Career Clinics 2026

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. Read our article at Inside Higher Ed that describes how Career Clinics can improve career-transition readiness.

Career Clinics are held online and are interactive workshops that often involve peer review. Please be prepared to turn your camera on during these sessions. Sessions are open only to Harvard and Harvard-affiliates.

REGISTER FOR ANY OF THESE EVENTS HERE.

Crafting Your CV and Resume
2026 Sessions: Monthly, first Monday of the month. | 11:00am - 12:00pm | (exceptions: Sep 14)

Facilitator: Jim Gould, PhD, Director for Postdoctoral Affairs
A CV/resume provides the first impression of a candidate to a potential employer. The content of your document should quickly grab the reader's interest, and the format must deliver information clearly and concisely. To make it even more challenging, you need to summarize the highlights of your career in just a few pages. This interactive workshop will cover the basics of crafting your CV and tips for tailoring your Resume to specific job opportunities.
This workshop takes a ‘flipped classroom’ approach so please view this linked video before attending and bring your relevant questions for an interactive discussion of CV/Resume struggles and strategies. The video replaces the slideshow.

The Individual Development Plan 
Thursdays | 2:00 - 3:30 pm
2026 Sessions: Jan 15, Apr 16, Sep17

Facilitator: Jim Gould, PhD, Director for Postdoctoral Affairs
The Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a mentoring tool that links research goals with career development and progress towards independence. It is meant to foster an ongoing and recurring discussion that involves evaluation, goal setting and feedback with input from both postdoc and faculty mentor. The NIH encourages trainees to make Individualized Development Plans to help them prepare for academic and nonacademic careers. This interactive workshop unpacks the IDP framework while helping postdocs to prepare a working draft of the IDP that addresses research, professional progress, and implementation.

Demystifying Job Ads and Cover Letters
Thursdays | 2:00 - 3:30pm 
2026 Sessions: Feb 19, May 21

Facilitator: Jim Gould, PhD, Director for Postdoctoral Affairs
By understanding the job ad and aligning your cover letter to the content, candidates can quickly and concisely convey interest and job fit, all in just one page. This interactive workshop will cover the basics of crafting and tailoring your cover letter to address specific qualifications employers are looking for when they advertise open positions. Note: these workshops are interactive and include group discussion and peer review, participants are expected to submit a draft cover letter and the job ad by 10am the Tuesday before the workshop.
Prior to the session attendees are expected to upload a copy of the job submission and draft cover letter

Strategic Interview Prep  
Thursdays | 2:00 - 3:30pm 
2026 Sessions: Mar 19 & Jun 18, Dec 17

Facilitator: Jim Gould, PhD, Director for Postdoctoral Affairs
Every postdoc could benefit from interview prep as they move forward in their job search. A critical part of job hunting is convincing others, and sometimes yourself, that you are capable of performing successfully. By focusing on self-awareness, this workshop will cover common struggles and effective strategies for preparing to successfully interview.
Registrants will receive handouts and a short assignment to prepare in the week prior to the workshop.

Statements of Teaching Philosophy
Thursdays | 2:00 - 3:30pm 
2026 Sessions: July 16, Nov 19

Facilitator: Jim Gould, PhD, Director for Postdoctoral Affairs
Writing the teaching statement can be one of the most esoteric exercises in putting together the academic job package. While less philosophical and more practical, the challenge is to communicate a tangible evidence-based teaching approach in just a single page. This interactive workshop will use peer review and critique to hone your teaching statement for submission. This workshop is focused on statements of teaching philosophy for the academic job search.
Attendees are expected to upload a copy of your teaching statement prior to the workshop.

Academic Research Statements 
Thursdays | 2:00 - 3:30pm 
2026 Sessions: Aug 20, Oct 15

Facilitator: Jim Gould, PhD, Director for Postdoctoral Affairs
Writing the research proposal is one of the most in depth exercises in putting together the academic job package. While constructing the intellectual framework of your lab for the next several years, you have to convey a feasible, fundable, and future-focused research program in just a few pages. This interactive workshop will use peer review and critique to hone your research proposals for submission.
Participants are expected to have a working draft and will be assigned peer review to prepare prior to the workshop.

Registration for each Career Clinic session opens approximately 30 days prior to workshop date.