Science Writer Says Being Scared Could Be a Good Sign

Name: Jerald Pinson (he/him)

PhD: Biology, University of Florida, 2020

What is your current job?

I am a Science Writer for the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, Florida.

I primarily write press releases for research conducted by museum scientists. I also occasionally write feature stories, put together a monthly newsletter, and pitch story ideas to journalists and freelancers.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

I get to learn something new every day, and I work with an incredible cohort of researchers who are utterly fascinated by the natural world.

I also have a lot of creative freedom in my role. Press releases can be boring to write after a while, so I spice things up by trying out new writing techniques and doing more background research than is required to add interesting tidbits of information that press releases often lack.

What is the most important skill you developed or experience you had during your PhD that now helps you in your current position?

Being able to quickly read and understand scientific articles and extracting their most important ideas or discoveries without getting tripped up by the jargon or any grandiose theories they might contain.

How did you build the skills necessary for your current role?

I initially got into science writing by starting my own blog, then began freelance writing for a few outlets. That got my feet wet, but I didn't really dive in until I started doing science writing internships. I was a 2019 AAAS Mass Media fellow, which definitely helped, but the skills I developed came from putting pen to paper for a variety of different scientific disciplines (biology, physics, natural history, geophysics, conservation).

Rule of thumb: If an opportunity scares you, that's often a good sign. Try out all the things you're interested in!

How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?

A friend sent me the job opening.

PhD student ➡️ AAAS Mass Media fellowship ➡️ science writing internships ➡️ PhD graduation ➡️ science writer

If someone is interested in a similar role, what would you recommend they start doing now to prepare?

Start writing and read widely. It's best if you can publish your work somewhere, even if it's just for a blog, but the writing itself is the most important thing.

Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?

It was a difficult decision but also the right one. Academia prioritizes funding, especially R1 institutions, which means your creative ideas are monopolized for profit. All I wanted to do was learn and tell stories about the natural world, not run a business.

Go with your instincts when making that decision.

What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?

Try many different things and talk to many different people. You won't know if there's something out there that you like unless you find it first.

And for those interested, what was your main area of research?

I studied plant diversity and evolution. I used a variety of genetic techniques and field-based monitoring to determine how ferns are related to each other and how their unique life cycle allows them to survive adverse conditions.