Thread by @NCharalambakis, Something I tell everyone that asks me about my transition from the [...]

Naomi Charalambakis

NCharalambakis

Something I tell everyone that asks me about my transition from the bench to #sciencepolicy... you do *not* have to secure a #scipol fellowship to get there. A thread

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Like many others, I was told I needed to apply for a fellowship to make it big in science policy. These fellowships are SUPER competitive and many require you have your degree to be eligible to apply.

I was pretty frustrated at first, and felt that’s unfair to the many other capable individuals with a gift for policy, advocacy, & communication. BUT I kept pursuing. Come to find out, there are so many other ways to get out there and gain both experience and knowledge.

For starters:

go to a Capitol Hill Day with your scientific/professional society. My first Hill Day I was HOOKED.

find a mentor that supports your career goals. A lot of times this means looking outside your lab/department.

Connect with your university science policy group! Learn the landscape & lingo.

practice writing! This is

. A good way to do this is writing letters to the editor/op-ed’s that limit the number of words. Being succinct is straight to the point is critical for scipol

Network! I can’t stress this enough. I found my current (& first!) job by connecting w/ my supervisor after she gave a talk at my university. Best move I ever made!

Internships. If you can (big if, I know) apply to scipol internships to see if you like it!

This is not to say a fellowship is not a good career move—far from it! But for many folks, it just doesn’t fit in their job timelines. This is me merely saying that as someone who did not get a fellowship, you can still get there! Keep going

I am eternally grateful for the folks that have pushed me to get where I am today. The best in the business: @williamguido14 @michaelfoxlab @YvetteSeger

Thanks for putting up with my crazy self

and setting an incredible example

#careers #SundayMotivation #academia

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