Out of grad school and into the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

As I finished typing up my Ph.D. dissertation in the spring of 2009, I began exploring non-academic job prospects.  My boyfriend and I had been dating for a couple of years and were looking forward to getting married and starting a life together—a life that included balance.  From my observations as a graduate student, I noticed that only a few PI’s seemed to successfully mesh their careers and personal lives together well.  And knowing myself, I was pretty certain that I would never be one of those few.  During grad school, when push came to shove, I’d tune everything out in order to get the manuscript finished or to collect that last piece of data needed to complete my power point presentation.  If I failed in finding balance as a grad student, it didn’t seem realistic that I would pick up the skill later in academia, when more responsibilities were added to my to-do list. 

During those last few weeks of life as a grad student, one professor who I regularly taught for suggested that I look into the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (UDSA).  Initially, I was skeptical of his suggestion as I had heard a lot about the disadvantages of working for the federal government and, after seeing a few USDA labs that seemed a little run down, I questioned the resources available to a USDA postdoc.  However, this professor himself had enjoyed his USDA postdoc experience.  Additionally, USDA headquarters are in the same county as the University of Maryland, so I really had no good reason to not check out the possibility. 

Thus, I turned to the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Human Resources Web site to see what postdoctoral positions might be available.  I found a plant pathology position that sounded appealing and would allow me to utilize my molecular biology skill set.  However, the job description wanted someone with experience in plant pathology.  I did not really believe that my one undergrad course on the subject would suffice as “experience,” so I e-mailed the lead scientist directly, and he encouraged me to apply in spite of my deficiency.  

In future posts I will share quips, both the pro’s and con’s, from my postdoc experience. (I did land the job!)  But in closing today, and based on the application process that I went through to get this position, I will leave you with one thought.  If a job sounds appealing to you, check it out.  Don’t let a job description keep you from applying.  I continue to learn that in many cases the “required skill sets” listed for job postings are more like “wants” or “desires.” Most employers are not going to expect you to have all the skills listed in a posting.  I’ve also learned that in some instances, employers recycle old job postings instead of writing up new ones, so the job ad may not adequately describe who or what the employer is looking for in filling a particular vacancy.  So don’t close the door on a potential job prematurely!  If possible contact someone on the hiring team directly prior to applying for the position.  This will enable you to get a better feel for what the search committee is wanting, and you might be a really good fit!