- Put yourself out there and network not only within your industry but outside of it. The more connections you have the better. You never know when you need to call upon a connection!
- Be able to articulate your passion for the industry and how it relates to the company’s mission. Employers are looking for candidates who are passionate about the work the company is doing and make selections based on it.
- Finally, say ‘yes’ to everything that comes your way professionally. Apply for a variety of internships because then you will be able to know what industries and tasks you enjoy the most and the least. Any experience is great experience, but don’t stretch yourself too thin.
This event could not have been possible without the help of LSC’s student services coordinator, Tera Holtz Wagner, as well as the panelists who came to speak. We appreciate everyone’s hard work for the great event!
Interested in attending the next LSC Career Panel? Mark your calendars for December 5th where we host the next panel focusing on careers in the Marketing & Media industries. Also, keep an eye out on our social media channels for further information.