chance favors the prepared network
TRANSCRIPT
Chance Favors The Prepared Network
University of Minnesota Neuroscience Department
April 19 2012Mary Canady
Comprendia LLC
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Who Am I?•1992
–Biochemistry grad student (Duke)–Did Crystallography for pretty pictures–Loved bench work (and to organize events)
•2012–Comprendia/San Diego Biotechnology Network
•Network of 20,000•Marketing, events, writing, speaking•Results
–I can find help in myriad areas–People find me easily for business (and speaking!)–I have found my niche and am happy at work
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Headed to U of Minn. today to talk to scientists about networking...what's your advice?“My advice is to not be afraid to talk
to scientists outside your own fields of interest/collaborations. You might get inspired..”
--@InnovaBio, Twitter
“Mention the huge amnt of scientist networking on here. There is a untrue stigma that Twitter is self indulgent and egotistical.”
-- @ProteinWrangler, Twitter
“Don't think of networking as a quick gateway to a job/collaboration. It is about cultivating good relationships over time.”
--@omespeak, Twitter
“Be positive but realistic. In the current scientific job market, connectivity will help but is not a panacea. Let us know what sorts of reactions you get.”
--Peter Kenny, LinkedIn
“It would probably also help if you tell the grad students/post-docs the different career options they might explore, especially in this job market, so they learn to network in right areas!”
-- Saugata Ray, LinkedIn
“LinkedIn is a necessity, but not a replacement for meeting people in person!”
--Heather Buschman, LinkedIn
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WHY?
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Why? Be SmarterItem 1992 2012
Publications Photocopy from library every few days
Instant PDF, share and meet others (Mendeley,
BioMedExperts)
EmailJust got 1st account! The TELEPHONE used
often.
Pervasive, drives collaborations
Interest groups Mailing lists
Forums, Blogs, Wikis, LinkedIn Groups, Facebook Pages
Conference networking
Email paper authors, meet
Search abstracts online, find common
connections on LinkedIn or
BioMedExperts, blog/Tweet about
meeting beforehand.
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Why?•Be Richer
• SciFund: Researchers ‘crowd fund’ their research
• $76K raised• Larger network=more funding (link)
•Be Happier• Share your experiences• Help people and be helped• Find your niche
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WHAT?
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What Is Networking?
• Can be online or IRL (in real life)
• Formal or informal• Science or non-science• Can be with people
you know• Started by anyone,
anywhere
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What Online Tools Should I Use?
Application
Description Good for How To Use
LinkedIn Professional networking
•Personal brand•Job hunting•Leads
•Complete profile•Join/start groups•Engage
Twitter Sharing information with short updates
•Personal brand•Connecting via content•Events
•Find a niche•Follow hashtags/users
Blog Dynamic website with daily-weekly articles
•Personal brand•Connecting with peers
•Create blog acc. To channel•Find others, interact via comments/Twitter
Our 3 recent posts on scientific social networks
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HOW?
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IRL: On Networking: A Rant by Scicurious (link)
• How do you overcome awkwardness and meet the big wigs in your field?
• Lots of great comments– Ask them for advice– Don't just focus on big
wigs– Try smaller meetings– Be outgoing but do what
feels natural– Hang out with people
you like
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IRL+ Online: SDBN
• 2008: Unsatisfied with San Diego life science networking opportunities
• Using personal network, began SDBN– Now 7000 members on LinkedIn, Facebook– Monthly meetings featuring hot
science,100+• Casual atmosphere, plenty of time for
networking– Speed networking– Networking bingo
• Networking events in high demand, more easy to organize these days
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LinkedIn…What Is It Good For?• Finding a job• Building your personal brand or
channel– What problem can you solve for
others?– Post relevant news and items
• Serendipity• LinkedIn (LI)Works best
– With a large network– Leveraging groups– In conjunction with social media & face to
face interactions
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Maximizing Your LI Profile• Should be as complete as resume
– Use action words and bullets– Headline—what ‘pain’ do you address?– Adding all past relevant positions with
information for each helps others to find you (leave out the Olive Garden)
• Get a ‘vanity’ URL– Add to email signature, business card
• Add a head shot– Friendly, professional– Next best thing to face to face
• Check for spelling errors!
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Maximizing Your LI Profile• Link to your company or sites
of interest– Choose ‘other’ and put in name
• Include complete contact information
• Get recommended– Don’t be shy
• Look through contacts, you’ll be amazed
• Only ~50% may respond, don’t be offended
– BUT don’t ask people you didn’t work with directly
– Reciprocate? Up to you
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Build Your Network• Bigger Web=More Opportunities
– Better search results– More people will find in search
• Places to look– LinkedIn
• Upload contacts• Others’ contacts (get lab members on!)• Groups• Events• ‘People You May Know’
– Ouside LinkedIn• Events you’ve attended, collect business
cards
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Leveraging Groups• Benefits
– Directly email any group member (check out our howto)
– Can post questions to group– Searches give more results
• Join up to 50 groups• Choose large, relevant, active groups
– Your posts will not be seen in spam-y groups
• Lots of great discussions going on– Antibodies, recombinant proteins,
medicinal chemistry…– See our tips and list to start
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Other Useful Features
• LinkedIn PDF Resume• Subscriptions
– Send ‘InMails’– See more search results
• Introductions• Follow companies
– Your targets• Events
– Add RSVPs, connect with others• Ask/answer questions
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Don’t Forget…Etiquette• Invitations to connect
– ALWAYS include a short note– Remind them how they know you– Give them a compliment & benefit
to linking with you• 90/10 Rule
– Post 9 helpful items for every 1 self promoting
– ADD VALUE
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Whither Twitter? #SFN11 Tweets
• 6290 Tweets• 1363 Twitterers• “Tweetups”
Follow hashtags on
our list
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Basics• Overview
– Provide 140 character updates, AKA ‘microblogging’
– @[user] to send a public message (reply)– D [user] to send private message (DM)– #[text] is a ‘hashtag’ to follow events or
chats• Follow based on content, don’t need to
know– Hint: this is huge for meeting people
• Provide information based on ‘channel’• Should be a conversation if you’re doing
it right!
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Tactics
• Fill out profile completely and carefully• Get followers
– Target: 1,000– To be followed, you must follow
• Twitterer will be sent message that you are following• Search twitter for terms (e.g., ‘kinase’)• Conference hashtags (#acs_boston)• Scientist lists• Don’t follow more than 100/day
• Provide content from RSS or other twitterers
• Engage with twitterers
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Tactics: Applications• Posting
– Hootsuite• Web-based & apps• Schedule Tweets (best to space out—3-4
tweets/day)• Post to many other apps
– Tweetdeck• Desktop & apps• Very popular
– Twhirl• Desktop App (smaller windows)• Good for multiple accounts
To see which apps people are using, check bottom of tweets.
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Link and courtesy @brianreid
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• Find blogs you like– ResearchBlogging– ScienceSeeker– ScienceBlogging– Google Alerts/RSS feeds– Twitter
• Create one– Wordpress.com– Blogger
• Write and interact!– Post comments on blogs, @ authors on
Twitter– Some are just ‘microbloggers’ on Twitter
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RSS: Your New BFF• RSS Feeds & Readers
– Monitor individual website changes• Blogs• News • Pubmed
– Monitor the entire web– Monitor Twitter
• Tools– Google Reader (create bundles, use
Feedburner for email)– Yahoo Pipes
See ‘Comprendia RSS Resources’
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What’s Your Career Gene?
• R&D is one of many options
• Other avenues may afford more flexibility
• Look to other interests, proclivities
• Meet people
See Transitions to Industry presentation (2nd half)
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Get Started NOW• Networking is not just for job
seekers!• Face to face is still important
– Conferences– Networking events (start a Minn.
Biotech group?)• Meet for lunch ‘just because’• Pay it forward
Follow your instincts on what makes you happy