Launching Your Future

Things my parents didnt tell me

before releasing me to the wild
Bruce Doddridge
Science Directorate, NASA Langley Research Center
bruce.doddridge@nasa.gov
757-268-6659

Student Airborne Research Program 2016

10th Annual AMS Student Conference, January 2011

June 13, 2016

Presentation Outline
Thriving & Surviving in Graduate School
Is Graduate School Right for You?
Preparing for Graduate School
Selecting an Advisor
Fellowship, TA, Intern Opportunities
Getting Off to the Right Start
Finding a Job in Government
Preparing a Killer Resume
OSSI SOLAR and NASA NIFS
Federal Pathways Program
Thriving in STEM Research
Professor/Researcher Skill Sets
Other Professional Skills
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Is Graduate School Right for You?

Its not about the money
Downside:
Tactical hardship (fiscal, physical, emotional, etc)

Advantages (generally) of obtaining a higher degree:

More/better/(I would argue, also flexible) career options
Greater advancement potential
Increased creative freedom, responsibility & satisfaction
Respect (peers, community & self)
its entirely about the quality of your future life
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Preparing For Graduate School

Start researching and networking now!
Undergraduate research can be a big discriminator
Visit some schools if you can. Talk to people
Think about what you want/need to fulfill your goals

What discipline?
Home or away?
Big school or Small school?
Higher degree options MS or PhD?

You dont necessarily have to have it all worked out

do your homework & make informed decisions
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Selecting an Advisor
What kind of advisor do you want?
They can range from: big scare to never there

Research who is out there

Department web pages

Individual recommendations & peer ratings
Impressions from science meetings/outreach events
How is their funding? Do they have a plan? Publish?
Talk to current students if you can (some of the best intel)

Dont be frightened to
Contact prospective advisors personally in advance
Interview them and see if theres a connection
Ask what kind of stipend & benefits you can expect

candidates showing initiative tend to stand out

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Fellowship, TA, Intern Opportunities

Come in a variety of flavors (and can vary BS to MS to PhD)
Research Assistantships
Teaching Assistantships
Internships (paid and unpaid, that just might become paid later :-)
Fellowships
Institutional (solicited or otherwise)
Portable
Federally funded (most major agencies)
Independent NGOs (Prof. Societies; Corporate; Foundations)
Plenty of resources: Web, Prof. Societies, & Grad. Advisor

these all look good on a resume later

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A NASA-Specific Opportunity
NASA Earth & Space Science Fellowship (NESSF)
Annual call through NSPIRES http://nspires.nasaprs.com/
graduate study full-time at an accredited U.S. institution

Very prestigious fellowship (NASA brand recognition)

Proposal submitted by University advisor on behalf of student
but the student is expected to be the principal author

Up to $30K stipend for 1 year renewable to NGT 3 years (as of 2014)

includes university and student allowance (such as tuition, fees,
travel,) with total NGT $6K
can spread from MS into PhD (so long as NGT 3 years support)

No requirement to work with a NASA Center

but alignment with NASA research priorities a big positive

US citizenship is not required

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Getting Off to the Right Start

Understand what you are getting into now
Look now for undergraduate research opportunities
you are doing that right now
Try to quickly establish a good rapport with your advisor
Regular research meetings are critical

Ace your classes, but not at the expense of your research

Get help if you have to (Prof, TA, peer)

Surviving graduate school is as much about commitment

and time management as anything else
Keep an eye on the prize but balance hard, smart
work with some quality down time or risk burnout
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Grad School 101

Recognize up front that Grad School is not a normal
existence so have fun with it and keep your goal in mind
Work (very) hard & Play smart
Your ideal advisor should consider as a priority:
Identifying a research project for you that works
(RA, etc.) support commensurate with performance
Guiding/helping you get a job when you graduate

Never, never ever second-guess carefully researched,

considered & informed career path decisions you make
life is way too short not to enjoy every minute
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So What Then?
Skill set:

Generalist or Specialist ?
Research or Technical ?

Terminal degree:

MS versus PhD?

Vocation:

Government, Academia, Private Sector ?

Work-life balance:

Working versus Living

it is NEVER too late to re-evaluate

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NASA Opportunities for Students,

Postdocs and Other Early Career
Scientists & Engineers

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Preparing a Killer Resume I

For most of you building a resume is the EASY part
how you make an impression is more of a challenge!

Loads of resources on line, many of which you have to pay

for. Here are some free tips from a person who actually
makes hiring selections at NASA
A CV or resume that stands out tends to be:

Well organized, lucid and coherent

Have consistent formatting (to requirements if applicable)
(Typo and grammar) Error-free
Be Accurate (no embellishment, theyll be checked)
For a BS graduate 2-3 page CV is about right (have a 1-page resume
prepared also)
Object/Goal Statements are OK, but beware the generic
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Preparing a Killer Resume II II

The resume needs to be a reflection of you. Dont be frightened
to highlight your positive professional and personal strengths
Special considerations for Fed jobs through www.usajobs.gov
Every qualified candidate is going to have pretty much the same
stuff in their resume. So how do you differentiate?
Positive Discriminators are things I look for in a new hire:
Targeted qualifications and experience not much you can do creatively
about that since it is a required element
Getting better with time (improved GPA, responsibility level, etc.); on a
positive career path; learning from mistakes; making informed decisions
Broadened experience (research, professional or community service,
etc.); flexibility and adaptability; willingness to manage change
Leadership (professional & community); leadership potential, soft skills
List any skill that you are proficient or expert in (even non-STEM)
I really like a resume that shows a work-life balance; people who get it
on work-life balance tend to be happier, more effective and lead through
example and influence rather than by authority
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OSSI: SOLAR
One Stop Shopping Initiative: Student Online Application for
recruiting Interns, Fellows, and Scholars

https://intern.nasa.gov/
NIFS: NASA Internships, Fellowships, and Scholarships
One application covers multiple program opportunities across
NASA Centers
Summer, Fall & Spring
Undergraduate & Graduate students in STEM
Basic Eligibility:
U.S. Citizen
At the time the opportunity begins, students must be
accepted/enrolled full-time in an accredited U.S. college or
university
GPA of 2.8 or higher on a scale of 4.0
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OSSI: SOLAR
Process: Access OSSIs SOLAR: Student On-line
Application for Recruiting Interns, Fellows, and Scholars

https://intern.nasa.gov/
- Register
- Create Profile
- Complete Application
- Search & Select Top 15 Opportunities

Video Tutorials:
https://intern.nasa.gov/solar/web/public/main/index.cfm?s
olarAction=video
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Professional Development Opportunities

at NASA (but relevant elsewhere)
Have the opportunity to
Conduct exciting research at NASA
Great resume builder
Take advantage of training opportunities
provided to the NASA workforce
A chance to do something different(?)
Broaden professional network
Learn how NASA and the government does
business
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Federal Government Hiring

Pathways Program
Federal Governments new hiring program for civil servant
students with a goal:
of providing meaningful career development opportunities for
students and recent graduates seeking Federal employment

Intern Employment Program (IEP) ***

Recent Graduates Program (RGP) ***
Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program

Notices and Applications through www.usajobs.gov

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*** Most often used at NASA

Intern Employment Program (IEP)

For current students accepted for enrollment in a
qualifying educational program
High school, home-school programs, vocational and
technical, undergraduate and graduate
Provides students enrolled in a variety of educational
institutions with paid opportunities to work in agencies
and explore Federal careers while still in school

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IEP Fine Print

Written agreement required between student and the agency
Must be enrolled in a qualifying university on a full-time or
half-time basis
Langley requires a minimum of half-time basis, but
Very flexible with respect to scheduling time on Center

Completion of at least 640 hours of work experience, prior to

or concurrently with academic requirements, in order to be
eligible for non-competitive conversion
Maintaining a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.9
Eligibility for non-competitive conversion to a TERM or
permanent position within 120 days of completion of
degree course work
Upon satisfactory program completion, meet the OPM
qualification standards for the term/permanent position to
which converted
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Recent Graduates Program (RGP)

Targets recent (within 2 years) graduates, except for
veterans (who have up to 6 years after degree or
certificate completion)
Associates, bachelors, masters, professional,
doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or
certificate
Successful applicants will be placed in a dynamic,
career development program
The technical branches in the Science Directorate at
LaRC use this program as a hiring pipeline
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Professor/Researcher Skill Sets

Teaching and Mentoring Students
Planning and Delivering a Course
Exams and Assignments
Establishing a Research Program
Getting Funding for Research Projects
Supervising Undergraduate and Graduate Research
Writing Research Papers
Reviewing Research Papers and Proposals
Professional and Community Service
Public Outreach and Engagement
Academic Integrity and Ethics
Community Leadership
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Other Professional Skills

Being a model of professional behavior
Leading by example

Finding the right collaborators

Being collegial and generous in your collaborations
Seeking and asking for help
Prioritizing your tasks (at work and in your life)
Knowing when (and how) to say no
Knowing when (and how) to delegate
Recognizing when the 95% solution is a viable alternative to
seeking perfection
Find someone you can trust to ask for advice and lean on from
time to time
Recognize and maintain work-life balance
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Thanks for listening &

Enjoy SARP 2016!

bruce.doddridge@nasa.gov
757-268-6659
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