Table 2 Resources and tools that are often available and can be leveraged to develop and refine skills needed to successfully transition into tenured faculty positions. Professional development courses or workshops, as mentioned in the table, are often available through a variety of sources, including home academic institutions, scientific societies, and/or research institutes
From: Taking ownership of your career: professional development through experiential learning
Skill or Competency | Resources and Tools |
|---|---|
Writing | Professional development courses/workshops, opportunities to practice and receive feedback from mentors, colleagues, and/or collaborators |
Specialized Technical/ Scientific knowledge base | Technical courses or collaborations that provide learning and networking opportunities with experts in the field |
Interviewing | Mock interviews with mentors and colleagues, informational interviews with those who have recently interviewed for positions |
Negotiating | Case-study based professional development courses/workshops, low-stakes opportunities to practice negotiation, informational interviews with colleagues who have recently negotiated faculty position offers |
Setting up, administering, and maintaining a research laboratory | Professional development courses/workshops, informational interviews with faculty running effective lab environments, preparing resources such as equipment lists with the feedback of mentors or colleagues |
Mentoring | Professional development courses/workshops, opportunities to practice necessary skills inside and outside of the lab |
Managing Conflict | Case-study based professional development courses and workshops, opportunities to practice conflict resolution in low-stakes situations or with the help of mentors |
Managing Time | Professional development courses/workshops, references describing common strategies for prioritization and avoiding time sinks |
Managing collaborations | Case study-based professional development courses/workshops, low-stakes opportunities to practice collaborating with trusted mentors |
Teaching | Courses or certifications available at local Centers of Teaching and Learning, opportunities to serve as guest speaker, invited lecturer or instructor of record, creating a course or workshop to meet a learning need identified in the relevant student population |
Professional Branding: Cultivating a reputation or niche | Disseminating work through networking, interactions, and presentations at home institutions, relevant scientific conferences or invited talks, and social media/online website presence |
Developing/sustaining a strong network of mentors (including near-peer and peer-mentors) | Networking at one’s home institution, at relevant scientific conferences, and through social media |