Advice from the Careers in Botany Luncheon

BEYOND THE CONFERENCE

Last year, we launched a new committee to support students and early career professionals through the BSA Early Career Professional Development Committee. This group is working hard to help students and junior botanists meet other professionals, find mentors, and take advantage of various opportunities. Their GRFP workshop and mentorship opportunity is aimed at helping students applying for the NSF award this year, and it has already kicked off earlier in September.

ey also put together an “Applying to Graduate School” workshop in September, which can be viewed at https://tinyurl. com/2p8x5wej.

Learn more about the committee at: https:// cms.botany.org/home/governance/earlycareer-committee.html.

ADVICE FROM THE CAREERS IN BOTANY LUNCHEON

We had another great time at this year’s Careers in Botany Luncheon. First, thanks again to the professionals and students who came and helped make this such a great event! We got great feedback from professionals and students alike from this event and wanted to share what we’ve gained. We asked the professionals, “What was an important piece of advice that you gave at the Careers in Botany Luncheon that you think students should remember?” We asked the students, “What was the most important advice you learned at the Careers in Botany Luncheon at Botany 2022?”

Professionals

“Plants matter! Botany is so fundamental to life, that you would be surprised how diverse a job market is out there: from Agro-Tech to botanical surveying, from academy to NGOs; just follow your passion!” -Tamir Klein, Weizmann Institute of Science

“It is never too soon to start planning for retirement. Even if you don’t yet have a “real job,” start a Roth IRA and try to max it out every year. You may feel like you have no money, but being able to squirrel away in your 20s, will make you so far ahead of the game in your 40s. It goes by quicker than you think!” -Ann Erickson, Bureau of Land Management

“Work around your priorities. Life is full of compromises, but when your priorities are clear you can better assess what sacri ces or risks are worth taking. is requires selfre ection and being honest with yourself. Adopt a growth mindset. Knowing how to learn is one of the most valuable lessons for a person. ings you don’t know become things you don’t know yet. Be brave, work hard, and show up. Know your plant(s)! Whether it is a molecular mechanism or an ecological process you’re investigating, learn about the biology of the organism you’re studying. Be interested in other levels of organization: molecularorganismal-ecological-evolutionary. Does it make biological sense? Also, learn about the plants that surround you and get interested in your local ora. At some point this will be very