Career Development for Postdocs: Science and the Alternatives

Young academics have to make a decisive career choice: either pursue a career in science or look at alternative options of which there are many. When thinking about what to choose many questions arise such as: 

• Based on what criteria do I make this decision?
• What drives me to remain in academia?
• Do I know what my main qualities are?
• What do I have to offer?
• Do I have a clear picture of the pros and cons of working in different environments?
• Do I know what it takes to have a career in alternative working environments?
• How do and should I present myself reach the career I want?

Indeed, in the early phase after a PhD it is essential to assess one’s future career and reflect on one's professional ambition and make an in-depth analysis of both  professional and personal strengths and weaknesses.  

It is therefore that Wageningen Graduate Schools (WGS) offers this programme to postdocs and other young academics who have a PhD.

More specifically, the programme addresses:

• What are my main drivers / ambitions in my life and career?
• Do I have what it takes to reach my professional ambitions?
• If not, can these be developed?
• What alternative possibilities might also suit me?
• Making a strategy and plan of action

General Information

Programme and Intended Results

The programme consists of two parts that are equally important:

1.  An individual Career Assessment
   For the assessment the participants will take a personality test and a 360 degree feedback test on competences. The tests are available online and afterwards you will have a one-on-one meeting with a coach to discuss the results. This meeting will take 1,5 hours. Participants will have a better understanding of their personal characteristics and insight in their own competences, their strengths and their points of development. The next step is to identify their personal preference of work style and working environment. This will function as the compass on which they can rely with identifying their next career moves.
2. A 2-day career training (including 0,5 day coachingsessions)
   Throughout the training participants will engage in exercises that give better insight in their personal assets; personality, ambition/motivation, competences, values, challenges and opportunities. Furthermore we will focus on different strategies to determine a career path that enables you to live up to your full potential. Networking and the need to communicate one’s career objectives are also an important part of the training. 

At the end of this course the participants will:

• Be able to identify themselves from different perspectives; personality, competences and values
• Have looked into their academic career opportunities and considered alternative career choices as well
• Be able to communicate about themselves and present themselves in an effective way.
• Have practised networking
• Have made an personal action plan for their career development

Fee ¹⁾

¹⁾ Fee includes study and training material as well as coffee/tea and lunches
²⁾ The training will be held at Wageningen Campus

Cancellation condition

You may cancel free of charge up to four weeks before the start of the course. After this date you will be charged the University fee. Unless:

• You can find someone to replace you in the course and supply the course coordinator with the name and contact information of your replacement.
  In this case you will only be charged a € 50,- cancellation fee.
• You (PhDs and postdocs of Wageningen University) have a valid reason to cancel (illness or death in the family 1st or 2nd degree).
  In this case you will be charged the reduced fee and your supervisor/PI must send a mail indicating the reason for cancellation.

Information

For more information please contact claudius.vandevijver@wur.nl