Being Competitive:  Taking it Back to the Lab:  When can Good Science lead to Good Business in your Job Hunt?


When and how can you advantage good science accomplishments in the lab with helping in developing your competitive business language and accomplishments? Let us take one example of how to build your tactical and strategic business accomplishments while you are in the lab doing your PhD or Postdoc science research accomplishments.

Situation:

You are working in the lab just as you have been for the last 2 years: same team, same project, temporary absence for COVID, finishing up the research project over the next 3 months.  You are preparing to author your research in a peer reviewed journal.  You will need to find a job in 120 days or find funding to continue your research path as a Postdoc.

Exercise: Strategic value of your research.

Studies of leadership behavior that drive team success in any organization will often find that being strategic in thinking and in decision making are behavior number 1 or 2 on the list of desired behaviors.  Research behavior at the lab level is mostly concerned with the tactical daily corrections to stay on course, solve problems, keep personnel motivated, analyze data and progress toward a final research result that is logged into a Journal.  While tactical keeps the lab performing, strategic drives the long-term plan of the larger company and management decisions.  Good science results can lead to good business language if we can transition your research from tactical results to strategic implications.  Here is an exercise for you to practice in the lab to prepare for a business interview.

  1. What is the immediate science value of your research results? Answer.
  2. In 2 years from now, research based on your work could provide what type of additional science value? What type of social value could your research provide in 2 years (social value such as improved drug efficacy or next generation of more effective vaccine shelf life). Answers.
  3. In 5 years from now, research based on your work could provide what type of additional science value? What type of social value could your research provide in 5 years? What could be a possible business venture based on your research and the last 5 years of continued research? Answers.

Tactical becomes strategic as the timeline of the decision (from now to 5 years) extends into the future.  The language result is to frame the conversation from mostly science (now) to more social (the benefit) and business (the mission to save lives).  Your daily science accomplishments are the root and basis for your contribution to a successful team and business – if you can master the strategic language.

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