Q: I was offered a research position that was listed on the HPA website, but it’s a new lab and I’d be the only postgrad. I’m not sure it’s a great fit for me – what can help me decide?
 
A: The Center for Career Development has a great guide to help you think through your job search and decision. Think about your priorities—What do you want to accomplish in the coming year? What do you need from a job setting? From a supervisor?—and jot down the pros and cons, what makes you excited about the job and the doubts that you have. Writing things out may help you think about the situation more objectively. We often recommend chatting with someone else who has been in the role before, but if there isn’t anyone preceding you, this can get more complicated. You could see if there’s another postgrad in a collaborator’s lab who you could contact for their perspective on the department more broadly. Keep in mind that just because you saw a listing on our website, it doesn’t mean we necessarily endorse it—a lot of folks reach out to us to post their positions and we don’t do any specific “vetting” or “recommending” of what’s listed, so we’d definitely encourage you to do your due diligence to learn as much as you can before accepting an offer. We’re happy to meet with you to talk about the offer and how to communicate with employers (and career advisers at Career Development can do the same).

QOTW 2022: Summer Opportunity Brainstorming
QOTW 2021: How Much Clinical Experience is Enough?