Postdoctoral Career Development: Gather Your Building Blocks for Success

1
Postdoctoral Career Development Gather Your
Building Blocks for Success

• Presented by
• Kristin Walters, Ph.D. Jennifer Hobbs, Ph.D.
• Postdoctoral Research Associates
• St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital

2
Workshop Objectives

• To demonstrate simple and basic methods for a
  successful career development program
• To determine how to find and invite valuable and
  motivating speakers
• To highlight ideas for establishing a cost
  effective career development program
• To identify the career resources for postdoctoral
  career development

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Workshop Outline

• Initiation and development of a career
  development program
• Implementation of a career development program
• Small group discussion

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Time to show you how we used basic steps and
resources to build a Career Development program
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Survey your Postdoc Population

• Create a postdoctoral survey at your institution
• Suggested question topics
• Top career goals
• Interest in government, industry, academia
• Interest/timing of participation (Monthly?
  Afternoons?)
• Type of training events desired (interviewing
  skills, panel discussions, seminars, etc.)

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St. Jude Postdoctoral Survey

• The Postdoctoral Association Council of St. Jude
  distributes an annual survey to the postdoctoral
  population.
• Online to improve response rates (via
  SurveyMonkey.com)
• Topics cover entire postdoctoral experience
• Career Development questions cover career goals,
  learning preferences, opportunities for
  suggestions

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Compilation and Analysis of Results

• Compile the results
• Analyzed to determine interests and needs
• General career goals
• Years as a postdoc
• Age
• Gender

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Postdoctoral Survey Results

• Postdoctoral Association Annual Meeting
• All postdoctoral fellows are invited to attend
• Presentation of survey results
• Discussion of results
• Open forum for suggestions

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Sample Questions

• Which option below best fits your current career
  goal? Please check all that apply.
• Are you aware of the current employment trends
  for Ph.D. and/or M.D. level scientists?
• How many career development events did you attend
  over the past year?

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Sample Questions

• Below is a list of past Career Development
  events. Please rank the top 5 events that you
  found to be the most informative and helpful.
• How would you like assistance in reaching your
  career goals?
• From which career development forums do you
  believe you receive the most benefits?

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Some Additional Considerations

• Get support from current faculty and staff
• Look to postdoctoral alumni for participation in
  career development events
• Organized access to alumni and networking
  opportunities

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Career Development Series

• Compile a list of the top results from the survey
  and annual meeting
• Develop a plan incorporating the survey results
• Most requested events
• Grant writing seminars workshops
• Industry speakers
• Professional Development Plan (IDPs)
• Job fair

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Consult Additional Resources

• Past Career Development events at St. Jude
• NPA Core Competencies www.nationalpostdoc.org
• Scientific Skills
• Research Skills
• Communication Skills
• Professionalism
• Leadership Management
• Responsible Conduct of Research
• NIH Postdoctoral Career Development
• http//www.training.nih.gov/
• UAB Industry Roundtable
• http//main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki47488

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Review of topical list

• Establish a committee of Faculty Members and
  Postdoctoral Fellows to review the topical list
• Utilize this committee to generate specific
  speaker ideas

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Budget

• Determine your budget
• With budget in mind, begin compiling a specific
  list of possible speakers
• Travel costs
• Honorariums
• Free local speakers
• No matter the budget, it is possible to put on a
  fantastic career development series!

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Step-by-Step Approach to Scheduling Workshops and
Seminars

• Design a Schedule
• Speaker Invitations
• Workshop/Seminar Preparations
• Carry Out Workshop/Seminar
• Follow-up

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Designing a Schedule

• Plan Ahead and Start Early!
• Consider a list of topics and speakers
• Search for local contacts, institutional
  contacts, former postdocs, friends and family
• Consider speakers from the NPA or scientific
  meetings
• Consider dates and times
• Compile all information onto a calendar of
  approved speakers

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Inviting Speakers

• Start Early!
• Divided year into 6 month blocks
• Invitation cycle begin 2 months prior to first
  event in a 6 month block
• Start with local speakers for early events,
  distance speakers for later events
• Initiate speaker correspondence via acquaintance
  of the speaker
• Utilize PI and postdoc to gauge speakers
  interest in participating

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Inviting Speakers

• Develop a format letter that can be easily
  adapted
• All correspondence should explain
• Institutional description and location
• Seminar series goals
• Topic of the event
• Suggested goals and structure of the event
• Possible dates for participation
• Provide deadline for agreeing to participate
• Provide deadline for submission of handout
  materials
• Solicit any additional requests

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Preparing for the Workshop or Seminar

• Arrange for space and A/V setup well in advance
• E-mail and post online a full list of event
  information
• Complete all arrangements for the speakers
  arrival and presentation early
• Seminars- Request handout or presentation
  materials from speaker (Deadline 1 week prior to
  event)
• Send e-mail reminders to postdocs 1 week prior to
  event
• Utilization of Outlook Meeting Requests
• Advertise on campus
• Send e-mail reminders that day

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Carrying out the Workshop or Seminar

• Place sign-in sheets and copies of handout
  materials or speakers presentation at entrance
• Be prepared with speaker introduction and extra
  questions to ask the speaker at the end of the
  event
• Allow for time after the event for direct
  interaction between the attendees and the speaker

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Follow-Up Thank You to Speakers and Event
Evaluations

• Send thank you note or e-mail to speaker
• Post or distribute handouts and/or presentation
• Send 8-10 question evaluation to all attendees
  (Free via SurveyMonkey.com)
• Make note of changes for a repeat of the event
• Evaluate whether this event should be repeated
  and timing of repetition

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St. Jude Career Development Seminars (2008-2010)

• Monthly seminars (2008-2009)
• Two seminars per month (2009-2010)
• Postdoctoral Professional Development Event
  (2007-2010)
• 1-3 weeks each March
• Poster session
• Oral presentations
• Workshops
• Career development guest speakers
• Scientific seminars

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St. Jude Career Development Seminars (2008-2010)

• Understanding VISAs
• Presenting Your Best Self
• Networking/Information Interviewing
• Professional Networking for Career Advancement
• Strategies for Balancing Your Work and Your Life
• Demystifying the Faculty Job Search Process
• Mentoring Roundtable
• Teaching at Rhodes College A Panel Discussion
• My Road to Becoming a Medical Science Liaison
• NIH Career Development Awards (K-Series Grants)
• NIH Career Development Awards (F32 Grants)
• Careers in Technology Transfer
• Postdoctoral Funding No U.S. Citizenship
  Required!
• Career Paths in Biotech The Childrens GMP (Good
  Manufacturing Practice Facility)
• Beyond the Bench Exploring Careers in Scientific
  Writing/Editing
• Awesome Abstracts and Polished Posters
• Individual Development Plan Workshop
• Alternative Careers in Science Panel Discussion
• Recruiting 101 A Look at the Recruiting Industry

• Networking to Advance your Career
• Making the Transition to your Next Career
• The NIH Loan Repayment Programs
• Getting Your Research Published - Surviving the
  Reviewers
• Lets Talk - Scientific Seminars
• How to Survive and Succeed in Academia
• Networking for Your Career
• Grantsmanship Series - Small Research (R03) and
  Exploratory/Developmental (R21) Grants
• Grantsmanship Series - The Anatomy and Physiology
  of a Grant Application
• Lets Talk - Chalk Talks
• Funding opportunities for Non-U.S. citizens
• U.S. Immigration Q A for Post Docs Work
  Permission Considerations When Changing Employers
• An Introduction to NIH F32 Awards
• Pathways to Permanent U.S. Residency
• Teaching at a Liberal Arts College The Rhodes
  College Experience
• Women in Science Discussion Finding a Balance
  Between Life and a Career in Science
• Putting Your Science to Work
• Grant Writing Workshop

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Other Career Development Resources

• Training events offered by the NIH
• http//www.training.nih.gov/
• NPA Resources (Topics Speakers)
• http//www.nationalpostdoc.org/careers/career-plan
  ning-resources
• NPA Core Competencies
• www.nationalpostdoc.org
• FASEB Career Resources Information
• http//www.faseb.org/MARC-and-Professional-Develop
  ment/Career-Resources.aspx
• Training events offered by the Medical College of
  Wisconsin
• http//www.mcw.edu/display/docid3970.htm
• AAAS/Science Resources
• http//sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/

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Postdoctoral Career Development Gather Your
Building Blocks for Success

• Presented by
• Kristin.walters_at_stjude.org
• Jennifer.hobbs_at_stjude.org
• Postdoctoral Research Associates
• St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital