Resume/CV Workshop
January, 2011 – AWIS Chicago hosted a Resume/CV workshop on January 19th, 2011 at University of Chicago to kick off its Career Skills series. Heather Sevener, the Associate Director of Graduate Services at University of Chicago, Career Advising and Planning Services (CAPS) presented some key points about how to write and organize an effective resume or CV. The attendees then put the information to practical use by breaking into small groups and providing feedback and suggestions on each other’s actual resumes.
Some helpful take-home messages from the workshop included: 1) have a friend/colleague review your resume to evaluate if the 3 main points you want to get across are coming through 2) create a ‘storage document’ that includes information about every job and position you have held; this will help you easily tailor your resume to be relevant to a specific position and 3) do not make any assumptions in a resume; make sure that the information will be clear to anyone who is reviewing it. The workshop wrapped up with one-on-one discussions with Sevener, more networking and swapping personal stories and resume tips among the attendees.
Networking
Social Networking event at Pete Miller’s
February, 2011 – Our winter networking event had people come in from the cold and wet for socializing, cocktails and appetizers at Pete Miller’s Steak and Seafood in Evanston. AWIS Chicago hosted over 20 of its members and some non-members for an afternoon of networking, informal discussions and card exchanging. Representatives from academia (research institutes and community colleges), industry (large and start-ups) as well as clinical laboratory directors were present, and conversations among old friends and new were plentiful. This was our second year hosting a winter social event at Pete Miller’s.
Career Development and Networking
Meet the Women Leaders of Abbott
March, 2011- AWIS-Chicago chapter, in partnership with Abbott Laboratories, hosted a career networking event on March 17th, 2011 called: Meet the Women Leaders of Abbott. With 160 registrations and over 100 women in attendance, this was one of the most successful events of AWIS-Chicago. 
The event kicked off outside the Baldwin Auditorium, Northwestern University’s Lurie Cancer Center in downtown Chicago, with buffet dinner and refreshments graciously provided by Abbott, and the opportunity to drop off resumes for Abbott job opportunities, as well as business cards in order to qualify for a raffle at the end of the event. During registration, women scientists were able to network with other Chicago area scientists and informally discuss with numerous Abbott representatives. The event continued inside the auditorium with a welcome address by the chapter president Joy Ramos, who introduced the AWIS-Chicago mission and board members and presented the chapter’s most recent and future events. An overview of Abbott was then presented by Denise Moyse, Director, Project Management, followed by Laurel Krause-Hooyman, also a Director of Project Management at the company, who shared personal insights on her career path within Abbott. The last speaker was Laura Smith, Director of Talent Acquisition, who spent a considerable amount of time presenting current openings, and candidate profiles, as well as the technical ladders and growth opportunities within Abbott. The Abbott women leaders then gamely and candidly answered questions from the audience, with further networking and active discussions after the formal talks between all the speakers and a number of attendees. This was the first event co-sponsored by AWIS-Chicago and Abbott and discussions are ongoing to further strengthen this partnership.
Career Development
“Ten Ways to Get Lucky in the Job Search”
May, 2011- On May 12, AWIS-Chicago hosted “Ten Ways to Get Lucky in the Job Search” as part of our career development series. The seminar was given by John Lombardo and Phil Clifford from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and was adapted from similar seminars they have given at national conferences such as Experimental Biology and the Society for Neuroscience’s Annual Meeting. One of the underlying messages is that job-seekers can create their own “luck” by being prepared to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. The speakers provided useful tips for setting measurable and obtainable goals, either within their current positions or when looking for new positions. They also talked about the importance of networking and how to leverage relationships that you may already have. Lastly, they gave several resources for job searches, networking and “expanding you vision” across scientific disciplines. Both speakers were engaging and fun, and fielded lots of questions, from the very general to the very specific. Overall, it was another successful component of this ongoing series.
Career Development
AWIS Chicago Career Panel
November 2011 – AWIS Chicago Board members, past and present, came together on November 1st, 2011 at the Baldwin Auditorium of the Lurie Cancer Center in the downtown Chicago campus of Northwestern University to be part of a diverse career panel kickoff event encompassing both academia and industry. Almost 40 people attended the event, most of whom were graduate students and post-docs with about a quarter of attendees coming from industry. Distinguished panelists included Ramille Shah, Assistant Professor, Material Sciences and Engineering at Northwestern University and current AWIS Chicago Co-VP of Outreach, Dimitra Georganopoulou, Vice-President of Research and Development at Ohmx and current AWIS Chicago Newsletter Editor, Kara Johnson, Scientific Affairs Manager, Diagnostic Division, at Abbott and previous AWIS Chicago Newsletter. Joy Ramos, Account Manager and Medical Writer at Prescott Medical Communications Group and current AWIS Chicago President graciously filled the spot reserved for Heather Behanna, Biotechnology Equity Research Associate at JMP Securities and previous AWIS Chicago President, who unexpectedly could not make it due to an unexpected business trip (ah, the life of a business analyst!). As the panelists shared personal insights about their individual career paths and fields of specialty, the audience was able to compare and contrast the different aspects of how it was to work in a start-up company (Ohmx) or an established pharmaceutical company (Abbott) vs working in academia, in addition to learning more about the medical writing field. The enthusiasm continued even after the panel formally wrapped up, with many attendees staying to chat with the panelists one-on-one. The event was free to AWIS Chicago members. As an incentive to encourage non-members to sign up, people who joined AWIS Chicago that night via the laptops available onsite were refunded their registration fee. This incentive proved effective as the chapter gained 5 new members by the end of the event! It was definitely a successful kickoff event, in more ways than one, and AWIS Chicago hopes to build on its momentum with other great programming in the coming months.
Careers in health-related research
December 2011 -Over 30 participants, members and non-members added this AWIS-Chicago event to their holiday calendar and came to hear the NorthShore pediatrician Madeleine Shalowitz, MD, and research scientist Alice Wyrwicz, PhD. Participants were pleased to hear not only the challenges and choices each made in developing their careers as women in science and research, but also a lot of anecdotal stories tying their professional and personal experiences, from a woman’s lens. Attendees also had the pleasure to interact with and hear an introduction by Dr. Leo Selker, President of the NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, about the history and work at the Institute. A representative from Human Resources was also available during the Q&A part of the event and answered questions related to the infrastructure of the Institute as well as careers and life at NorthShore University HealthSystem.
Outreach
Project Exploration’s Fifth Annual Luncheon & Workshop
December 2011- Re-energizing! Positive! Enjoyable! Helpful! Very informative! So welcoming! These are some of the ways that participants described Project Exploration’s fifth annual Women in Science Luncheon & Workshop on Friday, December 2 at the Garfield Park Conservatory. This annual event is an opportunity for a dynamic group of professional women scientists and science undergrad/graduate students to gather together, share their enthusiasm for working with youth, and discuss techniques for ensuring a successful outreach experience. This year’s event was supported by the Pearson Foundation and included representation from Chicago’s Association of Women in Science (AWIS). The highlight of the luncheon was a presentation by Hope Jernigan, Project Exploration student and a sophomore at Perspectives Charter School’s Rodney D. Joslin campus. Hope shared her personal experiences and reflections on working with scientists through Project Exploration’s programs.
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