Making the Most of GT

The BioID program doesn't give you any formal technical training. It's all strategic. Strategy is kind of hard to add to a resume unless you're actually doing the work (and you will be through your project). Personally, I need some stuff on my resume that shows I have lab knowledge. So what I'm currently working on is checking out IBB.gatech.edu to find opportunities to sit in on others' lab work. I'm working with a professor to get this sorted out. I think I'll know more by the end of next week and so I'll edit this post when I have the process sorted out. You need training to use multi-million dollar lab equipment.

The first semester is really the perfect time for this since your work load isn't so high for the majority of the semester. Honestly, right now, I'm super stressed out because I challenged myself with two very difficult (but rewarding) electives and we have our projects due in about a month. I really wish I had done all this my first semester.

It's good to note that you'll be requested to go to several orientation meetings. This is a really good time to network with PhD students. Sit down between two people and talk to both of them. Then--and this is super important--get their linkedIn profile info and keep up with them. These people will help you branch out to other PhD students who already in labs and know key professors who have thousands of contacts in professional jobs. Keep up with these people and use them to access other portions of GT. As a BioID student, you aren't connected to the main campus much, so use anything you can to get in contact with your fellow yellow jackets.

Just remember that it all comes down to what you can put on your resume. Don't know ELISA? Never run a Western Blot? Have you only ever seen SEM pictures? Find a lab that will tell you what it is, what it can do, how it works, and will let you use it. That's a few hours spent on something that may get you a job.