Hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency
This fall, we will be featuring blog posts written by PhD students who participated in Career Services’ Career Exploration Fellowship (CEF), a program that helps doctoral candidates explore their career interests through networking opportunities with advanced degree professionals. Click here to learn more about CEF.
Describe your experience working with your host.
Working with Dr. Nicole Roble-Matos was very influential for my career development. It helped that we shared similar feelings about our PhD experiences, namely, we wanted to move away from hands-on laboratory work and towards a career that allows us to utilize our science knowledge in other ways to make a positive impact. Nicole works for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), helping to inform policymakers and the public on the health impacts of air pollutants. Prior to our first meeting I thought I wanted to pursue a career in government but was unsure – that is why I applied for the Career Exploration Fellowship in the first place – and after many meetings talking with her I feel more confident in this career choice.
Because Nicole works for the EPA’s regional office in North Carolina, we had our meetings over Zoom. She told me what a day is like in her job role, showed me how to best search for government jobs on USAJOBS, shared her resume with me to help guide me in crafting my own federal resume, and gave me a mock assignment on an air pollutant that is relevant to her job. I researched the toxicity of ethylene oxide, a sterilizing agent used in hospitals. While it has beneficial sterilizing properties, it is carcinogenic so its emissions must be regulated. This case study helped me see the interplay between different government agencies. For example, the recommendations scientists at the EPA make have to be defended in court by lawyers from the Department of Justice (DOJ). This interplay and the vast number of experts Nicole has access to as a government employee is an aspect of her role I learned about and found intriguing. Overall, our discussions helped me a great deal feel confident going forward finding and enjoying a job as a scientist in government.
What did you learn from this opportunity (about yourself, potential career fields, the job search, etc.)?
This experience taught me, above all else, that the more connections I have the better off I am. Talking with people about their experiences, asking people questions I don’t have the answers to, and building connections with a wide array of people have so many benefits. You can learn about new career paths you had not considered, new research areas you did not know existed, and, most importantly, that there are plenty of people going through similar struggles/challenges/experiences as you. Having diverse connections allows you to have any of your questions answered by experts and/or people who have been through what you are going through. This, for me, has meant that tools like LinkedIn are very valuable. I used to be afraid to reach out to people, but I now know that that can only help me in the long run. The CEF itself was a great opportunity to meet people at Penn of diverse backgrounds doing interesting research who have expertise in a lot of different areas. I am glad to have been able to meet and connect with a few of them.
How did the CEF experience benefit your future career plans?
My future career plan is to work for a government agency as a scientist and thanks to the CEF experience I now know what to look for in these types of job postings, how to apply for these jobs when I am ready to, and what it will be like to work in this field. I feel more confident in my abilities to do things like craft a resume and use LinkedIn as a tool to connect with people and companies thanks to the workshops I attended. All of this allows me to make more informed decisions when it comes to paving my career path.
What was the most valuable part of your CEF experience?
The most valuable part of my CEF experience was the conversations I had with my host, Nicole. She, being a recent graduate who had similar goals as I do now when she was a graduate student, was able to give me a lot of useful advice, tips, and assurance for my career search. I have a greater understanding of what it would be like to work for a government agency and feel more prepared to apply for jobs in this sector. I am glad to have had (and keep) a mentor like her.
Top reason PhD students should apply to the CEF program?
If you are unsure about your future career plans, if you are sure of your career plans and see a host organization that fits those plans, or if you want more peace of mind that you are prepared for your future after graduate school, then you should apply to the CEF.
