To advance in your career and succeed in your first non-training position, you will need skills beyond the bench. As the National Academies pointed out in its 2005 report, Bridges to Independence, many of those skills have not been explicitly or thoroughly taught to young scientists. It is very important to realize that you may need some support in areas such as job search skills, job offer negotiation, grant writing, and lab management. Talk to your PI, take advantage of the many career development opportunities on campus, and visit some of these resources to strengthen these often-overlooked, but critically important skills.
Entering Mentoring (A Seminar to Train a New Generation of Scientists)
Writing a Letter of Recommendation
Science Policy Resources Database: Airtable – The National Science Policy Network
Resources for Developing an Individualized Development Plan (IDP)
The National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity offers career, professional, and networking development resources for its members. As an institutional member, Ohio State faculty, post-doctoral researchers, graduate students, or anyone with or pursuing a doctorate have access to the following resources at no cost to you:
- Weekly Monday Motivator
- Monthly Core Curriculum Webinars
- Monthly Guest Expert Webinars
- Access to Multi-Week Courses
- Access to Dissertation Success Curriculum for graduate students
- Private Discussion Forum for peer-mentoring, problem-solving, and moderated writing challenges
- Monthly accountability buddy matches
- Access to 14-Day Writing Challenges
- Access to the Member Library that includes past webinar materials, referrals, and readings
The Versatile PhD is a resource for those looking to explore non-academic career options. Ohio State faculty, staff, and recent graduate alumni (within one year of graduating) have access through Ohio State.
Imagine PhD is a career exploration and planning tool for those in the humanities and social sciences.
My IDP helps PhD students and postdocs in the sciences examine career interests and goals.
The National Postdoctoral Association helps postdocs by providing career resources and advocating for postdocs on an institutional and national level. Current OSU postdocs have an automatic NPA membership upon beginning their appointment.
Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) seeks to enhance excellence in STEM undergraduate education by preparing future faculty for careers teaching in STEM fields at institutes of higher learning. Ohio State is a member of the CIRTL network, and membership is FREE for all postdoctoral scholars. Register here with an Ohio State email address.
NIH Podcasts:
“All About Grants” Podcast on Writing a Fellowship Application
Preparing for grant e-submission: a tutorial for postdocs
Talking Science: Designing and Delivering Successful Oral Presentations
Creating and Presenting Dynamic Posters
Communicating Science: Tools for Scientists and Engineers
Zippia: a Career Exploration Tool
Zippia provides an overview of various career paths available to researchers – qualifications, typical salary, desired skill sets, and job openings.
2020 Career Handbook from Science
This guide from Science seeks to offer practical information for the job search and professional development.
Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty
In 2006, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) released a new edition of this excellent publication. The contents are derived from BWF-HHMI courses in lab leadership and management. In this free PDF, you will find advice on topics such as obtaining a faculty position; project management; data management and laboratory notebooks; getting published; and teaching and course design.
The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB): Careers
The ASCB has a multitude of career development resources available to postdocs, as well as access to free PDF versions of three career books: Career Advice for Life Scientists; Career Advice for Life Scientists II; and Life Sciences Research & Teaching: Strategies for the Successful Job Hunt, along with a collection of career strategy articles from the society’s newsletter.
NIH Trainee Workshop Handouts and Presentations
The NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE) makes most of the proceedings from their events for grad students and postdocs at the NIH available for anyone, anywhere to access for free. Visit this page to find a wealth of career resources (videocasts and presentation files) from their past events, including information about presenting and publishing your research, project management, job searches in academia and industry, interviewing, and even business etiquette.
iBiology: Job Hunting in Industry – Searching, Applying, Interviewing, and Negotiating
iBiology posted a four-part video series on “Job Hunting in Industry: Searching, Applying, Interviewing, and Negotiating for a Scientist Position in Biotech and Pharma,” presented by Bill Lindstaedt, the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Career Advancement, International and Postdoctoral Services at the University of California, San Francisco.