WHAT’S NEXT: LOOKING FOR A JOB IN BOTANY Before you complete your degree, or if you are looking to switch jobs, it is important to consider your next step—whether it be finding a PI and lab to work in for continuing your education, finding a post-doctoral research opportunity, or finding a job that suits your goals and skills. Finding out about jobs often happens through personal contacts, but there are great online resources as well.
Use your University! Many academic institutions have offices that focus on helping alumni succeed after graduation. Check with your department or institution for resources on job announcements, workshops focused on personal development (such as CV/resume writing or getting a teaching certificate), and networking opportunities.
FROM THE PSB ARCHIVES 60 years ago: An article by Richard H. Goodwin introduces readers to the work of the Nature Conservancy, established under its current name in 1950. “How many of us have had the disquieting experience of discovering our favorite collecting spot or study area disappear overnight, as it were, leveled by the bulldozer, dried up by ditching, filled in by dredging, deforested, polluted, vandalized, despoiled? “We can no longer assume that the countryside will remain ours, available and convenient for use in our teaching and research. The time has come when biologists must actively participate in a broad program aimed at preserving one of the basic tools of our trade—natural areas, in which biotic communities of all types may be studied and observed in the natural state. Not only should these areas include unique habitats for the protection of rare species, but they should also preserve wild spots located at reasonable distances from centers of population and educational institutions.” -Goodwin, Richard H. “Vanishing Habitats and our Professional Responsibilities. The Program of the Nature Conservancy“ PSB 5(1): 5-6 50 years ago: The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage was advertised. This year will see the 69th Pilgrimage April 2327, 2019. “The 19th Annual Wildflower Pilgrimage will be held in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and surrounding territory April 24-26, 1969. It is sponsored by the Botany Department of the University of Tennessee, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce, and the Gatlinburg Garden Club. Motorcades and trail hikes under expert leadership take you to areas where spring wildflowers grow in quantity and variety. Morning bird walks are a feature of each day’s activities. Special programs are arranged for photographers, and there is an opportunity to show one’s own slides.” PSB 15(1): 9