This intentionally-designed series blended OACD programming with top-rated virtual content to give advanced doctoral students and postdoctoral trainees at Pitt access to an expanded set of sessions covering a variety of career development skills, career options, and key transitional steps that help identify, prepare for, and succeed in landing the next step of your career (see the career-specific stage and the career transition stage of the ADAPT model for more information).
List of acronyms: BtP: Beyond the Professoriate; HSLS: Health Sciences Library System; NPA: National Postdoctoral Association; OACD: Office of Academic Career Development; VPhD: VersatilePhD.
-
January 11, 2023OACD: Resume Writing Roundtable: Going from So-So to Stellar
-
Time: 3:30-5pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Carolyn Kerr
Description: Take your resume from so-so to stellar! This session, facilitated by Carolyn Kerr, a lecturer in the Katz Graduate School of Business and communications consultant with The Communications Academy, will teach you how to effectively prepare and market yourself to those outside of academia. As it is the first step in landing an interview, you want a resume that communicates your experience to employers. In this unique, flipped-class session, you will bring a draft resume and work virtually in pairs and with professional guidance, to optimize the impact of your messaging. The outcome will be an impactful resume that you can use to launch your career.Please come prepared by:
- Briefly review the information on this website, which provides instructions on how to convert your CV to a resume: https://icc.ucdavis.edu/materials/resume/cv/convertingcv
- Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTGTmNuz-zo
- Using this information, create an industry-focused resume or one tailored to a job you have in mind.
During the live and interactive session, you will share this resume for peer-to-peer review and feedback, receive coaching from the presenter, and get additional questions answered pertaining to employment communications-related topics.
Presenter Bio:
Carolyn Kerr is a communications specialist with decades of experience in both marketing and instructional communication. She has created or co-created workshops for clients including Ford Motor Company, DaimlerChrysler, Equitable Resources and Koppers, Inc. In addition, she has written the materials for Toyota’s Leadership training workshops. Workshop topics have covered Assessment and Selection as well as Performance Management. On the print writing side, she has completed pieces including annual reports, capabilities brochures, websites and more. In addition, she has written everything from TV commercials to training programs and how-to videos.
On the academic side, Ms. Kerr is celebrating 25 years as a part-time lecturer in the University of Pittsburgh’s College of Business Administration. She was the long-time course coordinator for Fundamentals of Business Communication, a course she co-created and continues to teach. It focuses on such areas as: interpersonal skills, written communication, presentation skills, employment communication, intercultural communication and other key business communication challenges.
Ms. Kerr earned a Master of Arts degree in Radio-Television with a minor in Journalism from Ohio University. Her area of specialization was Cross-Cultural Communications. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in education from Duquesne University.
Ms. Kerr is a past member of the American Society for Training and Development and the Society for Human Resource Management.
She has served on the boards of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Red Cross (including as Secretary and Vice Chair), Family Services of Western Pennsylvania, the Pitt News and South Hill Interfaith Ministries -- now Movement (including as Chair).
-
January 18, 2023BtP: How to Find a Job You'll Love
-
Provided by Beyond the Professoriate
Time: 12-12:30pm ET
Location: Virtual
Description: You’ve heard that PhDs can be happy in a nonacademic career, but will YOU be? How can you find a career that will be intellectually engaging, rewarding, and challenging? Join Beyond the Professoriate to learn how you can find a nonacademic career where you will thrive, engage in meaningful work, and be connected to people and projects that matter to you.
This virtual workshop is uniquely designed for doctoral students, PhDs, and postdocs from all academic disciplines who are wondering:- What non-academic careers will be intellectually engaging and rewarding for someone from my discipline?
- What non-academic careers will offer me the same flexibility and independence as a career in academia?
- How to identify specific job titles worth pursuing.
This webinar is sponsored by the Global Higher Education division of ETS®.
Presenter: Beyond the Professoriate
-
January 18, 2023VPhD: Turning a PhD to Consulting and Start-Up Careers
-
Provided by The Versatile PhD
Time: 2pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Nick Edwards, PhD
Description: PhDs in the sciences and humanities are in high demand from the world's leading consultancies as well as new and innovative start-ups. But navigating the transition from academic work can be challenging.Nick Edwards completed his PhD in Neuroscience at Brown University and the NIH before jumping into these exciting career areas, while also helping PhDs in their own career journeys. Join us for a lively discussion about the current state of the market and what it may take to succeed in the consulting and start-up worlds.
Presenter Bio: Nick Edwards completed his PhD in Neuroscience at Brown University and the NIH. After a short postdoc at UCSD, he moved into strategy consulting at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and commercial strategy at Illumina. In the last few years, Nick has been building biotech startups, as an early employee, investor, and company founder. He's also the host of the Once a Scientist podcast, where he interviews scientists about their career journeys as a resource for early-career researchers.
-
January 24, 2023HSLS: Evaluating Journals: Discovering Where to Publish
-
Provided by University of Pittsburgh, Health Sciences Library System (HSLS)
Time: 1-2pm ET
Location: Virtual
Instructor: Stephen Gabrielson
Description: This session will cover a wide range of publishing topics to help you find a relevant and reputable journal to publish your work. Learn how to put your article manuscript into a framework, using tools to find journals based on your publishing preferences and funder requirements. Evaluate journals based upon best practices and ethical publishing standards to avoid predatory journals.After this class, participants will be able to:
- Describe how to put your manuscript into a framework to identify relevant journals.
- Assess the quality of a journal based on factors such as journal operations, discoverability, transparency, and trustworthiness.
- Explain the harm, impact, and characteristics of predatory journals.
- Understand how journal evaluation frameworks can be limited.
-
January 25, 2023BtP: What Can I Do With My PhD
-
Provided by Beyond the Professoriate
Time: 12pm ET
Location: Virtual
Description: How can PhDs build meaningful and impactful careers after their degree or postdoc?Now more than ever, PhDs work in a variety of career fields, leveraging their education and training wherever smart people are needed.
But how exactly do PhDs successfully job search? What are the proven strategies you can apply to successfully build your career?
Join us on January 25th at 12 p.m. ET where you will learn how to use the PhD Career Training Platform as part of your job search.
After attending this presentation, you’ll be able to:
- Determine which job searching path is right for you: academic or non-academic
- Challenge misconceptions you may have that are blocking you from finding rewarding, meaningful work outside the academy
- Reduce overwhelm by breaking both academic and non-academic job searches down into four discrete stages
- Find resources on our platform that will help you move forward in your job search, no matter where you’re looking for work or what stage of the process you might be in.
Presenter: Beyond the Professoriate
-
February 1, 2023BtP: On-Campus Academic Job Interviews
-
Provided by Beyond the Professoriate
Time: 12-12:30pm ET
Location: Virtual
Description: It’s the time of year in the academic job market cycle when on-campus interviews are taking place. Maybe you’re waiting to hear back after having completed some screening interviews. Or maybe you’ve already booked your on-campus interview dates, and you’re wondering what to expect.
Join the Beyond the Professoriate team to learn how best to approach an on-campus interview and how to effectively pitch yourself as the candidate for the role.
This virtual workshop is uniquely designed for doctoral students, PhDs, and postdocs from all academic disciplines who are wondering:- What do I need to prepare for my on-campus interview?
- How can I request information from an institution to prepare properly?
- What kinds of questions will the hiring committee ask me?
- How can I adapt to unexpected situations that might arise in an interview?
This webinar is sponsored by the Global Higher Education division of ETS®.
Presenter: Beyond the Professoriate
-
February 2, 2023OACD: How to Make Your First Industry Job Your Dream Job *VIEW RECORDING*
- Time: 3:30-5pm ET
Location: Zoom
Instructor: Kerry Boehner
Description: This workshop showed you how to identify your dream job and provided practical steps to understand the industry landscape and job opportunities, best market yourself, and ensure interview success in landing your ideal role. It takes a ton of effort, but it's worth it in the long run!Presenter Bio: Kerry Boehner is a national recruiter in the pharma, biotech, and medical device industries, and she launched her own recruiting firm in 2001. While her clients are focused on the East Coast, Kerry is a strong proponent of Pittsburgh-based firms and she is cheering for their success. While her clients (companies) hire her to recruit for their firms, Kerry empowers candidates (scientists) to do their best in interviews and on the job. Her best piece of advice -- always, always send a thank you email to all on your interview list. And remember that everyone is doing the best they can.
-
February 8, 2023OACD: Career Options in Research Administration: Pathways for PhDs Passionate about Academia *VIEW RECORDING*
-
Time: 3:30-5pm ET
Location: Virtual
Moderator: Darlene Zellers, PhD
Panelists: Katelyn Collinger, MA; Evan Facher, PhD, MBA; Shannon Valenti; Jennifer Woodward, PhD; and Bill Yates, PhD
Description: Are you looking for a way to make an impact in academia outside of the lab? Watch this session to learn about exciting career paths across the university that are ideal for PhDs like you! Research administration is a profession that is broad, ranging from managing and implementing research initiatives, to ensuring compliance with institutional policies and federal laws, to helping researchers apply for and obtain grants and manage funding. In this presentation, learn about what kinds of jobs are available, what skills and experiences are required, how you can position yourself to be competitive, and why you would find career satisfaction in research administration.Moderator Bio:
Darlene F. Zellers, PhD, is the associate vice chancellor for academic career development, health sciences; director, Office of Academic Career Development (OACD), Health Sciences; director, Center for Postdoctoral Affairs in the Health Sciences; and associate dean for postdoctoral affairs in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In her leadership role with the OACD, she is responsible for developing professional career development programs and services for biomedical scientists and clinical investigators within the University’s six schools of the health sciences (dental medicine, health & rehabilitation sciences, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health). The OACD serves the University’s academic health science community, including graduate and medical students, postdoctoral fellows, residents, clinical fellows, and faculty at every level of experience, by providing full-spectrum academic career development training and support. Regarding postdoctoral affairs, she is additionally responsible for overseeing postdoctoral training, personnel management, and professional career development across the schools of the health sciences.
Panelists' Bios:
Katelyn Collinger, MA, is a Research Recruitment Facilitator for the University of Pittsburgh Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI). She has a background in community counseling and worked as a research assistant and eventually as a coordinator in youth bipolar disorder research at UPMC Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic and at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, Ontario Canada. After returning from Canada, she worked in sleep research as a research coordinator at UPMC before transitioning to the CTSI. She has over 13 years of research experience.
Evan Facher PhD, MBA, is Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Associate Dean for Commercial Translation in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Director of the Innovation Institute at the University of Pittsburgh. In this role, Evan promotes the commercial and societal potential of faculty and student discoveries, and works with regional businesses to enhance the Pittsburgh regional innovation ecosystem. Most recently, Evan was President/CEO of SironRX Therapeutics, a private, clinical-stage company developing novel drug therapies. Prior to this, Evan worked in Bayer Healthcare’s medical device division as General Manager of its Pittsburgh Interventional business. During this tenure Evan also served as Executive Director of Corporate Development overseeing company strategy and M&A. Evan started his career as Senior Manager Business Development at the biotechnology company Athersys, where he was a business development leader creating partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies. Over his career, Evan has been involved with corporate fundraisings bringing in nearly $100 million from venture, strategic partner and grant sources as well as a leader in company and product acquisitions totaling over $600 million of investments. Evan holds a Ph.D. in Human Genetics from the University of Pittsburgh an MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship from Case Western Reserve University and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Miami (FL).
Shannon Valenti is the Executive Director of Regulatory Science & Research Facilitation at the Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI). In this facilitative role with 25+ years of research experience, Shannon helps answer researchers and their teams’ questions to speed the process of review, approval, and learning.
Jennifer E. Woodward, PhD, serves as Vice Chancellor for Sponsored Programs and Research Operations and Professor of Surgery and Immunology in the School of Medicine. Previously, Dr. Woodward was Associate Vice Provost for Research Operations, Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs in the School of Medicine, and Executive Director for Research and Academic Affairs at the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute. Jennifer has extensive experience negotiating in an academic culture – sitting on both sides of the table. She is an alumna of ELAM, the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine program, which is a year-long fellowship for senior women faculty dedicated to developing the skills required to lead and manage in today's complex health care environment. Jennifer has received additional training in negotiation under Catherine Morrison, a nationally recognized negotiation consultant specializing in academic healthcare.
Bill Yates, PhD, has been a faculty member at Pitt since 1994, and is currently a Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology in the School of Medicine. He has maintained a laboratory funded by NIH since 1990, and is currently principal investigator on an NIH T32 and an R01 grant. He is also an accomplished educator, winning many teaching awards including the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Alongside his academic accomplishments, Bill has established a role at Pitt as a research administrator, and is currently the Vice Chancellor for Research Protections. In that role, he oversees many research regulatory functions of the University, including those related to human and animal subject research, conflict of interest, research integrity, biosafety, radiation safety, and export control.
-
February 15, 2023BtP: How to Market Your PhD
-
Provided by Beyond the Professoriate
Time: 12-12:30pm ET
Location: Virtual
Description: As a grad student or postdoc, you might be wondering what you can do with your PhD. Where can you apply your skills and experience outside of academia in a meaningful and rewarding way? And how can you communicate your value to potential employers?
Join the Beyond the Professoriate team to learn how to identify your most marketable skills, and communicate those skills to employers in industry.
This virtual workshop is uniquely designed for doctoral students, PhDs, and postdocs from all academic disciplines who are wondering:- How do I find a nonacademic career path where I can use my skills and experience?
- What skills do I have that employers are looking for in job candidates?
- How do I articulate the value that I bring to industry positions?
This webinar is sponsored by the Global Higher Education division of ETS®.
Presenter: Beyond the Professoriate
-
February 21, 2023HSLS: Preprints: How, Why, and Should I?
-
Provided by University of Pittsburgh, Health Sciences Library System (HSLS)
Time: 12-1pm ET
Location: Virtual
Instructor: Stephen Gabrielson
Description: This class will introduce how preprints fit in the publication process, cover preprint facts and myths, and address questions such as “Can I still publish in a peer-reviewed journal?” and “Where should I post my preprint?” Anyone who is interested in learning about and discussing the pros and cons of preprints are welcome to attend.After this class, participants will be able to:
- Define what a preprint is and explain how they are different from other manuscript versions.
- Describe the benefits of posting preprints.
- Understand the different publishing models related to preprints and how to find the right preprint server for your work.
-
February 28, 2023NPA: Industry
-
Provided via the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA)
Time: 3pm ET
Location: Virtual
Instructor: Ian Mangion, PhD; Christopher J. Rhodes, PhD
Description: Many postdocs wonder about the pathway into industry without ways to learn the truth about the journey. Join two leaders from industry as they share their thoughts on the current industry postdoc landscape, discuss misconceptions about postdocs and careers in industry, clarify differences between industry and academic postdocs and positions, offer recommendations to postdocs seeking to enter industry positions, and provide insights on future trends that may affect postdocs in industry. This is intended as a collaborative discussion so bring your questions! -
March 1, 2023BtP: How to Decide Between an Academic or Nonacademic Career
-
Provided by Beyond the Professoriate
Time: 12-12:30pm ET
Location: Virtual
Description: PhDs work wherever smart people are needed. In today’s creative economy, a faculty career isn’t the only option for PhDs who are seeking engaging and rewarding work. PhDs work in every part of the economy - industry, nonprofits, higher education, and government.
But what career pathway will be right for YOU? Deciding on what to do after your PhD or postdoc can feel overwhelming, even daunting.
This special workshop series is designed to walk doctoral students, PhDs and postdocs through a series of exercises to help them evaluate career options and identify next steps in building their career either as faculty or beyond the professoriate.
When: Every Wednesday in March from 12 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET
Format: The virtual workshop will include instruction, reflective prompts and exercises, and opportunities for participants to ask questions directly to the Beyond Prof team.
Who should attend: This webinar series is uniquely designed for doctoral students, PhDs, and postdocs from all academic disciplines who are wondering:- Is a faculty career path right for me?
- What other career options are available to PhDs in my discipline?
- How to identify career pathways that are right for me?
- What can I do with my PhD?
This webinar series is sponsored by the Global Higher Education division of ETS®.
Presenter: Beyond the Professoriate
-
April 3, 2023OACD: Launching an Academic Career: Insider Information to Help You Succeed *VIEW RECORDING*
-
Time: 3:30-5pm ET
Location: Virtual
Moderator: Harry Hochheiser, Ph.D.
Panel: Teague Henry, Ph.D.; Harry Hochheiser, Ph.D.; Dwi Kemaladewi, Ph.D.; Amery Treble-Barna, PhD
Description: Are you interested in obtaining a faculty position in academia? View this session to hear from Pitt faculty about how to successfully launch an academic career. Learn about the academic job search, gain tips on how to successfully navigate this process and how to give a winning job talk, learn what the hiring committee looks at, and more. This session draws upon the experiences of Pitt faculty as well as someone who was at Pitt and hired elsewhere to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with the academic job search.Panelists' bios:
Teague Henry, PhD, is an assistant professor holding joint positions in the Department of Psychology and the School of Data Science at the University of Virginia. Dr. Henry's work focuses on developing new statistical models for use with neuroimaging data and intensively collected behavioral data. Dr. Henry uses these new methods to investigate the neural correlates of neurodevelopmental disorders and how to better develop psychological interventions for clinical disorders. He also is one of the co-directors of the MINDS program at University of Virginia, a program that provides training in data science to neurodiverse young adults.
Harry Hochheiser, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Informatics, the Intelligent Systems Program, and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Trained as a Computer Scientist, he has an active research program spanning many areas of translational and public health informatics. He is currently funded by grants from the NIGMS, NCI, NINDS, NLM, and industry partners. Dr. Hochheiser has been director of the University of Pittsburgh Biomedical Informatics Training Program since 2017. He is also co-author of the leading textbook Research Methods in Human-Computer Interaction (2e, 2017).
Dwi Kemaladewi, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She has a long-standing interest in the development of genetic therapies for neuromuscular diseases. She earned her Ph.D. in Human Genetics from Leiden University, the Netherlands in 2007, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada in 2019. As an early-career investigator, she has received the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, part of the High-Risk, High-Reward Program, for her outside-the-box thinking and trailblazing idea in translational genetics.
Amery Treble-Barna, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Clinical & Translational Science in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She has been in her faculty position since 2016. She directs a clinical research program focused on factors associated with neurobehavioral recovery following pediatric brain injury supported by K01 and R03 grants from NICHD. She is a pediatric neuropsychologist and spends a small percent of her effort in clinical service at the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Dr. Treble-Barna is also actively involved in mentoring and leadership development of pre- and postdoctoral trainees and junior faculty in PITT’s Institute for Clinical and Research Education (ICRE).
-
April 5, 2023BtP: How to Determine Next Steps in Your Academic Career
-
Provided by Beyond the Professoriate
Time: 12-12:30pm ET
Location: Zoom
Description: As someone nearing the end of their PhD or postdoctoral studies, you might be thinking a lot about what’s next. Many of your peers may be thinking about the academic job market, and your own supervisor or committee members might be encouraging you to consider it as well. But is this the right time for you to consider going on the academic job market?
Join the Beyond the Professoriate team for this virtual workshop that will help you determine how ready you are for the academic job market and what your next steps are.
This virtual workshop is uniquely designed for doctoral students, PhDs, and postdocs from all academic disciplines who are wondering:- What is the timeline for the academic job market in my discipline?
- Am I ready to go on the academic job market?
- What do I need to prepare to go on the academic job market?
- How many opportunities can I expect to find on the academic job market this year?
This webinar is sponsored by the Global Higher Education division of ETS®.
Presenter: Beyond the Professoriate
-
April 19, 2023BtP: Why You Can't Convert a CV into a Resume
-
Provided by Beyond the Professoriate
Time: 12-12:30pm ET
Location: Zoom
Description: PhDs and Postdocs often approach resume writing as a self-reflective exercise, simply translating their academic accomplishments from a CV into a two-page resume. But this is the wrong approach.
A resume is actually a persuasive document designed to convince a hiring manager to contact you for an interview. An effective resume then, is one that focuses less on your list of accomplishments and more on describing how you can help meet the needs of an employer.
Join the Beyond the Professoriate team to learn how you can draft an effective resume, while avoiding common mistakes we see PhDs make.
This virtual workshop is uniquely designed for doctoral students, PhDs, and postdocs from all academic disciplines who are wondering:- Why I can’t just convert my academic CV into a resume for professional jobs?
- What should I include in my professional resume?
- What are nonacademic employers going to be looking for in my resume?
- How can I effectively talk about all of my skills and value to employers in a 2-page resume?
This webinar is sponsored by the Global Higher Education division of ETS®.
Presenter: Beyond the Professoriate
-
May 1 - 6, 2023BtP: Annual May Career Conference
-
Time: 12-1pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Beyond the Professoriate
Description: Over the past ten years, Beyond Prof’s annual online career conference has helped nearly 12,000 doctoral students, PhDs, and faculty build careers beyond the professoriate. This year’s conference continues our mission to empower PhDs to explore their career options and build meaningful careers. After years of being successful in academia, it can be daunting and overwhelming to launch a professional job search. Every one of the speakers has been where you are now, but they have successfully made the leap to industry and are thriving. They want to help you do the same. -
May 2, 2023OACD: Introduction to the Faculty Role: More Than Just Research *VIEW RECORDING*
-
Time: 3:30-4:30pm ET
Location: Zoom
Presenter: April Dukes, PhD
Description: Did you know that being a faculty member is about more than just doing your own, independent research? View this information session to learn foundational knowledge about what being a faculty member is all about, the different types of faculty positions, the different responsibilities that feed into the role, and the importance of institution type when considering a career in academia. April Dukes, PhD, coordinator for Pitt’s Center for Integrating Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL), whose expertise is in training the next generation of faculty, facilitated this session and answered questions.Presenter Bio: Dr. April Dukes (aprila@pitt.edu) is the Faculty and Future Faculty Program Director for the Engineering Educational Research Center (EERC) and the Institutional Co-leader for Pitt-CIRTL (Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning) at the University of Pittsburgh. April leads local professional development courses and facilitates workshops on instructional and mentoring best practices for both current and future STEM faculty. April currently collaborates on the national educational research initiative, the Aspire Alliance’s National Change, and was a collaborator of the NSF INCLUDES Alliance, to support systemic changes towards excellence and inclusivity in higher education.