Develop a mutually agreed upon Postdoctoral Career Development Plan
with your trainee.
A Postdoctoral Career Development Plan (CDP) is a professional tool which outlines long-term and short-term objectives that you and your postdoctoral trainee have identified as important steps in his or her professional development. Provide prospective postdoctoral trainees a copy of the Postdoctoral Career Development Plan during the recruitment stage. Use this document to guide discussions regarding the prospective trainee’s career goals and objectives.
The Career Development Plan highlights core competencies of a successful postdoctoral experience. The first five core criteria are universal for all postdoctoral positions and are required modules.
REQUIRED:
1. Scholarly Activities
2. Publication Plans and Activities
3. Presentation Opportunities
4. General Transferrable Professional Development
5. Career Specific Professional Development
However, each postdoctoral appointment is unique. If applicable, four additional fields with drop-down features are available for your postdoc to further design a postdoctoral experience to meet his or her personal career goals.
IF APPLICABLE:
6. Instructional Training and Experiences
7. Clinical or Applied Experiences
8. Scholarly Independence Plan
9. Customized Career Competency
This plan also serves as a benchmark for your postdoc to conduct an annual self-assessment and will contribute to your assessment of your postdoc's progress.
After a postdoctoral candidate accepts your offer of a postdoctoral appointment, work with him or her to formalize an initial Career Development Plan which your postdoc must submit to the Center for Postdoctoral Affairs at postdoc@hs.pitt.edu within the first 90 days of his or her appointment. Career Development Plans are required annually and you must provide an updated Career Development Plan for your postdoc, along with the other required paperwork, as a condition of reappointment.
Download the Postdoctoral CDP >