Career Development
We are committed to supporting your career development. Under the direction of Jennifer Aumiller, MEd, Director of Pre & Postdoctoral Career Development, postdoctoral fellows are afforded a variety of career development training and counseling activities.
Specific upcoming events can be found on the Office of Postdoctoral Scholars Events page.
Workshops and Seminars
Career Skills Workshops
Throughout the year, the Office of Career Development hosts a multitude of events for postdocs and graduate students to develop the necessary skills for the next steps in their careers.
Resume and CVs Workshop
Come learn about resumes, have the opportunity to take what you learn to apply it to your resume, and have your resume reviewed after the workshop.
Social Media for Career Development
Your social media and professional brand can make or break your next career step. Learn about how to use these tools to promote yourself virtually and how to use social media to develop your professional brand.
Informational Interviews
This workshop covers how to leverage informational interviews during every step of your job search – from career discovery to applying.
Design Theory for Career Development
Concepts from Stanford's "Designing Your Life" course, including adaptability, intention, and curiosity, will be applied to your personal career development journey.
Prep for the Next Step Workshop
Discuss your individual plan for your career path or practice your informational interview skills with a person in academia, government, science policy, or industry positions. Participants will have a scheduled one-on-one time with a person in that particular field.
Transferable Skills Workshop
Grant and Paper Writing
Grant and paper writing workshops provide an opportunity for postdocs to fine-tune their grant and paper writing skills while receiving feedback from experts.
NRSA and K99/R00 Writing Class for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows
This five-week class was designed for students and postdocs who are planning on submitting or revising/resubmitting an NRSA or a K99/R00. It is not a didactic course, but rather a small, interactive writing class designed to provide feedback on crucial sections of the NRSA. Participants that are actively writing have the opportunity to create small feedback groups on sections that are discussed in the course. The course is led by multiple faculty members, Renee Cockerham, and Jennifer Aumiller.
NRSA Mock Study Sections
Offered approximately one month before an NRSA deadline, students and postdocs have the opportunity to have their grants reviewed by faculty in a mock study section format and receive feedback.
Writing Feedback Small Groups
English is not the native language of over half our postdoc population and many of them appreciate getting feedback on their scientific writing. This small group meets throughout the summer and gives the writers feedback on the current section of their scientific manuscript from other group members and staff.
Writing Accountability Groups
A Writing Accountability Group is an active writing group that meets weekly for an 8-week block and follows an agenda of 5 minutes of updates followed by 50 minutes of individual writing, and then 5 minutes of reporting and wrap-up.
These originated at Johns Hopkins and have recently launched with the Junior Faculty at UMB, and there is evidence for measurable improvements in writing productivity, writing quality, improved goal setting and time management skills, and networking and community-building.
Leadership Skills Workshop
Leadership Skills
This series covers introductory concepts of leadership.
Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is key in leadership - realizing our strengths and challenges, and recognizing how this impacts our interactions with teams. Based on MBTI dichotomies, learn how you can be a more effective leader!
Dealing with Conflict
Conflict is inevitable - learn about your conflict style and strategies to handle conflict as a leader effectively.
Team Dynamics
This active workshop will help participants understand team dynamics and leadership.
Careers in Science Seminars
Careers in Science Seminars
This series invites alumni and others to discuss their career paths with our graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
Previous speakers included AAAS Fellows, scientists at 10X Genomics, MedPace, and AstraZeneca, medical science liaisons, and biomedical sales agents.
Collaborative Teaching Fellows Program
UMB Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars can have opportunities to teach at local institutions through our Collaborative Teaching Fellows Program. The Collaborative Teaching Fellows Program is a collaborative effort between Johns Hopkins, the NIH National Institute of Aging, and the University of Maryland Baltimore along with various regional PUI partners to give all UMB students and postdoctoral fellows the opportunity to have experience in teaching undergraduate STEM students.
Mentoring Events
Mentoring Workshops for Postdocs
The GPILS/OPS Office of Career and Professional Development offers a miniseries, for students and postdocs in the biomedical and population health sciences. This series of discussions is part of the "Entering Mentoring Series," developed by Pfund, House, Asquith, Spencer, Silet, & Sorkness at the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Individual workshops include:
- Effective Communication
- Aligning Expectations and Assessing Understanding
- Supporting Independence and Promoting Professional Development
Individual Career Coaching
Interested in exploring career options? Do you need interview practice or a thorough review of your resume/CV? How about developing a Personalized Strategic Plan for your career development?
Fill out a Career Development Questionnaire and book an appointment with Jenn Aumiller, MEd, for an individual career coaching session.
Professional Development Awards
Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) Network
National Postdoctoral Association
Association for Women in Science Baltimore Chapter
Research Career Development & Planning
The School of Medicine's Center for Advanced Research Training and Innovation (CARTI) offers grant writing training opportunities, including introductory workshops on writing R01 and Career Development (K) applications.
Additionally, the Scientific Leadership and Project Management seminar series, led by successful UMB investigators, offers postdoctoral scholars training in the critical skills needed to launch independent careers.
The Graduate Program in Life Sciences and the Office of Postdoctoral Scholars organize NRSA (F) Grant Writing Workshops led by faculty mentors who've established a strong track record of assisting trainees with successful grant applications. This workshop concludes with a luncheon featuring a panel discussion with current graduate students and postdocs who've been awarded NRSAs.
Postdoctoral scholars are strongly encouraged to utilize the Individual Development Plan for Postdoctoral Scholars to help facilitate their pathway to independence. Through the IDP, Postdoctoral Scholars and their faculty advisors work together to establish mutually aligned goals and expectations throughout the duration of the postdoctoral training period.
Additional workshops include: Communicating Your Research, Effectively Using PowerPoint, Networking for Career Success, and more.
Career Counseling & Careers in Science Seminar Series
The Office of Postdoctoral Scholars sponsors a variety of career workshops including, CV/resume writing, networking, conducting a job search, and interviewing.
Postdoctoral scholars may also receive confidential one-on-one career counseling to have their CV/resume critiqued, plan a job search, explore career options, and practice their interviewing skills. Schedule an appointment.
Careers in Science Seminar Series
Throughout the year, the Graduate Program in Life Sciences and the Office of Postdoctoral Scholars sponsor a seminar series that exposes Postdoctoral Scholars to a wide array of scientific careers. If you are an alumn who would like to present to our students and postdocs, please email Jennifer Aumiller, MEd.
Additional Opportunities
Our postdocs also enjoy the benefit of a newly revised Research Ethics Curriculum offered by the Graduate Program in Life Sciences.
Click here for additional information on all career development opportunities or contact Jennifer Aumiller, MEd, Director, Office of Postdoctoral Scholars and Director, Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Career and Professional Development.