Ohio State recognizes graduate students’ contributions to research

Ohio State recognizes graduate students' contributions to research

Postdoc Appreciation Week featured professional development, networking

During National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW), Sept. 16-20, The Ohio State University hosted various activities to help students who have earned graduate degrees prepare for career success.

Postdoctoral scholars participate in research, teaching and other professional activities at a college or university after completing a Ph.D. or other graduate degree, according to the National Postdoctoral Association. The association established NPAW, an annual observance to recognize the contributions that postdocs make to academic research and scholarship.

Activities Ohio State hosted during NPAW included events focused on professional development, job searching and networking. One panel discussion, "Alternative Career Pathways for Postdocs," centered on non-faculty careers within academia for postdocs to consider.

Panelists included Ohio State non-faculty employees who hold Ph.D.s: Stephanie Buehler, a research development specialist who previously worked at Battelle, and Joe Sharick, a technology commercialization ambassador who was a former Ohio State postdoc. James Gentry, director of Ohio State's Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, moderated the discussion.

Postdocs acquire numerous skills that are transferrable to the workplace, panelists said.

Research development is a field that draws on technical and soft skills that many postdocs have developed, Buehler said.

"There's a lot of writing and editing and reviewing of proposals" in her current position, she said. "Those writing skills that you gain from writing publications, from helping your faculty advisor with putting together a grant proposal, those things are going to come in really handy."

Buehler and Sharick said communication skills are particularly useful in non-faculty careers in higher education.

"Communication skills are really important in those roles - not only being able to present things to higher audiences like assistant deans or deans," Buehler said, "but also being able to talk with faculty and hear what their needs or concerns are and address that with them."

Sharick said his work as a technology commercialization ambassador requires communicating ideas in a clear, concise way to different audiences.

"What I do a lot of the time is talking about science and research with faculty and then translating that into a summary so that I can communicate it to other folks in my office," he said. "Those sorts of things that you practice as a postdoc when you read papers all the time and have to quickly understand what are the key points of this paper … you're synthesizing and condensing things down to their main points."

When applying for jobs, postdocs should list all of their relevant skills and experience and not assume human resources professionals will know what postdoc work entails, Gentry said.

"Let's say as a postdoc, your faculty mentor was asking you to train all the new undergrads coming into the lab. That's supervisory experience," he said. "You can write about it in your resume: you supervised seven individuals, developed training protocols and onboarded them into the research group. If you're applying for a management type of role, that's a perfect example to include in a resume."

The panelists encouraged postdocs to tap into the variety of career-advancement resources that Ohio State offers.

"You can come talk to me. I'm happy to help you. There's also Buckeye Careersthat gives free career services to postdocs and graduate students and undergrads," Gentry said. "Depending on what college you're in, your college might also have a career services [office] that supports you."

The panelists recommended networking strategies such as joining professional organizations, requesting informational interviews and informal meetups with individuals in industries that capture their interest and using career-focused sites such as LinkedIn.

"Don't be limited to what you can dream up. Sometimes just scrolling on LinkedIn… 'Oh, that's really cool. I didn't know you could do that. I wonder if I could talk to this person about it?'" Buehler said. "I think it's about exploring, finding opportunities, talking to people about it."

Postdocs will benefit from seeking opportunities that can help them continue to grow intellectually as well as professionally, Sharick said.

"Think about what you want to learn, what you're good at," he said, "and how those puzzle pieces fit together."

For more information about support services that Ohio State offers for postdocs, visit the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs website.

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