Building an Actionable Career Plan
open toolkit
Introduction
Mentor Interviews
Introduction Video References
- Vincent et al, Individualized Development Plans aren’t just more paperwork, Molecular Cell 58, 2015.
- T. W. H. Ng et al, Predictors of objective and subjective career success: A meta-analysis, Pers. Psychol. 58, 367–408; 2005.
- Langin, K., In a first, U.S. private sector employs nearly as many PhDs as schools do, Science, 2019.
- Moore, M., The Changing Landscape of tenure-Track Positions, HigherEd Jobs, 2019.
- myIDP tool, https://myidp.sciencecareers.org/, Science Careers (career exploration and planning tool for STEM PhD students and postdocs).
- ImaginePhD tool, https://www.imaginephd.com/, (career exploration and planning tool for Humanities & Social Sciences PhD students and postdocs).
Reflection Prompts
- In what areas (career, personal development) do you feel most equipped to support your mentees?
- How can you still support them in areas where you feel less equipped to do so?
- Are there areas that the mentee did not mention in their plan that you think are important for them to include? How could you support them?
Additional Resources
Read
- Haak, L., A career-development plan for postdocs, Science, 2022.
- Gould, J., Career development: a plan for action, Nature, 2017.
- Sinche, M., et al, An evidence-based evaluation of transferable skills and job satisfaction for science PhDs, PLoS One, 2017.
- The Salmon Leap for PhDs: Swimming upstream: A transition from Academia to Industry, Matteo Tardelli (book).
Watch
- The Fantasy, the Ideal, and the Reality of Career Exploration, UCSF MIND.
- PhD Career Change | My Roadmap for success, Andy Stapleton.
Listen
- How to check your readiness to leap out of academia, from the Postdoc Transformation Podcast.
- Career and Time Management Advice, Faculty Factory Podcast.
Act
- Career plan templates and instructions to build a career plan, The Postdoc Academy.
- Worksheet to set S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals, Tracy Costello, Coach for postdocs.