Beyond OPF: External Events
External Events & Professional Development
This page is used to advertise non-OPF Events and Announcements that may be of interest to our community. Please contact us if you wish to have an announcement or event posted here.
These workshops are sponsored by the Harvard Human Resources Center for Workplace Development. For additional workshops, please visit their website.
One of the most challenging aspects of the career management process is effectively promoting your skills and knowledge. Most people feel uncomfortable promoting their skills and wish a good job done could stand for itself. The truth is in a competitive work environment, self-promotion of skills in resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, interviewing and networking is key to the achievement of career goals. During this 90-minute workshop, you’ll identify your own comfort level and leave with practical tools, personalized examples, and the self-assurance to communicate your skills strategically—where, when, and how it matters most.
Enrolment Deadline: None
Audience: All Benefits Eligible Employees
Pre-Requisite: Successful Completion of Creating Your Skills Inventory Workshop is recommended.
Cost: None Pre-Work: None
CWD welcome all benefits-eligible faculty, post-docs, and staff to participate in its programs and activities. For questions about course content, or to request an accommodation, please contact training@harvard.edu. For technical issues, please contact trainingportalhelp@harvard.edu.
GermanyThis workshop is sponsored by the National Postdoc Association. For additional workshops and more resources please visit their website.
When: Tuesday, July 28, 2026, 3:00 p.m.
The European academic landscape can be overwhelming for international researchers. Join us for a seminar that will guide you through the process of navigating the European Union as a postdoc, with a focus on Germany. We'll cover resources and funding opportunities, cultural differences in the European academic landscape, and provide practical tips and tricks for navigating the German system and what you should know before applying for a position.
Speakers: Anne Schreiter, executive director of guidance, skills and opportunities; Alexandra McCormack, coordinator, German Postdoc Network
These workshops are sponsored by the Harvard Human Resources Center for Workplace Development. For additional workshops, please visit their website.
Build or strengthen your professional brand on LinkedIn with a hands-on session that supports employees at all experience levels. You’ll learn what matters most for visibility, where to focus your time, and how to use guided AI prompts to draft or refresh key profile sections like your Headline and About. You’ll leave with clear language, practical tools, and a simple process for keeping your LinkedIn brand current and aligned with your goals.
CWD welcome all benefits-eligible faculty, post-docs, and staff to participate in its programs and activities. For questions about course content, or to request an accommodation, please contact training@harvard.edu. For technical issues, please contact trainingportalhelp@harvard.edu.
These workshops are sponsored by the Harvard Human Resources Center for Workplace Development. For additional workshops, please visit their website.
This 1-hour training will provide a practical approach to goal setting. Whether you are writing your own goals or helping your team write theirs, this session will provide a proven framework relevant example.
Participants will leave with insight on how to set well-defined goals that align to their team/organization priorities, setting them up for success in the upcoming year. This training is open to all benefit-eligible employees.
You will:
- Explore a proven approach to goal setting.
- Identify different types of goals.
- Create one or more comprehensive goals for the upcoming year
CWD welcome all benefits-eligible faculty, post-docs, and staff to participate in its programs and activities. For questions about course content, or to request an accommodation, please contact training@harvard.edu. For technical issues, please contact trainingportalhelp@harvard.edu.
These workshops are sponsored by the Harvard Human Resources Center for Workplace Development. For additional workshops, please visit their website.
In this 2-hour interactive virtual workshop, participants will explore what makes teams truly effective by learning about Amy Edmondson’s “teaming” concept and Tuckman’s stages of group development. Through reflection, discussion, and practical activities, learners will discover actionable strategies to build psychological safety, foster trust, and boost collaboration within and across teams.
At the end of this course, you will be able to learn:
- Describe Amy Edmondson’s concept of “teaming” and its key impact on effective team collaboration.
- Identify, analyze, and navigate your team’s current stage using Tuckman’s Five Stages of Group Development.
- Apply actionable strategies to foster psychological safety, build trust, and enable effective collaboration on a team.
- Reduce barriers to effective collaboration
CWD welcomes all benefits-eligible faculty, post-docs, and staff to participate in its programs and activities. For questions about course content, logistics, or to request an accommodation, please contact trainingportalhelp@harvard.edu. For technical issues, please contact training@harvard.edu.
These workshops are sponsored by the Harvard Human Resources Center for Workplace Development. For additional workshops, please visit their website.
Can you easily name your top professional skills? Many people find it challenging to articulate and describe their current skills despite using them daily. Identifying your skills takes time, thought, and a method to record them. In this 90-minute session you will complete a skills inventory featuring key skills used at Harvard; practice articulating your skills to peers; and plan for how best to showcase your skills.
Enrolment Deadline: None
Audience: All benefits-eligible employees
Pre-Requisite: None
Cost: None
Late Drop/Cancel Fee: None
Pre-Work: None
CWD welcomes all benefits-eligible faculty, post-docs and staff to participate in its programs and activities. For questions about course content, logistics, or to request an accommodation, please contact training@harvard.edu. For technical issues, please contact trainingportalhelp@harvard.edu
These workshops are sponsored by the Harvard Human Resources Center for Workplace Development. For additional workshops, please visit their website.
In this introductory 2-hr workshop, you will learn and apply a framework to initiate, define, plan, and schedule a project. This course is intended for people leading a project who have little or no formal training in the project management process seeking an introduction to key concepts. Through this hands-on approach you apply tools and techniques and develop a project plan. Note: this workshop does not teach the use of project management software. Please see LinkedIn Learning options for training modules on specific software.
You will
- Apply detailed steps for successful management.
- Complete a brief risk-assessment.
- Create the beginning of a project charter and project plan
Your Commitment as a Participant
- Complete assigned pre-work prior to the class
- Actively participate and be prepared to customize session-content to yourself and your role
Complete course evaluation following class-completion
CWD welcome all benefits-eligible faculty, post-docs, and staff to participate in its programs and activities. For questions about course content, or to request an accommodation, please contact training@harvard.edu. For technical issues, please contact trainingportalhelp@harvard.edu.
These workshops are sponsored by the Harvard Human Resources Center for Workplace Development. For additional workshops, please visit their website.
This 2.5 hour workshop provides time management strategies for keeping focused and staying organized whether you work on-site, are fully remote, or shift between multiple locations. Different time management styles will be discussed to help you find a method that works for you and practical tips will be shared on developing a productivity mindset, identifying the obstacles that get in your way, and taking control of your calendar.
At the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Determine the time management strategy that best fits your style.
- Use time-blocking to schedule tasks and define your boundaries.
- Create a more effective work environment at home and in your office.
- Develop strategies to stay focused and limit distractions.
- Plan a healthy working rhythm to reduce stress.
Enrolment Deadline: One week in advance of the class start date.
CWD welcome all benefits-eligible faculty, post-docs, and staff to participate in its programs and activities. For questions about course content, or to request an accommodation, please contact training@harvard.edu. For technical issues, please contact trainingportalhelp@harvard.edu.
This workshop is sponsored by the National Postdoc Association. For additional workshops and more resources please visit their website.
When: Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 12:00 p.m.
Connecting Scholars to Journal Editors: Learn How to Become an Editor & Access Peer Review Opportunities
Interested in expanding your academic profile and getting involved in scientific publishing? Join the NPA for a webinar connecting doctoral scholars and postdoctoral researchers with journal editors and publishers to learn:
- How to become a journal editor
- How editors identify and recruit peer reviewers
- How to approach editors for reviewing opportunities
Peer review and editorial experience can strengthen your scholarly portfolio, expand your professional network, and demonstrate recognition within your field. For international scholars, these activities may also contribute to evidence of professional achievements commonly considered in employment-based immigration pathways and green card applications.
Open to doctoral students, postdocs, and early-career researchers.
These workshops are sponsored by the Harvard Human Resources Center for Workplace Development. For additional workshops, please visit their website.
In this dynamic 60-minute workshop, unlock the secrets to thriving in today's ever-evolving interview landscape. Discover the essential skills and strategies to stand out, whether in video one-way interviews, virtual meetings, or traditional in-person settings. We'll also cover how to prepare for informational interviews, ensuring you're ready for every opportunity.
What You’ll Learn:
- Learn to articulate compelling responses to classic questions like "Tell me About Yourself" and navigate the sensitive topic of salary requirements with poise.
- Develop techniques to excel in video-recorded interviews, ensuring you leave a lasting impression.
- Understand how to best follow-up to reinforce your candidacy and demonstrate professionalism post-interview.
CWD welcome all benefits-eligible faculty, post-docs, and staff to participate in its programs and activities. For questions about course content, or to request an accommodation, please contact training@harvard.edu. For technical issues, please contact trainingportalhelp@harvard.edu.
These workshops are sponsored by the Harvard Human Resources Center for Workplace Development. For additional workshops, please visit their website.
Emotional intelligence and effective listening can be powerful tools when navigating disagreements or polarizing issues. They help you stay present in the moment, build trust, balance perspectives, and better connect with your colleagues. In this 2-hour workshop, we will explore the nature of challenging conversations, discuss the different ways we interpret emotions, and identify some techniques you can use to create more constructive dialogues.
CWD welcome all benefits-eligible faculty, post-docs, and staff to participate in its programs and activities. For questions about course content, or to request an accommodation, please contact training@harvard.edu. For technical issues, please contact trainingportalhelp@harvard.edu.
This workshop is sponsored by the National Postdoc Association. For additional workshops and more resources please visit their website.
In this webinar, the SabbaticalHomes team will demonstrate how the platform works, show how postdocs are using it to find housing that fits their timeline and budget and share member testimonials.
When: Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 1:00 p.m.
SabbaticalHomes is the original temporary housing network for academics, connecting a global community across 65+ countries since 2000. With more than 11,000 furnished listings for relocations, research trips, fellowships, and family stays, the platform is built to flex around the realities of academic life. In this webinar, the SabbaticalHomes team will demonstrate how the platform works, show how postdocs are using it to find housing that fits their timeline and budget, and share member testimonials. Attendees will also get a look at real listings across sizes and price points in major university cities, so you can see exactly what's available.
The Brandeis University Postdoctoral Association (BUPA) is organizing its Invited Postdoc Research Colloquium (IPRC) for August 6, 2026. We are inviting one senior outstanding postdoc from all fields of neuroscience to Brandeis to present their research and to visit the Brandeis community.
The selected speaker will give an hour-long seminar and meet with Life Sciences faculty on one-on-one basis throughout the day. They will also have lunch and dinner with Brandeis grad students and postdocs for additional informal discussion. This provides an invaluable opportunity for the speakers to receive great scientific feedback and increase their visibility in the scientific community, two essential aspects for their future job search. And of course, this is an equally great opportunity for the Brandeis community to engage in fruitful scientific discussion and learn about exciting research performed outside of our campus.
Interested postdocs should submit an updated CV as well as an abstract of their research (maximum 250 words). The seminar will be organized in person and funds for travel and food will be provided for the speaker, who will also receive an honorarium. A virtual presentation will be organized should the need arise. We are committed to promote the visibility in science of women and underrepresented minorities and thus strongly encourage them to apply.
The application deadline is July 15, 2026. To apply, please fill this form. For additional information, please contact us at bupa@brandeis.edu.