It is never too soon to begin thinking about your long-term goals and future career plans. The OITE houses a Career Services Center and Career Library to help you plan for a satisfying career once you complete your training at NIH. Our goal is to ensure that all NIH trainees are aware of the many jobs available to scientists — both at and away from the bench — and to provide the resources necessary for trainees to find a good match. Our career counselors run workshops, lead small group discussions, and schedule individual appointments, open to all, to assist trainees in self-assessment, career exploration, and goal setting. Our services include:

• Free administration and interpretation of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to help you analyze your working style and personality type.
• Free administration and interpretation of the Strong Inventory to help you identify areas of specific career interest.
• Exploration of your skills, values, and interests as they relate to careers.
• Help investigating different career options.
• Assistance with informational interviewing and the development of networking skills.
• CV, resume, and cover letter review.
• Mock interviews.
• Advice on graduate and professional schools.
• Help in exploring career options.
• Job search assistance, including strategizing on how to land your ideal job as well as resources for identifying possible employers.
• Help with interpersonal skills such as getting along with a difficult mentor or being more assertive.

Dr. William Higgins, a professor of Biology at the University of Maryland will be visiting the NIH campus in Bethesda every Thursday afternoon, and some other afternoons as well, to help meet the advising needs of Postbac Trainees (Postbac IRTAs and CRTAs, Technical IRTAs, individuals in the NIH Academy and UGSP Payback Scholars). He will also be meeting with trainees in NCI Frederick and at the Baltimore campus. He can assist you with deciding whether graduate or professional school is in your future; deciding where to apply; navigating the application process; and getting ready for interviews.

A staff of four career counselors located in Building 2 on the main NIH campus provides services to trainees in the Bethesda area. These counselors visit the Baltimore campus, NCI Frederick, and NIEHS in North Carolina on a regular basis. While on-site services are not available on a regular basis to trainees at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories or to NIDDK Trainees in Phoenix and NICHD trainees in Detroit, trainees at those sites can interact with counselors via phone/videoconferencing. Trainees at all sites can sign up for appointments below.

When you request an appointment for one-on-one pre-professional advising or career services, your name will be added to our waiting list. Appointments will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and you will be notified by e-mail when we have scheduled a time for you to meet with an advisor/counselor. Given the demand for this service, we must ask that you be flexible and make every effort to keep your appointment. It is also vital that you notify us immediately (at 301.594.9339) if you must cancel.

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Page last revised on March 12, 2008 (sva)