Last week Thursday, BMS and the Alumni Office hosted the first BMS PhD Career Event, an inspiring afternoon where current PhDs could talk to alumni and ask all career questions they had. With alumni from industry and academia, there was ample opportunity to get inspired!
What did we do?
The event opened with a presentation by Jorinde Spook (BMS-PHT) about her career path and her journey between working in the healthcare sector and her research, and how this feeds into each other. Her main message was to keep building bridges; build your network and see who or what you need to achieve a great result, and bridge to that. After this, two speed dating rounds with alumni took place, activating conversations that also made great use of the past experiences of the alumni and their time as a PhD. The session was then closed by Lucelle Dankbaar (TGS) with some reflections on how to shape your career as a PhD. A key message here again is “Vitamin R”, building and using your Relations, they know you and your skills, they know their network, and can build a bridge.
Oh no! I missed this event…
Of course, we hope to see you at a next career event, but until then there are three resources you can use to already start shaping your career path:
- Reach out to the Alumni Office to get in contact with alumni in specific industries or disciplines. Alumni are here to help and their experiences and connections can kick-start a next step in your career.
- Have a look at the Course Finder, there are many courses to take ranging from soft skills to more domain-specific knowledge. The Course Finder is a tool of the Centre of Training and Development (CTD), they offer self-assessment, guidance, and mentoring and coaching.
- Discuss your career ambitions with your supervisor and make use of their network. Your supervisor knows your work and your skills and can bring you in contact with institutions or companies from their own network, which can bring great opportunities.
Stay bold, stay courageous and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you are stuck in your career. And see you at the next career event!
