Written by: Eric Deutsch, Qasim Mehdi, Mengyi Zhang and Linghui Meng The EMPOWER program helps trainees prepare for their professional careers regardless of what sector they may choose to work in. For our final class of the semester on May 1st 2020, four seasoned science professionals, Dr. John Campbell (USFS), Dr. Doug Burns (USGS), Dr. Laura Lautz (NSF), and Mr. Curtis Bixler (BHP) joined us for a virtual career panel. During the session, the panelists gave brief introductions and then shared their own career trajectories. During a lightening round, they outlined weekly work routines and provided suggestions on valuable skills trainees should develop to help them in the future. The panelists recommended that the trainees pay special attention to honing their networking acumen as well as their basic science and technical skills. To conclude the session, they answered specific questions regarding their research and individual professional experiences.