Derrick Rancourt is a stem cell biologist and professor in the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. He is an entrepreneurial scientist and director of Alberta’s Genome Engineering Centre. He teaches biotechnology business and professional development and serves on the Alberta Council of Technologies.
Like personal goals, professional benchmarks can guide self-evaluation and setting targets for improvement.
Unlike specialists who possess depth in one area and generalists who have breadth but no depth, “versatilists” are the best of both worlds.
Project and stakeholder management practices can help buffet thesis interruptions.
Non-academic mentors, especially those familiar with the culture of academia, can offer empathy, validation and healthy perspectives.
With a little lead time and institutional support, professors can make great online courses.
The COVID-19 crisis brings teaching and learning opportunity.
A career mindset puts you in control of your destiny. A degree mindset is stagnating.
In a competitive job market, strategic planning is a key component of professional development.
People use wayfinding techniques to navigate unfamiliar situations, and university students should be no different.
Students will feel more in control if they are exposed to career exploration early and within their academic discipline.
The importance of putting students in the (career) driver’s seat.
