Graduate & Postdoctoral Scholar Resource Center Events
GPSRC certificate programs, workshops and other professional support services.
Career Development
The UCI Graduate Professional Success (GPS) Initiative was developed to organize Graduate Division’s workshops and certificate programs around 8 core competencies (listed below).
- Discipline-specific conceptual knowledge
- Research skill development
- Careers and Entrepreneurship
- Teaching and Pedagogy
- Communication and Cultural Fluency
- Ethics and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership and Management
- Life Skills
All postdoctoral scholars are strongly encouraged to conduct a self-assessment and establish plans for improving these competencies during their UCI postdoctoral appointment using an Individual Development Plan (IDP) with their mentor. The IDP process will help guide the postdoc on how to best take advantage of UCI’s many resources. Below are the UCI IDP editable plan/worksheet and accompanying guide. Additional IDP resources are also provided.
- UCI Postdoc Individual Development Plan and accompanying IDP Guide.
- ImaginePhD– Focuses on career development individuals with PhDs in humanities and social sciences; includes an IDP tool.
- Sciences Careers (AAAS)- My IDP
- American Chemical Society- ChemIDP
- “IDP Plans Aren’t Just More Paperwork” -Molecular Cell Forum. This paper outlines the benefits of the IPD and provides a template and example.
The OPA sponsors quarterly orientations which includes an overview of the professional development resources here at UCI. The UCI Postdoctoral Scholar Handbook can be downloaded and contains information about UCI resources which includes the units providing professional development opportunities. You are also encouraged to make an individual appointment to discuss your goals so we can provide information about the appropriate resources. Contact Kayleigh Anderson-Natale with questions or to make an appointment.
UCI-Affiliated Offices with Additional Programming and Resources
Check their websites and calendars for upcoming events.
- UCI Postdoctoral Association (PDA)- Offers professional development and networking opportunities
- Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation– Provides training in pedagogy and innovative teaching.
- UCI Applied Innovation– Fosters UCI Entrepreneurship and UCI-industry alliances
- UCI Office of Research– Supports UCI’s research enterprise and researcher development.
- UCI GPS-STEM– Provides in-person professional development for postdocs in the biomedical sciences and web content designed to help trainees explore science-related career paths.
- International Center– Serves international scholars through advising, immigration services, programming, advocacy, and outreach.
- UCI Data Science Initiative Coordinates the activities of researchers and students across campus involved in various aspects of data science
Additional Resources:The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) – UCI Postdocs can join free as an affiliate individual member.
- Many UCI Faculty serve as DECADE mentors. They are exemplary mentors, skilled at working with diverse student populations, and can be a resource for postdocs.
- National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity
- From PhD to Professoriate-The Role of the Institution in Fostering the Advancement of Postdoc Women
- Vitae-Chronicle of Higher Education’s academic job and career advice portal.
- AAAS-Careers for Scientists and Engineers
- Burroughs Welcome Fund Career Tools and Guides – includes articles on obtaining tenure, career development guide and lab management guides
- Educause– Advancement of Higher Education though the Use of Information Technology
- Merlot– Multimedia Educational Resources for Learning and Online Teaching
The Professional Organization(s) within your discipline may offer career advice, access to mentors and job searches.
- PhD Career Guide
- Advancing Postdoc Women Guidebook
- Career Exploration for STEM Discipline
- UCI GPS-BIOMED- Career Paths– designed to explore science-related career paths
- AAAS– Careers for Scientists and Engineers
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Career News and Job Site; ResumeLab and Mentoring Program
- Non-Academic Options for PhDs in Humanities and Social Science
- Non-academic Career Search– Univ. of Michigan
- Beyond the Professoriate