Careers Beyond Academia

The Careers Beyond Academia Series is sponsored by the Office of Postdoctoral Services and The Graduate School.

Weds Jan 17, 12-1 pm

WHAT: Beyond the Professoriate Webinar: What Can I Do with My PhD?
REGISTER: https://beyondprof.com/upcoming-events/

Do you have questions about how to job search as a PhD? Maybe you’re wondering: how do I stand out in a highly competitive tenure-track job market? Or: do I stay in academia or start looking for non-academic jobs? Or: what non-academic jobs could I realistically apply to?

No matter what type of job you’re looking for—or if staying/leaving academia is still an open question for you—Beyond the Professoriate’s upcoming webinar can help, and as a Beyond Prof member, this webinar is free for you to attend!

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.

Duke is an Institutional Member of Beyond the Professoriate, featuring information and strategies you need to confidently apply for faculty/academic jobs, or to build a nonacademic career. No matter what academic discipline you’re coming from – Humanities, Education, Social Sciences, STEM, or Biological Life Sciences – you’ll find information to help you prepare for your job search. Log in at https:/institutions.beyondprof.com/your-account/ to set up your Duke account.

Tues Jan 23, 10-11 am

WHAT: Leaving the Ivory Tower: Managing the Emotional Side of Career Change
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3f4XJ0MKMh7r8fs

A large part of how we define ourselves and how others define us is based on what we do for a living – our professional identity. But what happens when we are no longer a [fill in the blank]? How do we deal with the loss of self, the loss of professional status, the loss of affiliation with an elite group that we’ve been aligned with as long as we can remember?

The overall loss of identity that we feel when we decide to leave academia is comparable to healing after the loss of a loved one or after the breakup of a long-term, and possibly dysfunctional, relationship. Letting go can be difficult, but we have to let go and give ourselves permission to grieve before reaching a point where we are ready to commit to making a career change.

In this informative session, participants will learn about the emotional obstacles that can keep us stuck in an academic career path that is no longer fulfilling. Participants will also learn how former postdocs and graduate students found the courage to follow a more rewarding career path.

Dara Wilson-Grant, Director of Career and Professional Development at the UNC Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, will discuss:

Strategies for letting go and moving on to form, and embrace, a new professional identity.
Resources that can help you navigate through the transition phase and into a more rewarding career.

Speaker: Dara Wilson-Grant is Director of Career and Professional Development at the UNC Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and a Licensed Professional Counselor. With over fifteen years of experience providing career education and counseling, Dara’s mission is to help individuals develop a framework for choosing a meaningful and rewarding career path, plus develop the skills necessary for a lifetime of career success.

Weds Jan 31, 12-1 pm

WHAT: Beyond the Professoriate Webinar: 3 Common Mistakes PhDs Make in Their Job Search
REGISTER: https://beyondprof.com/upcoming-events/

Over the past seven years, the Beyond Prof team has interviewed hundreds of PhDs about how to make a successful career transition. Through this research, we’ve learned what makes, and breaks, a non-academic job search. Join us for this upcoming webinar where you’ll learn the common mistakes we see PhDs make time and time again when starting their job searches. You’ll learn what strategies PhDs used that eventually led to their successful career transition, and how you can apply these strategies to your own job search.

This webinar is uniquely designed for doctoral students, PhDs, and postdocs from all academic disciplines who are wondering:

What are the common mistakes PhDs make when applying for nonacademic jobs?
What proven strategies can help me avoid mistakes, and be more successful in my job search?
What is the most effective way to spend my time during a nonacademic job search?

Weds Feb 14, 12-1 pm

WHAT: Beyond the Professoriate Webinar: How to Find A Job You’ll Love
REGISTER: https://beyondprof.com/upcoming-events/

You’ve heard that PhDs can be happy in a nonacademic career, but will YOU be happy? 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 webinar 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 titlesworth pursuing?

Thurs Feb 15, 11 am-12:15 pm Rescheduled to Thurs Feb 29, 11 am-12:15 pm

WHAT: Take Your Teaching Skills Anywhere: Identifying Transferable Skills from your Teaching Experiences
REGISTER: https://gradschool.duke.edu/event/take-your-teaching-skills-anywhere-identifying-transferable-skills-your-teaching-experiences/

How can you capitalize on the skills you’ve developed through the many hours you’ve devoted to teaching? These skills can help you position yourself for success in industry, government, nonprofit, or even academic administration. In this interactive workshop Dr. Melissa Bostrom, assistant dean for graduate student professional development, will help you uncover how your teaching experiences are an ideal way to help potential employers understand the crucial skills you’ve learned in graduate school—skills that are transferable to a variety of careers beyond faculty positions.

Weds Feb 21, 11 am -12 pm

WHAT: Careers in Research Translation & Commercialization
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2lRcU7l7GrinVuC

Are you a postdoc or PhD student who wants to stay involved in academic research, but not necessarily as faculty or at the bench?

The Duke Office for Translation and Commercialization (OTC) evaluates new inventions from Duke innovators. It works closely with Duke faculty and trainees, industrial partners, and the venture community to transfer technologies from the lab to the market and ensure societal impact of Duke innovations. Graduates of the OTC Fellows Internship Program have landed jobs in life science consulting, business development, product management, and more.

Join our Zoom panel discussion to learn about this rewarding career path from current and former Duke PhD students and postdocs.

Speakers:

Paul Cray PhD is an OTC Senior Fellow and Senior Lab Research Analyst in the Department of Surgery. Paul researches sterile inflammation and methods for mitigating inflammation in solid organ transplant in the lab of Dr. Justin Pollara. Drs Cray and Pollara developed a novel, non-viral gene therapy platform to treat genetic diseases that currently have no effective treatment or cure, and leveraged Duke and NC Biotech resources to help accelerate the promising technology.
Daniel Luo PhD is Assistant Director for Duke Capital Partners, part of Duke OTC. As a postdoc, he worked with the Capital Partners team as an Associate and then Lead PhD Associate, where he learned about successful entrepreneurship, venture funding, and market research. Daniel was a postdoc in Duke Pharmacology and Cancer Biology department, and earned his PhD in Toxicology from Iowa State University.
Shweta Krishnan PhD is Assistant Director for Life Sciences. As Assistant Director, Shweta works with the associate directors of licensing to evaluate the market opportunity, competitive and patent landscape of Duke technologies, develop online communications for marketing, identify potential licensees and assist with licensing negotiations and agreements. Shweta also manages the OTC Fellows internship program. Shweta received her PhD in Pharmacology and Cancer Biology from Duke University.
Yunqi (Lily) Yang PhD is an OTC Senior Fellow and a postdoc in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. She received her PhD from the Duke Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, and her BS in Chemistry from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Lily’s graduate work focused on the synthesis and characterization of DNA and other biomaterial-based nanoparticles for drug delivery. As a postdoc, Lily works on the delivery of mRNA by lipid nanoparticles.

Watch on the Duke Postdoctoral Services YouTube Channel

Thurs Feb 22, 10-11 am

WHAT: How to Avoid Self-Sabotage and Win at Salary Negotiations
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bxDgYuWDQfz6MB0

Let’s face it, for most of us, the negotiation process is one of the most stressful parts of the job search. Not long after the initial excitement of receiving an offer comes panic followed by dread.

Do I negotiate for more money and risk seeming pushy or ungrateful?
Will I lose this opportunity if I negotiate for too much?
What should I ask for?

If one or more of these thoughts swirl through your head when you think about salary negotiations, you are not alone! This workshop is a step-by-step guide to navigating the negotiation process, especially when it comes to managing your emotions.

Tues Feb 27, 2-2:30 pm

WHAT: Senior Leadership Insights: A Conversation with Richard Colvin, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, bluebird bio
REGISTER: https://gradschool.duke.edu/event/senior-leadership-insights-conversation-richard-colvin-md-phd-chief-medical-officer-bluebird/

Dr. Richard Colvin began his career as an infectious diseases fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and infectious diseases research at Massachusetts General Hospital before moving to leadership roles at the Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, where he eventually became executive director and senior translational medicine expert. In 2018 he joined bluebird bio as medical lead of the thalassemia program and led clinical research and development prior to his current role as chief medical officer. During Rich’s tenure, Bluebird submitted and gained FDA approval for several gene therapies. He is on faculty at Harvard Medical School and still sees patients in the Infectious Diseases Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital. He received his BS from Cornell University, and an MD and PhD in Microbiology & Immunology from Duke.

Dr. Colvin will be joined in conversation by Dr. Christopher Kontos, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Medical Science Training Program. The discussion will focus on six key questions:

Tell us about your background. What was your path to your current role?
Can you tell us about your organization, and describe a typical day for a PhD-level hire?
What do you see as the value that doctoral training has added to your professional trajectory?
Beyond strong research skills, what other skills, experience and/or training are important for success in your field?
Are there any skills, training, or experiences you wish you’d had in graduate school to prepare you for your current career path?
What can students or postdocs who would like to work in this field (or explore it further) do to prepare?

Weds Mar 6, 13, 20, 27, 12-12:30 pm

WHAT: Beyond the Professoriate Webinar: How to Decide Between an Academic and Nonacademic Career Series
REGISTER: https://beyondprof.com/upcoming-events/

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? 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.

The virtual workshops include instruction, reflective prompts and exercises, and opportunities for participants to ask questions directly to the Beyond Prof team. This 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?

Weds Apr 10, 12-1 pm

WHAT: Beyond the Professoriate Webinar: Overqualified or Underqualified? How PhDs Can Communicate Their Value to Employers
REGISTER: https://beyondprof.com/upcoming-events/

PhDs are often told by employers that they are overqualified for positions. But they’re also told that they don’t have enough experience. So, which is it? Join the Beyond Prof team for this webinar on how to breakdown the overqualified vs. underqualified conundrum. Learn concrete strategies for overcoming this obstacle in your job search and how to communicate your value to employers.

This webinar is uniquely designed for doctoral students, PhDs, and postdocs from all academic disciplines who are wondering:

How should I describe my skills and experience to nonacademic employers?
How do I communicate the value I bring to nonacademic positions?
How can I prove I’m a qualified candidate when I do not have direct industry experience?

Mon May 6 through Fri May 10, 12-12:45 pm

WHAT: Beyond the Professoriate Online Career Conference for PhDs
REGISTER: https://institutions.beyondprof.com/conference

Join the 11th annual Online Career Conference, which has helped over 15,000 postdocs and doctoral students build careers beyond the professoriate. Join the Beyond Prof team for a week of webinars, each designed to show you what it takes to successfully build a nonacademic career as a PhD. Registration is required, and all who register will have access to replays of the events.

Program Overview:

May 6: What employers actually value about your degree with L. Maren Wood, PhD (CEO & Director, The Center for Graduate Career Success). In this webinar, Beyond the Prof’s founder, Dr. Maren Wood, will explain how the priorities of non-academic employers differ from those of academic employers. You’ll learn how to translate your academic work experience into the language of employers so that you can communicate your value at each step of the job search process.

May 7: How to write a resume with Diane Sepa-Kishi, PhD (Business Manager, The Center for Graduate Career Success). CVs and resumes are different documents, with different audiences, content, and purposes. In this webinar, Dr. Diane Sepa-Kishi will explain the differences between a CV and a resume and provide strategies you can use to write a resume that will actually get read by a hiring manager.

May 8: How to network when you don’t have a network with Malisa Kurtz, PhD (Digital Marketing Strategist, The Center for Graduate Career Success). Studies suggest that up to 85% of jobs are filled by referrals. But what if you don’t have a network outside of academia? In this webinar you’ll learn how to build and grow a professional network in a new career field.

May 9: Using LinkedIn in your job search with Susan Joudrey, PhD (Learner Engagement Specialist, The Center for Graduate Career Success). In this webinar, you’ll learn how to get the most out of LinkedIn during different stages of your job search. Dr. Susan Joudrey will walk you through how to communicate who you are as a professional, where you’re going next in your career, and your value to nonacademic employers.

May 10: How to find jobs that will give you stability with L. Maren Wood, PhD (CEO & Director, The Center for Graduate Career Success). Job searching is a tough, time-consuming process no matter when you’re doing it. But launching a job search at a time when the headlines seem filled with news of tech-sector layoffs and staff reductions can be especially stressful. In our final webinar of the conference, you’ll learn how to find jobs and build career security during uncertain times.

Tues May 14, 8:30 am – 12 pm

WHAT: RTP Networking Event: Career Options for STEM PhDs
WHERE: NC Biotech Center, 15 TW Alexander Dr, RTP NC
REGISTER: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-career-options-for-stem-phds-in-nc-tickets-883556831267 Registration is REQUIRED for admission. This event is not at Duke, but at the NC Biotech Center. Transportation is not provided.
COST: $10

Want to build connections with the local biotech/pharma community and learn more about industry careers? Postdocs and graduate students are invited to attend a networking event at the NC Biotech Center. Guests will include local industry researchers, entrepreneurs, consultants, management, venture capitalists, tech transfer specialists, and patent specialists from RTP organizations.

This event is a networking and career education opportunity, not a job fair. You do not need to bring your CV. Professional attire is recommended. Light breakfast provided.

Co-sponsored by Sigma Xi, Duke Alumni Engagement and Development, Duke Office of Biomedical Graduate Education, and the NC Biotech Center. For more information: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-career-options-for-stem-phds-in-nc-tickets-883556831267