Professional Life
GMS is dedicated to the professional development, career exploration, and mentorship of our students and postdoctoral trainees. Our goal is to ensure that you’re trained for both jobs that are open now and future careers that might not even exist today.
Learn more about our professional development programs and job offerings below.
Professional Development Centers
Center for Career Development
The Boston University Center for Career Development empowers students and alumni to make intentional decisions about their professional futures. The CCD offers a variety of services, including:
- Workshops on career-related topics
- Resume and cover letter reviews
- Mock interviews
- Individual career counseling sessions
- Internship or job search strategies
- Career-related events
Check the CCD Event Calendar for upcoming events.
Check out the CCD “BU + Beyond” blog for tips and advice on all aspects of career development.
Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs Office
The Boston University Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs office (PDPA) offers information, support, community and professional development to postdocs, and informs related BU policies to continue to improve the postdoc experience. Learn more here.
Job, Networking & Enrichment Opportunities
Upcoming Professional Life Events
Check out a full calendar of upcoming events here.
Open Positions
- Open Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate Research Scientist positions at The Mulligan Lab at the NYU Langone Vaccine Center. More information here.
- Open FDA Pathogenesis of Blood-Borne Hepatitis Viruses Fellowship through the Office of Blood Research and Reviews (OBRR) at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) in Silver Spring, Maryland. More details here.
- Postdoc opportunities at Stanford University
The Division of Primary Care and Population Health at Stanford and the Institute of Global Health at Heidelberg University have new openings in 2022 for a number of postdoc positions. Questions: Ronja Kropp on behalf of Pascal Geldsetzer (Assistant Professor of Medicine, Stanford University) pgeldsetzer@stanford.edu- Postdoc opportunities:
- https://postdocs.stanford.edu/prospective/opportunities/open-postdoctoral-position-faculty-mentor-pascal-geldsetzer
- https://postdocs.stanford.edu/prospective/opportunities/open-postdoctoral-position-faculty-mentor-pascal-geldsetzer-0
- https://postdocs.stanford.edu/prospective/opportunities/open-postdoctoral-position-faculty-mentor-pascal-geldsetzer-1
- Postdoc opportunities:
- Open post-doctoral fellow position – A post-doctoral fellow position is open in the laboratory of Dr. Rudolph Tanzi within the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The candidate will be working under Dr. William Eimer, PhD (weimer@mgh.harvard.edu) in examining the antimicrobial roles for amyloid beta and tau. The postdoc will work with collaborators in the Genetics and Aging Research Unit to examine the mechanisms and pathways involved in amyloid and tau’s immune response to pathogenic infections in animal and cell culture models. (MGH ID: 3187508)
- Cleveland Clinic Cancer Metabolism Fellowship Opportunity
- Open position at Ambit Consulting Services
- Open position at KRS Associates
- Senior Associate position at Clarion
- Alliance Manager position at Harvard Office of Technology Development
- Open positions at Charles River Associates
Courses & Conferences
- The American Society for Cell Biology Travel Grants – Sponsored by the Innovative Programs to Enhance Research Training and the National Institutes of Health, these travel grants of up to $1,800 are intended to support researchers and scientists to attend Cell Bio 2022, which will take place from December 3-7, 2022, in Washington D.C. Junior faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students who are US citizens or permanent residents are invited to apply. The deadline to apply for these travel grants is Monday, August 15. Learn more.
On-Campus Job & Internship Opportunities
Click here for more information on on-campus jobs, assistantships and work study opportunities.
LGBTQIA+ Center for Faculty & Staff Communication & Marketing Graduate Assistant
Are you or do you know a Boston University graduate student who…
- …has enthusiasm for working in marketing, communications, and social media?
- …is interested in supporting and celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community at BU?
- …is in good academic standing?
Apply for our Communication & Marketing Graduate Assistant position!
How To Apply
To apply for the Communication & Marketing Graduate Assistant position, complete this Google form: https://forms.gle/RUSJ4dP2YKGsDKq19 . It includes uploading a resume and answering several questions. Please do not submit a cover letter.
If you have any questions about the role, reach out to Allison Reilly (they/them), Assistant Director, at lgbtqia@bu.edu.
We are accepting applications on a rolling basis. Complete applications received by August 15th will receive preference in the process.
Newbury Center Graduate Assistant
The BU Newbury Center is hiring a graduate/professional student employee to assist with various projects and special events/workshop programming for first-generation undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. The Newbury Center fosters the holistic support of first-generation undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. The candidates should be reliable, responsible, able to multi-task, follow-through, and have strong oral and written communication skills; event management experience and strong technical skills such as proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, survey software, web publishing software, communication platforms, and/or social media; and a commitment to supporting the BU first-generation student experience is preferred.
Interested students should apply here by 5:00pm EDT on Friday, July 29th. This is an in-person position that begins September 1, 2022 with a required 10-15 hours per week. Questions? Email Maria Erb, the Newbury Center Director, at mderb@bu.edu.
SARP Prevention Intern
SARP Prevention Interns are paid graduate student staff that facilitate prevention programs and evaluations; develop social media and marketing strategies; and curate prevention content and materials. There are 3 internship concentrations: Research and Data, Communications, and Community Development and Programs. All interns will do work according to their concentrations and facilitate all trainings facilitated by SARP. More information and the link to the application can be found here.
Requirements:
- Commit 24hrs per week
- Must be available Wednesdays from 12-2 for group supervision and team meeting
Qualifications:
- Must be available in-person starting August 1st (Including training)
- Enrolled in graduate school for an MSW, MPH, or any other relevant master’s program with an expected graduation in the spring semester
- Ability to commit 24 hours/ week
- Interest in sexual violence prevention
- Experience working and collaborating on a team
- Ability and skills to commit to one prevention intern specialization for the year.
Personalized Mentoring for All Students
Mentoring for Master's Candidates
Each of our master’s programs have individual faculty mentoring in place, as well as peer-to-peer and near-peer mentoring. Our professional preparation master’s programs, such as Medical and Oral Health Sciences, offer strong support during the medical and dental school admissions processes.
Check your individual program website for program-specific mentoring opportunities, in addition to the GMS-wide opportunities listed on this page.
Mentoring for Doctoral Candidates
Doctoral candidates have opportunities to train in both theoretical and practical training for future careers in various scientific sectors. The activities include seminars, panels and workshops, and programming develops over time depending on our trainees’ unique interests and needs.
Most PhD programs have integrated professional development courses and curriculum woven into their programs. Check your individual program website for program-specific mentoring opportunities
Additionally, the Charles River Campus Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs office provides professional development skills through their Core Capacities programming. Students learn these capacities through the PDPA PhD Progression, an online micro-credentialing platform that allows students to explore and build the recommended PhD Core Capacities.
GMS does not require PhD students to participate in this curriculum; however, we encourage you to join any workshops, activities, and events that you feel will support your professional development.
Career Coaching
Lauren Celano, CEO and co-founder of Propel Careers, offers personalized one-on-one virtual career advising to GMS students. You can meet with Lauren to review your CV/resume and cover letters, prepare for interviews, discuss networking skills, learn social media tools for job searching and more. Reserve a free, 30-minute one-on-one coaching session with Lauren via Calendly.
Founded in 2009, Boston-based Propel Careers is a life sciences search and career development firm with the unique distinction of being dedicated to networking, mentoring, and career development. Lauren is a BU alumna who has worked with thousands of students, postdocs, medical residents and professionals to advance their careers and with > 50 companies to help them hire talent. She has a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Gettysburg College and an MBA with a focus in the health sector and entrepreneurship from Boston University.
Learn more about one-on-one coaching with Propel Careers here.
Find an Alumni Mentor
GMS has a wide database of alumni mentors who can provide valuable advice and connections to inform career opportunities for students and post-doctoral fellows.
Please visit our Alumni Networking site to view alumni who have agreed to serve as a mentor to our trainees as they consider future career moves. Trainees should feel free to contact anyone on the list to get additional information or advice.
Student Resources
Skillsmatch (Available through July 2022)
Created by EMI/BurningGlass, Skillsmatch is a skill inventorying tool that allows you to inventory your current skill set, suggests aligned career families to explore, and provides personalized PhD Progression badge recommendations to fill your skill gaps so that you know where to act to increase your marketability for whichever career pathway fits your interests, skills, and values.
All PhD students at BU have access to Skillsmatch through July 2022. Learn how to register here.
GMS Conference Support for PhD Students
Travel Awards
GMS doctoral students who have completed their first year of study are eligible to apply for the GMS Travel Award. This $250 award is made to help financially support graduate students who are giving a presentation or presenting a poster at a scientific meeting. Learn more here.
Training Opportunities to Augment Learning (TOTAL) App
Training Opportunities to Augment Learning (TOTAL) is a digital app that allows biomedical trainees to attend career and professional development events held at Boston University and eight Boston-based partner institutions.
Access the TOTAL App on your:
- Android: Visit https://mytotalcareer.org on your phone. There will be a popup giving you the option to add the App to your Home Screen (with the option after to receive notifications).
- iOS: Visit https://mytotalcareer.org in Safari (this does not work in Chrome). Click the share button in the bottom middle of the Safari screen and click “Add to Home Screen.”
Upcoming Fall 2022 Career Panels:
- TBA: Check back soon!
Find step-by-step instructions for accessing the TOTAL App here, or check out this video:
Handshake
Handshake is BU’s online hub for career resources, including internship and job listing, in the U.S. as well as around the world. It offers 24/7 access to on-campus event registration, career counseling appointments, and portals to upload resumes, cover letters and other employment-related documents.
Handshake is available to students and alumni. Learn how to register here.
ARROWS: Advance, Recruit, Retain & Organize Women in STEM
ARROWS aims to facilitate the advancement and success of Boston University’s women in STEM. Learn more here.
International Student and Scholars Office (ISSO)
Innovate@BU
Innovate@BU provides a number of signature programs that foster entrepreneurship and help students turn their ideas into something that can create a meaningful impact on their careers and communities. Learn more here.
Check out a list of upcoming Innovate@BU events here.
Outcomes: Biomedical Workforce Data
Find biomedical job market reports since 2015 that are generated from Labor Insight™ software.
Training Programs
Broadening Experience in Scientific Training (BEST) Program
Boston University is one of 17 Broadening Experience in Scientific Training (BEST) schools chosen by the National Institutes of Health.
The BU BEST program was developed to enhance biomedical career development curricula for PhD and postdoctoral trainees in a way that explored careers both inside and outside standard academic research.
GMS has now institutionalized this support and the Professional and Career Development Office will continue to expand on the successes of the BEST program.
Information for Alumni
GMS Alumni Mentoring Network
The GMS Alumni Network provides students with the knowledge and tools required to navigate the career decisions they will encounter down the road. By participating in the network, you can provide valuable advice and connections to inform career opportunities for our students and post-doctoral fellows.
If you are an alumnus/a interested in participating, please complete this brief form.
Stay in Touch with GMS
Are you a GMS alumnus/a? Stay in touch!
We are building an alumni network to maintain our relationship, allow current students to interact with alumni and to help graduates find each other.
So, let us know: Where are you now? Where has your degree taken you since your time with us? We’d love to hear from you!