The Biggest Mistakes to Avoid in Postdoc Appointments and How to Recover From Them

The Biggest Mistakes to Avoid in Postdoc Appointments and How to Recover From Them

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Pre-postdoc, Present- postdoc, post-postdoc Not negotiating for benefits" - hard, soft, one- time-only, health, professional dev, conference travel It is expected you will negotiate They won't rescin…

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Pre-postdoc, Present- postdoc, post-postdoc Not negotiating for benefits" - hard, soft, one- time-only, health, professional dev, conference travel It is expected you will negotiate They won't rescin…

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The Biggest Mistakes to Avoid in Postdoc Appointments and How to Recover From Them

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  1. 1 The Biggest Mistakes You Should Never Make in the Postdoc and How to Avoid or Recover From Them Alaina G. Levine Quantum Success Solutions AGU Career Center - 13 September 2012
  2. 2 What typical' mistakes one can make: Preparing for the postdoc appointment Selecting a postdoc appointment In the postdoc appointment Following the postdoc appointment How one can recover Lessons lea…
  3. 3 Fixing Your Thinking Know Your "Value Proposition" You create value = your scientific know- how You have leadership potential - vision, strategy, execution, enabling success Your role as a Scientific…
  4. 4 Quantum Key: "Value Proposition" You have a lot more career opps than you realize Your scientific skills and the skills you developed as a scientist are HIGHLY PRIZED by many Industries
  5. 5 Excellent problem solvers Adaptive and flexible Disciplined approach - esp for PhDs Computing, data management skills Can solve a prob from the ground up Don't accept things just the way they are
  6. 6 Are both holistic and detail-oriented Understand how the physical world works Project management and teamwork - large-scale, diverse, across continents Tapping into your current network Finance and f…
  7. 7 Where does Your Value as a Geological Sciences PhD come from? Your scientific know-how The skills you developed in the process of achieving the PhD
  8. 8 Take charge of YOUR career Be completely honest with yourself Realize you have transferrable value and skills Do the skill inventory matrix Do a SWOT Do Research on other career paths: Informational …
  9. 9 Pre-postdoc, present- postdoc Staying in the postdoc "bec there's nothing else to do" Key: Don't wander aimlessly from postdoc to postdoc FIX: Free yourself from feeling desperate for a job
  10. 10 Staying in the postdoc "bec there's nothing else to do" The FIX Have a strategic plan My Individual Development Plan: Have timelines, milestones, activities you will do as you complete your IDP Be pr…
  11. 11 Not understanding the research group ecosystem • FIX: Note the communication methods, channels, cues of your PI FIX: Note your role in the group FIX: Note how often the Pl is physically there FIX: In…
  12. 12 Staying with a Pl who is toxic • They steal your work They take the glory They ruin your reputation • They crumble your self-confidence
  13. 13 Your reputation and mental health are on the line! Talk to someone who you trust Plan an exit strategy . Don't burn bridges Be professional, even if there are not • Don't talk trash about them
  14. 14 Pre-postdoc, Present- postdoc, post-postdoc Not negotiating for benefits" - hard, soft, one- time-only, health, professional dev, conference travel It is expected you will negotiate They won't rescin…
  15. 15 Not Negotiating: The FIX Negotiate! Think in terms of "compensation package" Find out what is negotiable
  16. 16 Present-postdoc, post- postdoc Being inflexible In collaborations, in the research, in every aspect of the postdoc In your career planning approach
  17. 17 Being Inflexible The Fix Look for, plan and get ready to move with life's unexpected twists and turns Have contingency plans ready
  18. 18 Be wary of a mentor who is absent, on sabbatical, or runs a large lab Don't burn your bridges Communicate with your mentor Postdoc positions are a two-way street with you and your mentor Make use of …
  19. 19 Apply for your own funding Look for a place that offers professional development Ensure you accomplish noticeable tasks during your postdoc, such as publishing papers and presenting at conferences
  20. 20 One-on-one Career Consulting for Emerging/Established Scientists and Engineers Results-Oriented Professional Leadership Development for Scientists and Engineers Speaking - keynotes, workshops, traini…

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