If you are a life science professional and you are feeling a little bit stuck in your current role, it is worth setting aside some time to evaluate your career. By taking a look at your work environment, your responsibilities, and your attitude, you can often find a way to make your career more enjoyable and fulfilling.
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Decide What Is Important To You
One part of staying excited about your career is having a sense that you are working toward something or that you are making a difference. What are you hoping to accomplish in your current career? Is there a certain amount of money that you would like to make? Are you interested in having a positive impact on the world? Are you hoping to make a major breakthrough in your field? Would you like to find a better balance between your personal life and your work life? Are you interested in freelancing outside of your current position? Asking yourself questions like these, as well as reading stuff like this from Quanta, can make it easier for you to see where you want to take your career, giving you some direction.
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Take A Look At Where You Are
Next, take the list from the last step and compare it to your current job. Chances are, the job that you are in right now will check off at least some of the boxes on your list. For instance, imagine a scenario where you work with people that you don’t get along with in the lab during a certain portion of the week. The rest of the time, you are allowed to work remotely. If being able to work from home is on your list of goals, you are already part way there with your current position. On the other hand, if one of your goals is to work in a place with people that you get along with, you may need to think about moving to a different position instead.
If you decide that a job change is in order, always look for openings at your current company. A different position within the same company may check off more items on your list of priorities. If necessary, you may even want to think about working abroad, depending on the types of opportunities that your current employer offers in other parts of the world.
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Familiarize Yourself With Current Trends In The Life Science Field
Evaluate how your current skills fit with ongoing trends in the life science industry. Technology is impacting nearly every facet of this field. In drug development, for instance, big data and its associated technology are causing major shifts in how things are done. The same goes for the development and distribution of medical devices. Automation is a growing trend and robotics are becoming a major part of the industry. Personalized medicine is on the rise and there are plenty of job opportunities for anyone who has experience in pure science. Think through all of these trends to see if any of them resonate with you in terms of where you want to take your career.
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Polish Your Resume
If you decide that the time has come to search for a new job, be sure to polish up your resume and your LinkedIn profile ahead of time. Think about how your qualifications apply to current trends in the industry. When updating your resume, make sure to frame your skills and qualifications in a way that helps hiring managers understand how you can help their business. If necessary, consider taking classes or webinars to expand your knowledge so that you can get an edge over other applicants.
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Think About Working With A Mentor
After being in a career for a while, you may find that it has veered off course. Outside forces often cause changes in your role or in the type of work that you do. Because you have no control over these forces, it can leave you feeling dissatisfied with your job. Without having any say in your career, you may find it difficult to stay motivated or excited about what you do. Working with a mentor or coach is a good way to get a new perspective and to get some help figuring out how you can find the job satisfaction that you need.