Career Resource Hubs

U of A: The Graduate Center offers career development resources, consultation services, and career support programs for postdocs and graduate students.
National Institutes of Health: NIH offers career development and job preparation materials
- NIH Annual Career Symposium
National Postdoctoral Association: NPA offers career development resources and guidance tailored to postdocs

Career Exploration

Career Planning and Tools

ImaginePhD is a free online career exploration and planning tool with resources for discovering diverse career paths. The tools allow to explore various job families and career paths and better understand how to use your transferable skills.
myIDP Science Careers Individual Development Plan is a free web-based career planning tool that helps doctoral students and postdocs in the sciences define and pursue their career goals.
InterSECT Job Simulations is an online platform that allows PhD-level scientists and humanists to explore future career options by completing a job simulation exercise. There are simulation positions available in industry, academia, and government sectors.
What's next: Career Planning for Postdocs (by Karin Lawton-Dunn, Iowa State University). The presentation gives an overview of career planning steps, and tips for job searches and professional introductions.

Alumni Paths and Careers

Alumni Career Panels: Alumni Career spotlights and panels from many different disciplines and fields show diverse ways people use their degrees,
Beyond the Lab podcast from the ASPIRE Program interviews with Vanderbilt PhD and postdoctoral alumni about their career paths.

Informational interviews can help you learn about specific career paths and develop your professional network.

Informational Interview Guide from Iowa State University
Informational Interview information from the U of A Graduate Center

Career Preparation

Webinars & Workshops

Faculty Job Application Series is a workshop series that focuses on the academic job market and is offered each fall semester. The series covers pathways within academia and higher education, strategies for creating materials unique to faculty positions, and preparing for the academic interview and job talk. Materials from the series are available through the Preparing Faculty Job Applications Resources Shared Folder (NetID login required).

Access Fall 2024 Schedule and Registration

Careers Beyond Teaching in Academia: Watch a discussion filled with tips and strategies for launching a career beyond teaching in academia.
Preparing for a Faculty Position: Tips from Former UArizona Postdocs (Fall 2023) is a panel where former U of A Postdocs share their experiences and tips of obtaining faculty positions.

Books & Articles

Demystifying the Academic Research Enterprise: Becoming a Successful Scholar in a Complex and Competitive Environment (2023), by Kelvin K. Droegemeier, an open-access book for early career researchers and faculty.

Webinars & Workshops

The Preparing for Business, Nonprofit, and Government Job Application Series is a series of workshops that help graduate students and postdocs learn about diverse careers, create a professional network, articulate relevant skills, and find jobs. Materials from the series are available in the Preparing for Business, Nonprofit, and Government Applications Series Shared Folder (NetID login required).
Leaving the Academy: An International Postdoc's Story (Spring 2021): U of A international postdoc shares their experience of transitioning from postdoc to alternative academic positions.
"What's next, Doc?": From Postdoc to Careers Beyond Academia (Spring 2022): In this career panel, postdocs discuss strategies and tips for alternative career paths.

Job Search Strategies For International Candidates from the U of A Grad Center: Useful strategies and important considerations for international candidates as they conduct a U.S. job search.
Leaving the Academy: An International Postdoc's Story (Spring 2021): U of A international postdoc shares their experience of transitioning from postdoc to alternative academic positions.

Networking

Creating Your LinkedIn Profile Guide from the U of A Graduate Center
LinkedIn Guide from the Northwestern University
Searching for jobs on LinkedIn: Video guide from U of A Graduate Center

The professional organization in your discipline is a valuable resource for career exploration and planning. Explore more organizations and associations here.