Preparing for a career in biological research

These tips are designed to help high school students and college students gain valuable research experience prior to graduating from college. This assumes the student is already interested in biological research and wishes to pursue a career in the field.

Stay calm.

First and foremost, don't be intimidated. If you've made up your mind that research interests you, then go for it. People who work in research are attracted to self-motivated and confident students who bring something to the research community. A lab is a close-knit family, of sorts. You will work a lot with these people. They will be your friends and mentors as you grow. Treat them with respect, learn to love them, and your research experience will be that much greater. Have fun, stay calm, and enjoy yourself.

Prepare academically and assess your natural talents.

If you want to work in a biology lab, you must know basic biology. High school biology courses give a broad overview that introduce you to a variety of topics, but research requires a much greater depth of knowledge. It's to your advantage to take a college-level introductory biology course and lab. You won't learn everything you need to know, but it will provide a foundation on which you can build your experience. You will find that you have a natural interest in some topics. Pursue those. Read supplementary material that is not assigned in class--the more you know, the better prepared you are. When you are an expert on the subject, you will be able to ask intelligent questions and think critically about experimental results.

Take advantage of outreach programs and research scholarships

Many universities and colleges have programs designed to help students gain real research experience. Some programs offer basic lab training, some will provide a research stipend, and others may set up extra courses and seminars to help students find a lab that interests them. Look for these programs at colleges and universities in your area. Sometimes, even hospitals and clinics will let a bright, interested student work in a lab. A number of research grants and private scholarship funds are available from companies like Beckman Instruments and Pfizer, Inc. to pay an undergraduate working in a research lab. If your grades are good and if your project is sexy, your entire undergraduate education may be funded by companies and individuals supporting your research.

Know that you'll fall, but don't give up.

Research is hard work. Expect to put a lot of time into research. Most principal investigators expect 10-20 hours a week from their undergraduate students, but you have the most to gain from 30-40 hours a week (especially when you're still learning where everything is). No matter how you prepare academically, it still takes time to learn how things work in the lab. It will be overwhelming at first, but you soon learn the vocabulary and gain the skills you need to become a productive member of the lab. When you first start, you will probably be working with a graduate student or post-doctoral fellow (post-doc) on a project they've already started. Learn everything you can from this person, and ask about anything you don't understand. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't pretend to understand something if you don't know what they're talking about. That only hurts yourself. You'll have to go over some things three or four times before you get it. That's normal. If you want to make progress and learn valuable skills, you must learn things one step at a time.

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Reducing stress in the workplace

There isn’t a person alive who does not suffer from stress. Some people don’t even know they are suffering from stress because they don’t take the time to notice how they are feeling. Such people often feel overwhelmed, burned out, or stressed out much of the time, no matter whether they are at work or at home. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Only you can control how you feel, but you can’t do that unless you are aware of how you feel. Once you become aware, you can choose how to react to whatever is happening around you. But the key is that you have to be aware of what is going on in your body. This guide will help you learn to take a few moments out of your day and check in with yourself so you can go through your workday as smoothly and stress-free as possible.

1. Take a few moments in the morning to be silent, gaze out the window, take a slow walk, or meditate. Orient yourself to being awake and notice how that feels. It will help if you can start out your day with a feeling of inner peace.

2. Take a few minutes to do nothing but breathe while your car is warming up. Check in and see how you are feeling right now, knowing you are on your way to work.

3. Become aware of any tension within your body as you are driving to work. Consciously work at releasing that tension. Notice the difference in what it feels like to drive while tense and while relaxed.

4. Decide not to play the radio and just be with yourself instead.

5. Stay in the right lane and do not go above the speed limit. Do not succumb to societal pressure to rush everywhere. It’s ok to get where you are going in your own time.

6. Pay attention to your breathing when stopped at a red light. Don’t wait impatiently for the light to change to green—just sit.

7. Take a moment to orient yourself to your workday after you park your car. Allow yourself to transition from home mode to work mode.

8. When you are sitting at your desk, periodically monitor your body tensions. Consciously attempt to relax and let go of any excess tension you may have.

9. Use your breaks to truly relax, rather than grab a quick snack or smoke. Take a short walk or meditate.

10. Change your environment at lunch. Perhaps eat outside in nice weather. Or find somewhere quiet where you can talk to co-workers or eat alone.

11. Try closing your door if you have one for a few minutes for a time-out. You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of anyone or anything else.

12. Stop working for a few minutes every hour or so in order to become aware of your breathing and bodily sensations. Take time to get back in touch with your feelings.

13. Use everyday cues from your work environment, such as the phone ringing or the time on your computer terminal, as reminders to stop and take a moment to breathe.

14. Take time during your lunch break to talk with your coworkers about non-work-related topics.

15. Choose to one or two lunches in silence each week. Eat slowly and mindfully.

16. At the end of the day, make up a “Got Done” list and congratulate yourself on all you accomplished.

17. Pay attention to the walk to your car—how does the air feel? Is it cold or hot out? If it isn’t to your liking, try to accept it rather than resisting.

18. While the car is warming up, consciously transition yourself from work to home. Just sit and enjoy the moment.

19. While driving home, notice if you are rushing. How does that feel? What can you do to change it? Remember, only you can control how you feel.

20. When you park your car at home, take a minute to come back to the present. Orient yourself to being at home again.

21. Change out of your work clothes as soon as you can. It helps you make a smooth transition from work mode to home mode. Then, if possible, take 5-10 minutes to be alone and check in with yourtself.

Stress can kill, but you don’t have to be a victim if you make a conscious choice to focus on your feelings and choose what to do with those feelings. You don’t have to react to stress; you can choose how to respond to it.

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How to organize a labor union at your workplace

Your boss doesn’t provide health insurance or paid vacations. You barely make minimum wage. You have to work overtime without extra compensation. Sound familiar? If so, you should think about organizing your workplace—joining a labor union. You may hesitate, afraid of getting fired, but you should know that you have the legal right to join a union, thanks to the National Labor Relations Act. So if you’re at the mercy of your boss and you don’t know from one day to the next whether or not you’ll even have a job, read on to find out how you can organize your workplace.

First of all, you need to talk quietly amongst your co-workers to see if there is any interest in having a union. Your boss probably won’t be thrilled about this idea, so keep it quiet at first. If your co-workers show some interest in organizing, your first step is to build an organizing committee. This committee should consist of people from every department in your workplace and should be representative of all races, genders, and ethnicities. The committee then should gather an employee list, as well as information about your employer, such as the type of work that is done there, the shifts and departments and its history with unions

With that information in hand, the committee should then develop a list of demands and improvements that all of the workers want made. It is at this point that the committee should begin interviewing the various local unions in your are and decide which one would best serve the needs of the workers in your workplace. When the union is chosen, all of the workers will be asked to join it by signing membership cards. To get the union into your workplace, the majority of workers must sign these membership cards. You should do this as quickly as possible because your boss will probably be unhappy about this and attempt to thwart your efforts.

After the majority of workers have joined the union, your employer will either recognize the union or refuse to recognize it. If they refuse, you will have to petition your state or federal labor board to hold an election. The board will decide who is eligible to vote and they will schedule the election. Workers in favor of the union will campaign just as in a political election, and attempt to win over any workers who are against the union. If the union wins the election, by law the employer must recognize and bargain with the union. Finally, when the union is recognized, you will work with your union representative to come up with a contract to present to your employer. Everyone will work together to see that all workers are treated fairly.

Organizing a union in your workplace is not easy, but it is well worth it, especially when you see how your salary can raise and when you take your first paid vacation. So if you think you aren’t treated fairly by your employer, consider joining a labor union. The benefits are enormous.

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Dressing for success

It is hard to live on a limited budget, especially with a demanding job. In many professions looking good is one of the keys to your success. But how can you look good and dress great on such a limited budget.

One thing is very important when dressing for success, and that is your accessories. To look nice and stand out it is important to accessorize. You don't want to over do it, just enough to make your outfit look better. For example, simple earings and a light simple necklace. When worn with a suit and can do wonders. A small thin bracelet and a simple ring can finish the look.

A very important factor is your finishing touches, or polishing you look. Having your nails and your hair done is key. You don't have to pay someone to do this for you. A home manicure (pedicure if you wear open toe shoes) is sufficient. Wearing you hair up looks more professional, even if it's in a simple french twist with a clip. Make sure to take care of your hair and skin. Keeping up with your daily maintanance will add to your outward appearance.

As for the clothes, bargain shopping is not a problem, if you are a good bargain hunter you can search out great outfits for an inexpensive price. When buying these outfits remember your little added touches can make that outfit look even better. The best thing is to buy mix and match outfits, that way you can get two or three outfits out of one, and that's your best bargain.

With mix and match outfits you can get as creative as you want. If you usually wear business suits, buy suits that can coordinate with each other. Also buying some seperates, like a few blouses or a couple of pairs of slacks is a good idea. You can match them with your seperates. Black is a good choice, it always looks good and matches with anything.

Shoes are essential, but also costly. There are many bargain shoe stores, and all you need are just a few pair to coordinate with your outfits.

Scarfs are coming back in style, they look very professional and are very inexpensive. Buy a few with the same colors as the majority of your outfits. Don't over do it and wear them everyday, but a couple times a week is nice. They also look nice when tied around a bun in your hair. And it's very simple to do. Just twist a bun, secure with bobbypins and tie a rolled scarf around the bun and tuck the ends.

Always plan your outfits ahead, the more you plan the less money you spend on items you will not get much use of. It's touch, especially when first starting off in the working world. You want to look professional, but not use your entire bank account. It's a good idea to put a small portion of each check away for "personal maintanance", ubdating your style is important in business. Also with the change of seasons, you'll need money to change with them. So planning is basically the key. Save your money, coordinate, plan ahead and mix and match. Good luck!

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How to Prepare for a Job Interview

1.Step 1

Practice by going on interviews, even for jobs you have no intention of taking.

2.Step 2

Research the company thoroughly. Use the Internet, libraries and periodicals to find current information.

3.Step 3

Know the company's market, products and goals.

4.Step 4

Memorize some facts about the company and be prepared to cite them during the interview.

5.Step 5

Formulate a list of intelligent questions to ask during your interview.

6.Step 6

Talk to people who work or have worked at the company.

7.Step 7

Hang around the building in the morning, noting how the staff dresses, as well as their body language.

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Leadership styles game for classrooms or training sessions

Teachers and instructors who are looking for an exciting group game that they an use to teach leadership styles and how they are used in different situations might try the following activity. It is one that can be adapted to many other topics as well.

This particular version of the game should be conducted after teaching students about leadership styles such as autocratic, bureaucratic, laissez-faire, and democratic and how each one should be used in different situations.

Explain that you are going to play a game to practice determining when to use the different styles of leadership. Divide students into three teams. Give each team two minutes to think of a team name and/or logo. Ask teams to put their team name on a flip chart or chalkboard scoreboard at the front of the room.

Explain the following rules to participants:

1. The object of the game is to score as many points as possible by correctly deciding which leadership style to use in a situation. The game is played in rounds. A different player must compete in each round.

2. Each team sends one member to compete. You will describe a situation to the players. Players must decide the most effective leadership style to use in that situation and why. (sample situations with answers are listed below or you can make up your own). For example, you might read the following situation: "You are training employees to use a new drill press and need to make sure they understand the exact techniques for using and cleaning the machine." Leadership style: Bureaucratic. Why: Employees working with dangerous equipment must know exact procedures.

3. Players must use a designated signal when they know the answer. They can clap, ring a bell, raise their hands, grab an item, etc. Make sure everyone understands what the designated signal is. The first competitor to use the signal gets to answer.

4. Teams get one point for correctly choosing the leadership style and one point for correctly describing why that style is the best.

5. If the player correctly identifies the style of leadership but incorrectly identifies why it's the best choice, his or her team gets one point and the player directly to the left may earn a point by correctly describing why he answer is best.

6. If the answering player incorrectly identifies the style, the player directly to his or her left may earn points by answering correctly. If the second team can't answer correctly, ask the remaining team to answer and award points for correct responses.

7. Next, the player who correctly identified the leadership style goes back to his or her team. The team gets one minute to decide how to use that leadership style in the situation. For example, in the above situation, a team might say, "Every time you use the drill press, please do it exactly as I demonstrate. The press is extremely heavy and could seriously injure you if the exact procedures are not followed and the safety devices used as shown." If the answer is appropriate, the team earns three extra points. If the answer is not a good example, the team directly to the left can earn three extra points by correctly answering. If the second team doesn't answer correctly, ask the other team if they can answer and award point for correct responses.

8. Team members should write their points in the appropriate spot on the flip char or chalk board scoreboard.

Continue with round two by sending a new player form each team to compete. Play until all participants get a chance to compete or as time/examples allow.

Reward the team with the most points at the end of the game with a small prize.

Sample situations include:

Employee: Factory employee who is new to the job

Style: Autocratic

Reason: The employee is new and needs to learn what to do

Employee: Laundry worker who sorts laundry.

Style: Bureaucratic

Reason: Employee is performing a routine task over and over

Employee: Highly skilled account representative

Style: Democratic

Reason: Employee is very experienced and can contribute to decision making

Employees: Three long-time receptionists all ask for the same day off for legitimate reasons

Style: Democratic

Reason: Employees are used to working together and can help solve the problem

Employees: Employees are receiving CPR training

Style: Bureaucratic

Reason: Safety or security training must be done the same way each time.

Employee: A programmer refuses to follow the company’s coding policies

Style: Autocratic

Reason: The employee is challenging the manager’s power

Employee: District salesperson who spends most of the year on the road

Style: Laissez-faire

Reason: Employee is able to perform work without supervision

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