Workshop I have a PhD! What´s next?
16, 17, 31 March and 8 April 2021 | Online

Are you finishing your PhD and you are not sure what to do next?
Do you want to do a postdoc but you are not sure what is your best option?
Do you have enough information about potential careers inside and beyond academia?
Are there professional opportunities for PhDs outside the academic world?
How is that job market?
How to network efficiently?
What do I need to prepare a successful job application?
How can I get the most of a postdoc focus on my future career plans?
If you are in the last year of your PhD and you have one or more of these questions, please join the workshop “I have a PhD! What´s next?” to get some hints on how to navigate your options, make informed decisions and prepare the transition from your PhD to postdoc or jobs outside academia; whatever you decide.
During these sessions, we will explore who you are, what kind of career you envision and the strategies needed to secure a fulfilling professional career. The workshop will combine individual, teamwork and practical exercises; acquiring tools that will help you to open your mind to the new professional challenges.
You will have the opportunity to train with practical exercises on grant writing and a future job interview (Mock)   

Organizing Committee: Paula López Pérez, Anna Olsson, Marta Silva

Requirements: Laptop.
Target audience: 3rd and 4th year PhD students. Priority will be given to last year PhD students.
 

Session 1: I have a PhD and I do not know where to start.
March 16th 9:30-13:00
09:30- 10:00 Course introduction 
10:00-10:30 Should I do a Postdoc?
10:30-11:00 How to choose the best Postdoc for me?
11:00-11:15 Break
11:15-13:00 The Career exploration roadmap: Where to start? 

Session 2: What is out there for me?
March 16th 14:00-17:00
14:00- 15:45 My PhD skills analysis /What is out there for me?
15:45-16:00 Break
16:00-17:00 Network and informational interviews

Session 3: Applying for jobs beyond academia
March 17th 9:30-13:00
09:30-10:45 How to read job adverts and define my personal brand
11:00-11:15 Break
11:15- 13:00 Prepare the job applications material (CV, Cover letter and interview)

Session 4: Get the best out of my postdoc
March 17th 14:00-17:00
14:00-15:45 Get the best of my postdoc. How to engage with the position and work for the planned objectives.
15:45-16:00 Break
16:00-17:00 Round table: What makes a good postdoc and how to prepare postdoc interviews: PI´s perspective. Speakers to be confirmed

Session 5: Mock interview practical exercise
March 31st 16:30-18:30
Do you want to train for your future job applications? A fictitious job advert will be shared with participants at the end of Session 4. Interested candidates can present their applications; the best four candidates will be called for a mock interview with an external panel from industry recruiters. All course participants can attend the mock interviews, feedback session and make questions to recruiters. (Interviewers will be announced at the time of application)
16:30-17:30 Public interviews
17:30-18:00 Interview feedback 
18:00-18:30 Q&A to recruiters

Session 6: Grant writing practical exercise feedback: My PhD project in ten sentences 
April 8th 9:30-11:30
Are you thinking about a postdoc and you want to learn about grant writing to prepare your future applications?
Do you want to analyze your PhD project from another perspective to help you to prepare your final manuscript and defence?
If you answer yes to one of the above questions, please register to this last session of the workshop.  We will provide you with one-week access to the online Grant writing material from Parkerderrington to help you to develop skills relevant to writing research-grant applications.
In this approach, the most important skill is the skill of writing key sentences. The PIPPIN key sentences are a distinctive set of sentences that create the framework for a project grant. The key sentence approach can be applied more generally in any form of writing where you want to communicate the essence of your message to people who do not have time to read the details.
You will use your PhD project as raw material for writing key sentences. You need to divide the project into work packages and assemble the raw material you need to write about the work packages. 
Timeframe: It is likely to take you 6-10 hours of concentrated individual work, probably best spread over several days
In this last session of the workshop, we will discuss your experience with the exercise and receive feedback on your PhD project key sentences.
 

Sessions 1-4: Paula Perez, i3S Career Development Unit

Session 6: Anna Olsson, Group Leader i3S, Laboratory Animal Science 
Marta Silva, Research Scientist i3S, Laboratory Animal Science

Round table participants in session 4 and external panel for mock interviews in session 5 will be announced among participants closed to the date
 

i3S members only.

Registration fees:
Full workshop (Sessions 1-5): 20 €
Full workshop with the optional module on grant writing (session 6): 30 €
Optional module implies around 10 hours of homework in the course of 3 weeks.

Registration deadline: 22nd February 2021 | Payment deadline: 26th February 2021

Information regarding registration will be announced through institutional email.

Payment will be requested only after confirmation of acceptance.
The organizer reserves the right to cancel the course in case of an insufficient number of participants or other unforeseeable events that render the execution of the course.