ASBMB Today Careers Whatever your path, stop by the Career Hub

Annual Meeting

Whatever your path, stop by the Career Hub

By Kanika Pulliam

March 20, 2024

The Career Hub has been a yearly staple for attendees on the career development track at Discover BMB, the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology — and 2024 will be no exception.

Located in the middle of the Exhibit Hall at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, the Career Hub aims to provide career and professional knowledge, advice and networking opportunities in a series of 15- to 20-minute talks for meeting attendees at all career stages. These presentations are geared toward attendees who are exploring career options, currently on the job market and/or looking to transition into a new career field.

ASBMB

Discover BMB 2023 attendees at a Career Hub session in Seattle.

Topics will include careers in academia, industry and public advocacy. In addition to discussing career options, Career Hub speakers will provide advice on professional use of social media, networking, job search strategies and negotiating a job offer.

New this year, the Career Hub will offer sessions for undergraduate students, postbaccalaureate students, and faculty advisors on preparing for graduate school and maximizing the growing trend of taking a gap year before medical or graduate school.

We recognize these short talks in the Career Hub may not provide all the information attendees want on popular career topics, so the professional development team will also offer two 1-hour career panels, one on industry careers and the other on academic faculty careers. Biotech and pharma recruiters will facilitate the industry panel and provide attendees with insider information on the job search process. The academic panel, featuring speakers at various points in their faculty careers, will address every aspect of the academic journey, including the interview process and essential day-to-day work in academia.

Check below for all the details. I look forward to seeing you in the Career Hub at Discover BMB 2024 in San Antonio.

Career panels

Academic career, is it for me?

Monday, March 25: 8-9 a.m.

Speakers

Pamela Mertz, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, St. Mary's College of Maryland
Christopher Radka, assistant professor, University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Reinhart Reithmeier, professor emeritus, University of Toronto
Takita Sumter, dean and professor of chemistry, Winthrop University

Marketing your skills for industry

Tuesday, March 26: 8-9 a.m.

Speakers

Andrew Dickhaut, director, life sciences, Catapult Solutions Group
Chris Lester, chief revenue officer, Catapult Solutions Group

Career Hub presentations

Sunday, March 24

Talk Title	Speaker	Institution	Time
Inside look: Careers in biotech	Crystal Mendoza	Apriori Bio	1:30 p.m.
Inside look: Careers in big pharma	Mark Witmer	Bristol Myers Squibb	2 p.m.
Job search strategies	Nisha Cavanaugh	Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute	2:30 p.m.
Get involved with the Advocacy Training Program	Raechel McKinley/Dulce Gomez	ASBMB	3 p.m.
Negotiating job offers	Richard McGee	Northwestern University	3:30 p.m.
How to start networking: Introducing yourself	Erica Gobrogge	Van Andel Institute	4 p.m.

Monday, March 25

Talk Title	Speaker	Institution	Time
Dispelling misbeliefs in the academia to industry transition	Carlos Lopez	Altos Labs, Inc.	1:30 p.m.
Social media for scientists	Allison Frick	ASBMB	2 p.m.
How to prepare for your dream graduate school	Oleh Khalimonchuk	University of Nebraska–Lincoln	2:30 p.m.
How to maximize your gap year(s) before medical school or graduate school	Carmel Tovar	University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine	3 p.m.
Careers in research administration	Nathan Vanderford	University of Kentucky	3:30 p.m.
Careers in public advocacy	Sarina Neote	ASBMB	4 p.m.