Résumé Building

Once you know what career path you wish to pursue, you should start to gain concrete work experience in that field, so that you can build your résumé. Remember that your résumé is one of your biggest differentiators; therefore, résumé building should be a major priority for you. Hiring managers receive hundreds of résumés from students who got good grades at good schools; those who already have concrete work experience in the fields they're applying for easily stand out.

The first step in gaining experience is finding opportunities. You can do this by using your network or searching online. For example, let's say you wish to do a summer internship in a molecular biology lab. Ask your network of professors and other contacts whether they know of any opportunities for summer internships. Supervisors like to hire people that they or their colleagues know, so this approach can give you an edge. There are also many formal summer internship programs that are advertised online, so do plenty of online research. Once you find a position you're interested in, submit the best application you can and submit it on time, as there are usually far more applicants than internship spots, and the competition is quite stiff. Keep in mind that many of the deadlines occur up to six months before summer, so start your search as far in advance as possible.

When you are evaluating opportunities, it is important to keep an open mind, because each opportunity leads to another one. When I was searching for a permanent job in education, I became the yes-woman to all opportunities that came my way. As a result, my contacts started to think of me as a reliable go-to person when they needed extra help in a pinch, which ultimately led to the expansion of my network of contacts. This in turn led to many people recommending me as someone who does a good job, which ultimately was crucial in landing a permanent position.

Having integrity is the most important component of your professional reputation. Wikipedia defines integrity as "of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations and outcomes." In the workplace, this means doing your job with consistently high quality and ensuring that your deliverables are always on time; being scrupulously honest; maintaining clear and professional communication; and being courteous to everyone, regardless of their rank or position. Being known as a person of integrity is earned over time; there are no shortcuts. Integrity leads to respect from your colleagues, which you will need in order to be offered positions of leadership within your field. On the other hand, a reputation for being frivolous, easily distracted, late, or rude can cripple your career early. Reputation can be your best friend or your worst enemy, so please make the decision to approach all of your jobs with complete seriousness, dedication, and professionalism. I know of one talented young science student who worked hard at the bench but had a little too much fun going out for drinks after a long day in the lab with his fellow students. His behavior changed quite drastically after a few drinks (his friends described his drunken phases as "verbose-bellicose-comatose"), and he even once set his bed on fire with a lit candle from passing out after a night on the town. Eventually, he developed a reputation for being unreliable and intimidating. His lab leader lost confidence in him, and this affected his future opportunities. On the other hand, I know of many young students who approached internships with such dedication and inquisitiveness that they were offered permanent jobs at the companies.