Professional Development for Life Scientists
Each spring, OCS brings a series of career and professional development events to the Longwood campus for the convenience of our Longwood-based GSAS students. These events are open to all GSAS students, HMS Quad postdocs and HSPH grad students.
- Naturally Obsessed Screening, Tuesday, March 6, 6:00pm – 7:30pm (pizza will be served), 260 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA (TMEC Walter Amphitheater)
Mixing humor with heartbreak, Naturally Obsessed: The Making of a Scientist, tells an intensely dramatic story about a trio of irrepressible student scientists who are guided through the emotional ups and downs of a PhD training program by a tough but genial mentor. The film was shot over three years in the Molecular Biology laboratory of Dr. Lawrence Shapiro at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. Visit: naturallyobsessed.com/. Join us for a post-film discussion with DMS professors! - Drop-in Resume & CV Reviews at Longwood, Monday, March 19, 1:00-3:00pm, TMEC 442 (DMS Lounge), Longwood Campus. The GSAS team at OCS is holding our regular walk-in hours at Longwood this time! Are you applying for post-docs, academic or non-academic jobs? Bring a draft of your resume, CV, and/or cover letter for a critique, and get ready for your next career step. Drop in for a 15-minute review of your documents.
- Networking Etiquette, Monday, March 19, 3:30-5:30pm, Waterhouse Room, Gordon Hall, Longwood Medical Area
We all know networking is important, but what does it really mean in practice? GSAS Dean Margot Gill and Laura Malisheski from OCS will help demystify networking and review critical skills for success as well as share their own personal effective techniques. This interactive workshop will include activities to practice these skills in a relaxed, fun environment. Bring your questions about networking and come develop your schmoozing skills! Registration is required. Please register by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your name, G-level and department. - Choosing a Thesis Lab and Seeking Funding, Wednesday, March 21, 12:00pm – 1:30pm, TMEC 109, Longwood. Come hear advanced graduate students in the Division of Medical Sciences share advice on how best to select a lab or to change labs for your dissertation. Also learn about funding sources and strategies for applying for graduate fellowships.
Networking in Academia
Wednesday, March 7, 3:30-5 pm, Biolabs 1080. Academics have been known to scorn networking as flagrant schmoozing, necessary only outside the ivory tower. However, even these skeptics need to (and probably don’t know they already do) network to further their academic careers, not only for academic jobs, but for their research productivity and recognition in the field. Join us to learn about the many ways that you can network for the betterment of your academic career, with or without schmoozing! Please register - light refreshments will be served!
HGWISE Science Writing Career Chat
Thursday March 8, 3:30-5pm, Dudley House Common Room. Curious about science writing? Join HGWISE for an informative career panel. We will have Cornelia Dean, science editor at the NYTimes and book author, Heidi Ledford, journalist for Nature and Scientific American, Meredith LeMasurier, editor at Neuron, and Wendy Chao, Harvard alum and former editor at JOVE (Journal of Visual Experiments).
The panel will be followed by a networking social where the panelists will be available for further
questions and conversation. Sponsored by GSAS, HILS and the GSC.
Spotlight on Humanists
This spring, OCS will host two events targeted especially toward humanities PhD students who are considering jobs outside of the ivory tower:
- Career Paths for Humanists, Tuesday, March 27, 4:00-5:30pm, Dudley House Common Room. Sometimes, it seems that a PhD in the humanities leads only toward an academic career. Come to this panel of alumni, all with PhDs in the humanities, to learn, first-hand, about the many directions you could take your PhD beyond academe.
- Nonacademic Job Search Strategies for Humanists, Tuesday, April 3, 3:00-5:00pm, Dudley House Common Room. As a humanist considering or actively pursuing jobs outside academe, the process can seem daunting. Come to this workshop to learn specific strategies that will help you find, effectively apply for, and hopefully land in a great job!
More Career Events in March
While the following programs are targeted toward undergraduates or Harvard Extension School students, GSAS students are welcome to attend. Please register for any of these programs through Crimson Careers.
- Working for the Federal Government: Resources and Strategies for Finding Jobs and Internships, Thursday, March 1, 4:30pm – 5:30pm, OCS Conference Room
- Explore Careers in the Video Game Industry, Tuesday, March 6, 4pm – 5pm, OCS Conference Room
- Explore Engineering Careers: Robotics, Wednesday, March 7, 4pm – 5pm, Maxwell Dworkin 119
- Industry Insiders: Careers in the Arts, Thursday, March 8, 4:30pm – 5:30pm, 51 Brattle St, (Harvard Extension School, Grossman Common Room)
- Behind The Curtain: A Recruiter's Guide to the Job Search, Monday, March 19, 4:00pm – 5:30pm, Location TBA
Virtual and In-Person Advising with OCS
- GSAS Drop-In Advising
Drop by OCS for a 15 minute session with GSAS career advisor, Laura Malisheski, most Mondays, 1:00-4:00pm. Discuss a quick career question, or bring your CV, resume, or other job search materials for a critique. - NEW! Online Career Chats with OCS
If you are off campus or too busy to stop by OCS, you might want to try our new online career chats, every Friday, 11 am – 12 pm. To ask a question during GSAS online career chat hours, log on to your gmail account and request to chat with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Amy Sanford will accept your invitation, and you be should be able to chat instantly; she will be able to “chat” with multiple users per one hour session. - Skype option for GSAS Career Appointments in March (in person also available)
NEW for 2012, OCS is offering career counseling appointments via SkypeTM. If you would prefer career counseling appointments from the comfort of your own computer, and you are available between 9 am-12pm EST, set-up an appointment with AmySanfordOCS through Crimson Careers. Be sure to add AmySanfordOCS to your contacts in Skype prior to the scheduled appointment. Not a morning/Skype person? Laura Malisheki continues to offer in-person career counseling at OCS in the afternoons (and mornings too!). If you are a FAS alum, call the front desk (617.495-2595) at OCS and someone will help you book an appointment (for either Skype or in-person).
Career Information Listservs
To stay informed about job opportunities, career workshops, job fairs, and other events, we encourage you to subscribe to either or both of our GSAS-focused listservs. To receive information related to academic or nonacademic careers, just go to www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu and click on “For Students,” then “Join OCS ListServs.” These listservs are our primary mode of communication with graduate students, so we strongly encourage you to subscribe!
For more information on OCS, including GSAS-specific offerings, please visit www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu.