The Career Pathways Office (CPO) organizes a variety of career development programs that help early career researchers build skills that will be valuable in their careers—whether in academia, industry, government, or at Berkeley Lab. Examples include the annual research SLAM science communication competition, the Postdoc Career Fair, the Scientific Leadership and Management Skills Course, and the Early Career Enrichment Program (ECEP).
Research News asked past participants in CPO programs to describe their experiences in these learning and growth opportunities and to share some tips they gleaned.
A friendly competition that offers an opportunity for researchers to hone their science and communication skills, the SLAM format is familiar to many at the Lab. Anne Villacastin, a postdoc in the Biosciences Area’s Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, who presented her sorghum research from the Joint BioEnergy Institute, was the winner of the 2023 Berkeley Lab SLAM and the Bay Area Research SLAM (where she went head to head with competitors from three other national labs). Anne said that participating in the program not only helped her develop public speaking skills and showcase her research to a wider audience, but it also provided a rare opportunity to interact with other postdocs, mentors, scientists, organizers and policy makers that she otherwise wouldn’t have met.
She offered the following observation: “It’s crucial to communicate your research in a way that’s both clear and engaging, so that people can get invested in your research goals and understand the impact of your work. By doing so, you can inspire others to join in your mission and help make your work more relevant.”
CPO also organizes an annual Postdoc Career Fair, an event jointly organized with the Berkeley Lab Postdoc Association (BLPA) and UC Berkeley’s Visiting Scholar and Postdoc Affairs (VSPA) Office. The fair offers an opportunity for postdocs and researchers in the Berkeley community to explore career options beyond academia. “Participating in the Career Fair provides an opportunity for anyone belonging to the Berkeley Lab and UCB community who wants to transition into an industrial role,” said Trisha Kishore Bhage, a postdoc in the Biosciences Area’s Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, who has attended past career fairs and has been part of the organizing committee for two years. “You can get exposure to the different types of jobs available in the market that year. You can speak with recruiters and HR representatives from several participating companies and get an insider’s perspective on the specific qualifications and skill sets required for a particular position. Thus you can make your application for that particular job concise and appealing.”
“The Career Fair has helped me expand my horizons beyond the Lab. I’ve built connections in the industrial sector and honed my communication skills. The resume-building clinic organized as a part of the career fair has helped me with writing my CV/resume,” said Trisha. She added that being involved on the organizing committee has also been a fun networking activity: “Working with CPO and the members of the BLPA, the VSPA Office at UC Berkeley, and other postdoc volunteers involved in organizing this event has been an amazing platform for me to get to know the Berkeley community better.”
Daniel Collins-Wildman, a postdoc with the Energy Technologies Area’s Energy Storage and Distributed Resources Division, participated in CPO’s Senior Leadership and Management Skills Course, which provides training for postdocs and early career researchers who want to develop their leadership skills. Last year, the program was organized in partnership with UC San Francisco (UCSF), UC Berkeley, and the Gladstone Institute. Daniel offered, “One of the main takeaways that I took from the course was that it is important as a leader or manager to tailor my interactions to each of my employees. This allows us to have the most effective communication and motivation to complete projects.” Daniel put these lessons into practice with summer interns he managed in 2023. Applications are now open for the upcoming Senior Leadership and Management Skills Course, which will take place in April.
The CPO also provides leadership training through its Early Career Enrichment Program, which is based on the DOE’s Oppenheimer Science and Energy Leadership program. ECEP helps prepare emerging leaders at the Lab by providing a deeper understanding of the Lab’s mission, capabilities, and relationships. This year’s ECEP cohort includes the Lab’s Early Career Research Program awardees and Area nominees across Berkeley Lab’s six scientific research areas.
Jonelle Basso, a scientist with the Biosciences Area’s DOE Joint Genome Institute, said that ECEP provided a space for growth, discussion of science, and for future collaboration. “It is very important to proactively think about and identify collaborators and mentors to work with on interesting problems, so that when funding opportunities arise you can respond effectively.”
Antoine Islegen-Wojdyla, a scientist at the Advanced Light Source, found that the ECEP was a unique occasion to discover all the resources and talent at the Lab. “I learned about all the incredible user facilities and projects that we can leverage for our own research and didn’t know existed,” he said.
Antoine found the ECEP experience invaluable. He said, “The ECEP program allowed me to identify who I should talk to in order to get access to specific lab resources, and also get a chance to talk with early career researchers who are also learning how to manage their own group, and exchange insights and best practices.”
The Career Pathways Office also offers many workshops and seminars on many topics, including grant writing, writing in science, and giving presentations. For more information about Career Pathways Office programs, visit the CPO website.
