Career Days
yDiv Career Days 2023
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Contents
At the yDiv Career Days, doctoral and postdoctoral researchers at iDiv get the opportunity to intensively focus on their career plans. Two days consisting of workshops, individual coaching and alumni talks will help get an overview of job opportunities and inspiration for future endeavors in or outside academia.
Day 1 (30 November)
Workshop 1: Navigating an International Academic Career: Challenges, Risks, Opportunities
| 30 November | 9:30 am - 3:30 pm | Beehive 1, iDiv Leipzig |
Contents
International academic careers present a particular set of challenges, risks and opportunities. This workshop allows you to understand them more fully, to discuss them with other internationally minded scientists and to apply them to your own situation. The workshop also provides you with an opportunity to plan the next steps of your career.
Topics covered include:
- What are typical forms and functions of international academic mobility?
- Which opportunities arise from international academic mobility? What are the main risks?
- What can I do to benefit from the opportunities and to minimise the risks?
- How international are academic labour markets in different countries?
- What are the achievements to aim for? Similarities and dissimilarities in different countries. How do I develop my scientific profile?
- What are my next steps?
The individual coaching sessions on 4th and 5th December between 9am and 1pm complement the workshop and allow for a more detailed discussion of individual questions and challenges. The coaching sessions are reserved for workshop attendees and are held online (individual appointment will be arranged within the workshop with Matthias directly).
Target group: Doctoral and Postdoctoral Researchers with international career plans or experience.
Lecturer
Educated in Oxford, Paris and Tübingen, Matthias Zach has worked as a researcher, university teacher and science manager in Britain, France and Germany. As a member of the Karriereberatung für Akademiker*innen (www.kabeak.de), he counsels researchers and scientists on all relevant aspects of their careers.
Workshop 2: Job Applications & Interviews
| 30 November | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Beehive 2, iDiv Leipzig |
Contents
This interactive workshop covers best-practices of preparing for job interviews (for jobs in science up to postdoc level and similiar positions & jobs outside academia) and focusses on their practical application. It is designed to help young scientists tackle the job interview process with confidence.
The following topics are covered in the workshop:
Preparation:
- Reading and understanding job ads
- How to create a master CV
- Writing convincing cover letters
- Tailoring your application materials to the job ad
- Motivation and positive mindset
Interviewing:
- Stages of a typical interview process
- Common interview questions and how to address them
- Talking about oneself / self-presentation
- Competency-based interviewing and the STAR format
- Considerations for interviewing in and outside academia
- Using mock interviews for practice
Follow-up:
- What to do after the interview has taken place
GOALS
After this course, participants ▪ know how to prepare for job interviews. ▪ are aware of the dos and don’ts of the application and interviewing process. ▪ have gained first practical experience in interviewing for jobs.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR COURSE PARTICIPANTS
In order to be able to actively participate in this course, participants will have to
- Look for interesting job advertisements before the course
- Prepare first drafts of their application materials (CV and cover letter)
The job ads and materials are discussed during the course and form the basis for the job interview simulations (role plays) on the second day of the course.
Lecturer
Iris Köhler is a certified career coach and trainer and experienced scientist. She studied agricultural sciences at the Technical University of Munich and received her doctorate there in 2013. After a postdoctoral stay in the United States (2014–2016), she switched to science management and coordinated the graduate school of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig (2017–2019). In 2018, she founded her own coaching and training company “The Scientist Coach”. She knows the challenges that doctoral researchers are facing when it comes to career planning and enjoys helping them to develop their own career path - in or outside academia.
Day 2 (1 December)
Mock job interviews and individual feedback with Iris Köhler
| 1 December | 9:00 - 11:30 | Beehive, iDiv Leipzig |
Contents
The mock interviews with Iris on day 2 complement the workshop 2 on job applications and interviews and allow for individual feedback and a more detailed discussion of individual questions.
Please note that the mock interviews are reserved for the attendees of the workshop.
Career Lunch with iDiv alumni
| 1 December | 11:30 am - 1:30 pm | iDiv Leipzig, room Beehive |
Contents
Former iDiv doctoral and postdoctoral researchers now working in different sectors will talk about their career paths and give advice for your own career planning. After the talks will be a get-together with the speakers for individual talks (snacks and drinks will be provided).
Speakers
Anett Richter
Head of Department Environmental Precaution, City of Leipzig
Alexander Zizka
Professor at Biodiversity of plants lab, Philipps University Marburg
Nora Adam (online)
R&D Ecological Engineer, BAYWA R.E. SOLAR PROJECTS GMBH
