Weeklong workshop teaches sciences majors the skills of business

Did you know that there is a professional way to eat a salad? Sarah Keyser didn't and it was one of the many things she learned at the Science Career Development Workshop.

The workshop, which aims to teach business skills to Rider science majors, held its second annual program in January. Prior to the beginning of the spring semester, students returned to campus for a week of workshops and presentations, many led by Rider alumni.

This year’s workshop grew from 17 to 29 students. “It was a really nice cross section of the student body of the sciences,” says Dr. Laura Hyatt, associate professor in the Department of Biology, who runs the workshop with Gary Nath ’66, owner of the Nath Law Group and chair of the University’s Science Advisory Board.

Nath funds the program with Roseanne Branciforte, managing director at Pharmagistics. He first thought of the idea for the workshop in July 2013, and it was launched in January 2014 with Hyatt’s help. “Career Services does offer these workshops, but our science students just don’t have the time during the semester," she says. "We wanted to bring the knowledge to them, all in one place and at one time."

During the course of the program, the students worked on developing their business skills. They practiced networking, proper self-presentation, how to find job opportunities and how to get jobs. “It was the soft skill stuff, like how to dress in the workplace, how to behave, what's appropriate cell phone behavior — things that students may not know, but need to hear," says Hyatt. "Knowledge that might seem obvious such as 'dress for the job you want, not the job you have' is novel to them."

Jeremy St. Thomas, a sophomore biology/mathematics dual-major, attended the program and says he is now much more confident about his career choice. “I learned the skills needed outside of the lab to make me stand out as a scientist. Thanks to this workshop, I learned about numerous different paths I can take as a science major. It opened my eyes to other opportunities."

Sarah Ann Keyser, a senior majoring in behavioral neuroscience, also attended the program. “This was one of the most amazing experiences I've had so far at Rider University," she says. "We learned the tools and tasks to use in the workforce that most of us were nervous about. I now have the confidence to exchange business cards and begin a network to improve and aid my career goals.”

The workshop also allowed alumni to get involved with students, who were able to speak with people who actually worked in their field. Ken Dombrowski ’82, who manages his wife’s medical practice, ran a workshop about MBA business analysis, which taught students how to investigate companies and decide who they want to work for. Wright Seneres ’97, a member of Rider University’s Board of Directors, and his wife, Alice, gave a presentation on how to dress for success.

Another presenter was Gregory Olsen, President of GHO Ventures, LLC, in Princeton, N.J., and an angel investor with a doctorate in engineering. “At one point, he showed a video of himself up in the international space station," Hyatt says. "His talk gave students the sense that they could be entrepreneurial in their choices."

In addition to speaking and presenting, more than 15 alumni came to give the students practice in networking. Students were able to meet inventors, engineers, chemists, physicists and medical doctors engaged in all kinds of work. "They got to meet these professionals in a safe place and practice their interviewing techniques," Hyatt says. "Because it was practice, they were allowed to mess up on the interviews, and it was all OK.”

The students weren’t the only ones benefiting from the program. “I was talking to all of the alumni and every single one of them said, 'I wish you had done this when I was coming through!’" says Hyatt. "Having the alumni involved not only as speakers, but also in the networking workshop was really fantastic.”

To learn more about the Science Career Workshop planned for next year, contact Dr. Laura Hyatt at [email protected].