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Job Title: Communications Specialist
Type of Company: I work for a contract services company whose main client is the U.S. Government, but which also provides pre-clinical research services to drug companies and other private sector clients.
Education: BA, Biology, University of Virginia
Previous Experience: I worked as a research scientist for 25 years, during which time I wrote articles for scientists and non-scientists about scientific research, designed and maintained websites, and proofread and edited scientific articles.
Job Tasks: I work with a group of toxicologists who gather information on methods that could be used by the U.S. Government for safety testing of consumer products and other substances to which people might be exposed. We focus on methods that will help Federal agencies such as the FDA and the CPSC use fewer animals for this type of testing while still ensuring public safety. My group interacts with scientists who work for fifteen different Federal agencies and also with similar groups in Europe and Japan. I update the group's website, which contains information for the public about our activities.
I also write press releases and other articles about the group's work for non-scientific audiences and proofread technical documents written by the group. I help the members of my group create PowerPoint presentations for meetings. I prepare our group's publications for printing, which requires me to have some understanding of the process involved in publishing documents. I also design document covers, posters, and other graphic materials for the group. I also have to use the internet to answer questions like "How many people in the U.S. experienced eye injuries from chemical products last year?" I spend most of my days working at the computer; the programs I use include Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, Adobe Photoshop, a web page editor called BBEdit, and several different Internet browsers. I'm not a computer science person, but I can usually help my group members with questions they have about using computer programs.
Best and Worst Parts of the Job: I like that I am involved in helping non-scientists understand scientific issues. I also like being able to work with scientists and scientific information while still doing creative things like writing and designing posters. My co-workers are smart, dedicated people who are fun to work with.
One of the things I don't like about the job is that I have to be very careful about what I say in the things I write, because what we say on our website or in our press releases is often interpreted as representing the opinion of the U.S. Government (whether it does or not).
Job Tips:
1.) Take writing and science courses, and take every opportunity you can to write about science.
2.) Attention to detail is very important in my job; develop that ability in yourself, and think about ways you can demonstrate your ability to do that to others.
3.) Get comfortable with learning how to use different computer programs, and always look for ways that the computer programs can help you do things easier. One of the reasons I was able to change careers when I wanted to was because I had learned how to use a lot of the computer programs that I needed to use in my new career while I was still in my old careers.
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