To make the most of the postdoc experience, it’s imperative to take advantage of all the resources available. Being a postdoc is an opportunity. To receive additional skills and training, develop a career track, and establish a network of colleagues to facilitate your research.
Your institution may have an Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. This serves as a clearinghouse for information relevant to postdoctoral researchers, providing professional development activities and networking with others at the same stage of career development. In addition, your organization may be a sustaining member of the National Postdoctoral Association. If they are, you are entitled to a free affiliate membership in the NPA. The National Postdoctoral Association provides advocacy, resource-development, and community for postdocs in the US.
In March, the NPA is hosting an the National Summit on Gender and the Postdoctorate in conjunction with their annual meeting. The purpose of the summit is:
- To examine the unique challenges faced by women as they seek to make the transition from postdoc to faculty.
- To consider the key factors influencing postdoc women’s decisions to pursue a career in academic science and engineering.
- To share promising practices and success stories for retaining postdoc women in the academic pipeline.
The keynote speaker at the annual meeting is Dr. Francis Collins, head of the NIH and former director of the Human Genome Project.
The NPA also has resource page, with information on tax issues, career planning, conflict resolution, and retirement. I’m starting a page of helpful postdoc links, which will be regularly updated as I come across new information.
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Image credit: The “Gold Guys” Blog
