Life Sciences Career Expo 2023 Recap
“Expanding your possibilities” with this motto, the Life Sciences Career Expo 2023 (LSCE) brought together over 350 students and postdoctoral fellows from all across Canada with educators, government stakeholders, researchers, and industry professionals from over 19 companies and academic institutions. This much-anticipated annual event, facilitated by the Life Sciences Career Development Society and the University of Toronto, took place in a hybrid setting with two-day virtual events on May 1st and 3rd, and an in-person event on May 4th, 2023.
The program kickstarted with a keynote presentation by Dr. Molly Shoichet who elaborated on how academia is an excellent environment for asking big-picture questions but on the other hand, there are unique learning opportunities in the industry that may not arise as often during graduate training. This was an eye-opening talk for many participants, as she encouraged all to follow their instincts in pursuing what they are really passionate about and to remind themselves that perfectionism is not a realistic mindset. The Expo agenda was full of practical workshops, company spotlight presentations, career panels, and integrated networking opportunities including company booths and practice interviews with company representatives.
A series of insightful workshops hosted by the Career Exploration & Education Centre and Dr. Nana Lee, Director of Graduate Professional Development at the University of Toronto introduced the essentials of how to navigate job research and build the most effective resume. Instructors of these workshops encouraged attendees to dedicate some time to draft their own Individual Development Plan (IDP) focusing on key values, skills, and interests. They also underscored the importance of highlighting skills and experiences that are relevant to the job by quantifying these accomplishments in the resume using the CAR method.
The impact of these workshops was boosted by practice interviews and networking roundtables offered with professionals from academia and industry. Trainees practiced their interview skills one-on-one with highly experienced professionals and received valuable feedback. They were also provided with a unique opportunity to experience the day-to-day tasks of professionals from various career trajectories.
Career panels highlighted some of the most-explored career choices made by life science trainees: academia, consulting, public sector, medical and regulatory affairs, medical communications, biotech & pharma, bioinformatics and clinical research. Panellists shared how they embarked on their first jobs, their journeys of post-transition growth, and current roles and responsibilities, and provided many tips for attendees. Panellists encouraged attendees to create a good network and find mentors who are at the same career stage to support them, and to improve their soft skills by taking the initiative to speak with other students and professionals within the field.
Networking with professionals is usually one of the top interests in career conferences. Many networking opportunities were incorporated into the Expo through company booths and spotlight presentations. These sessions were designed for attendees to learn in-depth about their companies of interest, ask insightful questions, and network directly with the company representatives. In company spotlights, representatives from companies such as IPG Health Canada, GSK, BioRender, BMS, Shift, and Triumvira provided the attendees with insights surrounding the companies' responsibilities, values and culture, and the available opportunities to get involved. Virtual and in-person networking sessions allowed attendees to chat with company representatives to learn about company culture, responsibilities, hiring processes, etc. Attendees were provided with professionals’ contact information and encouraged to reach out to them for any queries.
LSCE 2023 was capped off with a grand networking roundtable finale offering the opportunity to connect with local professionals and learn about potential job opportunities in their field. The three days of the Expo were packed with programs to facilitate professional development, lively discussions, and networking. This unique conference provided the best resources for trainees to successfully transition into their careers of interest. As Bushra and Melissa (LSCE Co-Leads) said, and to paraphrase Stephen Hawking, showing up (to LSCE) is half the battle (in beginning your career journey)!
The Life Sciences Career Expo 2023 was organized by: Melissa Kleinau, Bushra Yusuf, Alexandra Malinowski, Kuganya Nirmalarajah, Ella Bing Xin Song, Amy Nouanesengsy, Marie-Eve Di Raddo, Dr. Nana Lee, Dr. Reinhart Reithmeier, Dr. Walid A. Houry, Dr. Pamela Plant and Dr. Stavroula Andreopoulos.
