simply blood

A solid CV is not enough As scientists, we focus our early years trying to build a strong curriculum vitae (CV); papers are our top priority, then grants and meetings. We are advised to have teaching experience – especially if we want to go into Academia – and also to participate on committees; but we may never think about, or trained for, the job interview. After years of building a strong and solid CV, something as banal as whether you smile or not during your interview or if you dressed inappropriately can decrease your chances of being chosen. While doing great research is key to getting to your next position, there are also many other variables that you need to prepare for during your interview process. At the ISEH we recognized that our mission of helping you to advance your career should also include the transition to your next position, so we asked our renowned members to share their experience with the new investigators. Here we summarize, in two posts, the insight ...

I am an optimist by nature, and not often plagued by regret. Yet, every year as the clock strikes midnight on Dec 31 st , I ponder what I might have done differently in the past year and how I will change for the better  –   especially in regard to my scientific life. To be fair, I don’t have such a bad life. My job lets me try anything I want, in terms of Hematology, or at least have my lab members consider whether it is doable or financially feasible. I can hypothesize and fantasize about how things work, and see if I was right, or wrong, and at the end of the day either answer is actually OK. I get to travel the world to go to meetings to talk about our science, and meet amazing people. I set my own hours, and despite them always falling well above the imaginary 40-hour norm, I enjoy going to work. I have a family that likes me, and still (thankfully) wants to spend time with me, despite my crazy schedule that is somehow both planned out a year in advance and still s...

As members of the International Society of Hematology (ISEH), we place great value in the communication and collaboration occurring between our colleagues around the world. This blog has been established to help continue those interactions beyond the annual meeting and past the purely scientific realm. We hope Simply Blood will act as a lively platform for open discussions about how we function, grow and engage as scientists. Simply Blood posts will come from ALL the voices of ISEH: from the most established PIs to our graduate students in training. We hope that our opinion pieces spark open and honest discussion among members and non-members alike, with thoughtful consideration and respect for all sides of the issues raised. It should be noted directly that all posts are opinions, and reflect the thoughts of the writer in the context of their own experiences, and are not formal endorsements or statements from the ISEH Executive board, the Publications committee or the membershi...