Resources by Career Phase

Scroll down to view resources organized by the following five career phases: (1) Postdoc Training; (2) Job Search; (3) Job Application; (4) Job Negotiation; and (5) Job Transition.

(1) Postdoc Training Phase

IDP Development

If you haven’t done so already, we encourage you to determine your short- and long-term career goals to identify your postdoc training needs. Creating an IDP is a great way to do this, and when you’re done, you’ll have a tool that both you and your PI can use to keep you focused and on track to meeting your goals.

We broke down the basic steps of IDP development and then list several resources to help you through them.

  1. Start with an assessment of interests, skills, and values to determine your career goal
  2. Research skills, knowledge, and experience for the career you want
  3. Identify gaps in what you know/have now to what you want to know/have at the end of your Purdue postdoc
  4. Convert gaps to “training needs”
  5. Identify training opportunities and goals to meet needs
  6. Identify expert-mentors for each need
  7. Present plan to PI for feedback and buy-in
  8. Map training needs along your contract timeline
  9. Decide on check-in frequency with self, PI and mentors
  10. Set check-in dates in calendar; invite PI/mentors
  11. Re-evaluate career goal and training needs and update IDP as needed

Purdue In-Person IDP Workshops

Strategic Postdoc-ing: How to Plan for Training Success. Learn how to use your time at Purdue to achieve your long-term career goal. This workshop leads you through the steps of developing an Individual Development Plan (IDP) to proactively seek the skills, knowledge, and experiences you need to compete for your dream job. Leave with tools and resources every postdoc needs for training success. Search for this title on the linked GSMU page to register for upcoming sessions.

Strategic Postdoc-ing: Coaching Hour. This dedicated hour provides postdocs an opportunity to consult directly with Dr. Swan regarding their training plans and career goals. Receive guidance on identifying training gaps, developing your training plan and measurable goals, maximizing your plan for PI buy-in, finding mentors, and maintaining accountability. Dr. Swan has decades of experience with evaluation and strategic planning she can share with you! Search for this title on the linked GSMU page to register for upcoming sessions.

External IDP Resources


myIDP for Science

  • A unique, web-based career-planning tool tailored to meet the needs of PhD students and postdocs in the sciences.
  • Exercises to help you examine your skills, interests, and values
  • A list of 20 scientific career paths with a prediction of which ones best fit your skills and interests
  • A tool for setting strategic goals for the coming year, with optional reminders to keep you on track
  • Articles and resources to guide you through the process

Imagine PhD for Humanities and Social Sciences

  • ImaginePhD is a free online career exploration and planning tool for PhD students and postdoctoral scholars in the humanities and social sciences.
  • Assess their career-related skills, interests, and values explore careers paths appropriate to their disciplines
  • Create self-defined goals
  • Map out next steps for career and professional development success

IDP Paper Templates

Faculty Boot Camp

  • Gain crucial insights into academic career advancement and prepare for a successful faculty career! This two-day event includes 10 workshops that will help you demystify the job search, prepare your hiring documents, and get the job you want.
  • This camp is usually offered twice per year, once in the fall and once in the spring. See below for the most recent offering.
  • October 13–14 | Fall Break | 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | WALC Hiler Theater
    *Breakfast and lunch provided
  • The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Professional Development is pleased to host Future Faculty Boot Camp (FFBC) during fall break. This two-day event will feature 10 professional development workshops designed to help graduate students and postdoctoral scholars prepare for the academic job market.
  • Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars interested in attending FFBC must  register here.

(2) Job Search Phase

Purdue Live Webinars

The A-Z of the Job Search
Understand the Job Search process, the pros and cons of different job search strategies, informational interviewing. and how to market your degree. Search for this title on the linked GSMU page to register for upcoming sessions.

LinkedIn
Attend this presentation to learn how to improve your LinkedIn profile, and use the website for networking, information gathering, and job searches. Search for this title on the linked GSMU page to register for upcoming sessions.

NPA SmartSkills Recordings

Applying a Project Management Lens to your Job Search (2025) Speaker: Pallavi Eswara, M.S., director of postdoctoral affairs, Boston University

Searching for jobs can be daunting! To make the process of finding your next position more manageable, we will learn about project management principles and how they can be applied to finding and securing a job. Specifically, we will learn to treat job search as a “special project” and map the search to the five stages of project management: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closing.

Understanding Research Development Careers (2024)
Speaker: Samarpita Sengupta, Ph.D., assistant dean for research, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona; member, Board of Directors, National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP); co-chair, iKNoW Affinity Group, NORDP; certified mentor trainer, CIMER. NORDP seeks to improve the visibility of RD as a viable, rewarding career path for scientists from all facets.

Two roads diverged after a postdoc, and we took the one non-traditionally traveled. Research Development (RD) is a non-traditional career path. RD professionals (RDP) make team science happen by guiding researchers and teams through proposal development, team science, and strategic planning for research innovation and excellence. Postdoctoral training confers effective and highly transferrable skills that make postdocs valuable as RDP candidates.

Industry (2023) Speaker: Ian Mangion, Ph.D., distinguished scientist, process R&D enabling technologies, Merck; Christopher J Rhodes, Ph.D., chief scientist, research and early development, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism, biopharmaceuticals R&D, chair, AstraZeneca’s postdoc programme, AstraZeneca

Many postdocs wonder about the pathway into industry without ways to learn the truth about the journey. Join two leaders from industry as they share their thoughts on the current industry postdoc landscape, discuss misconceptions about postdocs and careers in industry, clarify differences between industry and academic postdocs and positions, offer recommendations to postdocs seeking to enter industry positions, and provide insights on future trends that may affect postdocs in industry. This is intended as a collaborative discussion so bring your questions!

What Comes Next? Career & Life Choices After Your Postdoc (2023) Peter Loge, M.A., M.S., associate professor of media and public affairs; associate director, School of Media and Public Affairs, The George Washington University; strategic consultant

Being a postdoc, and eventually a postdoc alum, is only one part of who you are. Building a career is only one part of building a life. Making the right choices headed into your first permanent position, while balancing work and life demands, can be difficult. Peter Loge, whose career includes serving in senior staff positions in Congress and the Obama administration, writing a book explaining how soccer can make people better managers, and advising organizations ranging from American Farmland Trust and America’s Funniest Home Videos to WickedCoolStuff.com and the World Wildlife Fund, will lead a conversation about how to build and balance your life and career.

(3) Job Application Phase

Purdue In-Person Workshops

Preparing for Academic Interviews This interactive workshop will examine the academic job market and common experiences of the on campus interview processes. Participants will gain experience answering faculty, administrator, and student-posed questions that commonly occur in on-campus job interview scenarios. Search for this title on the linked GSMU page to register for upcoming sessions.

Interviewing for Industry Positions This session will provide insights into hiring and interview processes when startups and large companies seek candidates with an advanced degree (MS or Ph.D.). This talk will cover everything from networking, where to find job openings, applying to jobs, earning an interview, how to ace the interview, what to expect during a technical interview, & behind the scenes: what happens after you leave. Search for this title on the linked GSMU page to register for upcoming sessions.

Purdue Live Webinars

The Academic Cover Letter This presentation will describe the fundamentals of writing a professional and compelling cover letter. Attendees will get an overview of writing letters for academic as well as industry and nonprofit positions. There will be time at the end for audience questions. Search for this title on the linked GSMU page to register for upcoming sessions.

Convert your CV to a Resume This presentation will discuss how to convert an academic CV into a resume for industry and nonprofit careers. If you already have a resume, this presentation will provide strategies to convey your advanced degree skills more effectively to employers. There will be time at the end for audience questions. Search for this title on the linked GSMU page to register for upcoming sessions.

Interviewing Skills Ace the Interview! Learn how to prepare for an interview and understand the purpose of the interview, professional etiquette, and the importance of follow-up after the interview. Search for this title on the linked GSMU page to register for upcoming sessions.

NPA SmartSkills Recordings

Identifying and Applying for Research and Training Opportunities at the NIH (2024) Speaker: Erika Barr, Ph.D., Office of Health Equity, NIH.

Dr. Barr will provide information on the NIH intramural training, and job opportunities, as well as resources and strategies for identifying and applying for these opportunities at NICHD.

(4) Job Negotiation Phase

Purdue Live Webinars

Negotiating the Job Offer Attend this presentation to learn about the evaluation and negotiation process, how to evaluate your job offer(s), identify points for negotiation, and negotiate effectively. Search for this title on the linked GSMU page to register for upcoming sessions.

NPA SmartSkills Recordings

Building Negotiation Skills (2022) Speaker: Stephanie K. Eberle, M.Ed., assistant dean and executive director, BioSci Careers community, Stanford University; chair, NPA Board of Directors

There are many types of negotiation (building consensus, resolving problems within workplace, managing conflicts constructively, job offers, etc.) This workshop: explains the negotiation process from start to finish from the perspectives of all involved parties; introduces attendees to a theoretical framework for approaching situations of conflict using various negotiation styles; and dispels common misconceptions and fears associated with negotiation.

(5) Job Transition Phase

NPA SmartSkills Recordings

Surviving and Thriving in the First Year as a Faculty Member (2025) Speakers: Victoria Hallinan, Ph.D., program director for professional development, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, Yale University; Alark Joshi, Ph.D., professor of computer science, University of San Francisco

Join us for an online webinar designed for postdocs transitioning into their first faculty position. In this webinar, we will discuss issues related to navigating the landscape of academic life, offering expert guidance on balancing teaching responsibilities, maintaining an active research agenda, strategically engaging in service, and effectively building your professional reputation. We will share practical strategies for recruiting students, engaging in reflective teaching practices, and maintaining research productivity while establishing yourself in your professional field.

Becoming a Principal Investigator (2025) Speaker: Jaime S. Rubin, Ph.D., vice chair for investigator development, professor of medical sciences, Department of Medicine, Columbia University

Making the transition from a mentored postdoctoral position to directing your own research group can be very difficult, if not intimidating. Those that utilize a thoughtful and informed approach have the best chances for success. This webinar will discuss the many issues faced by investigators as they prepare for their first independent position and their early years as a junior faculty member. This includes new skill sets to acquire as well as previously unfamiliar career milestones to achieve. Included in the discussion are practical suggestions to meet these challenges.

Contact Information

Postdoctoral Affairs 

Physical/mailing address:
Young Hall, Room 160. 155 Grant Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907-21147 
Email address: postdoc-affairs@purdue.edu 
Phone number: (765) 494-2600 

Need help finding something? Contact us — we’re happy to assist!