Career training for postdocs at OIST
Postdoc Career Success is a program of practical training and one-to-one mentoring being offered for the first time to support the career development of OIST's postdoctoral researchers.
Postdoc Career Success introduces essential skills and tools that you can apply immediately in your daily work.
The program's practical approach, training material and resources have been created specifically to motivate and support postdoctoral researchers in structuring and pursuing their careers, and enable them to tackle all their roles with assurance and maximum impact.
The program aims to equip you with skills and strategies that will help you to make the greatest contribution, accelerate your progress and fulfil your potential, wherever your career choices take you.
The approach
The program's core of 15 online modules ('eclasses') offers greater flexibility than a workshop series or residential course. It caters for the diverse work schedules and preferences of postdocs across all different disciplines.
You can complete the exercises wherever you are, and when and how it best suits you (online, downloadable PDF or audio versions). Once an eclass is published, you have unlimited, ongoing access to it and all the other program resources.
Postdoc Career Success retains the advantages of face-to-face, interactive training by combining online components with live webinar sessions, individual mentoring and peer group conversations. It means participants will also get the benefit of engaging directly with the trainers at PostdocTraining and other OIST colleagues taking part in the program. Read more about the course components below.
PostdocTraining emails participants direct when each eclass is available, to notify members about training material and webinars, and when the monthly Postdoc in the News service is published.
Course timing and time commitment
The core training material is delivered online, with one new eclass released every two weeks over seven months.
The pacing of the content is designed to suit early career researchers working full time. The average time commitment to explore all the program's elements thoroughly is no more than 2 hours a fortnight.
The scheduling and on-demand format make sure you can stay engaged in spite of interruptions, and still have ample opportunity to investigate and apply all the material and resources.
Additional benefits of the course
Postdoc Career Success is a valuable complement to regular supervision arrangements and any mentoring relationships you may already have. You develop a thorough knowledge of your career options and personal development priorities as part of the program, so discussions with mentors have clear structure and definition, and can focus on specific actions that will help you achieve the priorities you've identified. You can also use the detailed career plan you create as part of the course in any appraisal and personal development conversations.
* Register your interest *
This is the first time OIST has offered Postdoc Career Success, with just 10 places available. You can register your interest with Dr Irina Filinova, Postdoctoral Development Specialist at OIST's Faculty Affairs Office by email on Irina.Filinova@oist.jp
The program is being sponsored centrally by OIST and will be free of charge to researchers who secure a place. The Institute will ask all participants for feedback on their experience of the course and the impact it has had, to inform decisions about providing more of this kind of training in future.
What postdocs say
"I find myself more in control of my career prospects. That is I have set goals that I want to achieve - not goals that 'others' or 'the system' have promoted. I now have a firmer vision of what I want which makes it easier to structure work and take proactive decisions."
"It really helped me to focus on my own career preferences and hopes rather than on the expectations I believe others have on me! (I) will start my position in the biotech company next week [...] I especially liked the fact that the material is not pushing for an academic career only, but rather keeps an open mind about options while addressing some of the common fears, problems and struggles that we as scientists have.
"It applies to so many, regardless of postdoc level and field of expertise! Excellent to learn about yourself and how to shape a career around your own strengths and preferences... I see more options and possibilities as a result of the program. A more positive outlook on the future.
"Thank you for your great support [I] finally fought it through and got a lecturer/senior lecturer position. ... I think you are doing a really valuable job which makes a difference in people's lives.
Further information: program components
description | OIST PROGRAM | |
|---|---|---|
 Eclasses | 15 eclasses delivered fortnightly online in English over 7 months, in text and audio versions to suit researchers' preferences | All OIST members will have lifelong access to program material, as long as they keep their login details. Follow this link for further detail on the content of each eclass |
 Personal mentoring | Participants have access to one-on-one mentoring on matters of their choice with experienced PostdocTraining mentors via Skype or phone, providing personalised career coaching and professional development advice. | All OIST members will be entitled to one hour in total of one-to-one mentoring to address their own choice of issues during the program |
 Email career advice | Individual postdocs can seek advice on career-related matters and issues throughout the program, via PostdocTraining's email support service. | PostdocTraining will provide a career Q&A service by email for all OIST members for the duration of the course |
 Career database | Ongoing access to the Career Options Masterlist, PostdocTraining's database covering dozens of career paths in academia and beyond for researchers, including case studies. | OIST members will have lifelong access to this database, updated regularly, with information and case studies of career pathways for people with research backgrounds |
 News service | A monthly news service distilled from international journals, print media and the internet to give participants the most current material on research-related career issues and pathways. | OIST participants will have lifelong access to this news service for as long as they choose to stay subscribed |
 Live webinars | Live online discussion facilitated by PostdocTraining on issues of shared interest to participants. | A live webinar for OIST members including advice on setting up mutually supportive peer mentoring arrangements and a career-focused Q&A session |
 Mastermind groups | PostdocTraining provides support for setting up these self-guided peer-mentoring groups, including via a survey and matching of members, and guidance on establishing and operating a group. | All OIST participants will have the opportunity to get involved in Mastermind peer groups with other OIST researchers taking part in the program. |
Contact PostdocTraining direct
If you would like to ask a question of the PostdocTraining team about the program's content, its structure or the way the course material and mentoring is delivered, please use the contact form below. Just include your preferred contact method and details in the comments section so that PostdocTraining can reply to you directly.