Sino-American Pharmaceutical Professionals Association

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Rutgers University

675 Hoes Lane West

Piscataway, NJ 08854

Turning

SAPA 2016

Career

Development

Workshop

Point

Prelim

inary Program

Co-Organizers:

iJOBS

What’s New and Why You Should Attend

Content – Hot career topics on real concerns

Format – Multiple parallel, interactive discussions instead of a series of presentations

Facilitators – Many experienced career experts and practitioners

Participants – Professionals from different career stages

Career Fair – Multiple global and local companies recruiting talents

Network – Best network opportunities with many mentors

Outcome – Create the individual “aha” moment and career turning point

The significant problems

we face cannot be solved

at the same level of

thinking we were at when

we created them. - Albert Einstein

“

Thinking back over your life, do you remember a pivotal moment where your life took a turn and transformed from one

state to another? That point often starts from a revelation “aha” moment. That is the Turning Point.

Many of us share similar dreams. We want to be successful. We study hard and work harder. Yet at different career

stages, we often find ourselves lost or stuck. Difficult to find the desired job. Or have the suffocated feeling of hitting the

bamboo ceiling which kept us up at night. “How and when will I get my big break?” What are the hidden rules to be

successful?

Turning Point is an all-new SAPA career event, to address these key

concerns. Instead of listening to presentations from successful

executives sharing their experiences, we will organize facilitator-led,

in-depth interactive discussions and based on the hot topics, tailored

to individual’s career stage, interests, and needs. Here are a few

examples of the hot topics with your feedback:

• Smarter in network: How to benefit from mentors and sponsors

• Becoming politically savvy

• Enhance cultural fluency and become a better communicator

• Practical job hunting guide

The aim of these parallel sessions is to identify the common elements of career development barriers or derailers and

clarify myths with practical solutions. In many cases, when it comes to individual career planning and development, there

are probably no absolute right or wrong answers, rather a set of optimized solutions. Don’t underestimate the power of the

mindset change, self-reflection, and deep engagement. At the end of this workshop, you will take away the best practical

answers for yourself and create that magical aha moment.

Life begins at the end of your

comfort zone. So if you’re

feeling uncomfortable right

now, know that the change

taking place in your life is a

beginning, not an ending. - Neale Donald Walsch

“ Other than the hot topics, we are also planning other content-rich

activities throughout of the day. This includes a career fair with

great networking opportunities. Several global and local

pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well recruiters

will attend this event.

Turning Point will be a premier SAPA career event to generate

significant and practical impact to participants’ understanding on

career development and advancement, and to foster their career

growth. This year we are fortunate to collaborate the workshop

with the co-organizers American Association of Pharmaceutical

Scientists (AAPS) and iJOBS Program from Rutgers University..

The registration to the workshop is now open at http://2016sapacdw.eventbrite.com. We are looking forward to meeting

you at the workshop. Together, we will learn, explore, and network with career development experts, colleagues, and

friends to get to your own turning point.

Turning Point

SAPA Career Development Workshop

• 8 ~ 9 am Registration Lobby

On-site registration will be limited and will incur higher fees

Breakfast with Session Leads and Panelists Lobby

Get a chance to engage early to share your concerns and learn

• 9 ~ 9:45 am All-Hands Session: Create Your Personal Turning Point Main Auditorium You don’t want to miss this exciting session to prepare your mind for an exhilarating exploratory journey. Learn

better ways to engage, interact and grow. You will not only get a better understanding on the hot topics offered at

this workshop, but also on how to develop your own career, and live a balanced and productive life.

• 9:45 to 10 am Coffee break

• 10 am ~ Noon Workshop Parallel Morning Sessions − Each session will start with an introduction to the scope of the discussion

− Interactive discussion on case studies (quite often derived from the real-life examples)

− Offer theoretical consideration and practical guide

− Based on the feedback from the participants, some sessions (marked with *) will be offered both in the

morning and in the afternoon, so you can benefit from different perspective.

• Practical Job Hunting Guide: From Résumé, Cover Letter, to Interview Skills* Whether you are a new graduate or a veteran professional, this session is designed for job-hunters and career-

changers. To get a desired job in today’s highly competitive job market, apart from your education, knowledge

and ability, you need good job-hunting skills to make yourself better known and visible amongst other job

seekers. This session will provide practical tips on job hunting, skills on writing résumés and cover letters,

preparing for job interviews, and identifying common interview traps.

• Understanding the Drug Discovery and Development Phases, and Major Line Functions* Drug discovery and development is a long and complex process. Quite often it involves different functions and

disciplines. Many students and job seekers have asked the question on what other functions and career

options are available other than what they have been studying. This session provides a general overview on

drug discovery and development and answer the questions on the roles and pre-requisites of some major line

functions including:

- Clinical development and operations (including CROs)

- Drug Regulatory Affairs (DRA)

- Business Development and Licensing (BD&L)

- Project Management (PM)

- Health Economics and Outcome Research (HEOR)

- Formulation, Analysis, Process scale-up, and Technical Transfer

- Drug Safety and Epidemiology (DS&E)

- Statistical Analysis and Programming

- Medical Writing (MW)

• 10 am ~ Noon Workshop Parallel Morning Sessions (Cont.)

• Becoming Politically Savvy* This will be a truly an eye-opening session. Many people consider “politics” a dirty word and try to stay away

from it. Yet, they don’t seem to be able to escape the office politics and often become the victims. Why just

being nice is not enough? Do I have to speak up? How do I improve my EQ scores? How do I become better

at dealing with the conflict among my colleagues? This session will explore the common pitfall and traps and

will provide concrete suggestions to becoming politically savvy.

• Enhance Cultural Fluency and Becoming a Better Communicator* This session will help students, employees, and managers communicate appropriately and deal effectively with

professors, colleagues, and customers from different backgrounds. At the end of the session, you will be able

to

- Adjust your communication style (verbal and nonverbal) to better communicate across cultures;

- Identify yours and others' cultural filters and their effects on communication;

- Develop strategies that promote cross-cultural communication and a healthy work environment;

- Recognize and avoid potential cross-cultural conflict;

- Address the concern of accent reduction and polish your speaking skills

• How to Manage Your Boss* Contrary to popular belief, managing your boss/professor is YOUR responsibility. How often do you have a

“nice” boss in the beginning who then becomes your worst enemy? Do you really understand your boss?

Successfully managing your boss is a critical skillset needed to survive and thrive in the workplace: do you

understand your boss and do you see things from his/her perspective. This simple exercise will help you to

successfully manage your boss and may ultimately lead to your career advancement.

• Smarter in Network: How to Benefit from Mentors and Sponsors?* “It’s not what you know, but who do you know.” Ranked as the Number 1 topic from the pre-workshop survey

conducted, this session will no doubt attract many participants. We all would like to have a better network ––

but how to do it smarter is another story. Do you truly understand the difference between “Mentors” and

“Sponsors”? Do you need them both? Why are they important? How do you find the mentors and sponsors

that are suitable to you? Come and learn the secrets.

• Career Choice: Working in the US, China, or Other Emerging Countries? Together with the vast economic development in China, pharmaceutical companies have also emerged quickly

in recent years. This has created many opportunities for the talented Chinese scientists and professionals

educated in the US to consider returning to China or other emerging countries. We have heard many different

stories with both positive and disconcerting outcomes. This session will be an open dialogue to explore the real

benefits and risks an interested individual will likely face.

• Augment Leader Capabilities Whether you are already a leader or aspire to be one, this session is not to be missed! Being a true leader is

not just having a “BIG” title – it also comes with the responsibilities and associated stress and headaches.

Don’t confuse the term “leader” with “boss” –– these two are very different. Talking about career development

requires this discussion and we are glad to offer the opportunity to dive into the necessary skillset needed to

become a better leader. We will also explore the ways to participate in different initiatives and workstreams,

and to grow professionally and productively.

• 10 am ~ Noon Workshop Parallel Morning Sessions (Cont.)

• Gap Analysis on Professional Competencies and Identifying Career Stallers – Lominger

Competencies Do you consider yourself a “perfect employee” yet find yourself without any upward movement on the career

ladder? What happened? Why didn’t I get that promotion? This session will use the Lominger Competency

method to identify the gaps on the company’s expectations of you, and what you need to further improve. We

will also be looking for some common career stallers. You may experience your “aha” moment at this session.

• Noon ~ 1 pm Lunch break

• 1 ~ 3 pm Workshop Parallel Afternoon Sessions

• Step-up and Get Involved in Student and Professional Organizations Getting involved and serving as a volunteer within professional organizations such as SAPA provides many

benefits and network opportunities for professional development. This is not only applicable to many

colleagues with extensive experience, but there are many opportunities attracting junior scientists and

professionals as well. Serving at the student organization can also sharpen leadership skills. You will hear

many exciting, real-life examples from those who benefitted from both internal and external involvements.

• Should I Consider Getting an MBA?

Many SAPA members and friends have earned advanced degrees in the life sciences. Some have considered

getting an MBA as well. But is it really necessary? What will you learn from an MBA program? This session

will share insight on the common MBA curricula, and will provide a cost-benefit analysis to help you to make an

informed decision. At the end of the session, you will have a better understanding of how an MBA may

increase your career opportunities.

• Career Direction: Transition and Switch Whether fresh out of school or after many years in industry, choosing your career direction is rarely a one-time

decision. You may face this important question several times in your career. This session will explore more

options including becoming a consultant or setting up your own company as an entrepreneur. Can you explore

an entirely different field? Hear real-life practitioners share their insights and experiences to help you to make a

better decision.

By popular demand, we will also offer some sessions again in the afternoon:

• Practical Job Hunting Guide: From Résumé, Cover Letter, to Interview Skills*

• Understanding the Drug Discovery and Development Phases, and Major Line Functions*

• Becoming Politically Savvy*

• Enhance Cultural Fluency and Becoming a Better Communicator*

• How to Manage Your Boss*

• Smarter in Network: How to Benefit from Mentors and Sponsors?*

• 3 to 3:30 pm Coffee break

• 3:30 ~ 5:30 pm Career Fair and Vendor Showcase

Many global and local companies and headhunters will be participating this event. This career fair will also provide

a great opportunity for:

• Onsite interviews

• Networking

• Vendor showcase to better understand the company cultures

• Group discussions with focused topics

6 ~ 8 pm Group Dinner with Workshop Faculties (optional)

Makkoli Seafood Buffet

415 Rt. 18 South

East Brunswick, NJ 08816

Phone: (732) 967-8900

http://www.makkoliseafoodbuffetnj.com/

2014-2015 SAPA Corporate Sponsors

2015-2016 SAPA Corporate Sponsors