Guide to Life Science Careers

The Guide to Life Science Careers helps you to explore and choose what career is best for you. Starting with an assessment of who you are and how you work best, this guide takes you on a journey that extends from a survey of possible careers through the steps necessary to get there. Interviews with professionals about how they chose their career paths are included so you can learn how others became successful and understand the positive and negative aspects of various career choices. Strategies for networking, overcoming shyness, and building your résumé are also discussed to help you lay the groundwork for success and present the best you to potential employers. This guide is a must read for anyone embarking on a career in the life sciences.

About the Author

Karen Peterson, Ph.D. is the Director of the Office of Scientific Career Development and the Scientific Ombudsman at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) in Seattle, Washington. She is a former member of the Board of Directors and Advisory Board for the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA). At the FHCRC, Dr. Peterson is the Advisor to the Student-Postdoc Advisory Committee and a member of the Diversity Council and Research Ethics Education Committee. She is also a co-investigator on a NCI-funded grant to build minority research capacity in collaboration with New Mexico State University.

Dr. Peterson received a B.A. in Genetics from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Experimental Medicine from McGill University. She was a postdoctoral fellow at the FHCRC before making a career transition into administration. She is a 2006 recipient of the FHCRC Peggy Means Leadership Development Award and a member of the Leadership Tomorrow Seattle class of 2009. 

Cover image: Minnesota Historical Society.

Citation: Peterson, K. Guide to Life Science Careers. Cambridge, MA: NPG Education, 2010.

Last Updated: January 17, 2014