End of an Era (or something like it...)

Last night , I couldn't keep myself from sitting at the fountain, thinking about the past four years of college. Is it really here? I can't believe that sometimes.
As scary as it to go out into the real world, I'm strangely excited about it. I'm not sure about my job status yet, I'm still going on interviews, I'm still looking for apartments. But I've made my peace with WPI. It was the best experience to travel to a new country, learn about different people, work and play, and live the WPI fast-paced life. But here we go, we're moving on.

Thank you to everyone who's been in my life these four years- whether we are friends or foes today, it was good while it lasted. I hope to see you all have a bright future. My friends- we're doing that once-a-year-reunion in random places in the world- no excuses :)

Thank you all WPI faculty and staff- you've given me a wonderful experience I won't forget. I wish everyone who's graduating the best of luck. I can only hope to take the best things from here on toward my future. Since this is my last entry, I also wanted to thank everyone who's been following my life. Thanks for reading this blog and wishing me well, when you ran into me. I guess it wasn't too hard to figure me out.

Best wishes
~Shree

Status...

So I didn't really talk about this before, because I was trying to stay on the DL a little, but I got some interview calls recently. Good thing I did a mock interview way ahead of time, and did some fair amount of prepping before my time. Here's the order they were in...

1) atrocious. That's the only word for the first one....you know how they say, it's all great to be prepped about the questions, but it's the curve ball you have to be prepared for...yeah. They asked me physics questions. All I could do was say..."Uh, I'm majoring in Biotechnology.....". I don't even know what to say to someone else for the future on how to deal with something like that....plus I was so nervous, I couldn't think about any of the normal questions he asked me...so that was a disaster. We'll see what I hear from them...I'm not expecting anything

2) Much better. Aside from making a fool of myself by appearing too eager and arriving 30 minutes early, not too much of a disaster area. I have a call back for a second interview...so I'm pretty pumped :) Note to self: carry printed copy of poster so you can talk about your MQP, if your poster is about ready...not only is it good prep for Project Presentation Day, it helps keep your mind on track when you talk.

3) Went well too! Phew! What a relief- this one is for a very competitive position though, so once again I'm not expecting a miracle. But at least I didn't stumble upon my words, or say or do anything embarrasing. From here on, it will just be a battle for who they thought was the best. Note to self: make sure to thank EVERYONE you meet at the company...I emailed a thank you letter to the secretary as well. Besides, she was super nice :)

Well, that's it for now folks. Let's see what the future brings....

It's here, it's here!

So project presentation day is in like 10 days...wait, does this mean I'm done with MQP???? YESSSSSSSS. Well, almost.
Of course many of you know we have to make MQP posters for the big day, and mine is pretty close to completion. The real project poster is due by 17th- or 20th at the latest. So it's crunch time for me to get the ball rolling and finish up! Obviously this weekend is my personal deadline to finish it up so I don't have to look at it anymore...:P
Looking back upon that, my MQP was one of the best things to have happened to me. I owe a lot to my lab members and above all, my project advisor who took me under his guide, not knowing much about me, except my performance in his class and my interest in genetics (and jazz....we both love jazz ^_^) It really teaches me to never be afraid of trying anything new- because the way I saw it a year ago,I had nothing to lose by asking him for an MQP project.
The amount I've learnt by being in a lab could never compare to what textbooks teach. For every incoming freshmen or upperclassmen who have any interest in life science or bioengineering- my best advice would be to get into a lab as soon as possible. Even if it's workstudy or volunteer and all they make you do is autoclave- believe me, these are worthy skills to learn.
I realise I have a long way to go now, but I've been encouraged in this scientific direction thanks to my lab. And even though I'm sick of this MQP and want it to be over, I know that if I had another year, I would draft up several more projects to get the hidden answers.

So good luck to you in MQP and whatever projects you undertake-whether solo like me or with project partners, it's an unbelievable opportunity and we should all take full advantage of it.

Looking for Jobs?

Yes, I am. So after this follow-up business, I was actually dumb enough to NOT pick up a call from an unknown number, and I missed the chance to talk to a certain employer. Now I'm leaving them messages but have been unable to get to talk to them so far. So yeah, lesson number one: Don't Screen Your Calls....

After a lot of writing of cover letters and e-mails, I'm a little bummed I haven't heard anything back yet. I hear it's a bit of a long screening process though, so everyone is telling me to sit tight. Yeah, if I don't hear back by like Tuesday I'm probably going to be sending some gentle reminders to some companies I liked a lot :P

In cases like these though, the CDC is a great place to stop by for a quick question. I'm definitely going to ask them for a little advice on the matter-I'm sure they deal with this kind of thing a lot. Perhaps they can help me curb my enthusiasm? I'll let you know....sit tight, I guess :P

Following Up

So the Career Fair last week was really well put together and I met a LOT of great companies. Soem things I learned: don't be afraid to talk, approach as many people as you can, and try and get as many contacts as you can. I just wrote a series of cover letters over the weekend (the CDC is willing to review cover letters, btw) and sent them out Sunday night so that they get them on Monday morning at work. And guess what? I've already heard back from some of them that they will be considering me for interviews.

Things look hopeful and I am a little less stressed out now...I just need to keep this positive attitude and keep up correspondence with them. It certainly seems like my preparation my reading up on companies and practising talking to representatives worked out well, so I would highly recommend that in the future.

Wish me luck!

Coming Soon...oh man.

Ok so Bio Fair is on Thursday-and I scheduled for a resume critique with one of the Bio Companies coming this week to prepare myself. Here's the final check list of things to do for the fair:

-Fresh copies of new resume after critique with bio company
-Check out handouts on Interviewing from CDC because interviews would be held next day after the fair.
-Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. I have to make sure to be able to talk about every single thing on my resume, esp. my MQP!
-Check out the companies coming on Job Finder, look up what they do, what positions they have open-apply to some positions if possible, so I'm already in their system. They are much more apt to listening to someone who already knows what they're about and shows interest in working for them. There's like 20 I want to meet so good thing I got started on this one already. If you didn't though, don't worry- make sure to at least read their description on the JobFinder website to learn a little about them.
-Think of 2-3 questions to ask every company that are relevant.
-Clothes!!!! I hate figuring out what to wear the last minute, so I already have some outfits picked out. Now I have to make sure they're ready and good to go by thursday :) Actually, even for the resume critique, even though we don't require to wear formal clothes, it might be a good idea to go a little business casual with khakis and a nice shirt.

So yeah, lots of things to figure out, but they're all manageable-good luck to those who are going!

Spring is here...yes?

Well, the last term certainly kicked off with...uh, no bangs, actually. How was the last break at WPI you ask? Unfortunately, rather uneventful. I stuck around Worcester to continue working on my MQP-big surprise, it's not over yet. However, it turned out to be quite a good thing because my job search process is now in full swing. Over break, since the CDC was open, I was able to set up a mock interview and other appointments with counsellors. I wrote a number of cover letters and sent them out to different companies using CareerSearch to look for those companies first. I also found out the CDC website has a multitude of links to different science careers, where they constantly update jobs and events-that was really helpful to look for positions too. If you're interested, follow http://cms-dev.wpi.edu/Admin/CDC/jobresources.html

A mock interview, by the way, is one of the most useful things you could do with your time. I definitely thought I was a confident interviewee and would ace the process. But the whole interview was taped, and when I saw myself, I noticed a large number of mistakes I was making constantly-I realised if I was an employer, I wouldv'e been very unimpressed. It is incredibly helpful to sit down and review what you did, make notes, and improve yourself next time. I would also highly recommend going through the "Interview" handout and Career Guide the CDC has- they have a lot of helpful tips, general questions you'll get asked at most interviews, recommendations and so on. DEFINITELY go through your own resume, and recite to yourself your job descriptions, your classes, your activities and make sure you are able to describe them in a concise manner.I found out that despite having given probably like 50 presentations over my college career, I was still unable to give solid answers that were well put together from the top of my head when asked specific questions- so it certainly helps a lot to rehearse.

Next week the fair is coming up and I am super excited! There's like 20 companies I want to meet, so this weekend is major prep time. Good luck to all of you who are going (you should go, by the way). And let's see how it goes... :)

The Last Time

The other day my Dad called to ask if I thought I could fit in all my stuff in two cases to take back home....and all I could think was, how am I supposed to pack up four years into two suitcases?
I can't believe this is the end of my college career. Definitely feels like yesterday I was this naive little freshman who thought the walk from Stoddard to Kaven Hall was quite the hike, and was completely unaware of the world "down the hill". To reflect upon these last few years, it's suffice to say life has turned out to be surprisingly eventful and exciting.
Of course, well into senior year, the easiest thing to do is complain about WPI. But I'm going to take a different approach. Even though this is a small, tech-school where people are obsessed with their career paths and gung-ho about their ambitions, it has been an incredible learning environment to grow up in. I had known my love for science, but after being so exposed to research, engineering and the medical fields, I realised I'm still a kid, and yeah, maybe I don't want to be some big scientist who cures some big disease- but that's ok. I'll do what I want.
On the other hand, I know I would've hated going to a liberal arts school. As much as I love the arts and music, the fastly emerging 'alernate lifestyle' culture would've made me either a wannabe hippie or protest by wearing brand names all the time (which would've made me bankrupt of course). I guess I love WPI because it made me not care about that stuff, which just seems superficial and boring.
I also realised the brutal reality that is the lack of an American Dream- you know, the reason why everyone wants to be here. The car, the house, the dogs, the family. Me, I want none of that. I said once freshmen year to my good friend "I don't know if I want the picket fences, or if I want to travel the world without boundaries". To which of course she replied, "Are there picket fences in India?" But humor aside, maybe she had a point. After all, what I was looking for was nothing but a dream.
Right now, I don't know if i'll get into Cambridge (I'm willing to bet I won't, though). I don't know if I'll find a job in the US. I don't know if I'll be on the East Coast, or West Coast, or back home among the 1 billion. But it's that excitement or uncertainty that keeps me going everyday.
So heading into my last term of my college career, I want to say thanks to all the people who came into my life while I was here. My friends, some of who I still talk to, and some of whom I avoid when I walk on campus- thank you for the good times and sorry if things never worked out better. My professors- some good, some not so good- you have added such great value to my life, even if it was to show me how to pipet,I don't think any words can thank you all :) My co-workers- thank you for all the career advice, personal advice and listening to my occasional rants about the evils of globalisation-I appreciated every moment. My boss(es)- thank you so much for teaching me pretty much the ways of life-you have been, more often than not, like an older sibling or parent who I ran to with my 'big girl' problems. And the random kids who smiled as they passed by- thanks for making my day better every now and then.

Thank you, WPI.

Applying for Internships/Jobs as an International Student

So many of you who have by now figured out who I am (yes I know...) probably know that I'm also an international student. Turns out, we have to go through a bit of a formality when applying for internships or jobs- not much of a big deal, but I thought it would be helpful to find out about it anyway. Thus I went to the information session on How to Apply for OPT/CPT (Optional Practical Training/Curriculum Practical Training). Here's some things I found out:

CPT:
-The internship has to be an integral part of your major. So if you're bio like me, you can't do like a summer job at a law company filing papers or something like that...
-You can only apply after freshman year (so the Spring of freshman year is fine to apply, becuase you will have completed one year of study in the summer)
-Has to be at least 12 weeks
-Must have internship before you file for CPT, but the process can be as quick as one day
-It's called a 'summer co-op' and goes on your transcript, because technically it has to be part of your academic training in the US
-Here's what you do: CDC has co-op packet, take it, fill it out and bring it to the International House with your advisor's signature on it and after it has been approved by the CDC. The IH will issue an I-20, after which you prepare for your internship, get a social security number (office is in Worcester), and figure out transportation to the workplace for the summer. Yeah, it's really simple

OPT:
-Okay, this is what I would have to apply for and it's little bit more complex, but not too much paperwork overall.
-can be pre-completion or post-completion of studies
-process takes 8-10 weeks, so prepare and file for it early. If you plan on starting work in like June, make sure your papers are in by March at the latest.
-Here's the process: Complete applcation and form I0765. Bring passport, I-94, all previous I-20 forms, two passport style pictures, and a cheque or money draft of $340 for the processing. OPT can be applied for 90 days before graduation, but cannot be accepted 60 days after.
-Give all details if you have a job
-You will be issued an employment authorization document

Of course, a lot of students are also interested in work visa and green card applications. So there is another info session on that material on Wednesday, Feb 25th, 4-5.30 in SL406.
Some students however, are more interested in returning to their country for internships or full-time positions. There is a NACE virtual career fair in the summer- follow this link to register: http://asp.symplicity.com/nacelinkvcf/

Other questions can surely be answered by the CDC or International House, so don't hesitate to ask :)

How about Biology...

As I finish up senior year at WPI, it’s the time where I get a little reflective on the time I spent here. Needless to say, it has been a very valuable experience that gave me a superb education. But one of the many questions that pops up is: why biology?
I knew that biology was a passion for me since I was introduced to science. When I first got here though, I was determined to go to medical school. More exposure to the world of doctors and that kind of lifestyle made me realise, however, that I really did not want to deal with stressful days all my life, and treat health as a business. That’s when I decided to focus my energy on biology itself.
As a senior, I realise how truly diverse this field can be. I am talking about going to school for conservation, but there are a hundred other options for me. I can go into agriculture, pharmaceuticals, food production, cosmetics, reconstructive surgical procedures, bio-related drugs, genetics, environmental work- and these are just to name a few. I always have the option of doing research, or getting an MBA and joining the corporate side of things. It’s such a great field to be in, where I can hop around and do what I please, that I hope to never be bored.
I know that a few years ago, I would always get a little discouraged by seeing students who were so completely focused on their field, and had what they called their ‘five-year-plan’ all figured out. My best advice to all of you out there would be- don’t get discouraged! There is such a variety of things to do with science, that if you really love it, you will find your own way. A friend of mine who is the same major was told by someone that this wasn’t a field where you could joke around and be flaky all your life. I agree-but it’s also a field where you can be diverse. So if you want to go to Africa and play with tigers one day (like me), you can do that. Or if you love being focused for hours in lab and following procedures, and coming up with expeirments, you can do that. Or if you love biology and computers, you will probably enjoy bioinformatics. Even if you like surgery and making bio-products, but don’t like medicine- you can do something in biomedical engineering. These three fields-biology,biomedical engineering, and biochemistry- leave nothing unturned in the world of science. So whatever you want to do with science, I say, go for it, despite whatever someone tells you or however many people seem to be going in a different field. Ask questions from all your professors, make connections with upperclassmen, and make your own path to your future :)

How'd it go...?

So if you're a life sciences major like me and you went to the Career Fair, you were probably left with a lot to desire. There weren't a lot of major biotech firms, but I did have a chance to interact with some of them. As I was explaining my research to one of the company representatives, I realized this- I have no clue how to explain my research to a non-technician in my field! This is really REALLY bad news. Most fairs have human resources representatives who I need to be able to explain my work to, and on top of that, for both my MQP presentation and interaction with future employers, I should have a clear idea of what to say. Not just, "Uh, I work in a genetics lab with RNAi"...I mean, I didn't even know what RNAi was until about a year ago.
I have to be honest, I was never so glad that the Life Sciences Fair is a little later. This gives me some time to refresh my memory about what I'm doing, practice explaining it to non-biotechnicians, and get very proficient in speaking fluently about my research. I've decided I will be setting up a meeting with a CDC counselor to help me out. They are really good at holding mock interviews, which isn't necessarily what I'm going for yet, but it would be nice to practice interaction with a prospective employer.
Also, it's almost mid-February so it's about time I start looking for work. I think I'll hit Career Search on Job Finder, so I can start with companies by area. I'll be applying to Cambridge first, but it would probably be a good idea to narrow down to a few fields, instead of just biotechnology- because this is the center of it! From there, I'll probably cover New York and San Diego as well.
Keeping my fingers crossed!! ^_^

How I am Preparing for the Career Fair...

Time goes by so quickly it's not even funny. Next week is the Career Fair on the 4th and 5th! The first day is internships only, so I guess that's not really relevant to me. But the 5th is a day I really have to be prepared. I know that I've been talking about applying to graduate schools but I realize that these programs are really competitive and so I decided to look for jobs as well. Besides, being in the workforce might give me a better idea of what I want to do before I really get into a serious graduate program and get more specific with my field of study. So there are some things I need to get prepared:

-I just got my resume critiqued, and even though I hadn't really changed it much from the last fair, it turns out there were a whole lot changes I had to make, because this time I'm looking for a full time job, not an internship. Now I need to implement those changes.

-Log into Job Finder and update my resume before the fair. A lot of companies don't take a hard copy of your resume, but will ask you to apply through JobFinder, so it's a good idea to keep it updated.

-Research the companies that are coming this year through JobFinder (there's a list once you log in to your account), and check out the ones I'm interested in. It's always nice to approach companies and have a little bit of background information on them and already know what they do- it's a good first impression to make.

-Dress nice!!!

I know that this isn't really a biotech fair, and the life sciences fair is in March,but this is definitely a great way to get prepared and get experience talking to people and knowing how to approach them well. Hopefully there will be some good people I meet and if not, it'll be good preparation anyway!

Good luck and be prepared!! :)

Things They Don't Tell You...

If you're a girl who's pretty involved at WPI, you probably know what WIN is. If you're not...well, you still might know. For those who that don't, Women's Industry Network is WPI's very own women's networking organization that holds hundreds of female WPI students as members. It holds dinner events once a term where students get clubbed into sections based on their majors with two professionals that are in the same field as them- for example, I sat at a table with biology majros at school and professionals in the field of bio/biotech. It's a very helpful event that sets you up with people that can give a lot of advice and guidance on what to do in school, out of school how to get a job- that sort of thing.

Last night's event was super helpful- we had professionals talking about things such as exempt vs. non-exempt employment, taxes, work insurance, health care plans, savings plans, time off, renting vs. buying homes, paying off student loans, etc. Now I know it all sounds super boring, but amazingly enough, it is now that I begin to realize these are all things I'm going to have to think about like...now! Whether or not we want, time takes it toll and we have to make real-life decisions. Once we're in the real world, it really is surprising how many options there are and all that can be overwhelming. This was all advice that people don't tell us- all real life situations that we have to face by ourselves.

I'm glad WPI holds events like this that can be so helpful to students in their future when they enter the work force.One such event is "Life After College" that will be hosted by the CDC in the Odeum today, 5-6pm. If you see this post before then- you should definitely try to stop by!

Back From Break

As this 'lovely' weather rolls around (fallen on ice anyone? I have...of course), I can't believe this is the last winter break I just spent at WPI. Good thing I took a much needed vacation. But I was also, fortunately, back a couple of weeks early to do some MQP work, and graduate school applications. The first one is hopefully going to be sent out tomorrow-so glad I finally wrote those essays.
I realised that I didn't have the time to get all my essays reviewed, but since I'll be applying to some schools with later deadlines, I have time to make appointments at the CDC to get the later ones reviewed. Also, I plan on getting some help to apply to jobs now that spring is not far away. The spring career fair is actually coming up on Feb4th and 5th. The first day is for internships, but the second day is more vital for me, with internships and full time jobs being looked for.
The next thing is to get more organized and start putting deadlines for myself so I can send out all the application materials, get my MQP in line, and start a thorough a job hunting process.
Last C-Term ever....almost done :P