Author: Lamar Blackwell
Lamar
Blackwell
Why is Career Change Hard?
One of the most difficult things to do for ourselves is change. There is a comfort level in what we already know and do. We understand the current problems in our jobs and are used to them. We know the aspects we like and what we don’t like. And while we may want to like our current situat...
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Lamar
Blackwell
When transitioning from academia to pharma, academic scientists need their C.R.E.A.M! - Communication
Learning to speak well is an important transferable skill for work in academia, pharma, and life in general. While we know this is important, few understand the need to use this skill in “reinventing” themselves when entertaining a career transition. Last time, I described the need ...
Lamar
Blackwell
When transitioning from academia to pharma, academic scientists need their C.R.E.A.M! - Resourcefulness
One of the most important things we learn during our Ph.D. training is the ability to do a “needs analysis”. We learn how to get work done when resources are limited, project goals are shifted, and priorities change for things like grant proposals. Still, other times, we realize that...
Lamar
Blackwell
When transitioning from academia to pharma, academic scientists need their C.R.E.A.M! - Energy
There is something very attractive about a listening to a person excited about what they are saying. Many times, the conversation is more interesting and enjoyable because there is an energy that is associated with the person talking. You want to leave this type of impression with pharma...
Lamar
Blackwell
When transitioning from academia to pharma, academic scientists need their C.R.E.A.M! – Analysis
When transition from academia to pharma industry, you will be hired to solve problems. There is a reason that they are looking to hire someone. The company has a problem of some type. Maybe it’s because that they have more work than can be completed by the staff at hand. M...
Lamar
Blackwell
When transitioning from academia to pharma, academic scientists need their C.R.E.A.M!-Manage
An important thing that we learned to do in academia is manage how we use our time. We are able to manage the amount of time that we allocate to any one activity. It was probably something that we learned to do during graduate school or during our postdoctoral work. It was what all...
Lamar
Blackwell
When transitioning from academia to pharma, academic scientists need their C.R.E.A.M!
Together, we have learned that there are transferable skills that we can take from our academic space to work in pharma. I hope that we have learned about the importance of our ability to communicate, be resourceful, have energy, analyze work, and manage the work and expectations. Unders...
Lamar
Blackwell
Searching for our career north: The Process
An introduction to the process A common challenge for professionals is the situation where you having a good sense of the field you want to work in, but lacking clarity in what exactly we want to do in this field or how to get there. It is difficult for a number of reasons. Two big reasons f...
Lamar
Blackwell
Searching for our career north: The Process - Step 1: Self assessment
In the introduction to this series, I mentioned that we need to understand the reality of the process of achieving our career goals. We also need to assess our strengths and weaknesses. We need to think about why we are chasing this goal and why it is important to us. When you are ...
Lamar
Blackwell
Interviewing for a job in the Pharma Industry - Preparation
Congratulations! You applied for and received an interview for a job at a pharma company. It means that the company has a genuine interest in you. Getting ready for an interview can be very difficult. It can especially be difficult for graduate students and postdocs looking g...
