Panthea Nemat - PhD student at CNCR

What does your job entail?

I am doing my PhD at the CNCR where I work on the molecular engram of aversive memory. It is a varied job including a lot of aspects such as gaining theoretical background, reading and coming up with a hypothesis, and brainstorming with your colleagues and supervisors. There are also the practical aspects of conducting experiments and working with animals, performing surgeries and behavioral tests, extracting brain tissue or collecting blood samples. I am doing wet lab experiments including the analysis of proteins using different techniques like Immunohistochemistry, Western Blot, Mass spectrometry and Microscopy. After gathering all your data, you perform statistical tests and present the collected results at lab meetings and conferences. Doing a PhD also includes regular meetings with your promoters. Every PhD student has two promoters.

What do you think of the working climate you are in?

I am really happy at the VU and it has a friendly atmosphere and everyone collaborates well. I get good input and guidance from my promoters as well. Prior to this, I have also worked in labs where the atmosphere was not so nice and not very collaborative. There can also be competition within the institute itself that can be quite harsh. I would say choosing a good supervisor and finding that right click is super important. Another important thing is to ask other fellow students who have worked in the lab about the working environment and supervision style, or you can directly ask your supervisor about how they lead their PhD students .

How did you find this PhD position?

A really good idea is to actively engage in Twitter because so many professors advertise their positions there. The network also helps you to find out what is happening in a particular lab, regarding new publications and so on. If you find an interesting topic, email the professor and ask if there are any open positions available.
I got this position via my supervisor of my Master's thesis, Sabine. While I was working at the NIN, she saw my work and found that I would be a suitable candidate for the open PhD position at her department. I would say to choose your internships wisely, as you can never know whether an opportunity for a PhD student position is waiting around the corner.
Also, attending conferences and making contact with the professors whose work you find interesting might be a good start for finding open positions in their lab.

What was the application process like for this PhD position?

It depends on the institute you are applying to. For me it was fairly easy. I had to submit a motivational letter, grades, and a CV. After that, I got invited for an interview, where I had to present one of my internship projects within 15 minutes followed by questions on that topic. It was a panel of four professors that I had to present too. However, one of my friends, who applied for a PhD position at a different institute, had to go through five rounds of interviews, so it depends on the institute you are applying to. Check the requirements for the particular job you are applying for. In general, you should be well prepared about the topic you are presenting and also be confident about the position you are applying for.

Did you follow any courses for this position?

For working with animals you have to follow a laboratory animal science course, and I did mine in Utrecht which was a 3-week course. This course covered topics such as anatomy, diseases, surgery, research practices, practical sessions with rodents and ended with an assignment and an exam.
Moreover, while doing your PhD, you are also part of a graduate school which basically includes collecting a certain amount of ECTS during your PhD. So, every year you have to follow some courses, or attend conferences of your choice. You don't have to take exams for the courses you are following.

How did you add your references for this position?

I had two references in my CV with their email addresses and both of them got contacted by my current boss. So, it is important that you do good work during your internships as you may need these references later .

What is the most unexpected question you were asked to answer during your interview?

For me it was more content related questions, like one professor asked where is the memory located? For a moment, I was taken aback by that question because it seemed so trivial to me. But, I was actually more surprised that they did not ask anything along the lines of how I would handle difficult situations or challenges, the more generic or expected questions.
While preparing for the interview, I read a book on how to prepare for job interviews. You can also find job interview preparation questions online which might be a good idea to look into. For interviews generally you should be well prepared, rehearsed and rested.

Do you have any tips on how to prepare for an interview?

For my interview, I had to present my internship project for 15 minutes. So, I basically took my master thesis presentation and changed it to make it more accessible to the people who might not be related to the field. I had rehearsed my presentation many times to be able to present it smoothly and in a natural way without sounding like a robot. It also gave me the confidence that I can present it well within the given time of 15 minutes. Apart from that, I prepared questions for the interview about open questions regarding the PhD position.
I also practiced it with one of my internship supervisors. So, we went through the presentation together and he gave me feedback on what to exclude from the presentation, how to say things in a better way and what changes to make to the layout that was really helpful. After the presentation, we did a mock interview which helped me tremendously, as it gave me an idea on what kind of questions to expect.

Apart from this position, did you apply for other positions?

I  applied to a lab in Switzerland as well. I just emailed the professor and asked if there were any open positions in his lab. It was a lab I had in mind for a long time, but sadly there was no position available.

When did you start applying for a PhD ?

I got invited right after my master thesis presentation for this position. It was not a long application process for me. I think you should start looking for positions at least 6 months before or even a year before you want to start a PhD, just so you know where you have an opportunity and where not. It also helps the professors to know that you are interested in their work and a possible position with them.

Would you recommend doing a PhD right after your master's or first get some work experience?

I would say that the internships during your Master's give you a lot of working experience already. I would have liked to take a small break after the Master's degree. However, when this position came up and I felt that it was the right next step for me, I had to take this opportunity. So, sometimes you just have to go with the flow and not cling to a specific plan.

Do you have any tips/recommendations for us now that we are going to apply for various positions?

I would say keeping good connections with your supervisors is really important.Always stay in touch using Twitter or LinkedIn because you will need those connections for your future work. Reach out for help if you want to practice presentations for your job interview. Don't be shy to reach out to your supervisors, they will support you and will be happy to help you. You can also reach out to any PhD students you have worked with during your internships, they can also help you prepare for your interview. Always be well prepared for your interview and presentations. Preparing questions is important. Always choose your internships and supervisors wisely. If you know which direction you are going, choose your supervisor accordingly. Do what you're passionate about. for me, I am especially passionate about behavioral neuroscience which I found out quite early, during my Bachelor's internship, and then I chose my next career steps accordingly. So, finding out what you actually like is imperative. For your Master's internship be sure of what techniques you want to learn and how that would help you for your future career. And lastly, having a work-life balance is important. Having hobbies on the side is really helpful.

How did your expectations about the job match reality?

In my opinion just being able to focus on my own research is really amazing. Start early to organize yourself pretty well, because you alone are responsible for the work you are doing and the progress of your project. Research can be hard, sometimes you will need to work long hours, maybe even on the weekend, and that is something you have to be ready for. On the other hand, I think it is nice that research actually gives you the possibility to be flexible and adapt your working hours to what actually suits you. Some people are most productive in the morning, whereas others prefer working in the evening. Apart from that, you need a really good supporting network during your PhD. So, investing in forming a good network with your colleagues, but also family and friends is important.

Contact info: p.nemat@vu.nl