April 04, 2019
Your Sigma Xi membership is a distinction on your curriculum vitae (CV) that potential employers will notice. That honor, however, is just the beginning of how the Society can help with your career goals. Here are four ways that Sigma Xi can assist in your job search.
1. Use the Job Board.
The Sigma Xi Career Center at jobs.sigmaxi.org allows you to browse openings by research discipline or industry type, such as academia or government, as well as by location or job function.
2. Build Your Network.
Your Sigma Xi chapter can connect you with your local scientific community, so you can meet people for networking and learning about job opportunities. Find your chapter at www.sigmaxi.org/chapters. Active members can log on to the member online community, The Lab, at community.sigmaxi.org.
3. Round Out Your Resume.
Leadership experience is a surefire way to impress an employer, and you can build your skills by volunteering as a Sigma Xi chapter officer or serving on a chapter committee. Students can enter a research competition to gain presentation experience; find an upcoming opportunity at www.sigmaxi.org/meetings-events. Nonstudent members can add community service to their CVs by judging a student research competition; sign up at www.sigmaxi.org/judge-vol. Or, volunteer as a manuscript reviewer for Sigma Xi’s high school research journal, Chronicle of The New Researcher, by contacting ctnr@sigmaxi.org.
4. Make Key Contacts.
Getting in touch with people who already work for an organization you’re considering can help you decide if that employer is the right fit for you: What’s the work culture? What are the high-priority projects? Active members may log on at www.sigmaxi.org to find these key contacts in the member directory. Search by institution as well as research discipline, field of study, sector, or chapter. You can find email addresses for most members in the directory, and they are listed on profiles in The Lab. Mention that you already have something in common with them: your Sigma Xi membership.
Image by TeroVesalainen from Pixabay.