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Defining Your Goals and Interests
"Only you can be in control of your career and nobody cares more than you about your future."- Peter S. Fiske, Putting your Degree to Work Read a recent article "From geek to chic" by Peter Fiske. Read a recent interview with the NPA Executive Director about seeking a postdoc. |
Individual Development Plan for Postdoctoral Fellows
The Individual Development Plan for postdocs was conceptualized by FASEB. Individual Development Plans, or IDPs, can help postdocs and mentors create a successful long-term strategy for postdoctoral training and career advancement. Self-Assessment and Self-Evaluation
When thinking about which career path to take, it is often helpful to conduct a self-assessment to identify skills and interests. The following tools might help: How Can Taking an Assessment Help Me? Formal Self-Assessment Tools: | - Myers-Briggs Test: a questionnaire that describes your preferred way of interacting; one of many free online tests can be found at HumanMetrics
- Strong Interest Inventory: another personality test compares your interests with those of individuals successfully working in a range of jobs; the analysis usually incurs a fee (see if your institution's career services might offer it), but you can find free versions online (see a listing of tools here, keeping in mind that you often get what you pay for)
- Career Beliefs Inventory: a career counseling tool that can help identify and overcome attitudes that interfere with choosing a career
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Doing Your Homework
After self-assessment you may have a general idea about your interests and what you may enjoy doing. But the difficult question is how will you find a tailor made career to suit your likes? It's time to do your homework and learn about potential careers and the job market you may be entering.
Career Options for PhDs
This section describes potential career paths for PhDs and provides links related to those careers. Postdoc Workforce Issues
Career trends and reports that can help you keep informed about the job market. Consult Guidebooks on Careers
There is an evergrowing list of useful guides to career planning for those with a PhD or research background. Here are a few places to start. | | Other lists of useful career books: |
Informational Interviewing
Another important tool is informational interviewing, where you set up an informal interview with someone who has a job you find interesting. Find out about the type of work that they do and what their typical day is like.
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Careers 
