Charting a Path to Advance Your Career

By Hassan M. E. Azzazy, PhD, SC(ASCP), DABCC, FACB

I did not start out with a plan or vision to develop my career trajectory.

From my start as a biochemistry graduate at Alexandria University (Egypt) to my current role as professor and chair of a chemistry department, leader of an active research group, and director of a medical laboratory scientist training program at the American University in Cairo, my career advancement has been the result of hard work.

I had a desire to innovate, the courage to cross disciplines, a passion to contribute to society, and took advantage of opportunities as they arose. This includes active participation in work activities and committees, working with multidisciplinary teams and attending national and international professional clinical and scientific meetings. At conferences, I have gotten to meet recognized scientists and clinicians and establish opportunities to collaborate with colleagues from different countries.

If I were to offer advice to others on ways to build their own career path, I would suggest you start by identifying what you are best at. Then, seek out work opportunities that match your skills. Augment your skills by attending professional workshops, obtaining professional certifications and moving toward your target goals.

I have earned multiple professional certifications in clinical laboratory medicine in chemistry and molecular diagnostics. Training workshops that I’ve attended cover a broad spectrum of topics from technical skills (i.e., chemical security, making recombinant antibodies, neurochemistry) to “soft skills” (leadership, change management, and countering corruption).  

By becoming highly specialized in a certain area, you become an expert in this field and can achieve recognition. However, in addition to becoming expert in a given field, be aware of “neighboring” fields and think about how you can improve your expertise by transferring knowledge across different disciplines.  

Hassan M. E. Azzazy, PhD, SC(ASCP), DABCC, FACB, is Professor & Chairman of the Department of Chemistry, Leader of the Novel Diagnostics & Therapeutics Research Group in the School of Sciences & Engineering at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, and a global innovator at Texas Christian University, in Fort Worth, Texas.