|
1. The Student Loan
Paradox
Most undergraduates think
nothing of taking out a student loan for their undergraduate
degree. Many of those same students are reluctant to take a summer
position in Biology that doesn't pay well, or even worse, is
purely volunteer. This striking disconnect is the great irony.
Many will argue that an education is important and will lead to a
job so many are more than willing to take out a student loan. The
end justifies the means. Well, why are these same people so
reluctant to take a low-paying job or a volunteer position in
order to gain experience? It makes no sense.
An undergraduate
degree with no experience is almost the same as having no degree
if you want to go into a career in Biology. What does the average
summer job pay? Let's assume it pays $10 per hour. If a student
paints houses, for example, and works full time; they will gross
about $6,000 for the summer. What does a typical student take out
for a loan? The average undergraduate takes out about $20,000 or
more in student loans.
So, what is better - sitting at home
unemployed (or taking a job outside the field of Biology) with a
$20,000 loan or being gainfully employed in a field in Biology
with a $26,000 loan. In my mind, it's a no brainer - why take out
the loan if you are not going to sacrifice for the work
experience? My scenario assumes you have a $10 per hour job (which
is probably higher than average) and it assumes that you take a
volunteer position for your first Biology job. In reality, the
difference between one who takes a student loan and works a
non-Biology summer
job versus one who takes a volunteer or low-paying Biology-related
job is probably less than $5,000.
Does it make sense to compromise your future over a difference of
$5,000? Not in my books.
2. Limiting Your Career
Aspirations
Ask any freshman in
Biology what they want to do with their life. You are likely to
get about five responses - medical doctor, veterinarian, marine
biologist, charismatic megafauna biologist (wolves, elephants,
cheetahs, name your favorite animal), or biomedical research. Why
is this? Well, I think much of this is related to what we (and our
parents) are exposed to in the popular media. We all know the
respect and stature that medical students receive from family
members. It's an admirable and rewarding profession that has a
high salary. Naturally, all of our non-Biology relatives think
this is a fabulous career route.
Many students in Biology love
animals so the next most obvious profession that our family
members (and guidance counsellors) will suggest is becoming a
veterinarian. Then there are those of us that watch National
Geographic and get turned on by the Jacques Cousteau or Jane
Goodall types. We might watch Meerkat Manor or Crocodile Hunter or
some other show that turns us on to wildlife. Our family members
and most of the public are clueless when it comes to Biology jobs.
They don't know the range of positions that are out there so they
have no clue on how to guide you to these positions. Most students
find them through happenstance or what they see going on in their
classes, talking to their professors, or being exposed to
university research.
3. The Studies Abroad
Myth
Many students give a lot
of weight to studies abroad. These are those classes where someone
goes off to some exotic place and spends 2-4 weeks on some field
project. Many students (and I suspect their parents) think that
this will give them an edge. Sure, being exposed to other cultures
can only be a good thing, getting field experience is admirable,
and seeing the Galapagos or Kenya up close and personal is a
chance in a lifetime. But, don't kid yourself. None of these
experiences is going to matter when you are getting hired for a
Biology position. I look at these experiences as nice but they
don't enter one whit into my decision. And, of course, this
relates to point #1, above. The money spent on one of these
studies abroad would be better spent volunteering or taking a
lower paying Biology job in the summer in order to gain valuable
experience. Having a season of field experience DOES matter.
Having a 2-4 week class in some exotic land (no matter what
"field experience" you think you received) doesn't
matter one iota in terms of getting a Biology field position.
4. The Courses I've
Taken Myth
The majority of
undergraduates feel very strongly about the classes they have
taken. Many students will outline in great detail the classes they
took and how these classes have prepared them for the
position I am advertising. For the most part, I ignore what
classes students have taken. I am looking to see what kind of
degree they have obtained and whether it was in Biology or a related
field. Beyond that, I couldn't give a hoot if you took 3 botany
classes or an introduction to geology or organic chemistry. There
are, however, three (maybe four) areas that I would like to see
some proficiency. All Biology undergraduates should have taken
Evolution, Ecology, some form of Statistics, and perhaps a class
in Ornithology. Beyond these classes, I don't even look at what
students have taken. SO DON'T BOTHER TELLING ME WHAT CLASSES
YOU HAVE TAKEN - I DO NOT CARE. I AM LOOKING FOR YOUR WORK
EXPERIENCE - THAT'S WHAT MATTERS!
Students who have conducted an undergraduate
thesis do get my attention and I usually want to know more about
their thesis. What were their findings, what was involved with the
research, and did they present the findings at a national meeting
or do they plan to publish the work? The bottom line is to not
sweat what classes you've taken. If you want to have an edge -
take lots of quantitative classes in Statistics, Calculus, or
Modeling. Beyond the basics (Ecology, Evolution), it doesn't
really matter. And I'm most likely not going to even look
at the part of your resumé that lists your coursework.
5. The 1-page Resumé
Myth
Again, one of the biggest
hurdles future Biologists face is dispelling all of the
misinformation they receive from parents, guidance counsellors,
and friends. What you might have learned in a business course on
how to apply for a job and how to write a resumé is mostly
useless. I don't want to see how fancy you can make your resumé,
or read on an application that the applicant will follow up in a week with a phone
call, or those that provide a one-page resumé. If your resumé is
only one page, it means you either have absolutely no experience
or you are summarizing your experience in a way that trivializes
your accomplishments. In my mind, the more the better. I want to
see what field experience you have and what sort of tasks you were
involved in. I want to see the title of your undergraduate thesis
and find out what your GPA and GRE scores are. I want to see who
your references are with full contact information. This is your
chance to sell yourself.
And, by the way, don't
bother telling me that you are proficient in Microsoft Word /
Excel / Powerpoint or Internet Explorer / Firefox. To me, that is
like saying you can read or use a calculator or know how to use
facebook. If you are familiar
with more complicated or specialized software (e.g. SAS, Matlab,
R, ArcGIS) then by all means include that information but do not include
trivial computer programs that everyone should be familiar with as
part of day-to-day life.
Miscellany - other
random tidbits...
a) Don't write in your
cover letter that you will follow up with a phone call. Employers
are very busy. If you have a good application package, you will
hear back from the potential employer. Following up with a phone
call, at least in my case, would hurt your chances. I typically
receive over 100 applications for positions that I advertise.
Imagine if I received 100 or more follow-up phone calls. I would
not be a happy camper.
b) Don't use words like
"extensive" or "substantial" when describing
your experiences. Very few, if any, recent graduates are going to
have "extensive" or "substantial" experience
in anything beyond eating or sleeping. To say you have extensive
experience in some subject area will hurt you. In my mind, someone
with extensive banding experience would be akin to 20 years
experience and 10,000 birds banded. So, like I said, no applicant
is likely going to have extensive experience relative to my (or
any other employer's) frame of reference. Using such descriptors
detracts from your overall application and makes you sound naïve
or ignorant.
c) Look at the credentials
of the person to whom you are sending your application. If they
have a PhD, you should refer to them as "Dr. Whatever",
not "Mr. Whatever" or "Miss Whatever". Never
use their first name - show respect by using a more formal
salutation. And, of course, never write "To Whom It May
Concern" or some other generic wording. It indicates to the
employer that you have not taken the time to find out the name of
the person to whom you are applying.
d) Proof and edit all of
your application materials. Nothing shows your lack of attention
to detail than typos or misaddressed cover letters. I am hiring
you to collect data - data need to be collected in a meticulous
way and without error. Show a potential employer how pedantic you
can be - no errors of any kind!
You can read more
about stategies for getting into graduate school by visiting my
Eleven Strategies For
Getting Into Graduate School site.
|
