Tag: career advice

Competency-based training in bioinformatics

This article was written by Victoria Hill, Chemistry PhD student at the University of Sheffield.

Recently, EMBL-EBI, in collaboration with a number of our EU project partners, launched the Competency Hub. This is a free platform where students and professionals can evaluate their abilities against the competencies of that framework.

Competency Hub hero image
Competency Hub: Supporting competency-based training and professional development.

What is a competency?

A competency is an observable and measurable ability of any professional, specific to those required in your field. They’re further broken down into the Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes (KSAs). 

The competencies are all mapped to career profiles ranging from PhD student to senior roles, both in industry and academia, and assigned a grade on a scale that measures the level the individual should be at in that competency depending on the profile. For a more in-depth analysis, the user can go into each graded competency and look at which KSAs are applicable at that career stage. 

An example of a competency within the BioExcel framework graded at ‘Awareness’ and the associated KSAs mapped to the career profile ‘PhD Student in Biomolecular Simulations’.
An example of a competency within the BioExcel framework graded at ‘Awareness’ and the associated KSAs mapped to the career profile ‘PhD Student in Biomolecular Simulations’.

What does the Competency Hub offer?

  • Evaluate your competencies against those of each framework by creating a  profile and comparing them to the pre-defined career profiles. 
  • Find training resources for each competency, and in some frameworks, more in-depth learning pathways for skills relevant to that field.
  • Develop courses as a trainer using the Competency Hub. Define your audience, plan your content, and write learning outcomes, as well as compare your resources to what is already available. 
  • Assess whether, as a trainer, you are targeting the correct audience and use the competencies to provide an overview to stakeholders.
  • Evaluate your team and create job descriptions as a manager.
Competency Hub Avatar
An example avatar

How did we do it?

After a pilot project with the BioExcel Knowledge Resource Centre, we decided to create a site where everybody can access all the information included in the competency framework. 

The Competency Hub was developed by the EMBL-EBI Training and Web Development teams in dedicated two-week collaborative development sprints. 

A goal was defined for each sprint; our most recent one focused on improving the career profile journeys. Previous sprints included making the site more user-friendly, adding learning pathway functionality, and adding career profiles, among other tasks to constantly improve the site.

What is next?

At the end of each sprint, we gain feedback from users to determine our next goals. The next sprint will focus on improving the connections between the competencies and the career profiles to the training resources.

Want to get involved with future development? Fill in our survey.

We’d love to hear what you think of this new feature! Tell us on Twitter using @EBItraining.

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How speed networking could work at your next virtual conference

With events going digital, professional training has become increasingly convenient and accessible. While getting the latest scientific research developments from the comfort of your home has never been so easy, sitting alone in front of a screen significantly diminishes the chances of meeting new people and collaborators – a benefit of on-site meetings that is considered one of their most important assets.

Most meeting organisers realise that and offer various networking opportunities and socialising incentives as part of the programme. One of the methods we have implemented to facilitate social interaction at our onsite as well as virtual conferences is the so-called speed networking – a networking session where people swap conversational partners every 5 minutes with the aim to meet as many people as possible and exchange information about their research or the project they are currently working on. The session is normally scheduled  for the first day of the conference so that participants can later go back to the people they have met during the speed networking session and continue the discussion.

What should you talk about during the speed networking?

5 minutes doesn’t seem like a long time, so it is important that you focus on the essentials. Start by introducing yourself then go into more detail. Are you looking for collaborators? Or maybe a new job or a postdoc position?

How can you do that in just 5 minutes?

  • Prepare a 20 second blurb about yourself
  • Keep aware of the time factor – there should be a countdown on your screen
  • Stick to the vitals
  • Make sure to take notes next to their name so that you can later go back to them for reference
  • Most importantly, have fun and relax! 🙂

What if you don’t finish your conversation within the allocated time slot?

  • Before the time is up, make sure you suggest the next step
  • Message them directly on the available discussion platform with a suggestion for a follow-up meeting
  • After the meeting, be sure to e-mail them with a suggestion for further exchange.

Why not check out our list of upcoming virtual events to see where you can try out your speed networking skills!

For tips on how to do speed networking at onsite events, check out this video.

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6 ways to enhance your scientific career with networking and informational interviews

Do you want to know how networking and informational interviews can enhance your scientific career? Are you unsure of whether to stay in academia or not? Find out how to use your contacts and professional networking sites to find and obtain the right job for you.

  1. Use your personal contacts

Use existing contacts to get first hand, tailored information from people who’ve made the transition into different types of careers. You might also be a member of different networks such as an alumni association or a scientific society where you can find people to talk to about their careers, or perhaps you are attending a conference where you can speak to people directly about their experiences.

  1. Don’t be afraid of professional networking sites

Make the most of what’s on offer, be it LinkedIn, ResearchGate, Xing or other local sites. Search for people who have similar skills or backgrounds as you, contact them and ask if they’d be willing to talk to you about their career. Join groups on these sites to talk to people in similar fields as you are in or want to get into.

  1. Set up some “informational interviews”

An informational interview is an informal discussion about careers where you can get advice and information – it is not something that will lead to a job but should rather be a source of inspiration and advice. Get in touch with the people who might be able to offer you some sound advice, and ask if they can spare 20 minutes for you to pick their brains.

  1. Prepare for your informal interview

One way to structure these informational interviews is to use REVEAL*:

  • Recap – Who are you and why would you like to talk to this person
  • Explore – Prepare questions to help you explore the career area, role and sector
  • Vision – Follow up with more detailed questions about the trends for the field, and where your career could head in the longer term
  • Entry Routes – How did the person you’re talking to get into the role? Are there different routes to getting in?
  • Action Points – What do you need to do to get these kinds of roles? Can also ask for feedback on your CV
  • Links – Can the person recommend any other resources to you?
  1. Realistically assess your skills, values and interests

Scientists often struggle with working out what kinds of jobs they are best suited to. Look in depth at your skills, values and interests. Use this information to filter your career research. You can, for example, look for people with a similar skill set on LinkedIn and see what kinds of roles they have and gain some inspiration for what you might be interested in.

  1. Research the available career possibilities

There are a large variety of options out there for scientists who don’t want to stay on the academic career path. In addition to research in pharma, biotechs and startups there are also a variety of roles where you can use your scientific knowledge, understanding of the research process or data analysis skills. These roles often support scientific research, communicate research findings more broadly, or help translate research into real life applications.

Resources

Original video with Rachel Graf, EIPOD Career Advisor, EMBL Heidelberg

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