Beyond the Scientific Method for Career Success

Gregory J. Quarles, PhD

EdgeLight Incorporated – Tucson, AZ

OSA Board MemberInternational Young Scientists Forum on Applied Physics 2015

O. Honchar Dnipropetrovsk National University

Outline

• Introduction – Industrial Research• Career Path• Personal Initiative• Strategic Skills• Networking & Collaboration• Adaptability

Global Applications – Career Path• It does not matter if you are in industry,

academia, government labs or small businesses – much applies:• You will have peers, subordinates, and

supervisors.• You must build your career one step at a

time. • Excitement is contagious.• Commitment will get you noticed.

• Stand OUT!

Focus: Industrial Research Path

• No matter your career path, CREATIVITY is a NECESSITY!

• Most topics today can be applied to any area.

• Different decision points as careers progress.• Personal Values and Vision required.• Path begins with your education choices.• Personality, Psychology, Sociology and Desire

all help shape preferences.

Career Path(s)

Avoid the path that mimics a Random Walk or Brownian Motion!

From: http://www.fritsch-sizing.com/encyclopedia/brownian-motion/

Career Path(s)

Your career path won’t always follow the IDEAL models you see!

From: http://www.technocorp.co.in/adne.html

Career Path(s)

From: http://www.rajiv.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/product-engineering-career2.png

The REALITY is that your journey will have many Decision Points!

Personal Initiative

• Manage your own career!• Don’t let the system manage it for you!• Set your boundaries early in your career.• Work-Life Balance is essential for longevity!• Industrial Research requires a personality

that strives for Team Rewards vs. Personal Achievement!

• Re-evaluate your options and path regularly.

Strategic Skills • Interpersonal Skills• Public Speaking• Organization• Leadership• Business understanding is CRITICAL• Expressing yourself in presentations• ALL of the above can be TAUGHT; the

Optical Society provides much of this!

Networking and Collaboration

• Poster Papers are GREAT for networking.• Ask questions when in meetings and at

conferences. • Get involved in Student Leadership activities.• Stay in touch with colleagues. It is amazing

how far a note or personal thank you will go!• For Industry, IP & Product Demonstration are

more critical than publications; collaborate!

Collaboration is the KEY, especially for the

Industrial Research Scientist!

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” - Helen Keller

“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination” - Albert Einstein

Adaptability

• Striving to broaden your knowledge base should be a daily goal. OSA Open Access journals make this very achievable.

• Breadth in skill sets assist with progressing along your career path in industry.

• Gain exposure to multiple projects.• Adaptation to change and to stress are requirements

for success in a start-up! Business “decisions” can override personal research initiatives.

Summary• Success is never guaranteed.• Use resources, mentors, and trusted friends for input.• Embrace RISK; Understand Failure.• Failure is inevitable; do NOT let it define you!• Never forget to bring your passion to work. It will carry

you as far as your knowledge! • Interdisciplinary knowledge and collaborations are a

key cornerstone to success.• Remember what brought you to science – Asking WHY?

• Take time for YOU – Work/Life Balance is Critical for longevity!

For All Scientists

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail Better.” - Richard Branson, CEO, Virgin Group, attributed to playwright, Samuel Beckett

“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new!” – Albert Einstein

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” - Theodore Roosevelt

THANK YOU!

Questions?