Breakout rooms were excellent. I loved the VIP session. Really enjoyed getting a chance to network (and you both did an excellent job preparing us!). Regarding the VIP session, pharma/drug discovery is obviously a huge sector of biotech, but I think it could also be beneficial to incorporate a VIP from a biotech that is outside pharma (i.e. Phase Genomics, etc.). But that’s a super minor comment. Overall, the VIP networking event was an excellent opportunity!

“What I learned in the CSO course was very helpful during [my job] selection process (especially everything related to communication), and I hope it will help me to keep my job for a very very long time.”

“Both Randy and Larry were super-approachable and available for individual discussions after class. -The venue was beautiful–even though I was tired at the end of the day, I looked forward to going to class. -For me, taking the course coincided with my academic job search and the interview process. The course really kept me in the mindset of transitioning to becoming a faculty member. Soon after the course ended, I got my first offer! -Thanks to the course content, I now feel prepared to manage my own lab.”

“The Scientist to CSO course has helped me broaden my horizons. As scientists, we tend to spend almost all our time in our little cocoons. The Scientist to CSO course introduced me to several important and broadly relevant concepts in the management of both people and projects and I have found these ideas extremely beneficial in my current activities as a research scientist in industry.”

“It helped me to develop the soft skills better on a broad scale, facilitate interactions in the academic environment, raise awareness when interacting with people from industry, finance, etc., improve managerial skills on the day-to-day basis and especially become savvier when negotiating things, applying for a job, getting the resume in tiptop cutting edge format”

“The class gives you the frameworks that help understand where scientists fit within business realms, and gives one the vocabulary to describe things one already does in a business-friendly way. This class, unlike anything offered by university career services, helps to understand how, as a PhD, one is seen by the business people. It gives students both the knowledge about the business world and the confidence to go for it. I would highly recommend the class.”

“Thank you very much for the opportunity to take this great course at the New York Academy of Sciences! I enjoyed taking these classes with you [Tom Magaldi], Larry and Randy! I attribute the success of my key [job] interview in large part to speaking with Randy three days before meeting with my [hiring] manager, as well as the overall class content.”

“The course helped me understand how to translate the skills I have from my research and make it applicable to industry, especially for non-research positions. I used these skills in applying for the position I’m currently being considered and expecting an offer for. I now have a better understanding of interpersonal communication and the forces that govern it. I’ve always thought of myself as a good communicator, but Larry and Randy showed me important nuances that made me even better. It helped me understand the road-blocks to effectively communicating with and developing a student I had been supervising!”

“The best part of this assessment is that it makes you think and analyze yourself, which we do not do very often and leave it for our employers to do that. I like the way it correlates your positives with the demands of the company and indicates the possible alternatives.  I know what is best for me based on this assessment and I am going to concentrate my efforts that way. Thank you so much for showing me the right path!”

faculty, Oklahoma City Community College

“I thought this was a terrific course and the test was very helpful.  The questions made me think critically about some things that I have taken for granted.  For example, I always thought I was a great collaborator, but now I see that I don’t initiate collaborations as often as I think I do.  Likewise, even though I do delegate responsibility,  I don’t do it to the extent that gives people the opportunities they need for their development. I think this self-assessment would be a useful tool for anyone who has a PhD and is planning a career in science.”

postdoctoral fellow, Medical College of Wisconsin

“I thought the seminar on industry jobs today was terrific.  Thank you for bringing those guys in – I learned a lot, and it gave me the confidence and tools to tackle my own job search.”

postdoctoral fellow, National Institute of Standards and Technology

“I am absolutely enjoying the CSO class, I cant believe the amount of information I gain with each class.  I’ve already told a few interested scientists about it so I hope you all are planning on continuing the course.   I truly believe in the importance of this training and emphasizing the value of communication skills for scientists.”

postdoctoral fellow, Henry M. Jackson Foundation

“I am a post doctoral fellow at the National Institute on Aging. I attended your seminar at the NIA yesterday and completed the SciPhd online assessment. Your training seminar stood out primarily because it was one of the only training sessions that helps postdocs identify what their marketable skills really are in the context of the job market. The SciPhD assessment tool further augments that experiance by creating an  awareness about the various areas ( strengths and weaknesses with respect to both personality and specific skills sets) that need help as well as helping us identify what kind of job we would be best suited for, which typically is the single most difficult question to answer.”

postdoctoral fellow, National Institute of Aging, NIH

“I applied your resume/cover letter strategies presented last week in the NCET2 webinar and am looking forward to a phone interview next week. You gave me the courage to change the focus of my letter and bring in more extracurricular experiences.

Biological Scientist, Washington D.C. Metro Area

“I participated in yesterday’s “Preparing for Industry” webinar. Thought it was absolutely fabulous. Would like to learn more about SciPhD.”

Graduate Assistant, University of Alabama, Birmingham