Career column from the "Nachrichten aus der Chemie"

Philipp Gramlich and Karin Bodewits are founders of Natural Science Careers - a company for career counseling and soft skills seminars for natural scientists. For the Nachrichten aus der Chemie, both write about observations from their consulting work.

Issue 02/23 Who needs a job advertisement?

In a workshop we will discuss the different ways of applying. Most applicants choose the classic way of responding to a job advertisement. Gabrielle opens the discussion: "I heard that I can also apply on my own initiative." "And I heard that that's nonsense," Theo replies with little diplomacy. Neubauer heard at the panel discussion of the career day? She said not to waste your time and the company's." "For which company does Dr. Neubauer?” I ask. "By a giant drug company, they should know."

Open applications can be difficult to handle for large companies: where should HR send them? If that remains unclear, open applications are usually a waste of time. The situation is different for medium-sized companies and start-ups: They are less visible than the big ones and therefore have to handle far fewer applications.

Writing an open application is more difficult than responding to a job advertisement. You lack the framework with which you can structure the application. You should therefore consider what a plausible job advertisement might look like. You construct their content from advertisements for similar positions of the same company or a competitor. Write your application for this hypothetical scenario and mention at the end of the cover letter what types of positions you would be open for. You should indicate a plausible range of positions: You don't want to be perceived as inflexible or as desperate.

I can see from Theo's forehead that he is looking for arguments to defend his statement. "In many cases there is no chance of getting a job, otherwise it would be advertised," he interjects. Personally, it happened twice to me that I received a tip: Company X wants to fill a position in the near future. In both cases I applied without the positions being advertised and – surprise – received an offer.

"Without a network and the tips from it, open applications are indeed a tough place," I reconcile the statements made by Gabrielle and Theo. When applying to job ads, it can be difficult to stand out. With unsolicited applications, you have to find out who might actually be interested in you.

Philipp Gramlich, p.gramlich@naturalscience.careers

Issue 12/22 No details

I'm doing interview training with a group of postdocs who are looking for a Career outside of the university. "What is your research about?" I ask Afsheen. After five minutes I interrupt her answer. "You let details overshadow your message," I say. "From what I understand, does your research help us 3D print cars in the future?" Afsheen raises her eyebrows. "Uh, about. But...” I cut her off again, “It's about right, unless it's really wrong. Then you have to adjust the sentence.” “It's very simplified,” she murmurs.

"Simple is good," I reply. “Rather than go into detail, add a sentence why it makes sense to print cars. production speed? Costs? Something like that.” Afsheen remains skeptical. “My research isn't about the whole car, just the body.” “You can always zoom in further into your research if someone is interested. But no recruiter wants you to really go into detail."

It is often difficult for scientists to make something simpler than it is. Every day you work on a tiny piece of the puzzle in a larger whole. Moreover, due to exceptions and frameworks, their results are often very nuanced and their stories about them therefore complicated. scientists have learned for years to show others the last decimal place in order to be considered competent. And when communicating with other scientists , it is important to present the details carefully.

But when you're speaking to laypeople, it's your job to get to the point quickly and craft a main message in a way that's understandable and relevant to the audience. Of course, there are risks involved. Some listeners love to complain when something isn't 100% right. But grumbling can be avoided if you add, for example, "Broadly speaking, that means..." or "Put simply, I'm working on..." This will reassure the critical listener and at the same time give you a better chance of having a good conversation.

Karin Bodewits, k.bodewits@naturalscience.careers

Issue 09/22 Where diversity is to be expected

Where is the diversity of your colleagues higher: at the university or in a typical industrial company?” I ask in a career workshop. I can tell from the faces that everyone finds the question too easy. After a break, Xavier takes pity: “In my project I work together with Igor, Pranoti and Ah Lam. My girlfriend works in the industry with Max, Klara and Christian in a team. This is the raw data; I don't know where it's more diverse." If we leave it at the geographical origins, Xavier is right: Except for start-ups from the university and a few large corporations whose teams are actually as international as Marketing promises us, the university offers a more international environment. I dig deeper: “But diversity is a broader concept. What about the other aspects?” There is still interdisciplinarity, level of education or age.

If you describe your research project at the university as interdisciplinary, then you work as a chemist with a biologist or a physicist, for example. In industry, this is suddenly becoming broader. Imagine the intellectual challenge of discussing your findings with a boss who has a law or business degree.

In terms of educational level, the university is probably the least diverse work environment. Most of the people you work with during your PhD and postdoc have a PhD or will have one in the foreseeable future. In industry you have contacts with people with different levels of education. This also challenges your ability to communicate.

Finally, age: Apart from your supervisor, you mainly deal with people in their thirties at the university. Here, too, the industry covers a broader spectrum. The classic: the university graduate who has to manage employees who have 30 years of professional experience.
Finally, I come back to Xavier's statement: "It sounded like you see the international environment as a plus point for the university." Looking for companies that work internationally. If you are generally looking for a diverse work environment with intellectual challenges, then a treasure trove could be waiting for you in the industry.

Philipp Gramlich, p.gramlich@naturalscience.careers

Issue 07-08/22 Add, don't subtract

"Wow Benjamin, you gave us some hard work there," groans Sven as he scans his colleague's application documents. While Benjamin adhered to the rule that a non-academic resume should be no more than two pages long, he needed some layout tweaks to achieve that: 10-point font, no line spacing, and narrow margins. "How did you go about writing it?" I ask. "Years ago, I created a resume that I keep adding to as soon as something changes in my professional life. Then I cut it to the desired length.” We can see from Benjamin's pained expression that this is not a pleasant process.

Eileen jumps to his side: "I find it difficult too. I didn't have enough space to mention my research internship in Professor Gilg's group.” “Is that bad?” I ask. "Why, surely. Anyone who goes to him can fight their way through,” she explains almost defiantly.

Why is it so difficult for us to omit details? Do we really think the whole world knows what's going on in Professor Gilg's lab? Hardly likely. The behavior and thought patterns from academic studies and research work are deep-seated. That's good for doing research. However, an application is something different than a publication. Your readership does not have unlimited time and capacity for your application. You don't provide any proof. So don't think "How can I fit as many points as possible?" but rather "How can I optimize the signal-to-noise ratio?" The two or at most three main aspects that you can get across are your signal. Your target group hardly absorbs more. Anything that supports this signal, such as an experience that makes this positive attribute more tangible, can be included in your CV. Everything else is noise in the perception of your readership and can safely be left out.

"Another little psychological trick to make this process more palatable for you," I close this part of the workshop. It hurts to delete parts of our life (course) that we have come to love. Reverse the process: Start with a blank document and add up the key points. This feels better than subtracting.

Philipp Gramlich, p.gramlich@naturalscience.careers

Issue 06/22 No scientists, please

We are invited to talks between the Ministry of Agriculture and lobby organizations. Because a year ago we founded an NGO with the aim of reducing the use of peat in the Netherlands. We have now co-authored a parliamentary motion, a member of parliament submitted it and it was accepted. There is a lot involved in this topic that we read up on and seek advice on: soil science, climate balancing, horticulture, to name just a few. And now Gerrit, who advises us on all questions relating to political processes, says emphatically: "You have to make sure that no scientists are sitting at the table during the talks." That fits. what does he mean with that?

He adds: ?Scientific and economic facts are the basis for such discussions. But if scientists sit directly at the table, then that won't work. They don't get to the point."

scientists are only welcome in indirect roles and rarely strive for a more active role. The result: Although there are tons of scientists in the Netherlands who deal with bogs and peat substitutes, the topic has not been communicated to the public for years. "I'm a scientist and not an activist" or "I can't add enough quotes to this newspaper" are typical justifications.

We see such patterns again and again in the majority of scientists. Try it yourself ? attend a conference and ask a poster, ?Can you explain the content to me?? In most cases, you will be showered with a monologue without your interlocutor asking about your background and interests. Characterized by years of intellectually demanding work in a competitive environment, a culture of wanting to be smart is establishing itself for many of us: We don't understand that there are people for whom none of this is a matter of course.

Clear communication about your work is not a luxury task, but essential. The higher up the corporate ladder you get, the more you have to talk to people who don't understand your job. If you want to make an impact on the world outside of your direct work, then you should communicate in a way that will make people want you at the table.

Philipp Gramlich, p.gramlich@naturalscience.careers

Issue 04/22 We're talking about the same thing

In a career workshop we look at job advertisements from the industry. "This ad really isn't written for young professionals," Sam says, sharing her screen. She points to a line that particularly offends her: experience in matrix project management is a requirement. "How could I have gained such typical industry experience during my university days?" At this point I would like to take a closer look at the terms. Perhaps it is the industry jargon that is causing the uncertainty.

"Who of you could draw an organizational chart of your own department?" I ask the group. Partly shocked, partly amused looks. In a typical university department, only a few of the responsibilities are visible in a hierarchical structure. The rest arises from the interactions between members of different groups and individuals. And that is the definition of the matrix structure: projects are worked on by time-limited teams from different branches of the structure. "So you all already have experience working in a matrix, you just call it something else."

I show a graphic by Nick Reddiford, www.researching.io/blog/researching-skills. This is based on thousands of questionnaires and interviews with doctoral students and scientists from industry. ?On the left you can see the top 10 skills that academic scientists use to describe themselves. On the right are the skills that the industry desires. Project management is in position two on the right.? I expand the table on the left, academic side. Project management can also be found here, but only in 35th place.

If you are doing a scientific master?s thesis or a doctorate, you are working on a complex project. This includes project management, whether it comes from your gut feeling or a professional infrastructure. Fresh graduates are reluctant to describe their skills in terms such as project management because they associate them with the world of industry. It's more helpful if you look at the substance of what you've been doing over the last few years; then describe it in terms that the other party is familiar with. This is not bragging, but translation work.

Philipp Gramlich, p.gramlich@naturalscience.careers

Issue 03/22 Navigating in the gray area

In a workshop we deal with job interviews. Isolde speaks up: "How do I react to questions about children?" "Or to questions about health?" asks Pavel, who had previously spoken openly about his diabetes.

A rule of thumb: Questions are allowed if the employer can use them to assess whether you can normally perform the duties of the job. In this sense, a future bus driver may be asked about her eyesight. scientists often work in laboratories or offices, which is why most health restrictions are not an exclusion criterion. What about people who can do their job but have an increased risk of absenteeism - for example due to a chronic illness like the diabetic Pavel or the parents of small children? This is considered a "general risk of life", so it is a normal part of life. As a rule, these applicants can fill in their position; questions about it are not permitted. ?What do I do if such questions are asked anyway?? Elisa asks.

In the interview, your private life is protected from prying questions. Most of the time, however, these questions are not asked as such. Rather ambiguous statements are made: "I hope you are aware that such a demanding position can hardly be reconciled with extensive private obligations." In this case, the simplest answer is to confirm the statement without anything about yourself to reveal: "Yes, I am aware of that." If such questions are formulated as questions, the employer is breaking the law. You can remain silent, lie or sue in court. Unfortunately, all three options have weaknesses. Employers would interpret into a silence what they want. Lying is also difficult: can you handle it in a stressful situation, and would it even be possible to work together positively afterwards? And who wants to go to court against their future employer?

There is at least one semi-workable solution. You can fire a warning shot and bring the conversation back to basics: "If you can explain how my family plans relate to my work in this position, I'll be happy to answer the question." but don't immediately make threats.

Philipp Gramlich, p.gramlich@naturalscience.careers