A panel of five IU graduates who had gone into careers with ties to science but were not lab-based jobs provided a group of about 40 students examples and advice on their own jobs and similar ones Thursday evening at Simon Hall.
The panelists had titles consisting of attorney, CEO, sales representative, account manager and study design lead. All five had come from science backgrounds at IU and understood students in the room were looking for careers in that field.
“You can absorb a lot of knowledge about the sciences, which a lot of companies find valuable,” said Thomas Amick, a study design lead at Covance, a drug development services company.
Tyler Droste, an attorney at Gutwein Law, said a lot of the knowledge gained through science becomes very relevant to a variety of careers even those outside of typical science-based jobs.
“Getting that background knowledge is really important,” Ellie Symes, CEO at the Bee Corp, said.
Throughout the discussion, students in the room asked questions and for advice.
Jim Henderson, an account manager at MilliporeSigma, said problem-solving and critical thinking are crucial in the work place.
“You can do any job if you have those two things,” he said.
Symes also spoke about the importance of making connections through the IU network.
The entire panel agreed internships were pertinent when it comes to applying for jobs. They said having experience and making connections can make a big difference.
Panelists also spoke about what employers look for when hiring. They placed the most emphasis on doing research about the job and company ahead of time and being personable during the interview.
Employers make sure they hire people who seem like someone they could get along with and work with on a daily basis, they said.
Symes suggested putting some more fun interests, like wakeboarding, on resumes. It gives employers something to remember applicants by and something interesting to talk about during the interview.
Kendra Veil, a sales representative at Fisher Scientific, said giving distinct answers to common questions also helps an interviewee stand out in an employer’s mind after the interview.
All the panelists agreed that sending a follow-up thank you note could be the reason someone is hired.
Breah LaSarre is a postdoctoral student at IU who works in a lab and mentors undergraduate students. She said she attended the event to learn some information about possible biotechnology fields to help her students and to expand her own knowledge.
She said students are often surrounded by faculty who stayed in the lab-based side of the career and don’t have a lot of knowledge of science careers past that.
“There are obviously not enough academic jobs,” LaSarre said. “So it’s very important for people to understand what other jobs are out there.”
