How do I get started on the job search path? How can I make my resumé/CV stand out from the rest? How do I negotiate a salary? How can I make meaningful connections with people who I’d like to work with?
Transitioning from a postdoctoral fellowship to a post-fellowship career can be daunting. In a competitive job market, it is vital to cultivate your brand and develop a strong professional portfolio in order to move into the professional workforce. However, in order to take these next steps, it is critical to have a clear vision of where you want to go and where your skills, strengths and values lie.
The Foundations of Career Planning Program is designed to provide an introduction to career planning and to some of the supports and resources required to establish a post-PDF career. Preparing for the next career move is an opportunity to clarify and even re-evaluate key aspects of career planning. The Foundations program begins with an interactive session on career exploration in which participants through self-reflection will be encouraged to discover their strengths, values and what motivates them. Once they have developed a vision of their desired career path(s), participants are introduced to tools and strategies for transitioning to the next phase of their careers, including developing a professional portfolio and navigating the interview process. The goal of the program is to enable postdocs to identify and update their strengths, skills and values, and to encourage the development of a solid professional portfolio; this will support postdocs in identifying transferable skills that are applicable to multiple careers in a lifetime.
The Foundations of Career Planning Program is currently undergoing revisions, and we expect to re-launch the program in 2027. Please contact us at postdoctoral.fellows@ubc.ca for more information about this program.