chance favors the prepared network

Chance Favors The Prepared Network

University of Minnesota Neuroscience Department

April 19 2012Mary Canady

Comprendia LLC

© Comprendia, LLC All rights reserved.

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Who Am I?•1992

–Biochemistry grad student (Duke)–Did Crystallography for pretty pictures–Loved bench work (and to organize events)

•2012–Comprendia/San Diego Biotechnology Network

•Network of 20,000•Marketing, events, writing, speaking•Results

–I can find help in myriad areas–People find me easily for business (and speaking!)–I have found my niche and am happy at work


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Headed to U of Minn. today to talk to scientists about networking...what's your advice?“My advice is to not be afraid to talk

to scientists outside your own fields of interest/collaborations. You might get inspired..”

--@InnovaBio, Twitter

“Mention the huge amnt of scientist networking on here. There is a untrue stigma that Twitter is self indulgent and egotistical.”

-- @ProteinWrangler, Twitter

“Don't think of networking as a quick gateway to a job/collaboration. It is about cultivating good relationships over time.”

--@omespeak, Twitter

“Be positive but realistic. In the current scientific job market, connectivity will help but is not a panacea. Let us know what sorts of reactions you get.”

--Peter Kenny, LinkedIn

“It would probably also help if you tell the grad students/post-docs the different career options they might explore, especially in this job market, so they learn to network in right areas!”

-- Saugata Ray, LinkedIn

“LinkedIn is a necessity, but not a replacement for meeting people in person!”

--Heather Buschman, LinkedIn


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WHY?


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Why? Be SmarterItem 1992 2012

Publications Photocopy from library every few days

Instant PDF, share and meet others (Mendeley,

BioMedExperts)

EmailJust got 1st account! The TELEPHONE used

often.

Pervasive, drives collaborations

Interest groups Mailing lists

Forums, Blogs, Wikis, LinkedIn Groups, Facebook Pages

Conference networking

Email paper authors, meet

Search abstracts online, find common

connections on LinkedIn or

BioMedExperts, blog/Tweet about

meeting beforehand.


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Why?•Be Richer

• SciFund: Researchers ‘crowd fund’ their research

• $76K raised• Larger network=more funding (link)

•Be Happier• Share your experiences• Help people and be helped• Find your niche

http://scifundchallenge.org/blog/

http://scifundchallenge.org/blog/2012/03/14/first-you-get-the-page-views-then-you-get-the-contributors-then-you-get-the-money-then-you-get-the-power/


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WHAT?


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What Is Networking?

• Can be online or IRL (in real life)

• Formal or informal• Science or non-science• Can be with people

you know• Started by anyone,

anywhere


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What Online Tools Should I Use?

Application

Description Good for How To Use

LinkedIn Professional networking

•Personal brand•Job hunting•Leads

•Complete profile•Join/start groups•Engage

Twitter Sharing information with short updates

•Personal brand•Connecting via content•Events

•Find a niche•Follow hashtags/users

Blog Dynamic website with daily-weekly articles

•Personal brand•Connecting with peers

•Create blog acc. To channel•Find others, interact via comments/Twitter

Our 3 recent posts on scientific social networks

http://comprendia.com/2012/03/12/what-is-a-scientific-social-network-6-examples/

http://comprendia.com/2012/04/06/new-media-science-communication-whats-working-our-eb2012-event-will-highlight-scicomm-successes/

http://comprendia.com/2012/04/10/where-are-the-science-communicators-interactive-map-of-1000-scicomm-twitterers/


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HOW?


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IRL: On Networking: A Rant by Scicurious (link)

• How do you overcome awkwardness and meet the big wigs in your field?

• Lots of great comments– Ask them for advice– Don't just focus on big

wigs– Try smaller meetings– Be outgoing but do what

feels natural– Hang out with people

you like

http://scientopia.org/blogs/scicurious/2012/03/29/on-networking-a-rant-2/


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IRL+ Online: SDBN

• 2008: Unsatisfied with San Diego life science networking opportunities

• Using personal network, began SDBN– Now 7000 members on LinkedIn, Facebook– Monthly meetings featuring hot

science,100+• Casual atmosphere, plenty of time for

networking– Speed networking– Networking bingo

• Networking events in high demand, more easy to organize these days


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LinkedIn…What Is It Good For?• Finding a job• Building your personal brand or

channel– What problem can you solve for

others?– Post relevant news and items

• Serendipity• LinkedIn (LI)Works best

– With a large network– Leveraging groups– In conjunction with social media & face to

face interactions


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Maximizing Your LI Profile• Should be as complete as resume

– Use action words and bullets– Headline—what ‘pain’ do you address?– Adding all past relevant positions with

information for each helps others to find you (leave out the Olive Garden)

• Get a ‘vanity’ URL– Add to email signature, business card

• Add a head shot– Friendly, professional– Next best thing to face to face

• Check for spelling errors!


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Maximizing Your LI Profile• Link to your company or sites

of interest– Choose ‘other’ and put in name

• Include complete contact information

• Get recommended– Don’t be shy

• Look through contacts, you’ll be amazed

• Only ~50% may respond, don’t be offended

– BUT don’t ask people you didn’t work with directly

– Reciprocate? Up to you


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Build Your Network• Bigger Web=More Opportunities

– Better search results– More people will find in search

• Places to look– LinkedIn

• Upload contacts• Others’ contacts (get lab members on!)• Groups• Events• ‘People You May Know’

– Ouside LinkedIn• Events you’ve attended, collect business

cards


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Leveraging Groups• Benefits

– Directly email any group member (check out our howto)

– Can post questions to group– Searches give more results

• Join up to 50 groups• Choose large, relevant, active groups

– Your posts will not be seen in spam-y groups

• Lots of great discussions going on– Antibodies, recombinant proteins,

medicinal chemistry…– See our tips and list to start

http://youtu.be/BTAr5Nz9ykE

http://sdbn.org/2011/11/04/sdbn-happy-hour-and-linkedin-tips/


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Other Useful Features

• LinkedIn PDF Resume• Subscriptions

– Send ‘InMails’– See more search results

• Introductions• Follow companies

– Your targets• Events

– Add RSVPs, connect with others• Ask/answer questions


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Don’t Forget…Etiquette• Invitations to connect

– ALWAYS include a short note– Remind them how they know you– Give them a compliment & benefit

to linking with you• 90/10 Rule

– Post 9 helpful items for every 1 self promoting

– ADD VALUE


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Whither Twitter? #SFN11 Tweets

• 6290 Tweets• 1363 Twitterers• “Tweetups”

Follow hashtags on

our list

http://bit.ly/ls_hash


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Basics• Overview

– Provide 140 character updates, AKA ‘microblogging’

– @[user] to send a public message (reply)– D [user] to send private message (DM)– #[text] is a ‘hashtag’ to follow events or

chats• Follow based on content, don’t need to

know– Hint: this is huge for meeting people

• Provide information based on ‘channel’• Should be a conversation if you’re doing

it right!


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Tactics

• Fill out profile completely and carefully• Get followers

– Target: 1,000– To be followed, you must follow

• Twitterer will be sent message that you are following• Search twitter for terms (e.g., ‘kinase’)• Conference hashtags (#acs_boston)• Scientist lists• Don’t follow more than 100/day

• Provide content from RSS or other twitterers

• Engage with twitterers


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Tactics: Applications• Posting

– Hootsuite• Web-based & apps• Schedule Tweets (best to space out—3-4

tweets/day)• Post to many other apps

– Tweetdeck• Desktop & apps• Very popular

– Twhirl• Desktop App (smaller windows)• Good for multiple accounts

To see which apps people are using, check bottom of tweets.


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Link and courtesy @brianreid

https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1Tzq58zabqoWpigNqUMG87dTKhvbgVcDJ6uyA-_itRpk/edit

http://twitter.com/brianreid

http://twitter.com/brianreid


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• Find blogs you like– ResearchBlogging– ScienceSeeker– ScienceBlogging– Google Alerts/RSS feeds– Twitter

• Create one– Wordpress.com– Blogger

• Write and interact!– Post comments on blogs, @ authors on

Twitter– Some are just ‘microbloggers’ on Twitter

http://researchblogging.com/

http://scienceseeker.org/

http://scienceblogging.org/


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RSS: Your New BFF• RSS Feeds & Readers

– Monitor individual website changes• Blogs• News • Pubmed

– Monitor the entire web– Monitor Twitter

• Tools– Google Reader (create bundles, use

Feedburner for email)– Yahoo Pipes

See ‘Comprendia RSS Resources’

http://comprendia.com/2009/10/13/how-to-win-friends-and-influence-people-2-0-style/


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What’s Your Career Gene?

• R&D is one of many options

• Other avenues may afford more flexibility

• Look to other interests, proclivities

• Meet people

See Transitions to Industry presentation (2nd half)

http://www.slideshare.net/marycanady/transitions-to-industry


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Get Started NOW• Networking is not just for job

seekers!• Face to face is still important

– Conferences– Networking events (start a Minn.

Biotech group?)• Meet for lunch ‘just because’• Pay it forward

Follow your instincts on what makes you happy

chance favors the prepared network

Technology

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mary canadycomprendia