A New Resource for Career Success

Like most APS members, I belong to a number of professional societies. I am a fellow of, and have been a member of, the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) for more than 30 years. Within ASAE, I have chaired committees, given dozens of talks, written articles and more. ASAE is my professional home, an invaluable community, a place where I can give back and a critical resource for my career and professional development. 

Although needs may change, learning is a lifelong process. Every year, I try to develop new skills and improve as leader. And every three years, I am required to renew my Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential, proving that I have completed a set number of professional development hours. The time I spend engaged in professional and career development obviously has a personal benefit, but as important, it makes me a more effective and capable leader for APS. 

While the roles of scientific researcher and educator may be different, the need for continuous professional and career development is the same. APS members engage in a whole host of activities that go beyond science. They must communicate effectively, inspire, lead groups, chair meetings, manage change, build consensus, promote themselves and their work, bring in grant money, mentor young colleagues, build networks and facilitate collaboration, to list just some of the skills necessary for a successful scientific career. 

During the past two years, we have been engaged in an in-depth process to evaluate and expand the value we provide to our members. While APS offers extensive scientific resources, we realize all of our members, regardless of career stage, would benefit from expanded career and professional development offerings as well. 

Over the summer, we asked hundreds of members—via discussions, surveys and polls—to help us better understand their career wants and needs. The feedback we received was invaluable. As a result, we are excited to launch a brand-new initiative this year: the APS Career Gateway. 

Initially, The Gateway will launch as an online professional development portal, but it will expand to include seminars, webinars, mentoring, career coaching and more. The online portal will provide APS members with an ever expanding library of critical leadership and career advancement content, focused on three career tracks: researchers, educators and trainees. At launch, topics will include having difficult conversations, building and managing a team, science communication, inclusive teaching, designing curriculum and syllabus, seeking funding, rigor and reproducibility, and more. 

The Gateway will also become the new home for our jobs board, which will be reimagined and expanded in the coming months. 

You can find the Career Gateway portal at www.physiology.org/CareerGateway, with more than 60 different content pieces—articles, blog posts, interviews, symposia and videos. We encourage you to check back often for new resources that we’re in the process of developing to meet your needs. As we continue to expand and enhance the portal in the coming months, I look forward to hearing from you about the resources and improvements you would like to see in the future. Email me at ssteen@physiology.org to share your ideas. 

Scott Steen, CAE, FASAE, is executive director of the American Physiological Society.

This article was originally published in the November 2021 issue of The Physiologist Magazine.