Sections and Interest Groups: A Career Development Perspective

摘要

The ASA is a large and diverse organization, bringing together statisticians working in areas such as sports, health care, manufacturing, defense, and national security. Each area may make use of different methodologies and applications, so it is a good idea for all statisticians-especially those in the early phases of their careers-to join a section or interest group (IG) to develop professional skills in the areas of their interest. Sections and IGs are subject-area and/or industry-related communities that offer avenues for personal and professional development. Membership provides opportunities to attend specialty conferences (e.g., International Conference on Health Policy Statistics), workshops (e.g., Preparing to Teach and the ASA Biopharmaceutical Section Regulatory-Industry Statistics Workshop), short courses, webinars, and roundtables on diverse topics. Participation in these activities improves technical knowledge and helps members build connections with experts. In addition, many sections and IGs sponsor mentoring, leadership, and networking activities that can be extremely useful for junior statisticians. Some sections have an established mentoring program around conferences, whereas others have year-round programs. These development opportunities can focus on technical topics or soft skills (e.g., presenting, writing, and networking). Because sections and IGs are always looking for volunteers and participants in their activities, getting involved is a great way to quickly build a professional network and develop leadership and organizational skills.