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| Michael and me working together to label specimens. |
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| Teamwork makes the dream work. |
What this creates is both independence and team work. I feel independent because I have set tasks I must complete but I also appreciate having other interns around me. We bounce our efforts off each other with a little healthy competition. Hard work is contagious and if the people around you are working hard it helps keep motivation high.
All of the scientists I have met so far at the museum (both those working for the Smithsonian and USDA) are definitely people I could consider mentors. They have already finished college and are in the midst of conducting successful and of course, important, research. They are very knowledgeable about the process from being an undergraduate student to being a successful scientific researcher. I appreciate that I can ask them questions about this.
Some advice that I have received is:
-to consider getting a master's degree before a Ph.D. The reasoning behind this piece of advice is that a master's helps you really make up your mind about what specific topics you are interested in studying. A master's can also help you decide if you want to continue on for the several more years required for a Ph.D. I will definitely keep this advice in mind as I continue to think about my future career plans.
One other large piece of advice I have received, among others, is to:
-make connections! Over and over I have heard that this is so important for science, and probably for many other fields as well. These connections with professors, researchers, etc. will all greatly help lead to future jobs and opportunities. Hearing this many times from multiple people has made me very motivated to keep building a connections network of biology-related scientists or connections with various museums.
Until next time!
-Morgan
Making connections is a really important for young workers like us, no matter what field you're going into. Lots of people have told me, "It's not what you know, it's who you know." I think it's both. You obviously need to be skilled in what you're going into, and knowing people helps get your foot in the door.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that your internship has moments of independence and team work. I think it's really important that an internship program can offer both of those possibilities. It is also really cool that you look up to all the scientists who work there and can see them as possibly mentors. I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer internship.
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