The Peer-facilitated Career Exploration groups use curriculum from the Professional Development Hub (pd|hub) Collections, which are nationally sourced educational models focused on professional development and career exploration for PhD students and postdocs. Over the course of 8 sessions, postdocs meet in small mentoring groups to assess their skills, values, and interests, research careers of interest, practice communicating their value to future employers, and set SMART goals for a successful job search. The workshop series is typically offered during the spring.

Joining the Postdoc Career Ladder Program (PCLP) has been a transformative experience. As both a participant and facilitator, I had the opportunity to connect with fellow postdocs, fostering a supportive and collaborative community. The program broadened my perspective on diverse career paths beyond traditional roles, inspiring me to explore new opportunities. I am currently pursuing one of these career options alongside my postdoctoral training, and the journey has been both exciting and filled with valuable learning experiences.

— Adetola Adewole, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Biological Sciences

As a participant, the program helped me realize that my doubts were shared by others, and I was not alone. It was crucial to engage with the program at the start of my postdoc to build this foundation and redirect my efforts. Now, I feel prepared to face challenges thanks to the career planning and effective interaction strategies that I defined. When I moved into the role of co-facilitator, I shared my experiences inside and outside academia and explained my career decisions. Each participant has unique goals, but I believe discussing the program’s strategies was valuable. I hope my approach provided some support to the new participants in their journeys.

— Anderson Romerio Cerqueira, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Biomedical Engineering

L-MAP introduces postdocs to the interpersonal and psychological foundations of leading teams and managing people. It responds to the unique position of postdocs, who may be practicing leadership for the first time and who typically lack formal authority within the research environment. Using real-world scenarios and current research on leadership and team dynamics challenges that postdocs regularly encounter in the scientific research environment, L-MAP highlights professional behaviors and communication strategies that can be used in a variety of leadership and management scenarios. Postdocs who complete the minimum requirements for the program will receive a Leadership Certificate from the Office of Postdoctoral Services. The program is typically offered during the fall.

I had the pleasure of being mentored by Karena during the L-MAP program at Georgia Tech. Coming from a small town in India, I was initially a bit shy in my communication. While I have had the opportunity to attend prestigious institutions throughout my Ph.D. and academic career, it was through Karena's mentorship in this program that I truly learned and developed my leadership skills. Karena taught us the importance of clear and respectful communication, and how to navigate various challenging situations with confidence. It was not just the content of the workshops, but also observing how she and the other mentors conducted themselves that provided valuable lessons in leadership.

— Madhubanti Mukherjee, Ph.D.
Scientist, EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)
Previously a Postdoctoral Fellow, Materials Science and Engineering

Project Management introduces postdocs to the process of project initiation, planning, risk management, execution, monitoring, and closing. Participants will develop a project charter, work breakdown structure, project schedule, communication plan, risk and opportunity registers, and a post-project report for a current research project and receive feedback from peers. Postdocs who complete the minimum requirements for the program will receive a Project Management Certificate from the Office of Postdoctoral Services. The program is typically offered during the spring.

The Project Management Program equipped me with invaluable skills for juggling complex, collaborative projects in my academic career. The practical techniques I learned are not only helping me coordinate multiple postdoctoral research initiatives but have also made me a more confident mentor. As I prepare for my future faculty role, I find myself constantly drawing upon these project management principles to guide student projects effectively.

— Sarah Orr, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Biological Sciences

I have applied many of the principles learned in the Project Management Program to my professional practice, both in research and teaching. In my teaching, I have directly integrated some of the documents produced during the program. I assign students a Team Charter at the start of their collaborative projects where they create a skills inventory and define their schedule, roles, responsibilities, and communication expectations. More broadly, I have rethought courses as projects where I take the role of manager, accounting for possible setbacks in the sequence of student project deliverables and assessing their impact and possible solutions. Regarding my research, since I am working on more than one research project at a time—each with various moving parts and deadlines— I have been able to organize my research more clearly into a Work Breakdown Structure. Doing this has allowed me to make steady progress in long-term research and publication projects.

— Emiliano Gutiérrez-Popoca, Ph.D.
Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Literature, Media, and Communication