Career Development
Self-Assessment and Goal Setting
Self-assessment can be used to help postdocs understand their own abilities, determine career possibilities, and set professional development objectives. The Individual Development Plan (IDP) one such tool that be used to assess career options and set short-term and long-term goals. IDPs can also be a valuable communication tool when used between postdoc and mentor as a means to discuss goals. Postdocs are strongly encouraged to fill out an IDP and review it with their mentor annually.
Let’s start your new adventure by reading an article "Making the Most of Your Postdoc" – from The Chronicle of Higher Education.
- Information about the IDP process:
- Individual Development Plan for Postdoctoral Fellows (IDP) – from FASEB
- Postdoctoral Career Development & Assessment Process – developed by the University of Pittsburgh
- "You Need a Game Plan" – first in a series of articles from Science Careers about myIDP, a free online tool that guides scientists and engineers through the process of developing and IDP.
- myIDP – A free, web-based tool that was created by AAAS and Science Careers to help scientists explore career possibilities and set goals to follow the career path that fits best.
- myIDP provides:
- 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; and
- Articles and resources to guide you through the process.
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- ImaginePhD – A free, online career exploration and planning tool for Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scholars in the humanities and social sciences
users are able to:- assess their career-related skills, interests, and values
- explore careers paths appropriate to their disciplines
- map out steps for degree completion alongside career and professional development
Developed by GCC member experts from over 50 universities, ImaginePhD offers a unique platform that teaches PhDs about popular job sectors, search strategies, and how to transfer skills across settings. Like the related GCC member project myIDP, with 100,000+ users, ImaginePhD has the potential to transform PhD career planning.
- National Postdoctoral Association Resources
- Career Planning and Self-Assessment Resources
- Core Competencies Toolkit - the competencies described can be used as a basis for self-evaluation by postdoctoral scholars and a basis for developing training opportunities that can be evaluated by mentors, institutions, and other advisors.
- Self-Assessment Resources – from the Medical College of Wisconsin Virtual Career Center
- Skills Portal for Researchers – from Cambridge University
- ImaginePhD – A free, online career exploration and planning tool for Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scholars in the humanities and social sciences
Professional Development
Clemson University is working hard to develop a variety of opportunities to enhance the postdoctoral career and professional development. Our Graduate school works with the CUPDA and the Clemson University Office of Postdoctoral Affairs to identify professional and career development needs. We encourage all postdoctoral scholars to actively engage in professional development opportunities to compliment your research training throughout your career at Clemson University.
For more information on Professional Development events and workshops, visit the GRAD360 events page.