Professional Development

Career Development for Postdoctoral Researchers at UCC

At UCC, we encourage our Postdoctoral Researchers to proactively consider their future career goals well before the end of their postdoctoral phase. This foresight is crucial as traditional academic career paths are becoming increasingly competitive and less common. Your dream job is unlikely to materialize without effort, but the good news is that having a plan significantly improves your chances of success.

Developing Transferable Skills

Identifying and honing your transferable skills is a vital first step in preparing for your future career. Conducting a training needs analysis will guide you in creating your Professional Development Plan (PDP). Regular professional training is essential, but it is equally important for postdoctoral researchers at UCC to engage in career-development discussions with their Principal Investigator (PI) or supervisor. Regularly reviewing progress and discussing career goals are necessary components of effective career development.

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Take a look at UCC's Guidelines for Career Planning for Research Staff - Career Planning

Also, an article in Nature entitled: The Future of the Post Doc or  Lift off: How to launch your career after a postdoc in New Scientist

See Charting a Course for a Successful Reseach Career by Professor Alan M Johnson published by Elsevier Charting a Course for a Successful Research Career

 Other sites of interest with resources:

1. EC Researcher Competence Framework: Research Comp  which is a tool that helps researchers assess and develop their own transversal skills  https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/jobs-research/researchcomp-european-competence-framework-researchers_en
2. IUA website:  https://www.iua.ie/for-researchers/researcher-career-framework/ 
3. 50 Professional Development Plan Templates (Free) ᐅ (templatelab.com)

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For information regarding the content of any of the training sessions please contact  Carol O'Dwyer HR Research Advisor carol.odwyer@ucc.ie

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