SHPE DFW Professional Development

The best part of learning is sharing what you know - Vaughn K. Lauer

Webinars

Join our free online seminars featuring topics including soft skills and technical presentations from our members.​

Peer Insights

Stay up to date with the most interesting and informative articles to keep growing your professional career. ​

Live Events

Attend conferences, workshops and meetings in the DFW area.

Tools for Professional Development

The Biggest Challenges in Finding Top Talent (And How to Overcome Them)
http://www.inc.com | By Sujan Patel 

Artificial intelligence sector 'needs more brain power'
http://www.bbc.com/news | 

Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence 101 For Executives
https://www.inc.com | by Jordan Kasteler

6 Soft Skills Engineers Need to Succeed in 2017
http://blog.3dconnexion.com | by Mark Driscoll

The 8 Most Important Leadership Skills You Need
https://www.officevibe.com | By Jacob Shriar ​

Peer Insights

4 KEYS THAT HELPED ME GAIN EMPLOYMENT IN THE R&D INDUSTRY

Finding a job in the Research and Development (R&D) field is extremely difficult. The academic and industrial environments have changed; they have become quite competitive. There are many candidates who are very proficient at what they do, and there aren’t so many "apparent" job offers.
     
​     In order to find a job in the (R&D) industry, it was necessary to go beyond the standard protocol (applying online to large known companies, or through my advisor’s contacts) to get the job that personally and professionally satisfies me, according to my abilities as a Ph. D. in Science.

1) Finding my passion. First, I had to do a conscious (and realistic) analysis of what I would like to do professionally (sometimes this is the most difficult part).
2) Identifying my abilities. Then, I had to discover what those positions required in order to compare them with my skills and knowledge. I learned that I lacked experience in writing, communication, and some technical requirements for certain positions. I had to find ways to improve those areas and gave myself a year to cover them.
3) Creating my own brand.  I then focused on how to differentiate myself from the rest of the candidates and make myself "a brand". In order to do this, I learned how to make science projects based on innovation (needs of a product that generate economic income). I also invested time creating a network outside my University and acquaintances (my network in the United States was very small, since I studied in Mexico). I took an active part in professional associations to build my network. Volunteering with these and other organizations helped me get mentors (very important).
4) Polishing my resumé. Finally, in order to have a high-quality curriculum, I attended workshops that helped candidates create documents with better content and presentation. Once created, I distributed to collaborators and friends for an objective review. I applied to job positions that I was interested in (outside the Academy), including small businesses. I was interviewed multiple times and .......... “rejected”. This led me to make critical analyses of the mistakes I was making in order to improve and fix those aspects for future opportunities. The long, repetitive process helped me become a professional in interviews and gain lots of experience customizing resumes. 

     In summary, I obtained the job I currently have by combining the following aspects: necessary knowledge for a determined job position, a professional development plan, differentiating myself from competitors, being professional in my applications, and of course, using my professional network.

- Dr. Juan Carlos Ramos
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Professional Development:
professional_development@shpe-dfw.org