Let’s face it – Graduate school (and I would include post-doctoral stints here too) is an intense educational phase when expectations are heaped on the students to do cutting-edge research, to publish, to have a social life, to gain professional development, to find a job… the list goes on. (Jorge Cham sums it up expertly and humorously in PhD Comics, which I’m a huge fan of.) Despite the immense expectations, I think it’s certainly possible that one can find balance and still make the most out of graduate school and/or the postdoc experience. Here’s the biggest secret to a successful graduate career: Be Proactive.
Be Proactive
Being proactive means much more than taking initiative; it means anticipating what you might need in the future, and acting on it before you think you might ever need it. What does this actually entail? Here’s what being proactive means to me.
1) Build relationships consistently
Networking is the first step in forming new relationships. In my previous articles, I discussed the Whys and How-Tos of networking. Building relationships is essentially the “follow-up” phase of networking. It takes significant time, energy, and patience to build relationships with peers and leaders in and outside your community, especially when the “rewards” of these relationships aren’t tangible or apparent right away. My Rolodex is one now of my strongest resources, and being proactive with building relationships enables me to leverage on this resource whenever I need it (more often than you think!). Social media is also a great way to build these relationships.
2) Volunteer
I am a huge proponent of volunteering for a professional cause as much as you possibly can. Whether it is a student-run organization or a non-profit, volunteering gives you a different perspective outside the bench, and being part of a larger cause gets you teamwork experience, which is very different than four-scientists-collaborating-on-a-publication. The varying dynamics of working with people from diverse backgrounds will hone your skills in communication and collaboration. It’s also a great way to learn new technical skills. I recently learnt how to file for trademarks – you don’t learn these kind of things at graduate school. Did I mention yet that volunteering is a great way to build relationships? If you’re in San Diego, check out the list of some local associations on the SDBN website. I would recommend finding an association that you have an interest in, and speaking to the leadership team and expressing interest to volunteer. 9 times out of 10, they would be thrilled to have you! You might also want to consider internships at non-profits and start-ups too.
3) Find leadership opportunities
Graduate school and postdoc stints offer many opportunities for leadership and professional development. Sometimes these opportunities are hidden; you may have to look for them, or create them yourself. Being proactive to seek them out, and committing to the endeavor for an extended period of time, has the potential to yield enormous rewards. I had the wonderful opportunity to form, run and lead the Oxbridge Biotech Roundtable and the Scripps Consulting Club in their nascent days. I learned how to build a team, mentor team members, and how to hustle. It was fun, served a worthy cause, and I benefited a great deal.
4) Get mentored
Be proactive to look for mentors – they surround you in your daily lives. Your advisor isn’t and shouldn’t be your only mentor; peers can be great mentors too. Look for people at different stages of their career, whether they are 2, 5 or 20 years ahead of your career. Speak with them regularly to find out what you can do better today compared to what you did yesterday. No matter how busy I am, I carve out time every week to seek advice from mentors in my network (see point number one about building relationships). Mentors need to be earned. In addition, advice isn’t one-way – I believe in Learn-Do-Teach, and make it a point to mentor others too. It is a great way to sharpen your skill sets by teaching and mentoring others. In my recent interview with Steve Scott of Leadership Point Radio (LPR), we covered the topic of mentorship – read the excerpts here.
Conclusion
There’s really no secret to a successful graduate or postdoctoral career. It’s obvious – just do it (yes, clichéd) and be proactive. Go put yourself out there, and start building relationships, volunteer your time, look for leadership opportunities, get mentored and mentor others. The rewards to being proactive in spending your time and effort are immense, but just remember not to expect yielding them immediately!