The mission of the MidSouth Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Society is to foster collaborative research in bioinformatics and computational biology by providing a forum for scientists of various backgrounds and disciplines to interact to solve biological, health and/or biomedical problems using computational tools. Student research has always been a prominent component of the annual conference, which can be seen in the activities such as student awards, preconference hands-on workshops, and career development activities. Career development is an integral part of MCBIOS’ commitment to its trainee members. Professional skills including communication, planning, teamwork, and project management are valued by employers across a wide range of sectors. MCBIOS recognizes that it is important to promote an environment where these skills can be developed and also provide the necessary resources to our trainee members. Furthermore, the career development session offers an enhanced experience to help trainees identify and develop an individualized career plan for themselves. 

The goals of this session are:

1) To present trainees with a breadth of career-related resources

2) To provide a framework for career trajectory and planning

Topics that will be addressed include: social media for science careers, career options in academia, career options in industry, career lessons learned, career planning, and identifying resources.