Anna Drangowska-Way graduated from the University of Virginia, where she studied the metabolism and genetics of tiny roundworms called C. elegans. She was awarded the Jefferson Fellowship for her work. Currently, Anna is an Intern at the Office of Scientific Meetings & Conferences at FASEB (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology) and a Communication and Outreach Subcommittee member in the Genetics Society of America Early Career Leadership Program. She has published science pieces for broad audiences and was a Teaching Assistant for a Communicating Science to Any Audience course. Anna served as the Chair of ComSciCon at UVA and co-organized the Forum for Interdisciplinary Dialogue: Academics and Media. You can connect with Anna through LinkedIn. 

Can you describe your academic and professional background? What path led you to pursue this field? 

I pursued my doctoral studies at the University of Virginia after obtaining a Bachelor's and Master's in Biotechnology from the University of Wrocław, Poland. During my PhD studies, I realized I did not want to stay in academia, but I didn’t know what other options I had, so I searched for information and advice. At UVA, I discovered the PhD Plus program designed to help graduate students explore post-PhD career options. I took full advantage of the program. 

I attended workshops and career panels. I also conducted informational interviews. My career exploration and skills development took about three or four years.

The information I gathered allowed me to realize that the most exciting options were Science Communication and Event Management. I was considering starting my career in either of those. 

Towards the end of my PhD journey, I decided to accept an offer related to Event Management, and I am currently developing my career in that direction. However, I still pursue Science Communication activities. I am a part of the Genetics Society of America Early Career Leadership Program, where I work as a Communication and Outreach Subcommittee member. 

How did you find this particular position, and what was the hiring process like? Is there a typical structure for this in your field? 

Pursuing a graduate degree can be exhausting, and towards the end, I decided I wanted to slow down and find a part-time position, but at the same time move towards the career track, which was interesting for me. One of my LinkedIn connections shared a website featuring my current position. The offer was exactly what I wanted at the moment. It aligned well with my career interests, and it was a part-time position, just as I wanted. I immediately applied and was offered an interview within a few days. After the interview, I was asked to give contact information to three people who could serve as references. After HR connected with my references, I was offered a contract within a few days. I think the skills and experiences in event management that I gained as a graduate student helped my resume stand out from other internship applications, making me an attractive candidate, which helped me get the position.

Can you tell us about your current responsibilities? What is a typical day or week like in your role?

The Office of Scientific Meetings & Conferences, where I am an Intern, consists of a few meeting managers responsible for organizing FASEB’s conferences. I co-host FASEB’s online conferences with the Meeting Managers using the Zoom platform. My duties also include completing various tasks necessary to organize a conference, from preparing travel information for attendees, answering emails, helping with preparing conference reports, updating websites, helping with marketing materials, and many more. 

Organizing a science conference is a long process that lasts more than a year. As we move through the conference organizing cycle, we need to complete different tasks. For that reason, each week, I am performing various tasks. One day it can be preparing an emergency plan for a conference, the other updating website, and the following day I am preparing a report. The important thing is to keep track of which tasks were already completed for each conference (we manage more than 50 conferences at any given moment) and meet the deadlines. Project Management skills are handy in this job.

What do you enjoy about your current job and work environment? 

I enjoy my team! It is always a pleasure to be a part of a professional and friendly team. Since day one, I felt welcomed. Besides that, I have a good growth environment. I can always ask questions, and my team teammates are happy to answer. When I started, my knowledge about event organizing was basic, but during my first months at FASEB, I learned about many aspects of conference organizing and learned new skills. 

I also appreciate work-life balance and flexibility. There are days when I need to stay longer because we are co-hosting the conference, but once I close my laptop, I don’t need to think about my duties, and I can focus on family and hobbies. Event Management can get very busy, and the hours are not always 9-5, especially when you need to manage in-person events. Still, I find it suits my current personal needs better than the academic environment. 

What are some of the challenging aspects of your job? Is there anything you wish you had known about your job or industry before joining?

The most challenging aspect of event management right now is the pandemic. Planning in-person meetings is more challenging. We need to ensure everyone will be as safe as possible and meet all local guidelines. There are always uncertainties regarding lockdowns or government restrictions that planners need to consider. 

What’s changing in your industry? Are there any future trends we should be aware of?

Due to the pandemic, conferences turned online, and many people saw the advantages of online meetings; others preferred in-person conferences. The middle ground is hybrid meetings, which are becoming increasingly popular. This kind of meeting requires more planning, but it may become the future of the meetings industry.

What activities, internships, or organizations would you recommend someone get involved with to help them break into this field? 

I think the best starting position would be to get involved with student organizations at your university. Start by organizing small events, panels, student conferences, etc. That will allow you to build foundations for organizing an event and what you need to think about when organizing a meeting or conference. If you have a chance, volunteer to organize bigger events at your university or events organized by scientific organizations. Volunteering to organize events will allow you to build a skill set and network within those organizations. It would be easier to break in if you have already shown reliability and organization. The third step would be what I am doing right now that is to find an internship. An internship is an excellent opportunity to build skills in a professional setting.

Is it common for people in your field to have a scientific/academic background (i.e., have PhDs)? Can you think of any advantages or disadvantages someone with a PhD might experience while pursuing or working in your field?

No, it is not common for people in my industry to have a PhD. I think I’m the only person on my team with a PhD degree. The disadvantage may be that breaking into the event management industry can be more challenging since PhD holders may not have skills and experience specific to organizing an event. They will compete for a given position with someone more experienced in organizing events (thus, internships and extracurricular activities are essential to gain that experience).  

However, getting a PhD means that you have developed project management skills, which are very helpful. I had a few science projects on my plate during grad school, but I also did extracurricular work. Because of this, I had to juggle a lot of responsibilities. Juggling several projects taught me how to handle all the different projects, keep on track, and have all the information and to-do lists very organized. I think this skill is beneficial for me at the movement. Since I have handled multiple projects with different deadlines before, I know how to handle them without a problem and accomplish my tasks on time. What is essential, several of my projects were event organizing projects, which helped me familiarize myself with this specific kind of project. 

Do you have any final words of advice for those navigating these career questions? Is there anything you would have done differently given what you know now? 

I would say start as early as possible. Skills take time to develop. Some events take a whole year to organize, and if you want to build event organizing skills, the more different kinds of events you organize, the better. Each event would have its hurdles. By organizing them, you will learn how to manage those obstacles and avoid making mistakes in the future. Having some event organizing background will help you show your future employer that you know how to handle scientific projects and events. 

I would also add that you don’t need to choose one career path after graduating. You can explore, and your career doesn’t have to be linear. I am an Intern in the Event Management industry, but I’m still involved in Science Communication because I enjoy it. One day, I may go back to Science Communication, merge those two, or even switch to something completely different if I find it exciting. The world is full of possibilities, and new jobs are emerging. Think about what kind of life you want at the moment, what values are essential for you and match a job to your needs.