Description of session:

The career tables will be staffed during the same time as the Poster/Demonstration session. They'll offer the students a change of pace and topic: students can come sit at a career table, get a snack, and talk informally with women about their experiences working in different technical fields.

The career tables will be set up adjacent to the poster area to encourage students to flow between the two sessions. Each table will have a different theme,according to the interests of the volunteers. Some possibilities are Medicine, Industry, Academia, Biotechnology, or Computer Science.

 

Tips for those staffing tables:

Please arrive a few minutes early. This will let you look over the list of those staffing the career tables with you, so you'll get an idea of the range of people available to talk with the students. It will also give you a chance to meet your fellow volunteers.

Be prepared both to answer students' questions and to start an informal panel discussion at your table if the students are shy at first. Students will probably drift in and out of the career table area, so you may find the discussion topic constantly shifting or repeating itself as new students arrive.

 

Some topics students have asked at about at previous career panels:

¥ What should I study now if I want to major in --- in college ?

¥ What college major (or courses) would best prepare me for a career in --- ?

¥ I don't know if I want to do --- or --- for my career; what college major would leave me enough flexibility to change my mind later on ?

¥ I like science, but am not that great in math. Do I need to do really well in math to become a --- ?

¥ What does a person working in your field actually do on a day to day basis ? long-term ?

¥ What's a typical salary range in your field ?

¥ How much time do you spend interacting with people ? in a library or lab ?

¥ Do women in your field often have a spouse/partner ? children ? how do you handle having a family and a job and still have time to sleep ?

¥ Will I still have time for sports/hobbies ?

Some topics you may want to introduce to students:

¥ career flexibility: many people change fields during their careers; it's not necessary (or even possible) to plan today exactly what you will be doing for your whole working life

¥ serendipity: one opportunity often leads to another, unexpected one; plan your education to keep options open

¥ undergraduate research participation: a great way to find out if research work really appeals to you as a career (ask poster/demo presenters if they have undergrads working in their labs)

¥ opportunities for undergraduate internships in industry (see companies' tables in poster/demo session)

 

 

 

Description of session:

The career tables will be staffed during the same time

as the Poster/Demonstration session. They'll offer the

students a change of pace and topic: students can come

sit at a career table, get a snack, and talk informally

with women about their experiences working in different

technical fields.

The career tables will be set up adjacent to

the poster area to encourage students to flow between the

two sessions. Each table will have a different theme, according

to the interests of the volunteers. Some possibilities are

Medicine, Industry, Academia, Biotechnology, or Computer Science.

Tips for those staffing tables:

Please arrive a few minutes early. This will let you look

over the list of those staffing the career tables with you,

so you'll get an idea of the range of people available to

talk with the students. It will also give you a chance to

meet your fellow volunteers.

Be prepared both to answer students' questions and to

start an informal panel discussion at your table

if the students are shy at first. Students will probably

drift in and out of the career table area, so you may find

the discussion topic constantly shifting or repeating itself

as new students arrive.

Some topics students have asked at about at previous career panels:

* What should I study now if I want to major in --- in college ?

* What college major (or courses) would best prepare me for

a career in --- ?

* I don't know if I want to do --- or --- for my career; what

college major would leave me enough flexibility to

change my mind later on ?

* I like science, but am not that great in math. Do I need to

do really well in math to become a --- ?

* What does a person working in your field actually do on a day

to day basis ? long-term ?

* What's a typical salary range in your field ?

* How much time do you spend interacting with people ? in a library

or lab ?

* Do women in your field often have a spouse/partner ? children ?

how do you handle having a family and a job

and still have time to sleep ?

* Will I still have time for sports/hobbies ?

Some topics you may want to introduce to students:

* career flexibility: many people change fields during their careers,

it's not necessary (or even possible) to plan today

exactly what you will be doing for your whole working life

* serendipity: one opportunity often leads to another, unexpected one;

plan your education to keep options open

* undergraduate research participation: a great way to find out if

research work really appeals to you as a career (ask

poster/demo presenters if they have undergrads working

in their labs)

* opportunities for undergraduate internships in industry (see

companies' tables in poster/demo session)