Participants reviewing the Career Opportunities Board at the 2019 Microbial Pathogenesis & Host Response Meeting.
Did you know that a standard component of every CSHL meeting is a job board? Officially dubbed the Career Opportunities Board, it’s open to all meeting participants from check-in through to the last day. And starting in 2020, it will be in the lobby of Grace Auditorium, which is one of the most high-traffic spaces for CSHL meetings.
IF YOU HAVE AN OPENING
For those on the hiring side, we recommend you add your listing(s) to the Board as soon as possible upon arriving in Cold Spring Harbor (hanging supplies will be available). To generate maximum interest among candidates at the meeting, we strongly encourage you to synthesize the listing to one page of only the absolute essential information:
Job title
Job affiliations (e.g., institution, department, and lab)
Relevant logos
Summary of responsibilities and/or research projects the person would be working on
Talks or poster numbers at the meeting where an interested candidate can learn more about the research of the lab/department/institution
Contact person
This individual should be present at the meeting and available to meet in-person with interested parties
Include contact information like a Twitter handle and/or an email address
Consider including a photo so interested candidates can introduce themselves during social breaks at the meeting
Link to the detailed job description
Optional items to help make the listing shine include a short blurb on what makes the lab/department/institution unique or why it’s a great place to work, and events during the meeting where the contact person is confirmed to take part (i.e., Meet the Speakers luncheon, Career Dinner).
These items are laid out in this template sample that was designed specifically with the Career Opportunities Board in mind. Please feel free to use it! Remember to bring hard copies of the listing with you to the meeting, and print on colored paper for extra visibility.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR YOUR NEXT JOB
For those in search of their next position, be sure to check the Career Opportunities Board multiple times throughout the meeting as it will undoubtedly grow as the meeting progresses.
While reviewing the Board, pay special attention to who you can chat with during the meeting to learn more about an open position, and take advantage of any opportunity to meet the contact person and introduce yourself. Be sure to come prepared with your elevator pitch!
