Workshop Topics, Schedule & Registration

Learn about the unlimited career paths available to you with your biology degree. We’ll cover careers in the life sciences industry, environmental and policy, academic research, healthcare and medicine, and more. You’ll learn from early- and mid-career professionals as well as executives on what types of roles different career fields offer, and about panelists' nonlinear career pathways and how they got to where they are today.

Location: Horizon Room (CSC 103), Career Center (in person)

Speakers:

• Tony Prestigiacomo, Senior Director, Research and Development, at Werfen (UC San Diego alumnus: B.S. in bioengineering and biomedical engineering)
• Abhi Afzalpurkar, Ph.D., Director, Corporate Innovation Partnerships, at Thermo Fisher Scientific
• Mark Schultzel, M.D., Chief, Orthopaedic Surgery at United Medical Doctors, and Chief Medical Officer at Modiv Health (UC San Diego alumnus: M.D., MBA, B.S. general biology, B.A. psychology)
• Sanchi Chandan, Product Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific

Come to this workshop prepared with notes you took on different careers from the Week 1 presentation and panel. We’ll start by briefly discussing skills needed in different career paths and you’ll do a brief assessment to discover how your skills, interests, and personality traits can apply to your career path. Guests will join who hold careers in a variety of different fields, including the life sciences industry, environmental and policy, academic research, healthcare and medicine. They will be stationed in groups according to their field and you’ll have the chance to visit each station to network with guests and ask questions about their career paths.

Location: Horizon Room (CSC 103), Career Center (in person)

Speakers:

• Jennifer Wittbold, Associate Director, Business & Product Development at Primrose Bio
• Samantha Ahern, Director, Quality Operations at QuidelOrtho (UC San Diego alumna: MBA and B.S. in biochemistry)
• Deb Bright, Ph.D., Senior Manager, Corporate Communications at Acadia Pharmaceuticals
• Deb Kazenelson, Executive Director, Corporate Communications at Acadia Pharmaceuticals

Learn about the best time to apply to internships and jobs, and where to apply. You’ll also learn how to write a competitive resume, curriculum vitae, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile. No matter your experience level, you will be able to write an appealing resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile by highlighting your transferable skills—skills that you already have and can creatively apply to the job you’re interested in. For example, if you’ve been a coffee shop barista, your ability to collaborate, communicate and solve problems in a fast-paced environment would make you an excellent candidate for a research lab position. You’ll also learn how to write a cold email, which you’ll do if you’re interested in working at a lab on campus if the position is not posted.

Location: Horizon Room (CSC 103), Career Center (in person)

Come to this workshop with your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile and cold email (and CV if you are applying to graduate school or a faculty position this year) prepared according to guidelines presented in the Week 3 skill application workshop. Please print your resume, cover letter, and cold email (and CV if applicable), and come with your laptop or tablet to view your LinkedIn profile. Recruiters, life sciences hiring managers, and UC San Diego career staff will review these materials and offer you feedback.

Location: Horizon Room (CSC 103), Career Center (in person)

Learn about what to expect for an internship or job interview, and how to best prepare. You'll learn about how to compellingly talk about your experience and tell your story in an interview by applying STAR format—Situation, Task, Action, Result. You'll learn about how to prepare for in-person and virtual interviews, what to expect throughout the interview process, what to bring, how to connect with the interviewer, and best practices for communicating in your interview. Finally, you'll learn how to negotiate your salary, which you'll do every time you are offered a job from the beginning to end of your career. In this workshop, you'll sign up for a remote mock interview that a hiring manager from the life sciences industry will conduct with you during Week 8.

Location: Horizon Room (CSC 103), Career Center (in person)

Learn how to give an elevator pitch that succinctly and intriguingly summarizes your professional experience and career interests. You’ll also learn about how to conduct an informational interview, which is a conversation you have with someone who has a career path you're interested in and want to learn more about. Additionally, you’ll learn about best practices for career fairs and about other professional networking opportunities.

Location: Horizon Room (CSC 103), Career Center (in person)

Come to this workshop prepared with your elevator pitch developed according to guidelines from the Week 5 presentation and panel. We'll start by giving you the option to present your elevator pitch to the group, followed by the audience offering you feedback. Professionals will join from a variety of different fields, including the life sciences industry, environmental and policy, academic research, healthcare and medicine. Then we will move into groups where you can practice conducting informational interviews with our industry guests.

Location: Horizon Room (CSC 103), Career Center (in person)

You’ll do your remote mock interview during the time you signed up for during the Week 7 workshop. Prepare for this interview by practicing what you learned in the Week 7 workshop. To further prepare and know what to expect, be sure to read and follow the guidelines emailed to you by UC San Diego staff during Week 7. Mock interviews are only open to students who attended the Week 7 workshop.

Location: Zoom

Soft skills are interpersonal skills that show your ability to successfully communicate, work with others, and complete tasks and projects. These skills include leadership, collaboration, problem-solving, work ethic, adaptability, public speaking, written and nonverbal communication, and much more. You’ll learn how to develop soft skills in everyday life and apply them on the job, in interviews, and at networking events. While scientific and technical skills are very important, most employers report that they hire based on soft skills. You’ll also learn about workplace etiquette and what to expect on the job.

Location: Horizon Room (CSC 103), Career Center (in person)

Come prepared to this workshop with notes you took on soft skills from the Week 9 presentation and panel. Industry professionals from a variety of different fields, including the life sciences industry, environmental and policy, academic research, healthcare and medicine, will present you with common workplace challenges and you’ll work in groups to determine how to apply soft skills to respond to and resolve these scenarios.

Location: Horizon Room (CSC 103), Career Center (in person)