Here are some resources to help scientists develop career skills and learn more about industry. If you know of a good resource,  let me know so we can spread the word.

Scientific Communication

Trees Maps and Theorems by Jean-Luc Doumont is simply a masterpiece of analytical thinking and clear communication. He also gives workshops & lectures, so sign up for event announcements.

Storytelling with Data. Cole Knaflic teaches how to communicate with data for business intelligence. If you want make your work meaningful to non-scientists, this is a great resource.

Writing Science in Plain English. No, that’s not a oxymoron – it’s an excellent book by Anne E. Greene, a wildlife biologist who shows how to write effectively for any audience.

Career development & training

Career Coaching for Scientists. Joanne Kamens wrote an excellent article about how career coaching can help scientists build on their academic training to begin a meaningful career. She lists specific companies, focusing on the East Coast. 

MyIDP. This site guides academic scientists through an individual development plan. You will identify your skills and interests, and receive suggestions on career paths. The site also provides resources such as reading material specific to your path.

QB3 Bridging three Bay-Area UC schools to provide startup opportunities in the life sciences. QB3 frequently has lectures and workshops at the UCSF Mission Bay campus.

Schiller & Mertens Alex Schiller was one of my mentors in chemistry, and he now trains scientists in “soft” skills, especially communication. Check out their website – they might be giving a workshop at an institution near you.

Just for Chemists

TLP by Slava Bernat. Thoughts on organic and medicinal chemistry, being an academic researcher, and organic reaction mechanism puzzles.

In the Pipeline. Derek Lowe’s long running commentary on the business and science of medicinal chemistry.

Example Resume

A lot of people ask how an industry resume is different from a CV. Here’s my example – I usually trim it down to two pages and select the relevant parts for a given job.

Generic Resume_Product Development_2018