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Career Spotlight: Computational Scientists

Adapted from pennstateuniversity.edu and energy.gov 

A computational scientist is someone who uses scientific computing in applied disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology, or the social sciences to analyze, clean up and calibrate large amounts of data and create computer models or simulations to create artificial data to solve problems and inform decisions. Because computational scientists primarily work with data, models, and simulations, they can be scientists, statisticians, applied mathematicians or engineers. 

Job Duties  

Computational Scientists work primarily with research. Their job duties primarily involve 

  • Analyzing and interpreting data  
  • Applying computer science procedures to a variety of situations and recommending potential solutions 
  • Designing experiments and developing algorithms  
  • Identifying relationships and trends or any factors that could affect the results of research 
  • Coordinating with research faculty and other technical team members for needs assessment and to accomplish individual project and/or larger organizational goals 
  • Co-authoring papers, proposals, presentations and reports  
  • Maintaining external research collaborations 

Later into one’s career, computational scientists may take on more managerial and mentorship roles as they become in charge of projects and mentor others like grad students in academic settings or new hires in tech companies.  

Working Conditions 

Computational scientists are typically researchers at academic universities, national labs and tech companies because data analysis, creating computational models and simulations are all skills that can be easily used in multiple disciplines. Often, they will need to work with in academically or professionally diverse teams and communicate clearly with researchers from their own or other institutions or clients and executives with non-technical backgrounds if they want to talk about their results. When working for academia or in national laboratories, it may be necessary to travel to research conferences to present their research.  

Education and Training  

Depending on the work, the education requirements vary from a bachelor’s degree to a PhD in disciplines related to what you are applying for. For example, jobs that focus on modeling Earth Systems might require a PhD in either Earth Sciences, Oceanography, Computer Science or any related field. However, jobs that need computational scientists because they need someone to facilitate deeper understanding or shorter time for research then, at the lower levels, a bachelor’s degree may do. Financial companies may want an Economics or financial background. However, prior experience is strongly recommended, even at entry levels for most jobs. 

Pay and Job Outlook 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Computer and Information Research Scientist jobs are expected to grow by 22% and their median salaries were $126,830 in May 2020. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $72,210, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $194,430 with the top three industries being software publishers, research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences and computer systems design and related services. 

More Information 

Here is our list of sources you can go through, if you would like to know more: 

Department of Energy’s Career Map on Computational Scientists 

Computing in Science and Engineering Article on How to Become One 

Career Highlight: Pharmaceutical Scientists

Adapted from northeastern.edu and hospitalcareers.com 

When looking for careers that connect both your interest in research and making an impact on others’ lives, a pharmaceutical scientist could be a potential career prospect. Although pharmaceutical scientists do not interact with patients directly, their work has an invaluable impact on their lives.  

Job Duties  

While pharmacists are trained to evaluate medication use and dispense medications to patients, pharmaceutical scientists are tasked with bringing new medications to the marketplace. Pharmaceutical scientists are trained to discover, develop, test, and manufacture new medications. They perform a variety of tasks such as  

  • Collecting and analyzing data 
  • Working in an interdisciplinary research team 
  • Testing safety of drugs and its side effects 
  • Doing experiments to see how the drug works 

Most of the the drugs will get discarded through the process of trail and error because it can take years to develop a new medicine before it can be widely available. Because of how complicated the drug development process is, each pharmaceutical scientist tends to specialize in one area.  

They can work on finding new uses for existing drugs, discover new meds, research how the body reacts to certain drugs to make them more effective and safer, study the causes and effects of diseases on the human body and find more efficient ways to create the medication. 

Other things necessary to being a pharmaceutical scientist include being patient and having perseverance, as developing drugs takes years of trial and error. They also need to know how to use computers and sophisticated testing equipment, and how to communicate their research and findings clearly. 

Working Conditions 

Pharmaceutical scientists often work for pharmaceutical or biotech companies, but also in academia, contract research organizations (CROs), and manufacturing facilities. They may also act as consultants to businesses and government agencies on anything related to pharmaceuticals. They may also teach at research universities and hospitals to supervise drug testing. 

Education and Training  

While it is possible to become a pharmaceutical scientist with just a bachelor’s degree, especially if you want to work in drug testing, getting a master’s degree in pharmaceutical science or other related fields like pharmacology, medicinal chemistry or biomedical science is more likely to make you a more competitive candidate. A PhD in pharmaceutical science could lead to greater responsibilities and further career progression. 

Pay and Job Outlook 

The median salary is around $80, 974. Since there is always demand for drug development and testing, the job outlook is very good for pharmaceutical scientists. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical scientists (an occupation group which includes pharmaceutical scientists) has a projected job outlook of 17% from 2020 to 2030.  

Career Highlight: Food Scientists

Adapted from environmentalscience.org and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Want to work to ensure the nutritional value, safety, and quality of foods in the United States and elsewhere? Want to help develop the next vegetarian burger patty or ice cream flavor to hit the market? Interested in exploring careers where you can still spend parts of your day in a lab setting? If any of this sounds intriguing, read on! 

Job Duties: 

Food scientists and technologists use chemistry, biology, and other sciences to study food. They analyze the nutritional content of food and research ways to make processed foods safe and healthy. They may also work in product development and develop better ways of preserving and processing. 

Where They Work: 

Food scientists typically work full-time and spend most of their time in laboratories and offices. However, traveling is occasionally needed to conduct site visits at food processing plants.  

Food scientists work in a variety of different industries, which may shift the focus of the job. For example, a food scientist working for a government agency may focus on using their research to advise policymakers. Those working in the private industry may be looking at whether new processed foods are safe to consume or fit with federal nutrition guidelines or may be involved in developing new products. Those working for agricultural companies like Cargill, Monsanto or Tyson may research new ways to process foods more efficiently or improve the quality of crops and livestock. 

Education and Training: 

Food scientists or food technologists will often need at least a bachelor’s degree in Food Science or another related field (e.g., Chemistry or Biology). Participating in lab work during your undergraduate is necessary as it helps you gain experience before going into the workforce. Internships are highly recommended as well because many entry-level jobs value firsthand, practical experience. In fact, many companies in the food industry will use internships as a hiring pipeline for full-time roles. 

Those who go on to earn higher degrees have a more advanced knowledge of their field, and there are some master’s programs especially designed for individuals without an undergraduate degree in Food Science (For example: The one-year Master of Food Science program at Cornell University).  

Pay and Job Outlook: 

Overall, employment is projected to grow by 9% from 2020-2030 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median salary was $73,450 in May 2020.  

Sample Behavioral Interview Questions

It’s time to practice for your interview! While knowing what experiences you have had in the past is very important, knowing how to answer behavioral questions can make the difference between being hired or not. Behavioral questions are designed to learn how you would respond to a specific workplace situation, and how you solve problems to achieve a successful outcome. Here is a list of possible behavioral questions that they could ask you divided into different sections.

Teamwork

With teamwork behavioral questions, interviewers get a sense of whether or not you like working on a team, how well you work in groups, and what role you tend to take on a team project (leader, mediator, follower..). These questions also show whether you are easy to get along with, which is important in almost any work environment.

  • Talk about a time when you had to work closely with someone whose personality was very different from yours
  • Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict while working on a team. How did you handle that?
  • Tell me about a time you wish you’d handled a situation differently with a colleague

Client-facing skills

Client-facing skills behavioral questions give interviewers a way to see how you react to different kind of clients. What would happen if the client is frustrated, or if there a large number of clients waiting and how you can handle that pressure.

  • Tell me about a time when you made sure a customer was pleased with your service
  • Describe a time when you had to interact with a difficult client. What was the situation, and how did you handle it?
  • When you’re working with a large number of customers, it’s tricky to deliver excellent service to them all. How do you go about prioritizing your customers’ needs?

Ability to adapt

The ability to adapt is a very important soft skill that is required in any job. The way you answer these questions will give a sense of how you are able to adapt in a new working space and how flexible you are to change and adjust to new situations.

  • Tell me about a time you were under a lot of pressure. What was going on, and how did you get through it?
  • Give me an example of a time when you had to think on your feet in order to delicately extricate yourself from a difficult or awkward situation
  • Tell me about a time you failed. How did you deal with the situation?
  • Tell me about how you worked effectively under pressure

Time management skills

Time management is another very important skill to have. When one of these questions is asked, make sure you are clear about how you managed your time carefully, what tools did you use and why did those tools help.

  • Describe a long term project you managed. How did you keep everything moving along in a timely manner?
  • Tell me about a time you set a goal for yourself. How did you go about ensuring that you would meet your objective?
  • Tell me about a time you had to be very strategic in order to meet all your top priorities

Communication skills

The ability to communicate is closely evaluated in a job interview. Some recruiters will not ask questions directly related to communication in the interview but just see how the candidate is able to communicate during the interview. However, other recruiters might ask you behavioral questions that show the candidate’s communication skills with a real life example.

  • Tell me about a successful presentation you gave and why you think it was a hit
  • Tell me about a time you had to explain something fairly complex to a frustrated client. How did you handle the situation?

Motivation and values

Motivation and values behavioral questions are asked to see what values and what kind of personality the candidate has. It is important to always be honest and show how your personality could be an asset for the company. 

  • Tell me about a time you saw a problem and took the initiative to solve it rather than waiting for someone else to do it
  • Tell me about your proudest accomplishment in work or school
  • Tell me about a mistake you’ve made. How did you handle it?
  • Tell me about a challenging situation you overcame at work
  • Tell me five things that you are NOT

How to prepare to answer behavioral questions

Read the job description carefully. Make a list of the top skills or qualifications it calls for. Think of a story that demonstrates your ability in each area. Following the STAR technique, write your stories down, including the situation, task, action and result. Then, practice saying them out loud several times. Your answers should only take about 1 ½ to 3 minutes. In order to make a good impression, telling stories that are related to each one of these questions is crucial. Telling stories is the best way to be remembered by the recruiter.

Practice is the best way to succeed at behavioral interviews. If you would like to practice doing behavioral interviews, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me (oliver.decroock@lawrence.edu) or Grace Kutney (grace.kutney@lawrence.edu).

Oliver De Croock ’24, Student-Athlete at Lawrence University majoring in Economics and Career Peer Educator. Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Career Highlight: Environmental Toxicologist

Adapted from environmentalscience.org 

Environmental toxicologists study the effects of toxic chemicals like pollutants (e.g., pesticides, industrial waste, etc.) and heavy metals on the environment and humans. They minimize these effects by investigating the sources of chemicals and examining how these chemicals move through ecosystems to predict where and how these chemicals may end up in our bodies. If this career interests you, read on! 

Job Duties: 

Environmental toxicologists conduct experiments on human cells and lab animals to investigate the effects of toxic chemicals. They forecast and analyze the impact of toxic chemicals using modeling technology. They also present their findings to stakeholders and administrators and may even consult with policymakers on the safety of chemicals.  

Where They Work: 

There are a variety of opportunities in academia, private industries and in federal and state regulatory agencies for environmental toxicologists. Those employed by federal , and state regulatory agencies often test new chemicals for safety or help develop regulatory policies. 

Toxicologists employed by private companies help with product development and safety testing. They may either work for product developers or research organizations that contract their expertise. Toxicologists are also being increasingly employed by consulting firms that advise public officials, industries and lawyers on toxic chemicals. 

Many environmental toxicologists are also employed as faculty or staff researchers at colleges and universities, with doctoral degrees being required for such positions. Some nonprofit organizations also hire toxicologists to conduct research on chemicals or issues of public concern.  

Education and Training: 

Toxicologists employed as faculty or staff researchers most often require doctoral degrees. Most professionals start with bachelor’s degrees in biology, chemistry, environmental chemistry, or ecology. Further graduate training then provides additional education in molecular and developmental biology, neuroscience and risk assessment.  

Pay and Job Outlook: 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the predicted job demand is an 8 percent increase between 2020 and 2030. Environmental toxicologists fall under the broader category of environmental scientists and specialists. According to the BLS, this category earned a median salary of $73,230 as of May 2020. The highest paying industry for these professionals is the federal government, which reported a median salary of $103,180 during this time. 

Writing a Personal Statement for Summer Research

Adapted from the Institute for Broadening Participation

Personal statements are an important component of the research application process, especially for off-campus programs. They provide you with the opportunity to explain why you are interested in this research opportunity, how you will be able to contribute to this project, and how the project connects to your goals. The personal statement also enables the selection committee to get a better idea of who you are as a person and whether you are the best fit for this research opportunity. But given how important a personal statement can be, how does one go about writing a strong one? 

Your personal statement should include: 

  • Why you are interested in a field of study 
  • How that interest started and how it grew over time 
  • How the research opportunity is the next logical step in the path toward your specific goals 

To help write about above topics, try answering the following questions: 

  • Why are you interested in this program? Does it fulfil your interests in a particular area or field of study?  
  • How did you become interested in this specific research area/academic field? Maybe it’s because you took a class that sparked your interest, or you read a book that intrigued you and pushed you to learn more about this specific field of study.   
  • What are your aspirations, goals or future plans? How does this summer research project act as a stepping stone in pursuit of your academic and career goals? 
  • What kind of activities or experiences have you done that contributed towards your interest in or preparation for this field or research area? Explain how your skillset aligns with what they need for this research program to grab the reviewers’ attention. 

Personal statements also give you the opportunity to explain certain gaps or weaknesses in your application. For example, if you got low grades in your spring term of sophomore year because a family member passed away or you had low grades during your first term due to challenges with difficulties adjusting to college, you could say: 

  • “Unfortunately, a family member passed away during my spring term of sophomore year which is why I my performance was sub-tier. However, I learned how to get connected with counseling resources and was able to get back on my feet the following year” for the first example. 
  • “Although a lack of academic preparedness caused my grades to suffer during my first year, my transcript from more recent semesters shows a significant improvement in my grades, proving that I’m committed to my academic growth and demonstrate that I’m ready for this research opportunity” for the second example. 

However, while explaining weaknesses or apparent gaps, don’t list excuses. Focus on what you learned from that situation and how you dealt with this challenge to get back stronger. You can make a strong case for yourself by turning your own weaknesses into strengths and while the application committee understands that most things in our life are out of our control, they are most interested in hearing how you work through challenges.  

Other tips to keep in mind when planning your personal statement: 

  • Saying “I am…” instead of “I have always been…” 
  • Make positive statements and how you are qualified for this summer research position: “My experience in… makes me well suited for this opportunity because…” 
  • Your opening statement (why the committee should accept you for this research) should be supported in the body and should also be consistent with your closing. 
  • Organize the statement so it flows from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph. 
  • Proofread for grammar, spelling, paragraph breaks, and correct punctuation. 

A strong personal statement could be the deciding factor in whether you are accepted for a research opportunity, which is why it is important to create drafts and plan ahead. If you need more advice on writing a personal statement or any other part of the research program application process, feel free to make an appointment with our PHN advisor, Jacklyn Fischer.