ten habits of the successfulnjms.rutgers.edu/gsbs/olc/pdevelopment/prot/2009/...– graduate...

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10 Habits of the Successful

BA Fischer & MJ Zigmond [email protected]

Ten Habits of the Successful (Graduate Student)

1. ____________ 2. ____________ 3. ____________ 4. ____________ 5. ____________

6. ____________ 7. ________ 8. ____________ 9. ____________ 10. __ __

success

Ten Habits of the Successful

1. ____________ 2. ____________ 3. ____________ 4. ____________ 5. ____________

6. ____________ 7. ____________ 8. ____________ 9. ____________ 10. ___________

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1. Be informed •  Know yourself

Know yourself

enjoy want

strengths constraints

1. Be informed

1. Be informed •  Know yourself •  Acquire critical skills

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Critical skills •  Knowledge of field

–  Literature –  Technical skills

•  Communication skills –  Writing –  Speaking

•  research •  teaching

•  Employment –  Obtaining –  Maintaining

•  Enthusiasm for science

•  Management –  Time –  Success –  People

•  Persistence •  Acquire resources

–  Funds –  Equipment –  Reagents –  Staff and trainees –  Collaborators

•  Social skills

A few rules of thumb

•  When you join a group, take a moment •  Show an interest in others (Remember: It isn’t just about you!) •  Be constructive •  Be upbeat

“How are you” is a greeting, not a question; Don’t tell people about your indigestion.

Michael Zigmond’s mother-in-law

Polishing social and leadership skills

•  Do some of your work in a team •  Do some supervising & mentoring - seriously

– Graduate Students – Medical Students

•  Participate in some community social events •  Serve on some committees

actively

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1. Be informed •  Know yourself •  Acquire critical skills •  Determine the rules

–  Rules in your lab –  Rules of your program –  Grad school rules –  publishing –  Advancing

1. Be informed •  Know yourself •  Acquire critical s •  Determine the ru

–  Rules in your lab –  Rules of your program –  Grad school rules –  publishing –  Advancing

Some problems with rules 1. some rules are unwritten 2. imperfection exists 3. rules not always rational 4. power ≠ competence

True or false?

•  You can’t place an express order until Purchasing has approved your PO.

•  You don’t need to listen to the advice of your thesis advisory committee members

•  Departmental socials are optional. •  Teaching experience is highly valued. •  The number of publications is irrelevant. •  Collaborations are bad •  We understand.

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2. Connect with others •  Seek mentors

– Topics •  Research interest •  Career goals •  Gender •  Race, ethnicity

– Source •  Within department •  Outside department •  Outside institu ion

Have and use an advising committee

2. Connect with others •  Seek mentors •  Establish network

2. Connect with others •  Seek mentors •  Establish & maintain network

– People at your institution – Visitors coming through – People at conferences

•  posters •  after talks •  social events •  “free time”

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2. Connect with others •  Seek mentors •  Establish & maintain network •  Collaborate

•  Seek mentors •  Establish network •  Collaborate…carefully •  Seek criticism

– get feedback •  grant applications •  manuscripts •  major decisions •  general performance

2. Connect with others

2. Connect with others •  Seek mentors •  Establish network •  Collaborate…carefully •  Seek criticism

– get feedback – attend to it – but don’t take too personally

This manuscript can not be accepted Priority score for your proposal: 2.75

Means? •  You are no good •  Your work is no good •  They are stupid •  Room for improvement

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Who is best at evaluating you?

Who is best at evaluating you?

You are!

•  Seek mentors •  Establish network •  Seek criticism •  Attend scientific community events

– Program events – College social events


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•  Seek mentors •  Establish network •  Seek criticism •  Attend community events •  Have friends!

–  feedback – social support –  fun


•  Determine your goals •  Chart your course •  Establish milestones

3. Define Your Objectives

•  obtain training


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What do you want to learn?

the details •  basic aspects of field •  specific problem area •  techniques

the generalities

•  critical thinking •  problem solving •  communication skills

–  oral –  written

•  managing time/stress •  working with others

•  establish credentials


•  establish credentials – certification

•  graduate student –  master’s degree –  doctoral degree

•  professional student –  MD, DDS, MBA

•  postdoctoral fellow •  resident/clinical fellow


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•  establish credentials – certification – products

•  publications –  peer reviewed articles –  books

•  patents •  techniques or reagents


•  enlarge your network

>75% of all jobs will come from your network


•  enlarge your network – meet others at institution

•  faculty •  peers

– meet visiting scientists – attend national & international conferences


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•  move on!


3. Develop a Plan

3. Develop a plan

•  make a list of what you must accomplish – courses – exams – publications –  thesis

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3. Develop a plan

•  add other things you would like to accomplish –  presentations at meetings –  techniques courses – Write an NRSA proposal

•  develop timeline –  long term –  short-term milestones

possible grad student milestones

1.  courses 2.  exams taken 3.  experiments 4.  pubs submitted 5.  thesis defended

1st 2nd 3rd 01 1 1 02 1 3 2 03 4 3 3 04 4 3 05 4 5

Q Yr

3. Develop a plan

Start with your critical objective and work backward

•  Determine your goal •  Chart your course •  Establish milestones •  Revisit and revise

3. Develop a plan

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•  Determine you oal •  Chart your course •  Establish milestones •  Revisit and re

3. Develop a plan

Understand that success usually occu slowly and in small steps

4. Select questions wisely

•  Interest –  You –  Colleagues –  Field –  Funders

•  Interest •  Feasibility

–  Time –  Money –  Methods


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•  Interest •  Feasibility •  Formulation

–  descriptive –  hypothesis-driven


•  Interest •  Feasibility •  Formulation •  Secret weapon

–  Colleagues –  Equipment/method –  Special conditions –  Special populations –  Background


5. Focus •  Work hard

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Minimal non-work activities hours per week

sleep 56 food 14 travel 7 rec. 7 misc. 14

remaining 70

sleep

food misc. travel

recreation

168 hours per week

How hard to work? A 70-hr work week

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Sat 8 am

12 pm

8 pm

12 am

9 9 9 9 9

3 3 3 4

A 70-hr work week How hard to work?

+ vacation tim

e

Allow for special circumstances

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5 Focus •  Work hard •  Be efficient •  Thinking is part of working •  “Obsession” is not a dirty word …but be open to insights from elsewhere •  And establish a pace that you can maintain

Decade 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

research managing

mentoring teaching administration

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•  High crimes –  fabrication: making it up

6. Never misrepresent

•  High crimes –  fabrication: making it up –  falsification: altering it


•  High crimes –  fabrication: making it up –  falsification: altering it – plagiarism: stealing it


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•  High crimes •  Misdemeanors: permitting misinterpretation



– Publications •  data





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40

50

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35

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– Publications •  Data •  Methods

–  Evaluation – Replication



– Publications – Oral presentations – Grant proposals – Evaluations – Curriculum vita


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7. Seek balance •  Independence vs. teamwork

– Academia – Private industry

7. Seek balance •  Independence vs. teamwork •  Modesty

7. Seek balance •  Independence vs. teamwork •  Modesty vs. self-promotion

– Be visible •  Be audible •  Get awards •  Keep records •  But…credit is not everything 3

00 01 04

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7. Seek balance •  Independence vs. teamwork •  Modesty vs. self-promotion •  Professional vs. personal

7. Seek balance •  Independence vs. teamwork •  Modesty vs. self-promotion •  Professional vs. personal

8. Do your best…

•  professional responsibilities –  research –  professional –  teaching – mentoring –  service

•  personal responsibilities

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8. Do your best… under the circumstances

•  professional responsibilities –  research –  professional –  teaching – mentoring –  service

•  personal responsibilities

Beware the imposter syndrome! Anticipate and tolerate imperfection

9. Accept responsibility •  Your work •  Community tasks

– Local committees – Reviewing

Danger: Being over-committeed

•  Your work •  Community tasks •  Relevant social issues

9. Accept responsibility

"Indifference to evil is worse than evil itself... In a free society some are guilty

but all are responsible.”

Abraham Joshua Heschel

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•  Your work •  Community tasks •  Relevant social issues

9. Accept responsibility

neurotoxins in

environment end of life decisions

criminalizing illness

childhood deprivation

access to medication

Abraham Joshua Heschel

1.  Be informed 2.  Connect with others 3.  Define your objectives

and plan ahead 4.  Select wisely 5.  Focus

6.  Never misrepresent 7.  Seek balance 8.  Do your best 9.  Accept responsibility

10. Have compassion


10. Be compassionate •  Colleagues •  Staff •  Trainees

But balance this with “self-compassion”! If I am not for my self, who will be? If I am only for myself what am I?”

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10. Be compassionate •  Colleagues •  Staff •  Trainees

But balance this with “self-compassion”! If I am not for myself, who will be? If I am only for myself, what am I? Hillel

1.  Be informed 2.  Connect with others 3.  Define your objectives

and plan ahead 4.  Select wisely 5.  Focus

6.  Never misrepresent 7.  Seek balance 8.  Do your best 9.  Accept responsibility

10. Have compassion


And one more…

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Aim high!

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Aim high

?

“There is no top. There are always further heights to reach.” Jascha Heifetz

"What you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it." — Goethe

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Survival Skills & Ethics Program

www.survival.pitt.edu

Faculty •  Beth Fischer •  Michael Zigmond

Funding •  NIMH •  NINDS •  University of

Pittsburgh

ten habits of the successfulnjms.rutgers.edu/gsbs/olc/pdevelopment/prot/2009/...– graduate...

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