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Career Planning Workshops

The Career Planning Workshops are small group sessions that provide career development education specifically tailored to the needs of postdocs. Workshop participation is restricted to postdocs.

2022 - 2023 Workshops

Constructing A Successful Resume

Thursday 5/25 12:30pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences.

As academics, we are all quite familiar with the structure and format of the CV (Curriculum Vitae). However, this document is only used within the academic realm. Outside of academia, resumes are the requested document, and CVs and resumes are quite different. CVs are a long list of your accomplishments. Resumes – however – are tailored for the job/organization to which you are applying and describe what you did in the process of obtaining your achievements.

Join this in-person workshop to learn how to:

Identify the different sections of a resume and their significance
Build a resume that highlights your key skills
Recognize the importance of modifying your resume for every job posting

So bring along your laptop and your lunch to spend some time improving your resume.

This workshop will be facilitated by Dr. Ellen Dobson, Career Development Manager, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Purposely Build Your Career Path

Thursday 4/27 3:00-5:00pm. Orchard View Room, Discovery Building.

Join us for this hands-on workshop where you will learn how to use design tools and methods to examine possibilities in your life and career. Using these tools and insights, you’ll be prepared to build the best career for you. In this workshop, you will:

Map your daily/weekly activities to analyze your own patterns and identify changes to improve your flow.
Ideate multiple, alternative futures to help get you ‘unstuck’ from moving forward in your career/life plans.
Prototype and Execute elements of your alternative futures via a “round-robin” exercise.

Come ready to engage with your peers to gain insight on your own life/career plans!

This workshop will be co-facilitated by Dr. Wesley D. Marner II, Educational Programs Manager, Morgridge Institute for Research, and Dr. Ellen Dobson, Career Development Manager, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Part of the Morgridge Professional Development Series and the Office of Postdoctoral Studies Career Planning Workshop Series.

Discover Your Transferable Skills

Thursday 3/30 12:00pm-1:00pm. Online event.

This seminar is designed to help you reflect on the transferable skills you have which employers value. Beyond your extensive research expertise and technical skills, organizations value your collaboration, communication, leadership, and project and time management skills. Perhaps without realizing, you have honed these skills through your work in academia. Our goal in this seminar is to help you identify and communicate your extensive list of transferable skills to prepare you for opportunities outside of academia.

This seminar will be facilitated by Eric Perkins, PhD, Senior Director of Customer Experience at Addgene, and Ellen Dobson, PhD, Career Development Manager at the Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Advance Your Career With LinkedIn

Wednesday 3/1 12:00pm-1:30pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences.

LinkedIn is more than an online resume. It is a powerful tool for establishing your professional identity, expanding your network, and connecting with future employers.

Through this hands-on workshop, you will learn how to:

Create a compelling LinkedIn profile that establishes your online ‘brand’
Build new professional relationships
Apply LinkedIn tools to research career opportunities

So bring along your laptop to spend some time improving your online professional presence.

This workshop is facilitated by Dr. Ellen Dobson, Career Development Manager, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Constructing A Successful Resume

Thursday 12/15 12:00pm-1:00pm. Online event.

Join this virtual seminar to learn how to:

Identify the different sections of a resume and their significance
Build a resume that highlights your key skills
Recognize the importance of modifying your resume for every job posting

This seminar is facilitated by Dr. Ellen Dobson, Career Development Manager, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

This event is for UW–Madison postdocs only. Register here. Questions? Contact Ellen Dobson (ellen.dobson@wisc.edu).

Advance Your Career with LinkedIn

Friday 11/11 4:00pm-6:00 pm. Orchard View Room, Discovery Building.

LinkedIn is more than an online resume. It is a powerful tool for establishing your professional identity, expanding your network, and connecting with future employers.

Join us for a unique event for UW–Madison postdocs:

FREE Headshot – A professional photographer will be on-hand to take your headshot to use for your profile.
Training & Tips – A short workshop will be presented where you will learn how to create a compelling profile and build new professional relationships.
Individual Consultation – One-on-one profile consultations will be available.

Start your networking journey during the event! There will be a catered networking/social event following the workshop.

Special event for UW–Madison postdocs only. Register here. Questions? Contact Dr. Ellen Dobson (ellen.dobson@wisc.edu).

Part of the Morgridge Professional Development Series and the Office of Postdoctoral Studies Career Planning Workshop Series.

Building Professional Connections

Thursday 10/20. 12:00pm-1:00pm. Online event.

Networking is key to succeeding in the workplace and searching for your next job, a critical task for both academic and non-academic positions. Often networking comes with a negative connotation, so let’s reframe it as ‘building professional connections’. Connection-building is worth your time and effort.

Join this virtual workshop to learn how to:

Successfully build lasting professional relationships.
Ease anxiety when connecting with others.
Effectively use social media platforms, including LinkedIn, to expand your connections.

This workshop is facilitated by Dr. Ellen Dobson, Career Development Manager, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

2021 - 2022 Workshops

Essentials of Career Planning: Interviewing Outside of Academia

Wednesday 11/10 and Thursday 11/11 12:00pm-1:00pm. Online event.

When was the last time you felt energized at work? Have you ever taken the time to reflect on those energizing activities?

An interview outside of academia is conducted in a very different manner than an interview within academia. Hiring managers need to be wowed. You must convince them that you are not only qualified, but also motivated to do the work, and you are aligned with the organization’s mission.

Through this mini-course, learn what hiring managers want and how to use storytelling techniques to memorably answer their questions.

Part one (Wed 11/10) will review different types of interviews and interview questions, as well as how to respond effectively.
Part two (Thur 11/11) will dig deeper into interview etiquette, storytelling in the context of an interview, and how to selectively market yourself in an interview.

Essentials of Career Planning: Deconstructing Job Announcements & Building Resumes

Wednesday 10/13 and Thursday 10/14 12:00pm-1:00pm. Online event.

The job search outside of academia is very different from the search for a faculty position. Job postings can be cryptic and vague, and being able to read job postings and understand what employers really want is crucial. Furthermore, if you limit your search to answering public announcements, you are unlikely to get an interview. Sending in "cold" applications should only be a small part of your job search strategy.

Your resume is also an essential part of your search. Recruiters and hiring managers outside academia expect you to highlight your most impactful transferable skills and show how your achievements will produce measurable results for them. In this mini-course, you will learn how to highlight your potential to positively impact the organizations you want to join.

Part one (Wed 10/13) will explore the job search inside and outside of academia, and deconstruct some job announcements so that you know what prospective employers really want.
Part two (Thur 10/14) will focus on resume crafting so that your resume packs the biggest possible punch in your job search.

Essentials of Career Planning: Communicating Your Value Outside Academia

Wednesday 9/8 and Thursday 9/9 12:00pm-1:00pm. Online event.

Thinking about a career outside academia? Postdocs have experience, skills and attributes that are highly valued by organizations. However, in order to successfully compete outside academia, you must communicate using the power of stories. From the interview question “Tell me about yourself” to crafting your resume, effectively communicating your value is crucial for success.

This mini-course is designed to give postdocs the structure and confidence to communicate their value effectively.

Part one (Wed 9/8) will begin the conversation around good storytelling and teach you three different methods of describing your value in a resume or interview setting.
Part two (Thur 9/9) will dig deeper into effective storytelling that highlights your achievements and skills.

Essentials of Career Planning: Assessing Your Transferable Skills

Wednesday 8/11 and Thursday 8/12 12:00pm-1:00pm. Online event.

Skills acquired in graduate school and postdoctoral training are valued differently in settings outside of academia. Organizations assume your research expertise and technical skills are excellent. The top skills they value include leadership, project management, teamwork and time management. Postdocs hone these skills through their work in academia, but unfortunately many postdocs struggle to prove that they possess these skills.

Part one (Wed 8/11) will cover skills valued in academia vs other sectors, and how to transfer your skills from one field to the other.
Part two (Thur 8/12) will dig deeper into different kinds of skills, including “motivated skills”, and teach you how to sort and assess your transferable skills.

Essentials of Career Planning: Cultivating Professional Connections

Wednesday 7/28 and Thursday 7/29 12:00pm-1:00pm. Online event.

Networking is critical in today’s competitive job market. The interactions you have at research conferences and other professional networking events are key to your success. Do you feel comfortable networking or need to improve the way you make professional connections?

In this interactive mini-course you will learn how to excel at connection building. The training is designed to ease the tension of making contact both at networking events and while using social media platforms such as LinkedIn.

Part one (Wed 7/28) will address reframing “networking” as “cultivating professional friendships”, demonstrate how to assess your current network, and learn the basics of an elevator pitch.
Part two (Thur 7/29) will cover informational interviews and include some live networking practice with peers.

2019 - 2020 Workshops

Bias to Action Groups - Kickoff Event

Monday June 22, 2020. 2:00pm-3:00pm. Online event.

Have you wondered if you can help solve some of the world’s problems? Are you considering a career in industry or government? Has COVID-19 forced you to alter your original career plans? If so, you should join a Bias to Action Group.

The goal of these groups is to simultaneously help postdocs develop the knowledge, skills, relationships and experiences needed to successfully transition to their next career stage while working on real world problems.

Each group of postdocs will identify societal, commercial or career problems. They will then design and carry out novel ways to address those problems supported by professionals with expertise in one of three focus areas:

Social Impact Group. For postdocs interested in public policy, social entrepreneurialism, government and non-governmental organizations, or those simply wishing to make a difference in extraordinary times.
Commercial Interests Group. For postdocs interested in industry careers and commercialization.
Career Exploration Group. For postdocs who are unsure what they want to do next.

Missed the kickoff event? Contact Andrew Cusick (acusick@wisc.edu) to learn more about the groups.

Managing Change in Extraordinary Times

Special two-part workshop series designed specifically to help postdocs manage their career during a period of unexpected and perhaps unsettling change.

Shalini Nag (PhD Yale), founder of EvidaSolve, a Milwaukee-based management consultancy and former consultant at the Boston Consulting Group, led this two-part event.

From Crisis to Adventure: Navigate Change with Confidence
Tuesday May 19 1:00pm-3:00pm. Online event.
This session will equip you with the mindset, strategies and tools to navigate changing environments so you can remain relevant, competitive and in-demand as professionals, now and in the future.

Shift to Impact: Design and Achieve Your Purpose and Goals in Changing Environments
Thursday May 21 10:00am-12:00pm. Online event.
This session will furnish you with structured approaches to define your unique life and career goals and design creative paths to achieve them in a continuously changing environment (e.g., shifting availability of funds, job trends, etc.). You will also learn about relevant, current opportunities to help you shape your career.

Access video recordings of the workshops here. These workshops are for exclusive use of UW-Madison staff and students. Please do not share with external parties.

Assessing Your Transferable Skills

Thursday March 12, 2020. 11:30am-1:30pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

This interactive workshop is designed to help postdocs reflect on the transferable skills they have which employers value. At the core of this workshop is a comprehensive skills assessment tool that participants will use to identify the skills they prefer to use, as well as the skills they need to develop. Once identified, we will practice articulating these skills in a structured manner to employers by generating interview and resume “achievement statements”.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Deconstructing Job Announcements

Thursday February 13, 2020. 11:30am-1:30pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The search process for jobs outside of academia is not the same as for faculty positions. Job postings can be cryptic and vague, and if you limit your search to answering public announcements you are unlikely to get an interview. This workshop will teach you how to read job postings and understand what employers really want. You will also learn why sending "cold" applications should be just one small part of your job search.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Cultivating Professional Connections

Thursday January 9, 2020. 11:30am-1:30pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

Networking is critical in today’s competitive job market. The interactions you have at research conferences and other professional networking events will be key to your success. Are you unsure how to start networking or need to improve the way you make professional connections? In this interactive workshop you’ll learn how to excel at connection building. The workshop is designed to ease the tension of making contact, both at networking events, and while using social media platforms such as LinkedIn.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Interviewing Outside of Academia

Wednesday December 11, 2019. 11:30am-1:30pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

This interactive workshop is designed to help postdocs prepare and practice for job interviews outside of academia. The workshop will include a mock interview using the S.M.A.R.T. interviewing technique for answering behavioral interviewing questions and will focus on skills earned in academia that are transferable to other employment sectors.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Converting Your CV to a Resume

Wednesday November 13, 2019. 11:30am-1:30pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The CV used for academic jobs will not work anywhere else. Resume readers in industry will have totally different expectations than in academic search committees. Specifically, they will expect you to highlight your most impactful individual initiatives and show how those achievements will also produce material and measurable positive outcomes for them. They will need these achievements to be described in pithy and memorable sentences designed to convince them you are worth the time for an initial interview. In this workshop, we will learn how to write authentic resumes and LinkedIn profiles that highlight your potential to positively impact the organizations you want to join.

This workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Assessing Your Transferable Skills

Thursday October 31, 2019. 11:30am-1:30pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Deconstructing Job Announcements

Wednesday October 2, 2019. 11:30am-1:30pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Cultivating Professional Connections

Wednesday September 11, 2019. 11:30am-1:30pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Applying for Faculty Positions

Monday August 26, 2019. 1:00pm-4:00pm. 2301 Microbial Sciences Building.

Learn how to strategically position yourself as a competitive candidate.

Types of faculty positions in the U.S.
Basic elements of the application package
Steps of the hiring process
What hiring committees look for in application materials
How to present your strengths in your application

Dr. Laurence Clement, Program Director of Academic Career Development at UC San Francisco led this workshop using a tool developed with the input of faculty members who have been on hiring committees. This workshop was live streamed from UC San Francisco.

2018 - 2019 Workshops

Cultivating Professional Connections

Wednesday September 19, 2018. 11:30am-1:30pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Deconstructing Job Announcements

Wednesday October 10, 2018. 11:30am-1:30pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Assessing Your Transferable Skills

Thursday November 8, 2018. 11:30am-1:30pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Negotiation

Thursday December 6, 2018. 11:30am-1:30pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

Many of us are uncomfortable with the idea of negotiating and feel uncertain about how to be effective. Yet we all recognize the importance of developing skills to negotiate effectively across a variety of situations and with many different people in our lives. This workshop is designed to help participants develop a process for approaching any type of negotiation as a form of communication that will lead to improved relationships and ultimately better outcomes for everyone involved.

The workshop was facilitated by Joanne Lipo Zovic who has experience in teaching negotiation for over a decade at UW-Milwaukee and the Marquette University Law School.

Converting Your CV to a Resume

Wednesday March 20, 2019. 11:30am-1:30pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

This workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Interviewing Outside of Academia

Wednesday April 3, 2019. 11:30am-1:30pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

2017 - 2018 Workshops

Networking Success Secrets

Tuesday June 26, 2018. 10:30am-12:00pm. Auditorium, 1111 Genetics-Biotechnology Center.

Networking and navigating social situations may feel like an insurmountable obstacle to progressing down a career track. However, it is critical to understand that building your network is about building relationships. Furthermore, it’s impossible to know when someone will be an important contact in the future. Because of this, it is critical to be strategic about developing the relationships that comprise your network. The aim is to provide a toolkit for all participants to feel more empowered to engage in networking.

The workshop was facilitated by Tracy Costello, PhD, Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, Moffitt Cancer Center, and Chair, Board of Directors, National Postdoctoral Association.

Negotiation

Thursday May 31, 2018. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The workshop was facilitated by Joanne Lipo Zovic who has experience in teaching negotiation for over a decade at UW-Milwaukee and the Marquette University Law School.

Interviewing Outside of Academia

Wednesday May 9, 2018. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

This interactive workshop is designed to help postdocs prepare and practice for the job interview. The workshop will include a mock interview using the S.M.A.R.T interviewing technique for answering behavioral interviewing questions and will focus on transferable skills earned in academia that are transferable outside of academia.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Converting Your CV to a Resume

Wednesday April 25, 2018. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The CV used for academic jobs will not work anywhere else. Resume readers in industry will have totally different expectations than an academic search committee. Specifically, they will expect you to highlight your most impactful individual initiatives and show how those achievements will also produce material and measurable positive outcomes for them. They will need these achievements to be described in pithy and memorable sentences designed to convince them you are worth the time of an initial interview. In this workshop, we will learn how to write authentic resumes and LinkedIn profiles that highlight your potential to positively impact the organizations you approach.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Assessing Your Transferable Skills

Thursday April 12, 2018. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Deconstructing Job Announcements

Wednesday March 21, 2018. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The search process for jobs outside of academia is not the same as for faculty positions. Job ads can be cryptic and vague, and if you limit your search to answering public announcements you are unlikely to get an interview. This workshop will teach you how to read job ads and understand what employers really want. You will also learn why sending “cold” applications should be just one small part of your job search.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Cultivating Professional Connections

Wednesday March 7, 2018. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

In this interactive workshop you’ll learn how to excel at connection building. The workshop is designed to ease the tension of making contact, both at networking events, and while using social media platforms such as LinkedIn.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Negotiation

Thursday December 14, 2017. 10:30am-12:30pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The workshop was facilitated by Joanne Lipo Zovic who has experience in teaching negotiation for over a decade at UW-Milwaukee and the Marquette University Law School.

Interviewing Outside of Academia

Thursday November 30, 2017. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

This interactive workshop is designed to help postdocs prepare and practice for job interviews outside of academia. The workshop will include a mock interview using the S.M.A.R.T. interviewing technique for answering behavioral interview questions and will focus on skills earned in academia that are transferable to other employment sectors.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Converting Your CV to a Resume

Wednesday November 8, 2017. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Assessing Your Transferable Skills

Wednesday October 25, 2017. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Cultivating Professional Connections

Wednesday September 27, 2017. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

Some postdocs cringe at the thought of networking because it conjures images of haphazardly schmoozing powerful people over drinks and bothering them for information on job openings. Other postdocs have learned that cultivating professional connections benefits all who engage in it, and can be as natural as asking for directions.

In this workshop, we will help you move to the second group by:Exploring traits of natural connection makers

Assessing the quality of your professional connections
Brainstorming where to look for new connections
Developing your value proposition statement (aka “Elevator Pitch”)
Thinking about LinkedIn in a whole new way

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Assessing Your Professional DNA

Wednesday September 13, 2017. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The path to a rewarding career, a major factor in having a fulfilling life, is not always clearly illuminated. In order to figure out where we fit in best, it is important to know who we are vocationally, and what we need to be happy at work. In this workshop, we will explore career values and interests as well as life themes using an autobiographical self-assessment workbook called “My Career Story” to more intentionally inform our next career and life decisions.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

2016 - 2017 Workshops

Becoming a Better Mentor

Two identical workshops:

Tuesday May 2, 2017. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.
Wednesday May 3, 2017. 12:00am-2:00pm. 7001A Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research.

Mentoring happens in academia, but is also useful in other professional settings such as industry. A critical skill in any mentoring relationship is effectively communicating expectations. During this workshop, activities and case studies, drawn from both industry and academia, will be used to strengthen your communication skills and make you more effective as both a mentee and mentor.

Amber Smith, PhD, Director of Mentor and Mentee Training, WISCIENCE co-facilitated the workshop with Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Industry Interviewing

Two identical workshops:

Wednesday April 5, 2017. 5:30pm-7:30pm. 3001A Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research.
Thursday April 6, 2017. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

This interactive workshop is designed to help postdocs prepare and practice for the industry job interview. The workshop will include a mock interview using the S.M.A.R.T interviewing technique for answering behavioral interviewing questions and will focus on transferable skills earned in academia that are transferable to industry. Lunch/dinner provided.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Negotiating Effectively

Two identical workshops:

Monday January 30, 2016. 10:00am-12:00pm. 3001A Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research.
Monday January 30, 2016. 2:00pm-4:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences Building.

The workshop was facilitated by Joanne Lipo Zovic who has experience in teaching negotiation for over a decade at UW-Milwaukee and the Marquette University Law School.

Effective Networking

Two identical workshops:

Tuesday November 8, 2016. 4:00pm-6:00pm. 1220 Biochemical Sciences.
Wednesday November 9, 2016. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 7001A Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research.

Networking is critical in today’s competitive job market. The interactions you have at research conferences and other professional networking events will be key to your success. Are you unsure how to start networking or need to improve the way you make professional connections? In this interactive workshop you’ll learn how to excel at connection building. The workshop is designed to ease the tension making contact, both at networking events, and while using social media platforms such as LinkedIn.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Assessing and Articulating Your Transferable Skills

Two identical workshops:

Tuesday October 11, 2016. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 3001A Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research.
Wednesday October 12, 2016. 4:00pm-6:00pm. 1220 Biochemical Sciences.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Mapping your Professional DNA

Two identical 3-part workshops:

Tuesday September 13 - Thursday September 15, 2016. 12:00pm-3:00pm. 8571 Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research.
Tuesday September 20 - Thursday September 22, 2016. 12:00pm-3:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences.

Successful careers often look more like complex mosaics than linear paths. For most postdocs it is not possible to go straight from training position to a permanent lifelong career. Furthermore, our personal and work values, interests, and skills, formed over many years at academic institutions, will not always sync with the needs of employers outside the academy and it can be difficult to demonstrate how our talents are useful.

In this interactive workshop we will explore our vocational DNA using a unique self-assessment tool, which will help us better understand why we work and how to find careers that align better with our values, interests, and skills. With practice, we will learn to create a career/life mosaic that is as unique as we are, but also fits the needs of modern organizations.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

2015 - 2016 Workshops

Assessing and Articulating Your Transferable Skills

Thursday June 9, 2016. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Preparing for Industry Interviews

Tuesday April 26, 2016. 11:30am-1:30pm. 1220 Biochemical Sciences.

This workshop is designed to help postdocs think about the industry job interview in a different way. By putting yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager you will get a better understanding of the purpose and goals of an industry interview. The workshop will include a discussion of interviewing dos and don’ts, how to highlight your soft and transferable skills, as well as time for your questions.

The workshop was facilitated by Danielle Bashirullah, founder and president of D BASH Business Solutions LLC, a consulting and recruiting company. Bashirullah has 15 years of work experience in technical and leadership positions in specialized industries. She has worked at companies such as Roche Diagnostics, Applied Biosystems (now Thermo Fisher), Myriad Genetics, and most recently, Exact Sciences. Throughout her career, Bashirullah has worked with hundreds of laboratory customers in the U.S. and parts of Canada who work in research, clinical research, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and forensics.

Negotiating Effectively

Wednesday January 27, 2016. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences.
Thursday January 28, 2016. 12:00pm-2:00pm. 3001A Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research.

For many people, the word negotiation conjures up images of adversarial diplomats or business executives hammering out the details of high-stakes treaties and contracts with each battling to win as much as they can while giving away as few concessions as possible. For job seekers or career changers, an uncomfortable salary negotiation immediately comes to mind.

Regardless of type, many of us are uncomfortable with the idea of negotiating and feel uncertain about how to be effective. Yet we all recognize the importance of developing skills to negotiate effectively across a variety of situations and with many different people in our lives. This workshop is designed to help participants develop a process for approaching any type of negotiation as a form of communication that will lead to improved relationships and ultimately better outcomes for everyone involved.

The workshop was facilitated by Joanne Lipo Zovic who has experience in teaching negotiation for over a decade at UW-Milwaukee and the Marquette University Law School.

Networking Demystified - Making Connections through Professional Sharing

Monday November 16, 2015. 12:30pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences.

Networking is critical in today’s competitive job market. Whether you’re pursuing an academic position or a career in another industry, the interactions you have at research conferences and other professional networking events will be key to your success. Are you unsure how to start networking or need to improve the way you make professional connections?

In this interactive workshop you’ll learn how to excel in connection building and have the opportunity to practice the skills you’ve been taught. The workshop is designed to ease the tension of making contact at networking events and help you maximize these opportunities for your career goals.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Mapping your Professional DNA - Self Assessment as a Tool for Career Planning

Part I: Wednesday October 7, 2015. 12:30pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences.
Part II: Wednesday October 14, 2015. 12:30pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences.
Part III: Wednesday October 21, 2015. 12:30pm-2:00pm. 6201 Microbial Sciences.

The path to a rewarding career, a major factor in having a fulfilling life, is not always clearly drawn, and is rarely linear. Can we even call it a path anymore? Due to systemic changes in both the global economy and in the research enterprise, successful careers look more like complex mosaics than paths. For most postdocs it is not possible to go straight from a training position to a single permanent lifelong career. Furthermore, our personal and work values, interests, and skills, formed over many years at academic institutions, will not always sync with the needs of employers outside academia and it can be difficult to demonstrate how our talents are useful.

In this interactive workshop we will explore our vocational DNA using a unique self-assessment tool called the Career Styles Interview. This tool helps us to better understand why we work and how to find careers that align better with our values, interests and skills. An additional goal of the workshop is to learn how to describe to potential employers why our uniqueness will benefit them. With practice, we will learn to arrange the tiles of our life experiences to create a career/life mosaic that is as unique as we are, but also fits the needs of modern organizations.

The workshop was facilitated by Andrew Cusick, Career Development Officer, Office of Postdoctoral Studies.