Career Planning Resources and Links

Career Planning Resources

Individual Development Plan for Postdoctoral Fellows  - The Individual Development Plan outlines a planning process to help postdocs identify their short- and long-term career and professional development goals and serves as a tool to facilitate communication about these goals between postdocs and their mentors. NYU Postdocs are encouraged to produce an IDP to provide professional development needs and outline career objectives. IDP’s serve as an important communication tool between individuals and mentors, and can be used when discussing a postdoc’s development and goals during the annual performance assessment required by PI’s for their postdocs. Click here for a Sample Annual Review which serves as a model for conducting an annual review of training and professional progress and establishing a research and training plan for the future. Both documents were drafted by the FASEB and can be found online at www.faseb.org

Self-Assessment and Self-Evaluation - helps you to identify your skills, interests, values and personal preferences in work environments. Self assessment and self-evaluation can assist you in developing career decision-making strategies and allow you to articulate your strengths in resumes and interviews. See below for some useful self-assessment and self-evaluation tools: 

• NPA's Core Competencies Self-Assessment Checklist
• Myers-Briggs Test (MBTI): a questionnaire that describes your personality and preferred way of interacting in work environments. One of the many free online tests can be found at HumanMetrics. 
• Functional Skills: Knowing Your Strenghts - worksheet compiled by Standford University Career Development Center
• Clarifying Your Work Values: Knowing What's Important to You -  worksheet compiled by Standford University Career Development Center

Career Resources: Non-Academic Job Search

Resume Writing

•  Resume Writing Samples - Examples
• "CVs for Postdocs Leaving Academia" - Career Doctor article from ScienceCareers.org 
• "How to Write a Winning Resume" -  ScienceCareers.org article by Peter Fiske
• "CVs That Open Industry Doors" -  ScienceCareers.org article by Dave Jensen

Resume Writing

• Interviewing Skills 

Social Media for Scientists

•  Seeking Work in the Social Net - ScienceCareers.org article by Cliff Mintz
•  LinkedIn's How-to Guides
•  Social Media for Scientists - Scientific American article by Christie Wilcox
•  5 Clever Ways to Get a Job Using Social Media - article by Dan Schawbel, Mashable
•   ResearchGate Wants To Be Facebook For Scientists - by Alex Knapp, Forbes
•  Cracking Open the Scientific Process - by Thomas Lin, New York Times
•  Managing Your Professional Networks - by Mary Canady, Comprendia.com
•  6 Things You Need to Know About LinkedIn Recommendations - by Linda Coles, Mashable
•  Social Networks for Academics Proliferate, Despite Some Doubts - by Katherine Mangan, Chronicle of Higher Education 

Networking and Professional Societies 

•  American Chemical Society  
•  American Physiological Society
•  Association for Women in Science (AWIS)
•  BIOCOM
•  Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)
•  National Postdoctoral Association

Career Articles and Links of Interest:

Career articles of interest:

• The Chronicle: Career Paths for Life Scientists 
• The Chronicle: How to Plan for a Career Before You Have One
• New York Academy of Sciences Magazine: Deciding What to Be with a PhD
• Peter Fiske: Putting Your Degree to Work: Practical Career Strategies for Scientists
• Peter Fiske: Opportunities: Research Inc.
• Peter Fiske: From geek to chic"
• ScienceCareers.org: Mastering Your Ph.D.: Preparing for Your Post-Ph.D. Career
• ScienceCareers.org: Transferring Skills into Career Options
• English Communication fro Scientists (with example cover letters, CVs, etc.)
• Webinars from AAAS ScienceCareers
• Communicating Science: Tools for Scientists and Engineers from AAAS
• 38 common non-academic, non-industry career paths for PhD-level life scientists
• Career Paths for Life Scientists
• Important Considerations for a Career in Biotech by Suzanne Kenned

• NYU Postdoc Bio Career Center
• PhDs.org - career resources for scientists
• ScienceCareers
• Resume, CV, Cover Letters
• Postdoctoral Study
• General Career Resources and Information
• Careers in Academia
• Careers in Biotech/Pharma
• Careers in Business
• Careers in Writing/Media
• Careers in Marketing/Consulting
• Careers in Nonprofit
• Careers in Science Policy/Governement