Thinking Outside the Mentoring Binary and Building Diverse Career Support Relationships In early 2019, when I sat down to write Sustainable Networking for Scientists and Engineers, I had never had a formal mentoring relationship. There had been my high school college counselor and an assigned academic advisor in college. I also regularly relied on what IContinue reading “Beyond Mentoring”
Tag Archives: networking
Serendipity & How to Plan the Unplannable
Serendipity is how penicillin1,2, microwave ovens3, Kevlar4,5, and numerous pharmaceuticals6,7 were discovered. It’s how many personal and professional relationships are established. It can generate new discoveries, project ideas, collaborations, and job opportunities. Serendipity can change your life and your career. This is how it changed mine. Christina’s Serendipitious Adventures During my junior year of college, oneContinue reading “Serendipity & How to Plan the Unplannable”
The Follow-Up Makes the Difference
Following up is one of the most crucial and powerful networking tools, but it is frequently neglected and also highly underrated. Follow-ups can transform casual conversations into long-term connections, open up or create new opportunities, show appreciation, keep projects on track, or invigorate and deepen existing relationships. Only, most of us (definitely me included) struggleContinue reading “The Follow-Up Makes the Difference”
Self-Care at Conferences
Conferences are special. They are cornucopias of knowledge, ideas, and connection, brimming with opportunity… which makes it easy to get carried away. For the very same reasons they are exciting places to be, conferences can be exhausting and anxiety-inducing. In our effort to make the most of every moment, we can run ourselves ragged, leavingContinue reading “Self-Care at Conferences”
Informational Interviews
Build Your Network & Make Smarter Career Decisions with Informational Interviews The Informational Interview is a powerful tool for strengthening your network and making informed career decisions. And yet, many scientists and engineers haven’t heard of it. It wasn’t until I transitioned from my career as an industry scientist and into a policy fellowship thatContinue reading “Informational Interviews”
Opportunity Momentum: Ride the Wave
Networking is a powerful tool that can help you accomplish your goals and be more successful. One of the ways that this works is through a concept I call Opportunity Momentum. I define this as a phenomenon where increased participation in an activity leads to building more skills related to that activity and being associatedContinue reading “Opportunity Momentum: Ride the Wave”
Networking for Equity
Professional networking is a powerful multitool for community building, productivity, and career success. For fans of the long-running BBC show Dr. Who, you can think of your network as the sonic screwdriver of your career. In the show, a sonic screwdriver could do anything narratively convenient that the Doctor needed it to do: send andContinue reading “Networking for Equity”
Sustainable Networking 