Summary of Comments Received from Students and Post-docs at the "Careers in Chemistry" Workshop held at

Summary of Comments Received from Students and Post-docs at the "Careers in Chemistry" Workshop held at

86^th CSC Conference and Exhibition-39^th IUPAC Congress, in Ottawa, August 13, 2003

Attendance: ~70

Number of respondents to feedback form: 20

"What you were hoping to get out of workshop":

A summary of the various aspects of applying to Canadian universities
Tips for putting together an application package, where to look for jobs, what people are looking for these days
How academic positions in Canada vary between institutions and also compared to other countries
Techniques for applications and interviews
Get a general idea of what is required in academic jobs
Processes for hiring and interviews
Qualities required for a professor
Good ideas on the best methods for choosing a career path in chemistry
Trends of job market
Resources for jobs, workshops for CV and interviews
Examples of how to go about preparing application packages
Details about different universities
Information about opportunities in academia
Advice on job search
Where to apply and how to apply for a post-doc
Experience to find a job; how to write a proposal
An overview of what is involved in applying for an academic position
Information on careers in academia and on PhD research

"What you actually got out of the workshop":

Reinforced my decision to not continue in academic sector
Experience to find a job
CV, format, and strategies
Whole procedure of job hunting
A great overview!!
Website for careerchem
Ideas about asking advisors for past NSERC proposals!
A lot of good ideas: some reinforced, some new
I’ve learned about the package
Good points; appreciate parallels to industry
A lot of details that would have been missed; it was very informative
The actual technique of interviews
I do feel that Canadian institutions would be better suited to my own research, teaching, and personal goals
Confidence. I am already doing a lot of those things so trying to make connections and going the extra mile is not a waste of time!
A strong understanding of various aspects of applying to Canadian universities

"What you liked most about workshop":

The webpage link; the statistical updates with regards to the hiring problems

Guidelines about putting together package and research proposal; an idea for a workshop at next year’s CSC: The graduate student’s guide to writing a research proposal (not all advisors will let you help them!!)

Statistics about Canadian departments and faculty

The details of interviews

Stories about past scientists

Very informative — good workshop!

Clear presentation; helpful hints; website given where all the information is

General information; most potential trends

Entertaining; practical

Your enthusiasm, clarity, and depth of information

Presentation and statistics

Very detailed

It is useful

Clear, coherent, thorough, and easy to understand

A lot of useful information