4. Testimonials

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.

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

“The SciPhd and the CSO program gave me the tools and strategies required when I was trying to look for alternative careers. I can testify that it worked in my case. The course helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses which enabled me to focus on amending my resume to showcase how I stand out from the rest of the applicants. I also used several helpful practical advices during my interview which I believe helped me secure my first job in industry. I would sincerely like to thank the SciPhD and CSO team. Keep spreading the knowledge and information. We (post-docs and graduate students) really need it!!”

I am currently at the decision point between an academic and non-academic career. I found this workshop equally useful for both. I learned how to market myself and how to do a basic idea pitch. The skills that I learned in terms of negotiation have already proved useful as I was able to negotiate for a small increase in my base postdoc stipend but also a sizeable moving allowance as I start my first postdoc. The project management topics were useful to get me thinking about all that goes into a new project, and how to start my postdoc on the best footing possible.