Career Info

Career Information and Training Opportunities for Postdocs
Below contains links and information to general resources geared towards postdocs and early career biomedical researchers.
 

HMS/Internal Resources

Career Resources
A curated Dropbox folder that contains career and professional development articles and resources compiled by the OPF staff.

OPF "Career Clinics" Workshop Series
Going on the job market is much more than just submitting an application and watching the offers come rolling in. It’s about finding a good fit and concisely conveying your career trajectory.
This interactive monthly series will help participants prepare their minds and materials for the job search process through peer review and guided exercises.

Nature Masterclasses - New Resource (May 2023)
Nature Masterclasses is an online platform by Nature Research (Springer) that offers courses and modules relevant to research, publishing, and grant writing.
Anyone with an active HarvardKey – faculty, staff, trainees, and students – may freely access this resource during our subscription period (now through February 27, 2024).
Please click here to register. More information on accessing Nature Masterclasses can be found in the attached user guide.
The courses include the following:
- Scientific Writing and Publishing
- Effective Collaboration in Research
- Managing Research Data to Unlock its Full Potential
- Narrative Tools for Researchers
- Focus On Peer Review
- Persuasive Grant Writing
- Networking for Researchers
- Advancing Your Scientific Presentations
- Data Analysis: Planning and Preparing
- Data Analysis: Conducting and Troubleshooting
- Interpreting Scientific Results
- Finding Funding Opportunities
- Experinements: From Idea to Design
Harvard Key required to access courses.

Bio Careers Membership for all Harvard-affiliated Trainees
We are pleased to announce that we have joined the Bio Careers Membership. Bio Careers provides an in-depth look at various career paths in the sciences. You can find this, and a great deal more information on career searches, at https://www.biocareers.com/. Anyone who signs up will have lifetime access to the site. There is no verification of Harvard-affiliated credentials needed. Bio Careers also has a Jobs Board with over 1,000 listings for life scientists in a variety of career paths.
Registration Instructions:
(1) Go to https://www.biocareers.com/
(2) Click on the Sign Up button at the top right of the page
(3) Fill out the Registration Form and create a User Name and Password
(4) Search and apply for a variety of scientific careers on the exclusive consortium network

National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD)
The Harvard Office for Faculty Development and Diversity (FD&D) is hosting Harvard’s new institutional membership with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD).  Harvard’s membership will run for the next three years, through January 31, 2025.  
NCFDD’s resources--which supplement the resources and services already provided by the Schools and other units at Harvard--are available to Harvard faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff.  
Benefits of NCFDD’s institutional membership include:
    •    The Core Curriculum which teaches skills to thrive in the academy, specifically focused on stragetic planning, productivity, work-life balance, and healthy relationships.
    •    The Monday Motivator, a productivity email that presents the Core Curriculum in bite-sized portions.
    •    Guest Expert Webinars and Multi-Week Courses which are 60-90 minute professional development sessions designed to meet the needs of faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students.
    •    The 14-Day Writing Challenge for writing productivity.
    •    The Dissertation Success Curriculum designed to help advanced graduate students overcome obstacles to finishing their dissertation.
    •    Podcasts on relevant topics given by faculty at member institutions.
Harvard postdocs with a "harvard.edu" email can activate their membership here and begin using services by selecting Harvard from the institution list and providing their Harvard email.

Postdoc Lending Library
The Office for Postdoctoral Fellows has several copies of career and professional development books that trainees can browse and check out for further reading. Our volumes cover Manuscript and Grant Writing, Academic Job Search, Managing Your Lab, CV and Resume Writing, Cover Letters, Interviewing, and much more.

HMS Society for Translational and Academic Researchers (STARs)
A postdoc community sponsored by the Office for Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership (DICP).

The Curriculum Fellows Program (CFP)
An educational laboratory that both researches and enacts pedagogical best practices for the graduate students, postdoctoral trainees and faculty at HMS.

Career & Professional Development Navigator
A guide for life sciences graduate students provided by the Program in Graduate Education at Harvard Medical School

Harvard Catalyst Writing & Communication Center
Harvard Catalyst’s Writing and Communication Center is a comprehensive collection of tools, trainings, and resources that empower clinical/translational research team members in any stage of their careers to better articulate their science.

Harvard Catalyst: Education Video Library
This online video library is a dynamic catalog of past courses, seminars, and lectures sponsored by Harvard Catalyst. The library includes videos from some of Harvard Catalyst's most popular courses, including Introduction to Clinical Investigation (ICI) and Introduction to Translational Medicine (ITTM). The video library will continue to be updated as new offerings become available. 

Harvard FAS Office of Career Services
Here is a list of select resources and programs that all postdocs may access through the OCS. Only postdoctoral fellows who are alumni of either Harvard College or GSAS are eligible to use all OCS services. 

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Teaching Experience 
Adjunct at local colleges and universities such as Simmons University, Emmanuel College, UMass Boston (contact department chairs directly)
Harvard Extension School: https://www.extension.harvard.edu/
Teaching Fellows at Harvard: Note: TF/TA positions will be listed by the departments | MCB postings (Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Cambridge)
Teaching/Developing Nano-courses: https://nanosandothercourses.hms.harvard.edu/node/8
Inclusive Teaching Mooc with HHMI: https://www.biointeractive.org/professional-learning/online-courses/inclusive-teaching
Harvard Catalyst Teaching: https://catalyst.harvard.edu/train/

K-12+ Outreach 
HMS Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership (DICP) Project SUCCESS: https://dicp.hms.harvard.edu/dicp-programs/community-engagement-and-education
New England Science Symposium (NESS): https://dicp.hms.harvard.edu/dicp-programs/college/new-england-science-symposium
Biomedical Science Careers Program (BSCP): https://www.bscp.org/get-involved/

Mentoring/Supervising
OPF Co/Sponsored 
RCR: Mentor/Mentee Relationship - https://bioethics.hms.harvard.edu/rcr-responsible-conduct-research
Postdoc Life Cycle: Negotiating Your Postdoc from Beginning to End - 2023 Flier
HMS/Dana-Farber Mentoring Series (collaboration with DF/HCC CURE Program to teach mentoring best practices) - The 2024 Mentor Training Series begins on February 8.
     The 2024 DF/HCC CURE Mentoring Program begins in June 2024
Harvard Mentoring in Science - https://lifesciences.fas.harvard.edu/mentoring-workshops
The Individual Development Plan & Making the Most of Your Postdoc - 2023 Flier
Leadership & Management for Postdocs - Recent flier

More Opportunities  
Harvard Catalyst - Mentee-Mentor Match Program  | Maximizing Mentee-Mentor Relationships: Empowering the Mentee 
National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) - https://nrmnet.net/
DF/HCC CURE Program: http://www.dfhcc.harvard.edu/research/cancer-disparities/students/cure-overview/
UMass Boston U54 Program: https://www.umb.edu/u54
Neuroscience Training: A Virtual Workshop Series

DRAFTING A DIVERSITY STATEMENT
Inclusive Teaching Mooc with HHMI: https://www.biointeractive.org/professional-learning/online-courses/inclusive-teaching
Developing and Writing a Diversity Statement (Vanderbilt): https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/developing-and-writing-a-diversity-statement/
UC Berkeley Diversity Statement Samples: https://ofew.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/example_statements_contributions_to_diversity.pdf
UC Irvine Diversity Statement Evaluation Criteria:https://www.equity.socsci.uci.edu/files/docs/faculty-diversity-statements.pdf
UC San Diego Faculty Expectations for Diversity: https://biology.ucsd.edu/diversity/faculty-expectations.html
UC San Diego Guidelines for Diversity Statements: https://facultydiversity.ucsd.edu/recruitment/contributions-to-diversity.html
UC San Diego Examples of Diversity Statements: https://physicalsciences.ucsd.edu/_files/examples-submitted-diversity-statements.pdf

JOB SEARCH TOOLS

Naturejobs
Naturejobs is the world’s leading dedicated science jobs board. The Naturejobs blog aims to be the leading online resource for scientists in academia and industry who seek guidance in developing their careers. Check out the Naturejobs Podcast featuring our Director.

Naturejobs Career Expos
Naturejobs Career Expo sites include: San Francisco, London and Düsseldorf.

Science Careers: How to Craft a Winning Resume
Learn how to craft the documents (resumes, CVs, cover letters) you need to make a great first impression.

Jobscan.co
Boost your interview chances. Optimize your resume keywords and get past resume screeners.The Jobscan tool will analyze your resume and tell you whether it’s a good match for the job you want.

ORCID
ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from every other researcher and, through integration in key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submission, supports automated linkages between you and your professional activities ensuring that your work is recognized.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT & EXPLORATION

American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB)
ASCB offers numerous career development courses, workshops, and programs. Career DevelopmentDear Labby Archive 

Boston Postdoctoral Assocation (BPDA)
The BPDA aims to foster a sense of community, encourage increased communication, and aid in creating a collaborative environment among postdocs by advocacy efforts and organizing social and career development events to bring together postdocs across the Greater Boston Area.

Postdoc Academy
The Postdoc Academy is a comprehensive online and in-person program built on the National Postdoctoral Association core competencies to support skill development throughout postdoc training, from orientation to next career step.

National Postdoctoral Association
The HMS/HSDM OPF is a Sustaining Member of the The National Postdoctoral Association. The NPA is a professional association that provides a unique, national voice for postdoctoral scholars. The NPA was founded in 2003, with an ambitious agenda to enhance the quality of the postdoctoral experience. Since its founding, the NPA has assumed a leadership role in addressing the many issues confronting the postdoctoral community that are national in scope, requiring action beyond the local level. The NPA is supported by its members and charitable contributions from those who support its mission, including the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The NPA has established six core competencies to offer guidance to individual postdoctoral scholars who must seek out relevant training experiences, in collaboration with mentors, institutions, and other advisors who provide this training.
Click here to become an affiliate member for free and unlock career development resources for "members only".

Society for Neuroscience (SfN) Online Resources and Workshops - available to HMS Quad-based postdocs
SfN is excited to announce a new benefit for all Institutional Program (IP) members – unlimited access for trainees affiliated with your program to articles, videos, and webinars on Neuronline, SfN’s home for online learning. Any trainee associated with an IP member program is eligible for this access.
To access this benefit, trainees must:
Sign up for a free account on SfN.org, preferably using their institutional email address
Sign in to the IP Affiliate Registration page using their SfN account
Fill out the form and choose their program from the drop-down list
Click “Register”

Once registered, trainees will receive an email confirming that the process is complete and that they now have access to Neuronline using their account.
If you have any questions about this new benefit, please contact training@sfn.org.

Versatile PhD
Versatile PhD is an online community developed to help postdocs and graduate students prepare for nonacademic careers.Versatile PhD has recources to help you transition to a career field outside the professoriate, including tailored career panel discussions, detailed success stories, and sample job search documents that helped PhDs land great jobs. Harvard subscribes so you can access all the resources on their site.

Propel Careers
Propel Careers is a Boston based life sciences search and career development firm with the unique distinction of being dedicated to networking, mentoring and career development. Propel’s core mission is to help current and future leaders accelerate their careers and by doing so, impact their success as well as the success of the industry. - See more at: https://www.propelcareers.com

ScienceCareers.org
Science Careers is dedicated to being the world leader in matching qualified scientists with jobs in industry, academia, and government. We are committed to providing all the necessary career resources for scientists as well as effective recruiting solutions for employers. Our mission supports the American Association for the Advancement of Science's (AAAS's) commitment to furthering careers in science and technology.

Cell Mentor | CrossTalk
Two resources from Cell Press that leverage the expertise and access of their editors to share insights into publishing and career development.

NIH Virtual Career Center | NIH Guide to Resumes & CVs | NIH Guide to Cover Letters 
The NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE) has many career resources and videos/webcasts of workshops and science skills tutorials available online to postdoctoral trainees across the United States and around the world. In addition, trainees in the mid-Atlantic region are welcome to attend most OITE events in person. Finally, OITE presents workshops at the annual meetings of scientific professional societies. Please check out what the OITE and the NIH have to offer!

NIH BEST
As a postdoctoral scientist, you have to focus on your research while also planning for your future career. This section provides tools to help you explore your interests, narrow down career options, and get a job.

Chronicle Careers: Tools & Resources
The Chronicle of Higher Education is the No. 1 source of news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty members and administrators. Online, The Chronicle is published every weekday and is the top destination for news, advice, and jobs for people in academe. The Chronicle's website features the complete contents of the latest issue; daily news and advice columns; thousands of current job listings; articles published since September 1989; vibrant discussion forums; and career-building tools such as online CV management, salary databases, and more.

Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio) | Events Calendar
Representing more than 700 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, disease foundations and other organizations involved in life sciences and healthcare, MassBio leverages its unparalleled network of innovative companies and industry thought leaders to advance policy and promote education, while providing member programs, events, industry information, and services. HMS is a member thereby providing you full access to all MassBio resources, all you need to do is REGISTER.

MassAWIS
MASS AWIS is the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association for Women in Science (AWIS), a non-profit organization. Our mission, like the National AWIS, is to support women in all scientific fields and to achieve equity and full participation for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). By breaking down barriers and creating opportunities, AWIS strives to ensure that women in these fields can achieve their full potential.

WEST
Boston based Women in the Enterprise of Science & Technology (WEST) helps women in science, technology, and engineering advance their careers. Our members are committed to developing themselves as leaders through learning, networking, and sharing.

 ACS Professional Development Webinar
ACS (American Chemical Society) shares this webinar with Dorie Clark, who will show you how to develop a professional development plan that enables you to take your career to the next level.

Vitae
Advice and resources for individuals and for those who are supporting researchers' development. Includes information about the Vitae Researcher Development Framework.

Academic Career Readiness Assessment (UCSF)

Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management (HHMI/BWF)