Finding a Career Entry That Suits You - Part II

With far fewer academic positions available than there are people with PhDs, the traditional path from student to postdoc to professor is no longer the norm. But besides that, there are many reasons why you might want to leave academia. Maybe you want a more secure job, want to get in contact with clients, or just don't like research anymore. Luckily, there are more jobs out there than you might realize! The process of job hunting can be confusing and intimidating. This collection of tips will help you to identify your strengths and the industry you want to move into and finally find a career entry that fits your interests.

Where can I get insights into specific positions?
We all know former lab members or fellow students who have moved on to non-academic careers. Ask them what they do now, if they are happy, and what kind of additional qualifications they had, suggests career coach Ulrike Schneeberg (http://deinemonster.de/), whom I met last year at a career day organized by the FU in Dahlem.
Job shadowing is also a great opportunity to find out if a job will suit you. Some universities offer programs, but you can as well just ask your acquaintances who work in a job you would like to get to know better. If you are eager and self-confident, you can also directly contact companies; it will for sure make a good impression. If you are about to graduate, do not cancel your studentship just yet: companies prefer to give away internships to students than to recent-graduates.

How do I get familiar with the job lingo?
Online job portals will help you figure out what names the jobs have and what specific skills are listed for the different job titles.
Check the job descriptions of your networking contacts and contact those whose job descriptions sound interesting to you. Most people are happy to report about their job and how they got there. Reach out to people in different jobs, ask if you could meet them for a coffee to ask career questions or interview them for a few minutes on the phone. I can personally report that it is incredibly helpful to get some inside information.

Do I have the right skills?
Browse through job offers and carefully read the descriptions. Ask yourself if you have the essential qualifications. If not, what could you do to gain additional expertise? Maybe you can join a project from a befriended lab, or take a course at your university or online while finishing your degree? However, don’t let the lists of desired skills intimidate you. Most employers are open for applicants who do not have a final degree that exactly matches the industrial sector or job opening if the application is convincing.

How do I structure my job search?
Career coach Ulrike Schneeberg suggests making a timeline to structure your job hunt efficiently. For example: by the end of next month you should have interviewed five people with jobs that sound interesting. Upon completion, reflect if your view has changed and eventually schedule another round of browsing job options and setting up informational interviews. Then narrow your career options down to a few choices that align best with your skills and interests. Having completed this step, it makes sense to start writing your resume, CV and parts of a cover letter tailored to the specific positions and industry. This is a very crucial step - take your time and go over it several times. Show them to your friends and colleagues (maybe even to this person who holds your dream job). Some applications may require references; ask your supervisors early enough if they would be willing to write you a recommendation letter. Most of the time they will be happy to do so, but won’t have much time. In this case, draft a reference yourself, so your referee will only need to edit and update it.

How do I get the attention of prospect employers?
Tell your friends and colleagues that you are looking for a new job. This will increase the likelihood of being offered a position which is not on the public market.
At career fairs, you can get directly in contact with recruitment managers. If you make a good impression and give them your contact detail, you are already one step closer to your dream job.
According to recruiting managers, it is highly recommended to participate in online job portals. More and more companies follow the trend to search suitable candidates themselves or work with recruiting agencies. If you want to be found, make sure to include the right buzzwords in your profile.

Where do I find job adverts?
Most companies advertise their openings online. The biggest resources are LinkedIn (for the international job search), Xing (the most important platform in Germany) and Indeed, but don’t forget to check out more local portals and those specific to the sector you are looking at, such as yourfirm, jobmehappy, jobworld.de, or stepstone.
However, also check out individual company homepages, as not all openings are shared in online job portals. Interestingly, many small- and medium-sized businesses still advertise in print media. Thus getting a copy of your local newspaper might be a good idea as well.
A great resource are also Laborjournal, academics, duz wissenschaftskarriere, Science Jobs DE, Sci-Tec Career, and Wila Bonn. Those looking for international jobs, will find interesting job offers at Science Careers and Naturejobs.

Where do I get information about prospect employers?
Always use more than one source: the company webpage, press releases, social media and rating portals such as glassdoor or kununu. Also check whether local and/or daily news reported about the companies you are interested in. If you want to move into the biotech scene, you should definitely check out labiotech.eu. The different pieces of information will help you to shape an image of the company. Ideal would be if you could talk to current or former employees. This is possible at career fairs or by directly contacting employees.

Where can I get help?
A very helpful tool is the “individual development plan” from science careers. You may also get help from your university. Charité students may contact the stud-hotline@charite.de to get career advice, even after completion of studies. For students enrolled at the Humboldt University, these links might be helpful (http://bit.ly/2E7bMFU , http://bit.ly/2BMLjLW) and you can also attend their events even after you graduated. There are also many helpful events organized by the Agentur für Arbeit. If you are looking for individual help, I can recommend to meet with a career coach. And stay tuned for the new Career Development Program for Berlin Neuroscience graduate students, currently being developed by SPARK with the help of MedNeuro students!
Get in touch with recruitment agencies specific for the sector you want to move into. Generally their services are free of charge for the job seeker and they have a genuine interest to get you a position because they will be paid by the companies upon success. Furthermore, recruitment agencies have a great portfolio of companies, you might not be aware of.

We wish you all the best!
Let us know your career stories, so we can help future graduates to smoothly transition into their first positions!

by Claudia Willmes, PhD Alumna, AG Eickholt / AG Schmitz
This article originally appeared March 2018, in Beauty and the Brain , Vol 11 - Issue 01

Finding a Career Entry That Suits You - Part I

With far fewer academic positions available than there are people with PhDs, the traditional path from student to postdoc to professor is no longer the norm. But besides that, there are many reasons why you might want to leave academia. Maybe you want a more secure job, want to get in contact with clients, or just don't like research anymore. Luckily, there are more jobs out there than you might realize! The process of job hunting can be confusing and intimidating. This collection of tips will help you to identify your strengths and the industry you want to move into and finally find a career entry that fits your interests.

How do I start?
The most important building block for a successful career is to be honest in defining your interests and strengths. The first question should be: do I want to apply for jobs in a technical, creative or management sector? But don’t build up too much pressure: you don’t have to make the perfect decision. A career is a path that arises from many decisions. Of course, the first job sets the direction, but you can always transition to another position. Especially when looking for your first "real world job", you might need to compromise on one or two things.

Where can I get inspiration?
Use conferences, social events, career fairs, meet-ups and career talks to question others about their work and explore the realities of these possibilities. A great opportunity to get in touch with scientists working outside of academia is the Career Development Seminar every second Wednesday at noon in the CCO Auditorium. Find people with a similar academic background who share your view on life and ask them about their careers. You might not only get inspired but also make important contacts. Even getting to know what you don't like will shape your idea of what you might want to do.
Think outside the box: scientists are not only needed in science but also in jobs like consulting, the public sector, non-profit organizations, management, communication, and many more. There are plenty reports from scientists that escaped academia on Science, Nature and Reddit.
Reflect when you read advertisements in newspapers or scientific journals: why were you attracted to this advertisement? Could you imagine working for this company or in this sector?

What are my strengths?
Pinpoint moments when you really enjoyed or really didn’t enjoy doing something, instead of trying to imagine what you would enjoy doing, because a lot of things aren’t what they seem to be. Find out what you are good at by asking yourself “what do people ask me to help them with?”. Ask people around you what you are good at and what they think is special about you. Consider also your life beyond the lab and think about your strengths outside of your field of study.

What are my interests?
Maybe you are graduating in neuroscience, but you have always been attracted by nutrition science, or you are more interested in the bigger picture of science - all this is worth considering. Only if your career satisfies your interests, will it make you happy. Figure out what it is that drives you. Think about moments when you were really happy, inspired or content with what you were doing.

What is important to me?
Consider what is important to you and prioritize. This might be the work environment, career perspectives within a company, working hours, the salary, or additional benefits. Make sure your prospect job fits your lifestyle and incorporates your personal life plan. If you want kids and would like to take a break from work, would this be compatible with the career aspired to? Do you want to stay in this city or are you willing to relocate? Can you commit to a job that needs a lot of traveling or working on the weekends? Do you want to work in a highly competitive environment? Answering these questions will help you to further narrow down career options.

stay tuned for Part II : Everything from getting familiar with the job lingo, structuring your job search, and where to get further information

By Claudia Willmes, PhD Alumna AG Eickholt / AG Schmitz
This article originally appeared March 2018, in Beauty and the Brain , Vol 11 - Issue 01

From Academia to the Authorities

Let's start with the basics. My name is Henriette, I am 28 years old and I will soon be an alumna from the MedNeuro MSc and PhD programs at the Charité. 

I started my PhD in 2014 in the group "Experimental Psychiatry" with Prof. Christine Winter. My focus revolved around neuropsychiatric disorders and my daily work contained a mix of performing stereotactic surgeries, behavioral experiments and electrophysiological recordings. My thesis is written and ready to go, the plan is to open the procedure this summer.
However, a lot has happened since I finished lab work in 2017. I moved back to Denmark, mainly with the purpose of getting closer to my family (I am a dane) and finding a job. Luckily, all of this fell into place rather quickly.

Henriette Edemann Callesen

I started looking for jobs a few months before moving back to Denmark. I spent a lot of time figuring out what kind of job I wanted, which wasn’t easy. Moving from research into the “real world" seemed rather daunting. I mainly saw myself as a researcher and was interested in continuing in this field. Yet, after almost three years of working with rats, I wanted to get out of the lab. I did quite a lot of soul searching to figure out what kind of position met my requirements and to understand what qualifications the PhD had given me. In this period, I even wrote an article in the CNS newsletter about this topic – simply because I had to put my own doubts into words and let go of the imposter syndrome.

Let go of the imposter syndrome

I eventually boiled all my qualifications down to a proper CV that included my PhD, but also some organizational work I had been doing on the side. I made sure that the focus was not on my published papers nor my everyday handling with rats, since this is only relevant if you want to stay in academia. Back in Denmark, I sent out a bunch of applications. To make the story short: I am now an Academic Employee at the Danish Health Authorities in Copenhagen.

My Work Has Clinical Impact
My daily work evolves around constructing National Clinical Guidelines. I attend meetings with clinicians to figure out where the problems in their daily work are. For example, we discuss whether there is lack of evidence for the treatments that are being applied, or if one treatment is better than another. Then I go through research publications, critically evaluating its quality (using the so-called GRADE method [1]) in order to find out more about the effects of different treatment options. All of this is then composed into a National Clinical Guideline, which physicians can use in their daily work when doubt arises.

Use your qualifications wisely

And, boy, is this work different from being in the lab! I no longer work with rats, I have normal working hours and I get to drink coffee at my desk, while going through research. I developed competencies in understanding what contains good research (and what not) and I get insight into the challenges doctors face daily. Moreover, my products have clinical impact, which is very motivating.
What I miss, though, is being able to sit down and scientifically analyze and interpret data. I miss the flexibility that comes with being a PhD student, including structuring the day myself. I miss my friends and colleagues in Berlin and the thrill of being abroad. With that said, right now, I would not change it for the world. My new position offers other interesting possibilities and I get to grow in a different direction then what I would have if I had stayed in academia.
So, to all of you currently in academia who are thinking about changing tracks: first of all, yes, your PhD is a valuable asset that can land you a job in the “real world”. However, be aware that when promoting yourself, employers outside academia value other aspects of your work than a potential PI. There are indeed jobs out there, where you can combine research and regular working hours. Seriously, let go of the imposter syndrome that many PhD students have. Use your qualifications wisely, take a leap and go for it.

by Henriette Edemann Callesen, MSc and PhD Alumna, MedNeuro


[1] http://bit.ly/1IQ69Ub

This article originally appeared March 2018, in Beauty and the Brain , Vol 11 - Issue 01

A Makeover for the Newsletter?

Shortly before the winter holidays, the CNS newsletter team had the privilege to attend a scientific writing workshop hosted by Dr. Jochen Müller, a neuroscientist now working in consulting and scientific communication. Together with Jochen, we critically evaluated the last few issues of the newsletter and talked about ways in which we can expand our readership.

Although the CNS newsletter is a 100% volunteer-driven initiative, we still pride ourselves on trying to produce stories that are informative, original, and educational, even if readers don't have a background in neuroscience. As Jochen pointed out, one of our strengths is covering a topic -  for example Neuroaesthetics -  from a variety of different angles. However, we were encouraged to move beyond purely covering "textbook-style" knowledge, and delve deeper into stories where we can provide a unique perspective.

Please fill out a short reader survey!

To this end, we are going to try and write more about our number one area of expertise: being neuroscience students in Berlin! For example, in this issue, we have collected on-the-ground interviews with students (page 18), as well as covering advice on how to find a career entry after graduation (page 24), and taking a long, critical look at funding schemes for PhDs (page 22).
For upcoming issues, we have some new and interesting article types up our sleeve: "behind-the-scenes" of scientific discoveries in Berlin, critiques of neuroscience in books and on TV, debates on Big Questions of the field, and so much more. We're really looking forward to sharing it with you!

A key part of our strategy to improve the newsletter depends on finding out more about YOU, dear reader. Please fill out a short reader survey. It will help us to plan our future issues, and it takes less than five minutes!

Constance Holman (on behalf of the CNS newsletter editorial team)


Link to Reader Survey: https://goo.gl/forms/CVQrDaMZOm1ecS0k2
Learn more about Dr. Müller's work and writing philosophy here: http://www.jochen-mueller.net/

Why women leave academia and why universities should be worried

Despite the high number of female undergraduate and PhD students, most higher positions in academia, namely professorships, are given to men. A recent study in the field of Chemistry aimed to enlighten the underlying reasons [1].

First, it is important to look at the pool of applicants from which universities recruit their top staff. In a prior study, PhD students were asked about their career plans at different stages of their PhD [2]. At the beginning, obviously, both men and women are enthusiastic about pursuing a career as researcher, both in academia and industry: This intention is expressed by 61 % or 72 % of first-year male and female PhD students, respectively. However, in the third year of their PhD, women changed their mind dramatically. Whereas 59 % of men still see research as a career option, only 37 % of women do so.
If one separates between a career intention in industry and in academia, only 12 % of women and 21 % of men see their future in academia. In other words, 88 % of female PhD students and 79 % of their male fellows don't want a career in academia. Curt Rice describes this as an alarming result for universities, as they may no longer be capable of attracting the best and the brightest minds [3].
Both genders, but especially women, regarded an academic career as all-consuming and competitive. First of all, the short-term nature of most post-doctoral positions implies frequent relocation and a lack of security about future employment. The level of competitiveness to achieve a permanent position is seen as very fierce and the impression of young scientists is that it has become harder to get a first foothold on the ladder, especially under the circumstance of a constant hunt for funding [1].

female PhD students felt more affected

However, there are several issues that affect only women keeping them away from academic careers: There is a lack of positive examples, as most women feel that female professors often show a quite masculine behavior and are, in many cases, childless. They do not want to sacrifice their personality and their plans for a family, to an academic career. Whereas both male and female PhD students report poor supervision, frustrating experiences in the research process, and problems within the research group, women feel more affected and restricted by this and are more likely to see this as a personal failure. A relevant number of women also report that they were told that their gender might be a problem for a future academic career [1].
Although these studies were focused on Chemistry, it seems to be likely that it is not much different in other subjects. Obviously, the pool from which universities can recruit their lecturers and professors shrinks, and especially women are not attracted by an academic career. Universities should ask themselves if the working conditions and career paths they offer are suitable to encourage talented young researchers staying in academia. Without young and innovative researchers, cutting-edge research at universities is endangered. But considering recent headlines about the German Max-Planck-Society and its plans to cut PhD students from social security system [4], a fundamental rethink has not yet begun.

By Odilo Engel, PhD Student Medical Neurosciences, AG Clinical Neuroscience

This article originally appeared 2012 in CNS Volume 5, Issue 4, Fat Gut or Fat Brain


References
[1] Jessica Lober Newsome: The chemistry PhD: the impact on women's retention - A report for the UK Resource Centre for Women in SET and the Royal Society of Chemistry. London, 2008. http://bit.ly/JC2T5m
[2] The Career Intentions & First Employment Destinations of Chemistry PhD Students: A Gender-Based Quantitative Analysis, Royal Society of Chemistry: London, 2008.
[3] Curt Rice: Why women leave academia and why universities should be worried. The Guardian - Higher Education Network, May 24, 2012. http://bit.ly/MTWaB9
[4] Sven Grünewald: Forschungsstipendien - Schwarzarbeit in der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft? Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, June 10, 2012. http://bit.ly/Lrvd7A

A Degree For Life: The Job Market for PhDs Past and Present

Perspectives For PhD Graduates

The amount of PhD holders in Germany has greatly increased since the 1980s, producing many more graduates than available positions in academia [1]. Since then, the surplus of PhD degrees on the market has presumably been the cause of changed job perspectives for graduates. In the past, the traditional PhD-postdoc-professor career seemed more predefined for young scientists. Nowadays, the PhD bears importance as a title that represents more than just scientific expertise and the key to becoming a professor.

Outside of academia, a PhD title, regardless of the field it is in, is worshipped as a sign of highly valuable personal skills such as motivation, responsibility, perseverance and ambition. These traits are extremely important for leading positions in any profession [1]. Thus, scientists holding a PhD are appreciated in research and development in industry, in consulting, in patent law, scientific writing, sales and much more [2].

"The PhD Factory" by Pina Knauff

The Changing Face of Grad School

In the last few decades, the quality of PhD education has improved. Graduate schools were founded to turn the classical student-professor relationship to a more structured and interdisciplinary system. This helped shorten the graduation time and increase the quality of the degree [3]. Nonetheless, the prospects of long-term employment in academia remain poor in Germany [4].

One advance was the introduction of the junior professor position with tenure track option in 2002, representing an alternative to the classic Habilitation [5]. More recently, in 2015, a draft bill was passed to prevent short-term contracts in academia [6]. Despite these steps, Germany still lacks promising career prospects for PhD graduates in academia. There is clearly much room for improvement. 

[1] http://bit.ly/29R8eqH

[2] http://bit.ly/1EyziUL 

[3] http://bit.ly/29R2iOs 

[4] http://bit.ly/29EyLoz

[5] http://bit.ly/29Yxb2J

[6] http://bit.ly/1NZLNg5

Pina Knauff, PhD Student AG Wulczyn

Why women leave academia and why universities should be worried

Despite the high number of female undergraduate and PhD students, most higher positions in academia, namely professorships, are given to men. A recent study in the field of Chemistry aimed to enlighten the underlying reasons [1]. 

First, it is important to look at the pool of applicants from which universities recruit their top staff. In a prior study, PhD students were asked about their career plans at different stages of their PhD [2]. At the beginning, obviously, both men and women are enthusiastic about pursuing a career as researcher, both in academia and industry: This intention is expressed by 61 % or 72 % of first-year male and female PhD students, respectively. However, in the third year of their PhD, women changed their mind dramatically. Whereas 59 % of men still see research as a career option, only 37 % of women do so.
If one separates between a career intention in industry and in academia, only 12 % of women and 21 % of men see their future in academia. In other words, 88 % of female PhD students and 79 % of their male fellows don't want a career in academia. Curt Rice describes this as an alarming result for universities, as they may no longer be capable of attracting the best and the brightest minds [3].
Both genders, but especially women, regarded an academic career as all-consuming and competitive. First of all, the short-term nature of most post-doctoral positions implies frequent relocation and a lack of security about future employment. The level of competitiveness to achieve a permanent position is seen as very fierce and the impression of young scientists is that it has become harder to get a first foothold on the ladder, especially under the circumstance of a constant hunt for funding [1].

female PhD students feel more affected

 

However, there are several issues that affect only women keeping them away from academic careers: There is a lack of positive examples, as most women feel that female professors often show a quite masculine behavior and are, in many cases, childless. They do not want to sacrifice their personality and their plans for a family, to an academic career. Whereas both male and female PhD students report poor supervision, frustrating experiences in the research process, and problems within the research group, women feel more affected and restricted by this and are more likely to see this as a personal failure. A relevant number of women also report that they were told that their gender might be a problem for a future academic career [1].
Although these studies were focused on Chemistry, it seems to be likely that it is not much different in other subjects. Obviously, the pool from which universities can recruit their lecturers and professors shrinks, and especially women are not attracted by an academic career. Universities should ask themselves if the working conditions and career paths they offer are suitable to encourage talented young researchers staying in academia. Without young and innovative researchers, cutting-edge research at universities is endangered. But considering recent headlines about the German Max-Planck-Society and its plans to cut PhD students from social security system [4], a fundamental rethink has not yet begun.

By Odilo Engel, PhD Alumnus Medical Neurosciences, AG Clinical Neuroscience
This article originally appeared 2012 in CNS Volume 5, Issue 4, Fat Gut or Fat Brain

References
[1] Jessica Lober Newsome: The chemistry PhD: the impact on women's retention - A report for the UK Resource Centre for Women in SET and the Royal Society of Chemistry. London, 2008. http://bit.ly/JC2T5m
[2] The Career Intentions & First Employment Destinations of Chemistry PhD Students: A Gender-Based Quantitative Analysis, Royal Society of Chemistry: London, 2008.
[3] Curt Rice: Why women leave academia and why universities should be worried. The Guardian - Higher Education Network, May 24, 2012. http://bit.ly/MTWaB9
[4] Sven Grünewald: Forschungsstipendien - Schwarzarbeit in der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft? Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, June 10, 2012. http://bit.ly/Lrvd7A

How Much Does a PhD in Neuroscience Cost?

A doctorate in any field is a significant undertaking both intellectually and financially. In recent years, the costs of PhD students are increasingly borne by the primary investigator as part of a grant proposal, while the number of graduate students supported by individual fellowships has remained relatively constant [1]. 

In the US for example, research grants funded about 40% of all biomedical sciences PhD students in the 1980s and this figure had risen to 70% by 2007 [2]. National Institutes of Health statistics also showed that very few PhDs in the US were funded out of pocket, with at least 96% of PhDs receiving full funding [2].
One aspect of neuroscience education cost that varies quite widely by country is the amount of money required for tuition. Based on a search of program websites, in the US, tuition can range from USD 30,000-80,000 for the duration of the program, depending on how the university charges its students and the number of full time semesters required. In Germany, on the other hand, tuition from the university's side can be as low as 200-300 euros per semester, and the bulk of the cost of a PhD is for the stipend/salary that pays living expenses and supports the student during the training period.
Comparing for example Germany and the US, the cost for the principle investigator is quite different because US tuition is two orders of magnitude higher! One might expect this to have a corresponding impact on the number of PhD students in the two countries, perhaps with fewer being accepted in the US where they are relatively more expensive. If anything, the trend is reversed. According to a 2011 article in Nature magazine, the number of PhDs in the US increased by 2.5% from 1998 to 2006, while the number of doctoral graduates in Germany remained virtually the same [3]. As neuroscience funding gets more and more competitive in both Europe and the US, while the numbers of scientists entering the pipeline increases, one wonders what the future will hold for the cost of a neuroscience PhD [4].

[1] Alberts et al., PNAS, 2014
[2] http://1.usa.gov/1MrTiHP

[3] Cyranoski et al., Nature, 2011
[4] Joels et al., Neuron, 2015

by Lauren Elizabeth Mamer, PhD Student AG Rosenmund
this article originally appeared 2015 in CNS Volume 8, Issue 4, Money on My Mind.

Compensation in Life Sciences

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” (Epictetus)

"Piled Higher and Deeper" by Jorge Cham, www.phdcomics.com

 

Renumeration in the Life Sciences

Can I fuse my passion for research with a worthwhile and financially secure living? This is one of the most gripping questions that researchers at all levels face when becoming part of an ever-growing global academic elite of dynamic, aspiring scientists.

More and more countries of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) are building up their higher education sectors. Science doctorates, post-docs, and principle investigators are key factors for the generation of wide-scale economic growth [1]. However, the question arises as to how we compensate life scientists for their academic excellence.

ACADEMIA PAYS UP TO 30% LESS THAN INDUSTRY

Taking a closer look at the importance of salaries in neuroscience becomes even more crucial in the light of global ‘over-production’ of science graduates [1]. Nowadays, scientists are increasingly being exploited as a cheap working force derived from a never-ending fountain of highly-skilled doctoral students and post-docs, allowing countries to develop their higher education system and general economy by paradoxically investing as little as possible into compensation of academics.

Salaries in Europe and the USA

The Scientist's 2014 web-based survey of compensation of life scientists gathered information from over 5334 individuals ranging from graduate students to professors in various life science sectors [2]. The survey revealed differences in income between different sectors, genders and institutions. European life scientists annually earn US$68,361 on average compared to US$99,011 in the US.

This regional discrepancy (in both academia and industry) is compounded by sector-specific differences in academia. Figures for academic neuroscientists in the US indicate an average salary of US$102,770, which is close to the average payment scale. Molecular biologists earn an average of US$77,970 and scientists working in drug discovery and development are more highly compensated – up to US$143,544.

Those working in academia make 30% less income in both Europe and the US compared to industry employees. Interestingly, researchers in the US working in specific areas in both academia and industry, such as genomics and biostatistics, had a 13% higher pay compared to the preceding year and compared to their colleagues in other disciplines. This indicates that employment in specific sectors with larger demand tends to be a ‘gold mine’ – that is, until the supply of new graduates reaches saturation. The vicious cycle continues because the demand for new graduates is being dictated by the amount of money (from research grants) available for paying them. This allows group leaders to recruit as much cheap labor as they want without considering the fact that not enough senior positions are available in the job market to keep these people employed in academia in the long run [3].

MEN ARE STILL PAID FAR MORE THAN WOMEN

Other fundamental factors affecting life scientists' salaries are age and experience, consisting of a leap in salary by up to 20% for every additional 5 years of experience. Remarkably, gender is still another dismaying aspect of salary inequality in the life sciences in the highly-developed countries of the 21st century. The survey revealed that European male scientists in high positions earn up to US$13,000 more than their female counterparts – a situation which is even worse in the US, where the discrepancy can reach up to US$28,000 [2].

Intellectual Freedom vs. Lifestyle

Looking at future compensation in the life sciences, we will probably continue to face a rather grim picture of ‘brain drain’ from academia to other institutions or to countries with a smaller salary gap [4]. Insufficient compensation and/or insecure job positions currently discourage scientists from staying in academia (only 6% of PhD students do stay) [5].

Promotion of progressive PhD programs that equip researchers with transferable skills that can be applied not only in academia but also in the wider job market is nowadays a pivotal part of German scientific training [6]. This increases the chances of circumventing the bottleneck problem of occupational demand due to educational ‘over-supply’ of researchers that ultimately leads to dwindling salaries in the academic life sciences.

Academic scientists at all levels have to face the reality that salaries in the future will most probably continue being unstable and less lucrative than in other sectors. It remains the individual decision of every scientist as to how to weigh academic intellectual freedom with monetary compensation.  

[1] Cyranoski et al., Nature, 2011
[2] http://bit.ly/1rZ8nGD
[3] http://bit.ly/1OZQ2IT 
[4] Jacobs, EMBO Rep, 2013
[5] http://bit.ly/20Ehktz
[6] Shen, Nature, 2013

by Meron Maricos, PhD Student AG Kettenmann
this article originally appeared 2015 in CNS Volume 8, Issue 4, Money on My Mind.

A Journey to ENCODS 2016:A Conference Organized By and For PhDs

Still time to register for Encods Alicante Spain - the neuroscience conference for doctoral students until March 1st . The main goal of ENCODS meetings is to provide European PhD students with the opportunity to embrace the challenges of their research from a multidisciplinary outlook. Valérie Boujon attended the conference last year and highly recommends to participate

From June 28th to July 3rd 2016, many interesting speakers and neuroscience leaders attended the European Neuroscience Conference by Doctoral Students 2016 (ENCODS) that took place in Helsingør, Denmark and was already the third edition of this young conference. Previously it had taken place in Bordeaux, France in 2013, and in Sesimbra, Portugal in 2015. 

Enrichment on scientific, human, and personal levels

 

It is organized by and for doctoral students in all fields of neuroscience and from all over the world (out of around 100 participants, 35 nationalities and 46 universities were represented!). The meeting offers numerous benefits for young scientists, as it provides a friendly, interactive and intimate environment that enables students to exchange ideas about their research and network in an easier way than at other major scientific conferences.

Beautiful Denmark

The picturesque location was a charming, romantic hotel right by the Baltic seaside in the port town of Helsingør, about 45km away from Copenhagen. The rooms were tastefully decorated and each one was shared by two participants who initially did not know each other, strategically placed by the organizers to encourage social interactions from the very beginning. The program was well-organized to make use of the available time and consisted of a combination of keynote lectures, students’ talks, workshops and diverse social activities. There was just no time to feel bored.

Plenty of Fascinating Science

The keynote lectures were given by renowned scientists, such as Dr. Randall Platt, who shared with us how he developed the Cas9 mouse during his PhD at MIT; Dr. Tania Rinaldi Barkat, who gave us insight about her research in understanding the development and function of the auditory cortex; and Prof. Poul Nissen, who talked about his boundless knowledge of the structures and mechanisms of membrane transporters in the brain. All the same, the time for students’ talks was not overlooked and ranged from alcohol addiction to rhythmicity of medial septal neurons and neuroimaging of cognitive reserve. Typical poster sessions were substituted by “speed dating lunches”, during which participants had the opportunity to share knowledge and converse about their posters informally over lunch. A number of workshops were also offered, covering topics such as motivation and self-management, presentation skills, the publishing process (see page 17) and scientific creativity.

Board Games, Banquets, and Castles

In the evenings, after gourmet dinners, we were entertained with some nicely organized social activities. On the first evening, a scientific version of the board game Clue was on the menu, during which teams had to find out who the murderer of an unfortunate scientist was, what type of weapon had been used and in which part of the lab the crime had been committed. In order to answer these questions, the different teams had to collect a maximum of points and clues by answering some tricky questions, writing a song and solving a puzzle. 

Neuroscience meets... Shakespeare?

The second evening was a real surprise: a guided night tour of the Kronborg Castle, which is Denmark’s most famous castle, where the play Hamlet by Shakespeare was set. The Renaissance castle was built by the Danish King Eric VII in 1420 and used to be Denmark’s most powerful castle, as it controlled the entrance way to the Baltic Sea and collected toll from the many ships navigating through it. The castle’s ballrooms were some of the greatest in Europe at the time and Frederik II, together with his young wife, would hold huge banquets during which each guest would be served 24 dishes! The third and last evening was not as hedonistic as the times of the Kings of Kronborg, but still pretty enjoyable as it started with a gala dinner set around large round dining tables, softly covered with pristine white tablecloths. This was followed by a dancing “White & Black” Ball, accompanied by salsa and 90’s hits.

Not To Be Missed

Those three days were definitely a blast, as they were not only an enrichment at the scientific, but also at the human and personal levels. They helped me open my mind and widen my knowledge about neuroscience's unfamiliar domains. The workshops helped me train my communication skills and gave me insight about what it is like to work as an editor for a scientific journal (see page 19). Plus, I had the chance to meet extraordinary fellow PhD students that turned into international friendships! Hence, I highly recommend that all the MedNeuro PhD students take part in next year’s ENCODS, which will be held in Alicante, Spain ... or in 2018 right here in Berlin!

by Valérie Boujon, PhD Student AG Endres
This article originally appeared in September 2016 in "Happy Anniversary MedNeuro"