Overview

Discover essential strategies to navigate postdoctoral appointments successfully in this informative webinar. Learn to identify and avoid common pitfalls that can hinder scientific career progression, and gain valuable insights on recovering from setbacks. Explore the importance of taking control of your career, developing a strategic and personalized plan, and leveraging your postdoc experience for future success. Gain confidence in recognizing your value proposition, understanding transferable skills, and effectively negotiating benefits. Acquire tips on adapting to research group dynamics, handling challenging mentor relationships, and maintaining professional flexibility. Master the art of career planning, including creating individual development plans, seeking funding opportunities, and maximizing professional development. Equip yourself with the knowledge to make informed decisions and thrive in your postdoctoral journey and beyond.

Syllabus

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
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 learned
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 Leader is to develop skills and seize opportunities that will allow for the efficient delivery and (verbal and non-verbal) communication of that value
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
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
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 funding experience Know that your work also has everyday applications
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
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 interviews, from Reading, conferences, linkedin, other contacts
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
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 professional - it is like another job Build in flexibility and contingencies
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: Interview current and former postdocs
Staying with a Pl who is toxic • They steal your work They take the glory They ruin your reputation • They crumble your self-confidence
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
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 rescind the offer if you do Your salary and compensation package will determine the every other for the rest of your life You will need certain "benefits like prof dev opps to advance as a scientist
Not Negotiating: The FIX Negotiate! Think in terms of "compensation package" Find out what is negotiable
Present-postdoc, post- postdoc Being inflexible In collaborations, in the research, in every aspect of the postdoc In your career planning approach
Being Inflexible The Fix Look for, plan and get ready to move with life's unexpected twists and turns Have contingency plans ready
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 your university's postdoc office
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
One-on-one Career Consulting for Emerging/Established Scientists and Engineers Results-Oriented Professional Leadership Development for Scientists and Engineers Speaking - keynotes, workshops, training