Career Control for Researchers
Career planning course for PhD candidates and postdocs
Career Control for Researchers is an 8-week, interactive online course exclusively for early career researchers who want to get their directions clear and their priorities straight.
Focused on strategic career planning, the program gives emerging researchers the tools and confidence to take responsibility for their own careers. It enables them to structure and advance their professional development through their own detailed career plan.
View a PDF of the program's structure and components.
We run this career planning course twice per calendar year for PhD candidates and postdocs in all disciplines from participating universities.
Interested to find out more about this course? Contact us by clicking the button below.
This website is for institutions interested in offering this career planning course to their PhD candidates or postdocs.
If you wish to learn more about registering as an individual, go to this page.
Benefits for your institution
Cost-effective, scaleable career development training
Career Control for Researchers offers the opportunity to manage career planning for PhD candidates and postdocs across all disciplines, in groups of any size. The program is a fully out-sourced service that does not burden staff at sponsoring institutions. It also sends a positive message about a parent institution's practical support for its researchers' development.
High levels of engagement
The on-line, on-demand delivery of core modules caters for the diverse schedules of PhD students and postdocs without diverting them from their primary work. The program runs twice each year, offering a choice of start dates.
Customising and branding options
While delivery of the training is fully outsourced, the program can be tailored and branded for institutions that register larger groups of researchers. This can include establishing a registration portal and members' page unique to the parent institution.
Attracting and retaining researchers
The program provides for a shared experience and networking which support cohesion amongst researchers across multiple facilities. The training is also an attractive point of difference to anyone considering taking up PhD studies or a postdoc position at an institution.
Benefits for your researchers
Informed choices
Participants map their strengths, preferences and 'non-negotiables' so their choices are well informed and realistic. They also learn the capabilities they need to reach their goals. Early career researchers can explore the wide range of paths open to people with PhD research backgrounds, via the case studies and interviews in the program's Career Options Masterlist.
Personal Career Plans
Participants create comprehensive career plans with specific milestone goals to meet, and actions to take to accelerate their progress.
Confidence in career development
The program's step-by-step approach builds participants' self-awareness and their assurance in taking ownership of their careers. It complements regular professional development arrangements and enables researchers to be more focused when seeking advice from supervisors and mentors.
Designed for the time-poor
The program is structured to suit those undertaking a PhD or working full time as a postdoc. It requires no more than 3 hours a fortnight on average over 8 weeks to complete.
Participants' comments on
Career Control for Researchers
"I've taken part in several career workshops and none helped me as much as yours did. I think it is the way you frame questions that makes a huge difference. It also helps that this was a step by step process."
"The step by step pace led to some in-depth soul searching and helped me focus on what I am good at. I have totally changed my expectations of career post-doc and feel very relieved that there are a lot more options out there for when I finish."
"It's incredibly valuable to have the chance to learn about the careers of others, especially the less conventional ones and I'm sure that I will re-visit the Master List in the future in order to maybe gain some inspiration for my personal path."
Co-ordination and oversight
This career planning course for PhD candidates and postdocs is a fully outsourced service, but administrators and supervisors can register free as co-ordinators to have visibility of the program content.
Co-ordinators can also access PostdocTraining's personal email advisory service for support on any career-related matters raised with them by PhD students or postdocs.
Would you like to discuss how Career Control for Researchers could enhance your training offerings?
Take the next step: start with a pilot program
Institutions secure substantial savings against the standard program price by registering groups of researchers.
Our simple 5-step pilot process helps you test whether the career planning course would suit your early career researchers. To find out more click the button below (includes pricing in US$ for cohorts of different sizes). If you are based in Australia, please contact us for pricing in AU$.