To further your career development, explore these opportunities and online resources.
UMN and local opportunities
- Boreas Sustainability Leaders at the Institute on the Environment. Offers graduate and professional students and post-doctoral fellows free co-curricular leadership development opportunities that build on the strengths of graduate education to create effective change agents.
- Teaching. If you're planning a career in academia, teaching opportunities for postdocs, often with a mentorship, can be arranged at local colleges and universities, as well as the University of Minnesota.
Online resources
- National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD): An independent professional development, training, and mentoring community for faculty members, postdocs, and graduate students. UMN has an institutional membership; see the UMN NCFDD webpage to activate your UMN Individual Membership.
- ScienceCareers: Many articles about surviving your postdoc and transitioning on to the next stage of your career. Also an excellent system called myIDP for putting together your individual development plan for helping you focus on skill building and planning for your next career moves.
- Postdoc Academy: A comprehensive online program built on the National Postdoctoral Association core competencies to support skill development throughout postdoc training, from orientation to the next career step.
- CheekyScientist: Videos, articles, and podcasts aimed at assisting graduate students and postdocs in transitioning to industry positions.
- Burroughs Wellcome Fund: Articles and books about the right moves when transitioning to a tenure-track faculty position.
- Beyond the Professoriate: Webinars and other resources to help you prepare for a career outside of academia.
- NIH Office of Research Integrity: Resources and training on the responsible conduct of research (under “RCR Resources” tab).
- NIH Training and Career Development Resources for Postdocs and Early Career Scientists
- Negotiating a job offer: Guidance from the University of Illinois Graduate College.
- Interviewing tips for online interviews: Directed at leadership/administrative positions, but tips are relevant for everyone.
Online learning
- Training Modules to Enhance Data Reproducibility, from NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
- Develop a personal website through Google or Drupal with the help of UMN IT guides online.
- Online training and Self-help guides from UMN IT on a variety of topics including Google tools, Drupal, SAS & JMP, Excel, etc.
- CrashCourse on Youtube: Educational videos on a variety of topics including philosophy, psychology, and history.
- Coursera offers many free online learning courses from leading universities and companies.
- Academic and Career Support (from UMN Graduate School): Workshops and resources to help with CV development, job searches, etc.
Mental wellbeing
- Mindfulness Mondays: Online Stress Buster sessions: Weekly informal hour of meditation and light movement from the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing.
- Learn to Live: Online programs based on the proven principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).