GAUSS Career Blog

Career Information and Announcements

2022/01/06
by Stefanie Klug
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GAUSS Career Impulse Session (22 April 2022, 14:00-15:30, online) with Dr. Franziska Kretzschmar (d-fine): “From peptide bonds to corporate bonds – a molecular biologist in finance”

We’re happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Impulse Sessions in 2022, this time with consultant Dr. Franziska Kretzschmar from d–fine.

  • Date: Friday, 22 April 2022
  • Time: 14:00-15:30 (appr.)
  • Location: online
  • Registration: Please write a short e-mail to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de if you plan to attend, so we can send you the login details in due time!

About the speaker: Franziska is an alumnus of the GGNB Program “Molecular Biology” and did her PhD in the “Department for Plant Biochemistry” of Prof. Ivo Feussner at the GZMB under the supervision of PD Dr. Till Ischebeck. Prior to her Master and PhD in Göttingen, she did her bachelor’s in molecular biology in Saarbrücken, Germany and Strasbourg, France.

After graduating in Summer 2019, she got certified in project management, and started her position as consultant at d-fine GmbH in January 2020. At d-fine, (PhD) graduates with scientific training are solving problems in mainly the financial industry. Franziska is currently working with one of Germany’s largest banks at transferring the bank’s risk management calculations into a Cloud-based infrastructure. At the bank, she was surprised to find how many of her colleagues have a background in STEM.

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2022/01/04
by Stefanie Klug
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5-day online GMP course (German/English)

We are happy to announce another 5-day online training on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). The training will be offered by the GMP Academy in German as well as in English:

  • GMP course in English: Monday, 7 March – Friday, 11 March 2022
  • GMP course in German: Monday, 4 April – Friday, 8 April 2022

Registration via email to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de (your data will be forwarded to the course organizers)

Fees: The registration fee depends on your current status:

  • Enrolled students/PhD students pay 199€ (special offer) instead of 229€ (regular fee),
  • Postdocs pay 249€ (special offer) instead of 279€ (regular fee).

You will receive the 30€ discount when registering via the GAUSS Career Service.

All participants receive a course certificate after successful completion of an online exam at the end of the course

Further information: https://gmp-kurs.de/en/

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2022/01/03
by Stefanie Klug
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Online workshop “Enter the job interview prepared – leave it with a contract in your hand”, 25 March 2022

We are happy to announce our new GAUSS Career Service online workshop “Enter the job interview prepared – leave it with a contract in your hand” by Barbara Hoffbauer.

This workshop is intended for postdoctoral researchers and late-stage PhD students who have already been informed about career options outside Academia and have started planning their careers. They have analysed personal strengths, interests and values and identified potential job positions and possible employers in the industry. They know where to look for and how to apply for jobs and have prepared application documents (CV and letter of motivation).

Dates: Friday, 25 March 2022
Duration: 09:00-17:00h
Location: The workshop will take place online
Trainer: Barbara Hoffbauer

Registration: Please register here (in case you are not yet registered) and send an email to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de including a short statement on your motivation to attend the workshop.

Workshop description:

“Tell us something about yourself” is one of the typical questions being asked in job interviews. In order to prepare for this question the participants of this workshop will practice giving a short presentation on themselves for which they will get feedback from the trainer and their peers and if desired from a video recording. After being introduced to common job interview protocols the participants will get the opportunity to practice an interview situation in mock interviews. This part also covers the preparation for a job interview, differences between on-site and online interviews, understanding the selection process and dealing with tough or illicit questions, including the popular question about salary expectations. Assessing a realistic salary and developing arguments in favour of own expectations as well as negotiating techniques will be discussed in the afternoon.

Topics dealt with are:

  • Talking about strengths
  • Understanding the hiring process
  • Preparing for a job interview
  • Dealing with difficult questions
  • Realistic salary negotiations
  • What else can be negotiated apart from salary

Pre-work:

The participants should have already developed an idea of the type of career they want to pursue. In preparation of the workshop, the participants send a job offer they are interested in and their CV to the trainer at least a week prior to the workshop.

2022/01/01
by Stefanie Klug
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GAUSS Career Impulse Session (18 March 2022, 14:00-15:30, online) with Dr. Lukas Schulte (ZEISS): “AI in Industry and how to apply your scientific skills to new applications”


We’re happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Impulse Sessions in 2022, this time with scientist / development engineer Dr. Lukas Schulte from ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions.

  • Date: Friday, 18 March 2022
  • Time: 14:00-15:30 (appr.)
  • Location: online
  • Registration: Please write a short e-mail to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de if you plan to attend, so we can send you the login details in due time!

About the speaker: Lukas is an alumnus of the GGNB program “Biomolecules: Structure – Function – Dynamics”. In his PhD Thesis in the lab of Prof. Dr. Holger Stark at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, he developed algorithms and software for improved cryo-EM image processing and protein purification. He received his doctoral degree in 2018.

Before joining GGNB, Lukas studied Molecular Life Science (BSc and MSc) at the University of Lübeck, where he worked on single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy applications. During a research internship at Harvard Medical School, Lukas started working with cryo-EM and subsequently decided to pursue a PhD in method development for structural biology. After defending his thesis, Lukas joined ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions as a Scientist / Development Engineer, where he has since been working on Deep Learning based software solutions for in-line defect detection in industrial parts for OEM customers such as BMW. His work consists of a mixture of project and innovation management, hands-on data science, software development and machine learning engineering.

Lukas will share his unfiltered experiences about the transition from academia to industry, the respective challenges, career prospects and an honest evaluation of the state of AI in real-world applications.

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2021/12/16
by Stefanie Klug
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Online Workshop “Writing a Research Grant Application”, 3 March 2022

We are happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Service online workshop “Writing a Research Grant Application” by Dr. John Dixon.

This workshop is intended for postdoctoral researchers and late-stage PhD students who are new to the process of applying for a scientific research grant. Ideally, participants should already be in the process of applying for a grant or planning to start writing within the next 3 months. Therefore, it is crucial that they have an idea about the research topic and possible funding bodies.

Dates: Thursday, 3 March 2022
Duration: 2 online modules, 09:00-12:30h and 14:00-17:30h
Location: The workshop will take place online
Trainer: Dr. John Dixon

Registration: Please register here (in case you are not yet registered) and send an email to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de including a short statement on your motivation to attend the workshop.

Workshop description
In two modules, we cover the following:

  • the nature of this unique challenge and ‘grantsmanship’
  • a typical application process
  • who are reviewers and decision makers
  • four cornerstones of a good application (the research question, credibility, likelihood of success, value for money)
  • four attributes (being persuasive, complete, readable and correct)

Before and during the workshop, you will have the chance to use a template to develop the rationale for your research project. The abstract is a critical component of a grant application, and we critique some abstracts to establish the composition and style of an effective abstract. After the workshop, you have the opportunity to write a grant application abstract and email it to the trainer, who will give you feedback. Communication will be strictly confidential.

We use the Zoom platform, and this workshop comprises short lectures, exercises, brainstorming in breakout rooms and an open invitation to ask questions, express opinion and share experiences.



2021/12/15
by Stefanie Klug
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Info Event on CRA careers: “Clinical trials – A varied job market for graduates in natural sciences” (1 March 2022, 15-16 h, online)

Are you interested in a career in clinical research and always wondered what job profiles are available in this area? Then this information session is for you!

Our guest speaker, Dr. Florian Walker (teamlead clinical project management) from the UMG Study Center, will introduce you not only to the work of a Clinical Research Associate (CRA) but also to further job opportunities in the area of Clinical trials.

  • Date: Tuesday, 1 March 2022
  • Time: 15:00-16:00 (appr.)
  • Location: online
  • Registration: Please write a short e-mail to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de if you plan to attend, so we can send you the login details in due time!

More information on this event:

Clinical trials are essential for the approval of medical products and therapies. Medical products have to go through a lengthy process in order to prove safety and efficacy. Preclinical studies are followed by several clinical trials on human subjects. This approval process (especially of clinical trials on human subjects) is regulated by the specifications for Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and national legislations (e.g. German Medicinal products act).

To ensure safety of patients and data validity the clinical research associate (CRA) monitors the activity of study sites. This is done to verify that the sites work in accordance to protocol, GCP and legal requirements. The Clinical Trials Unit of the University Medical Center (CTU UMG) offers these services for investigator initiated trials (IIT) to support academic research. Thus, a CRA plays a fundamental role in the scientific and regulatory process for the interpretation of medical data and implementation of new diagnostics and therapeutics.

2021/12/14
by Stefanie Klug
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Online workshop “Exploring the Unknown – The Company World”, 22-23 February 2022

We are happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Service workshop “Exploring the Unknown – The Company World” by Dr. Gaby Schilling.

This workshop is designed for postdoctoral scientist and late-stage PhD students who are currently applying or planning to apply for a position in industry. Getting to know different departments and their functions in a company and reflect about whether related jobs could be a good fit for your interests and profile are the goals of this workshop.

Dates: Tuesday and Wednesday, 22-23 February 2022
Duration: Tuesday, 22 February 2022, 9:00-17:00h and Wednesday , 23 February 2022, 9:00-15:30h
Location: The workshop will take place online.
Trainer: Dr. Gaby Schilling

Registration: Please register here (in case you are not yet registered) and send an email to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de including a short statement on your motivation to attend the workshop.

Workshop Description:
PhD students and postdocs with a background in natural and social sciences are usually not educated in economic thinking. Sometimes they do not know how enterprises create values. Often they have no idea what different departments contribute to the company’s economic success. This lack of knowledge makes them feel insecure about their opportunities in fields aside from research and development. That is the reason why their applications are often not convincing. In this course, participants will learn about different roles and tasks in enterprises and how employees in different departments interact and depend on each other. Playing different roles enables participants to realize for themselves what is the most fun and what fits best to them.