Preparing for success on the job market and beyond

• Understanding institutional fit
• Preparing your job application materials
• Conducting your job search
• Developing your research program
• Advancing your teaching skills

Spring 2025 Training Events

Becoming a Principal Investigator

Tuesday 1/28 2:00pm–3:00pm. Online event.

Making the transition from a mentored postdoc position to directing your own research group can be very difficult, if not intimidating. Those that utilize a thoughtful and informed approach have the best chances for success. This webinar will discuss the many issues faced by investigators as they prepare for their first independent position and their early years as a junior faculty member. This includes new skill sets to acquire as well as previously unfamiliar career milestones to achieve. Included in the discussion are practical suggestions to meet these challenges. Part of the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) SmartSkills Series. Join the NPA for free as an affiliate here, then register for the webinar here.

Offered by the National Postdoctoral Association.

2025 Academic Lab Management & Leadership Symposium

Four dates: 2/26, 2/28 3/3 and 3/5 12:00pm-4:00pm. Online event.

This course is designed to equip postdocs and junior faculty in the biomedical, physical, and life sciences with the professional competencies to lead innovative and productive research programs. $90 Early bird registration, ends 1/31, after which registration cost increases to $125. Register here.

Offered by the Torrey Pines Training Consortium.

Surviving and Thriving in the First Year as a Faculty Member

Tuesday 5/27 2:00pm–3:00pm. Online event.

Join us for an online webinar designed for postdocs transitioning into their first faculty position. In this webinar, we will discuss issues related to navigating the landscape of academic life, offering expert guidance on balancing teaching responsibilities, maintaining an active research agenda, strategically engaging in service, and effectively building your professional reputation. We will share practical strategies for recruiting students, engaging in reflective teaching practices, and maintaining research productivity while establishing yourself in your professional field. Webinar from the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA). Join for free as an affiliate here, then register for the webinar here.

Offered by the National Postdoctoral Association.

Spring 2025 Recruitment Events

Rising Stars Symposium

Tuesday 5/13 and Wednesday 5/14. Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA.

This symposium is intended to recognize the accomplishments of outstanding postdoctoral associates who identify as underrepresented in the scientific workforce and/or who have contributed significantly to advancing issues related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI), and to develop novel opportunities for recruiting faculty candidates from historically minoritized and underrepresented backgrounds to the institute. This year, the symposium will span 1.5 days. Register here by 1/10.

Offered by the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Other Helpful Resources

Five Simple Rules for Future Faculty

Get ready for the faculty job market with this Office of Postdoctoral Studies series which breaks down the faculty job search process into actionable insights and concrete strategies to help you be as competitive as possible. Access the recordings here.

Faculty Corner – Recorded Interviews/Talks about Becoming a Professor

Do you ever wonder what the joys and challenges are of being a professor? How best to prepare for a tenure track job? How to achieve work-life balance? What the best practices are in running a lab? Learn the answers to these types of questions in these recorded events with University of Michigan faculty. Access the recordings here.

Future PI Slack Group

The Future PI Slack group is an informal peer mentoring group for biomedical postdocs who are interested in staying in academia. They also have channels for those exploring non-academic options. They use the Slack messaging service to communicate about grant applications, conferences, the faculty job search, and other topics of common interest. The community has approximately 1,500 active members from around the world as of January 2024. Join here.

The Academic Job Search Handbook

The Academic Job Search Handbook is the comprehensive guide to finding a faculty position in any discipline. Beginning with an overview of academic careers and institutional structures, it moves step by step through the application process, from establishing relationships with advisors, positioning oneself in the market, learning about job openings, preparing CVs, cover letters, and other application materials, to negotiating offers. Of great value are the sixty new sample documents from a diverse spectrum of successful applicants. The handbook includes a search timetable, appendices of career resources, and a full sample application package. This fifth edition features new or updated sections on issues of current interest, such as job search concerns for pregnant or international candidates, the use of social media strategies to address CV gaps, and difficulties faced by dual-career couples. The chapter on alternatives to faculty jobs has been expanded and presents sample résumés of PhDs who found non faculty positions. E-book available through the UW–Madison library here.