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Reflections Blog

Sneak Peek: Compounded Returns

1/19/2021

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Life Advice, Career Development, Personal Perspective
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​The Power of Compound Interest
Albert Einstein purportedly described compounding as the most powerful force in the universe and compound interest as the eighth wonder of the world. 
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We mostly think of compound interest in the form of finances and growing wealth. And compound interest in that domain is, indeed, quite powerful and important. The crucial aspect of this type of growth is that it relies heavily on time. The more time one has to allow their money to grow at some rate of return (3%, 5%, 8%), the more money they will have at the end of some specified period of time. The earnings that accrue each year (or day, or month, depending on how interest is paid out) adds to the amount the individual invests themselves and also, itself, produces interest and earnings over time.

​An example from the investment learning blog grow illustrates how much of a difference 10 years can make: if a person starts saving $5,000/year for their retirement at age 25, they will end up with more than twice as much retirement savings ($1,300,000) by age 65 as someone who waits until 35 to start ($565,000), assuming an 8% rate of return, compounded annually.

​So, don't wait to invest in your retirement...even if it is $50 or $100 per month. That adds up over time. 
​Exponential Growth & COVID-19
Time matters so much in the world of compound interest as the growth of money in this case is exponential.

You might have heard a bit about the power of exponential growth as it relates to the spread of COVID-19 within a population. While pure exponential growth is not the best way to model the spread of COVID-19 infections, using it as an example demonstrates the point that, again, time matters when it comes to compounding growth of, in this case, a viral infection.

​An example used in the Forbes article linked above nicely illustrates the point of growth in viral spread: if just 1 person is infected on January 1st and the number of infected people doubles every three days (1 person has the ability to infect another in three days time from casual interactions, etc...), 1,024 people will be infected on January 31 (as each newly infected person also infects someone else every 3 days), 2,048 on February 3 (doubling of infections every 3 days), and by March 19th (78 days after the initial infection), 67 million people will be infected! Obviously COVID-19 didn't spread this fast due to various measures to slow the spread but, clearly, exponential growth is scary.

​The point here, and that we learned all too well in 2020, is that if one does not intervene early to stop the spread, the growth of viral spread will produce levels of infection that are nearly impossible to deal with barring some major new intervention like a vaccine, which thankfully, is coming in the case of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the disease that is COVID-19. 

Another interesting bit of research that resurfaced in the media during the spread of COVID-19 was the concept of exponential growth bias - the fact that most people ​consistently underestimate how fact value increases exponentially. In fact, an interesting study published in PNAS found that helping individuals better understand how impactful exponential growth can be for COVID-19 transmission led to increased support for measures to slow the spread of the virus.

​So, while we may struggle to comprehend exponential growth initially, understanding this process better is critical to taking actions that can affect this type of growth, whether we want to harness it for good (i.e., saving for retirement) or combat its negative effects (viral transmission).
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Big Things Come from Small Beginnings - Growing Your Professional Presence & Career

​What does exponential growth have to do with your career?

Well, I believe we build our expertise and personal brand over time and can experience outsized returns in our careers if we start early and seek out means of increasing our rate of return, which could include:
  1. Publishing your scholarly work (if you are a researcher)
  2. Building an online brand and presence (via LinkedIn and/or a personal website)
  3. Sharing your work & expertise via online platforms (LinkedIn posts, articles, or blog posts on other platforms)
  4. Growing your professional network & reach
  5. Developing relationships with professionals in your current or desired career field
  6. Communicating your value, expertise, and story broadly, including learning how to communicate to general audiences  
​To be continued.....
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​The first edition of the newsletter will land in your inbox on January 28, 2021.
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To a Brighter 2021: A Poem

12/22/2020

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Life Advice, Opinion
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2020...what a year.
Who knew at the beginning we would be here?
Certainly times have been tough and many are apart.
However, these circumstances made us appreciate what we should have from the start.

It’s often the little things that matter in life:
A sunny day, brisk walk, or chats with loved ones be they friends, family, your husband or wife.
In all the noise of our busy lives we often forgot to slow down and see
How much we had to be thankful for...hopefully you agree?

As this year reaches its end
We look forward to rounding the COVID-19 bend.
Science has delivered advances to slow the spread
And brighter days are ahead.

When our lives begin to restart
Let us not forget what we learned while apart:
Connection, love, and hope should be at the heart
Of our society as we chart
A path forward in the year ahead
One full of promise and not dread.

Here’s to a brighter, better future for all of us. ​
Happy Holidays and a wonderful new year to you and your loved ones!
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The Journey from Postdoc to Working in Postdoctoral Affairs

10/21/2020

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Personal Perspective, Career Exploration, Life Advice
Approximately 2 years ago I was navigating a multi-pronged job search where I considered a variety of career paths to pursue after my postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University. I am now approaching the end of my second year working in postdoctoral affairs at North Carolina State University, which I began in January 2019. 

This piece about my transition from postdoc to working in postdoc affairs originally appeared in the National Postdoctoral Association's online newsletter, The POSTDOCket, in April 2019. I have added some additional thoughts and reflections in bold (red). 
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​Like many postdoctoral scholars, I considered a variety of careers during my time as a postdoc at Vanderbilt University. I applied to tenure-track faculty jobs in fall 2017 and 2018, submitting nearly 25 applications each year (read more in my Tales from the Academic Job Market). I also talked with individuals in my immediate and extended network (via informational interviews) who worked in a variety of areas outside academia: medical writing, medical science liaison, & life science consulting.
Only since fall 2018 did I think that a career in postdoctoral affairs was both an option, and an area where I had the necessary qualifications. In retrospect however, I realize I had been steadily building a portfolio of postdoc affairs involvement and professional development knowledge over the past few years.
Involvement in the Vanderbilt University Postdoctoral Association
I got my first in-depth exposure to postdoctoral affairs while working with the Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Association (VPA) as treasurer in 2016-17 and junior co-chair (vice president) in 2017-18. During that time, the VPA executive board and I worked with our newly centralized Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) to broaden our programming for a wider postdoc audience.

Although developing programming to be broadly relevant and useful to postdocs from varying fields was a challenge, we made progress in reaching a larger and more diverse population of Vanderbilt postdocs through our social and professional development events. While interacting with postdocs in my VPA leadership roles, I began to understand the range of challenges they faced: international employment issues, family care issues, mental health issues, and lack of supervisor/mentor support, just to name a few.

I have subsequently written about some of the challenges postdocs face on this blog.
​See:
  • The Challenges of Being an International Researcher: Implications for Advanced Degree Labor Markets
    • Part 1
    • Part 2
  • ​​Call to Action: Measuring Postdoc Impact

I can't emphasize enough the value of getting involved in something beyond your work/lab/school while a graduate student or postdoc....you learn so much about other skills you have to offer and, through volunteering, have a chance to give back to your community. 
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Networking with Postdoc Development Offices at the NPA's Annual Conference
My exposure to the challenges and various levels of support available to postdocs at a national level was broadened by attending the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA)’s Annual Conference in 2017 and 2018. I learned from other postdoctoral offices and organizations about work that they were doing geared toward improving postdoctoral career readiness (i.e., thinking broadly about career options) and outcomes.

In speaking with NPA poster presenters, I learned how they successfully campaigned for higher starting postdoc salaries, organized joint events with nearby institutions to share costs, leveraged alumni networks, and tracked career outcomes. The importance of using data to campaign for change and track interventions was a key lesson I learned from these interactions.

In my current role, I have begun working on better postdoc career outcomes transparency. In fact, I present data on the subject during our mandatory new postdoc orientation at NC State University. By showing postdocs the range of career fields they can move into early in their tenure, I hope to prompt them to realize there are many successful "next steps" available to them after their time as a postdoc.
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I have also led the development of a Postdoc Climate Survey we launched this year and hope to leverage this data to continue to advocate for initiatives that improve the postdoctoral experience here at NC State. 
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Writing/Blogging About Career & Professional Development
Around the time I was becoming more involved in the postdoctoral community at Vanderbilt and beyond, I became interested in a career in science communication and medical writing. At the NPA annual meeting, I learned about The POSTDOCket, the online newsletter for the organization. I began writing for The POSTDOCket following the 2017 NPA annual meeting, where I profiled a workshop I attended by SciPhD.

Over the next few years, I wrote twelve pieces for the newsletter and continue to contribute to it. My interview with Sam Castañeda, a pioneer in postdoctoral support services and resources at the University of California, Berkeley, was particularly inspiring as I learned more about the impact that postdoc offices can have on improving the postdoc experience through community building, personal and professional support services, and advocating at the state and national level.

​In addition, I began writing about my own journey in career exploration for the NIH BEST blog in fall 2018, in hopes that sharing my experiences of the post-PhD job hunt would help current trainees on the job market.

I now serve on the NPA Board of Directors and liaise with The POSTDOCket team. If you are a postdoc or someone who supports postdocs, contributing your ideas and writing to The POSTDOCket is an excellent way to begin establishing yourself as a thought leader in the postdoc affairs space. Offering helpful advice to postdocs in The POSTDOCket is another excellent reason to write for this outlet.  
Volunteer with The POSTDOCket
By hearing more about working in the postdoc affairs space from others involved in the NPA, I began to see how many aspects of this work were a good fit for my interests and values. I really enjoy helping others through information sharing as well as empowering them to tell their stories effectively. One way I do this in my current role at NC State is through a blog I launched in August 2019: ImPACKful. With other members of our Graduate School Professional Development Team, we use the blog to share advice and resources for graduate students and postdocs in addition to highlighting current and past trainees' work. It has been quite rewarding building this communication platform and my next goal is to have more graduate students and postdocs contribute to content development on the blog, including a new series featuring informational interview insights from trainees' conversations with NC State graduate school and postdoc alumni. 
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Establish a Connection with Your Local Career & Professional Development Team
I had many great examples of career and professional development resources available to me while a postdoc at Vanderbilt. The Vanderbilt Office of Biomedical Research Education and Training (BRET) offers an incredible array of programming to graduate students and postdocs. During my  time as a postdoc at Vanderbilt I assisted in planning some of this programming. In fact, the people I worked with in the BRET Office at Vanderbilt were the ones who directed me towards a job advertisement for a postdoc program manager position for which they thought I was a good fit. After reading the job description they forwarded to me, it seemed to be a job where I could work to help postdocs feel more “career ready” and simultaneously try to improve institutional resources and support for them, which really appealed to me. 

While applying to this and similar program manager positions, I learned from a contact who I met at the NPA Conference (and on her LinkedIn feed, no less—the power of networking and LinkedIn in action!) of the postdoc program manager position at North Carolina State University—the ideal job for me (based on geographic preference and being nearer to family). The story of my first “real job” offer, subsequent soul searching, and eventual acceptance of my current position can be read elsewhere.

​One organization to keep on your radar if you are interested in a career in graduate or postdoc career & professional development work is the Graduate Career Consortium (GCC).
​I joined GCC shortly after beginning my position at NC State and have found the community very supportive and collaborative. GCCers share resources and ideas about how to help those of us working in PhD career and professional development do our jobs better. Through various committees, GCC members are focused on important topics around grad/postdoc career outcomes as well as developing useful resources for trainees including ImaginePhD, a career exploration platform for the humanities and social sciences. GCC members also share advice on career planning for both trainees and the professionals who serve them through the weekly Carpe Careers column on Inside Higher Ed. In addition, the GCC member message board is great way to learn about job openings in this space. Finally, the GCC offers a trainee membership for grad students and postdocs interested in learning more about a career in grad/postdoc career and professional development. 
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, my path to a career in postdoctoral affairs hasn’t been meticulously planned, but rather grew out of the various experiences I’ve highlighted in this article. As I reflect further on what pushed me to pursue this career path, I would say that it comes from my fundamental enjoyment in helping people. I found research mentoring to be personally fulfilling as a graduate student and postdoc, and am now a form of mentor to postdocs at NC State. To come (nearly) full circle, my first profile piece for The POSTDOCket focused on the importance of doctorally-trained individuals realizing they have transferable skills that are relevant to a variety of careers outside academia. In my new role, I am working to drive that point home to the postdocs here, helping them prepare for careers where their skills and experiences can have an impact—as I hope my position as postdoctoral program manager will.
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Checking In Two Years Later 
​Now nearly 2 years into my current role as Postdoc Program Manager at NC State University, my day job is filled with many administrative tasks as well as work I find more engaging, including providing career advice and developing resources to support both postdocs and graduate students here. 

I have also realized I can contribute to important national efforts focused on empowering postdocs via my work within NPA & GCC as well as through scholarship in the education research and career outcomes space.
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​I was fortunate to get involved with an amazing grass roots effort from the Future PI Slack community in Spring 2019 around better understanding the faculty job market in North America. This resulted in contributing to an ongoing collaborative survey of 
postdoc applicants on the faculty job market.

​We published our first set of data from this work in June 2020 and are currently analyzing the data from this past faculty hiring cycle (2019-2020).


I realize that contributing my talents toward this and related work could have an enormous impact on the scientific workforce and potentially influence the future makeup of faculty at higher education institutions in the United States and Canada. Through data we can empower current trainees to better understand what it takes to land a faculty position. In addition, our work can help illuminate current issues in the faculty application review process that may bias search committees to favor some applicants over others.

This is critical work that I am glad to be a part of and that, frankly, I couldn't have imagined myself doing two years ago. However, I now see how my experiences, skills, interests, and values have led me to my current focus of supporting the scientific workforce, of which postdocs are a key constituent.

Life is surprising but in retrospect can often make sense. I think the key is to lean in to new experiences and expand what you think is possible for your work and life. You just might discover a whole new area where you can contribute your efforts and have a positive impact on the world. 
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Why you should get involved in things outside the lab/work

2/5/2020

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Life Advice
Getting involved in my local postdoctoral association changed the course of my professional career. I didn’t know it at the time, though.
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​I served in the Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Association (VPA) as Treasurer in 2016-17 and Junior Co-Chair (Vice President) in 2017-18. When I decided to volunteer in my first leadership role, I didn’t really consider myself leadership material. I am pretty quiet and reserved but realized this group was doing important work including building a community of support for postdocs and linking them to resources on campus. 
Working with the VPA, I met a lot of awesome people doing amazing things, including some postdocs whom I would never had interacted with if I stayed in the lab or only attended departmental events. The VPA senior co-president when I started attending association meetings is now a data scientist and the senior co-president I served with in 2016-17 received a prestigious AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship. The 2018-19 VPA senior co-president, who I interacted with frequently in Fall 2018 as I assisted with our Association website design, now works at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Other leaders who worked with me in the VPA over the years have taken positions in medical writing at AbbVie (a pharmaceutical company), an assistant professor position at the University of Florida, and directing NIH BEST consortium activities. 
Teamwork & leadership are highly valued
​I bring up the careers these individuals have obtained post-postdoc to demonstrate that the leadership and teamwork experience one gains from working with a community organization or group looks great to potential employers. You don’t have to get involved with your local Postdoctoral Association (though the NC State PDA is always looking for volunteers) to find volunteer opportunities that can be useful for you both personally and professionally. 
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Involvement and/or leadership in organizations can lead to a variety of career options in the future.
There are so many organizations to get involved with
Like communicating science? Why not volunteer at the NC Museum of National Sciences in downtown Raleigh? Interested in a career in medical writing? The American Association of Medical Writers has a local chapter based here in the Research Triangle. Other local organizations to get involved with (that I am aware of) include the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering with both an NC State and Carolina-South Atlantic Chapter, North Carolina Regulatory Affairs Forum, entrepreneurship programs, and a host of exchange groups in a variety of life science areas. 
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Volunteer in your community to hone your skills, meet others, and give back​
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​It is critical to your mental health to seek out activities beyond your lab/research work (or any work, really). Volunteering in local organizations can provide you a broader community of social support and sense of accomplishment in the work you do in them that is independent of how things are going in your graduate or postdoctoral work. You can use volunteer opportunities to work on skills outside your comfort zone and try bold things without your performance being tied to your current salary or stipend.

​Prototyping potential alternative careers can be very helpful as you explore what to do after your graduate school or postdoctoral training. Getting involved in specific activities that allow you to pursue a line of work you might be interested in will help you test them out as a potential career path for you. You can self-reflect during these activities asking: do I enjoy doing this?, do I need to hone some skill before seeking formal employment in this area?, etc... 
You may discover you can build a fulfilling career out of the skills and experiences you exercise outside the lab, combining them with your other strengths to do something you are both good at and enjoy. ​
By venturing outside your school/work, you will also meet a more diverse group of professionals and start to learn about the many career opportunities out there in the world. 
Take on work that is outside your job duties to build new skills & establish more connections
Just a few months into my role in Postdoc Affairs at NC State University, I sought out opportunities to serve on various committees in professional organizations relevant to my career: the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) and Graduate Career Consortium. Working on committees tasked with resource development, education research/outcomes assessment, and bench-marking of career development professionals has allowed me to greatly expand my network and learn more about exciting developments in these areas. I am also part of the early conversations around how we will communicate new resources, work, and findings to our membership. This helps me stay informed on new initiatives and advances in the field...something I find immensely valuable.
Certainly don't over-extend yourself but I believe taking on additional opportunities when you think they will help you learn and grow in a new area (I had been focused on neuroscience research for the past ~10 years before this career move) is worth it. 

I also volunteered to work with a group of individuals through Future PI Slack analyzing and writing up results from a faculty career applicant survey. While this work took up quite a bit of time on the weekends from June to October, we have submitted this work for peer review and, if accepted, it will be my first publication in the education research/outcomes area. I also plan to continue working with some of my co-authors on this work developing more detailed, future surveys to understand factors that lead to a successful faculty job search.    

As I seek to grow in my new area of career/professional development, I expect all this additional "side" work to pay dividends...and perhaps they already are.

I successfully ran for the Board of Directors for the NPA this fall and I think being involved and meeting others in the field probably helped with name recognition on the ballot.
​Closing thoughts
Obviously, where you seek to invest your "free time" to grow and develop will be different from my own experience but I urge you to make the time to develop knowledge, skills, and a network outside your current one. This could be in the form of going to local 
meet-ups focused on some area of interest to you (data science, ag tech, science communication), attending networking events to learn about other opportunities in the area, or volunteering for a cause you are passionate about. 

You never know where these extracurricular experiences might lead.

​If you don't take part in any, though, you'll never find out.  
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Giving Thanks: Finding personal fulfillment

11/4/2019

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​Life Advice, Career Exploration/Development
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We are entering the month of November and that means Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away.

All too often, however, we aren't thankful enough for what we have. Instead, we can easily become consumed by what we don't have as we compare our life situations to others.

​In the end, we need to work to define what life circumstances will truly make us happy, pursue those things, and ignore what others say should make us happy.  

Envy & the perils of human competition & comparison
The truth is, it is very difficult for human beings to not envy one another...it is as old as the Biblical story of Cain & Abel, among others. 

This brings up the philosophical debate: are humans by nature competitive or cooperative? Obviously, we are capable of both types of behavior. Certain societal and institutional settings, though, can amplify one or the other.
For instance, capitalism and neoliberalism are focused heavily on competition and individualism. In addition, American culture is often centered around individuals striving to be "the best".

There is nothing wrong with working to improve and better yourself but gauging one's progress against others in a race to the top is fraught with peril.   

Furthermore, social media platforms have enabled us to know even more about the lives of others and can fuel our envy for what others have that we don't. It's important to remember, though, that on social media individuals often display only the best version of themselves and their lives. 
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This fact has led many young people to be focused on living the "perfect life" and when they inevitably don't reach that lofty goal, their mental health can suffer.
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Finding happiness
We all want to have happy, fulfilling lives but struggle to know what that looks like for us. 
Everyone has different values and needs when it comes to what they classify as a "good" life. 

So, allowing others to define what you should find meaningful in life is very problematic. It is incredibly common, though. We all have parents we want to please or life plans we think we should follow but that is a recipe to live a life that lacks personal fulfillment. The idea that smart, dedicated people need to aspire toward some high-paying, prestigious job is common among parents who want their children to "succeed". But that job as a doctor, lawyer, or consultant might not be what the child really wants. 
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You shouldn't allow societal expectations to define your life, either. American society values money a lot. So, if you aren't earning a large salary, you might be socialized to assume your life might not be very "good". Certainly, you need to earn some threshold of salary to live a healthy life without deprivation (one study says the magic threshold number is $75,000, but your mileage may vary).

In terms of how societal expectations apply to Ph.D.-trained researchers, the assumption is that "success" for this type of training is to eventually land a faculty job. Even though there are plenty of roles where a Ph.D. would provide value and the role might better fit the trainee's skills and interests. 
There is so much more to life and happiness than money or a prestigious position. But what are those other things? The answer to that is incredibly personal. ​
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The importance of self reflection & awareness 
One huge obstacle in allowing individuals to find meaning in their lives is that we often fail to take the time to think deeply about what we want out of our life. While this seems like a basic place to start, our fast-paced, modern world doesn't leave much time for self reflection unless one makes a concerted effort to do it. In fact, psychologist Tasha Eurich's research suggests ~10-15% of people are self-aware.
Self-reflect & begin designing the life you want
Exercises to increase your self-awareness. 
Designing Your Career online course from Stanford University (free).
More life design resources from Stanford. 
A matter of perspective
The perspective we take to our "success" is the most critical component to our happiness. We can count our blessings or ruminate on our deficiencies. The former, positive thinking is infinitely better for your mental and physical health. 
Take me, for example, at age 33 with a Ph.D. I could focus on the fact that I don't make a six figure salary, that I have yet to find a significant other, and that I don't have kids, though I want to someday.
Or, I could focus on the fact that I am in very good health, have loving parents and two sisters who I get to see on a regular basis, have the flexibility in my work to take time for family, friends, and my own well being, and make enough to live pretty comfortably. On top of all that, I am doing work that I think is having a positive impact on the world, helping support others in their career & professional development.

​All in all, I am doing alright.   
In closing, try to take stock of what you value in your life. Is it money? Prestige? A flexible work/life balance? Autonomy in your work? Plenty of free time to spend with family and friends?
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Once you know your values, pursue them and don't let the opinions of others derail you on your path to your own personal fulfillment. 

When you set your own metric of success and work hard to obtain it, you can find your own happiness. And that is something to truly be thankful for.  
"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances." - Viktor Frankl

​For further reading/listening
Articles: 

The Comparison Trap
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How to stop comparing yourself to others
The age of envy: how to be happy when everyone else's life looks perfect
How you think about money can impact how happy you are in life
How the West become a self-obsessed culture
Perfectionism is increasing over time: A meta-analysis of birth cohort differences (1989-2016)
Change your perspective, change your life

Books:

The Road to Character
The resume virtues are the ones you list on your resume, the skills that you bring to the job market and contribute to external success. The eulogy virtues are deeper. They are the virtues that get talked about at your funeral, the ones that exist at the core of your being-whether you are kind, brave, honest, or faithful: what kind of relationships you formed.

Insight: The surprising truth about how others see us, how we see ourselves, and why the answers matter more than we think
Research shows that self-awareness—knowing who we are and how others see us—is the foundation for high performance, smart choices, and lasting relationships. There’s just one problem: most people don’t see themselves quite as clearly as they could. This book offers tips on improving one's self-awareness.

Podcasts:
​The Happiness Lab
WorkLife with Adam Grant
The Science of Success
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The power of human connection

7/3/2019

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Life Advice
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Growing up, especially in middle and high school, I was not the most social person. I was (and still am) quite introspective...OK spending lots of time with myself and my thoughts. Interacting with people, especially during those awkward teenage years, seemed wrought with uncertainty and peril including the possibility of rejection, judgement, hostility, and pressure to conform. Human beings are complicated and unpredictable...do I really need them in my life?

Loneliness

I was pretty much a loner. A LONER...a kind of dirty word in the gregarious 21st Century, social-media driven society we currently live in. I am OK admitting it, though, as I don't see it as a completely negative thing. Sometimes you need to be alone with your thoughts to understand who you are and what you want out of life.
I was/am not alone in feeling alone. Data suggests many people (especially adolescents) feel alone and social media may make the situation worse. Loneliness is associated with increased mortality (see also) and the problem is getting worse with over 50% of Americans in one survey reporting they have no one outside their immediate family to discuss important matters with. But, we really need human connection, including people to confide in and advise us as we make important decisions in our lives. These people could be members of your family but it helps to have a deep professional network as well.
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The Solitary Nature of Graduate & Postdoc Work
Pursuing a graduate degree, you can very much focus on yourself and your work - your task is to do a lot of thinking, analysis, and writing. These are often solo tasks and it is easy to think that your productivity and success are self-driven.

I would argue this sense of focus and unwillingness to seek outside support ramps up as a postdoc. As a postdoc, there is no longer a thesis/dissertation committee to naturally serve as a board of advisors. Postdocs should definitely work to expand their mentoring network beyond their primary research advisor. You should really form a "board of directors" for you consisting of people (ideally from a variety of backgrounds) whose opinions and advice you trust. These individuals can help you expand your horizons - encouraging you to think about the skills and experiences you should pursue as you work toward the next step in your career. They can also help you expand your network, often a critical component to securing your next job. 

The Importance of Networking

Most people, especially the Ph.D.-trained scientists I have surrounded myself with in my current and past roles, hate the word networking. They see it as an awkward and extractive process - that they are trying to use the relationship as a means to get a job. This may be the ultimate goal but should not be the mindset going into a networking encounter.
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The reason this type of "networking" is often so difficult is because students and postdocs don't start networking in earnest until they need a job. Their desperation ramps up the stress/anxiety for the subsequent interactions.
It is impossible to deny, though, that networks are often crucial to securing employment...see links at the end of this article on the "hidden job market."
This realization comes down to the fact that trust is a key component in the hiring process. If a perspective employee comes recommended by someone a potential employer trusts, we give that person an edge in the hiring process. It is human nature.
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So, while interacting with people you don't know can feel awkward and comes with much uncertainty leading up to it...what to say to break the ice, how to fill the awkward silence that sometimes arises, etc..., it is crucially important to build genuine human connections. And not just for selfish reasons. We are social creatures and our mental and physical health is closely tied to interacting with others. Being with others makes us feel good. Furthermore, you never know what can come out of such in-person interactions.
A "stranger" is someone you just haven't connected with yet.

Small Actions, Big Impact

Recently, I attended the 2019 Graduate Career Consortium annual meeting. The GCC is a group of individuals who work with graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to help them build the skills they need to secure meaningful employment. They are a super generous and supportive group and I heard only good things about them from colleagues at Vanderbilt and UNC.
The GCC conference was filled with many opportunities to interact with attendees outside the usual sessions and meals including morning walking groups and impromptu dinners together. It would have been mentally/emotionally easier for me to choose not to attend these various extracurricular networking events. I had a long day, spent hours interacting with others during the formal conference events, and had work I needed to do.
I am glad I took the time to take part in these events, though.
At GCC, I met some great people on the morning walks and was able to talk with them on a more personal and intimate level than during the more formal (and crowded) conference networking events. I met a former GCC president and learned about opportunities to get involved with the association by volunteering on a Ph.D. outcomes committee (something I am personally very interested in). The dinners allowed me to really connect with some awesome people and feel helpful. At one dinner, I met a young man who was finishing up his Ph.D. and looking for employment, ideally in graduate career development. Hearing his story, I couldn't help but be impressed with his experiences and background. He seemed like he would be a great addition to any career and professional development office.
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The next day, during a pre-conference event, all in attendance lined up by the number of years they had been working in graduate career/professional development and this young man was at the far end (year 0). After he mentioned to the group he was finishing up Grad School, I felt compelled to tell the room that he was looking for a job. I don't think this guy would have done that publicly but know he appreciated the gesture (he thanked me later that day). At dinner the night before he mentioned he was applying for a position at Duke and I know one of the people he was going to meet with at the conference. I made sure to put in a good word for him. Who knows what will come of my actions but helping this young man out felt good. I think this is what most senior individuals at organizations feel when you interact with them - if they see your potential and passion, they are willing to help you out and get personal satisfaction from doing so.
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Helping Others Helps Us

Most people want to help others, especially others they know to be deserving. However, it takes knowing someone on a more intimate level than what they do, where they work, etc... (gleaned from small talk) to really understand their personality, their wants/needs, and the value they can bring to an organization. So, I urge the postdocs and graduate students I interact with (and it's good advice for everyone) to build strong connections, ask for help and advice, and go beyond their comfort zone. The little actions you take can add up to big effects on your life.

I am personally going to try to meet more people, build my own personal board of directors, and develop deeper connections with others who share my personal and professional interests. I encourage you to do what you need to expand your network and interact with others: volunteer, attend (graduate or postdoctoral) association events at your institution, take advantage of networking opportunities in your community or at professional conferences, or just talk to a stranger. These actions will make you feel more connected to the world, increase your mental health, and could deeply impact your life.
While such "everyday" interactions may seem trivial and tangential in the near term, they could have a lasting effect on you, long term. You certainly won't know until you try.
Other Good Reads:
The secret to happiness is helping others
10 Facts that prove helping others is a key to achieving happiness
Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection
Why you should speak with strangers
How to have better conversations with people you've just met
Tapping the hidden job market
6 Ways to crack the hidden job market
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    A neuroscientist by training, I now work to improve the career readiness of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.

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