Postdoc wanted! How to apply for postdoc positions

Keywords:

Postdoc positions, assistant professorships, CV, cover letter, research and teaching statement, job interview

Introduction to the course topics:

An application in academia differs in many ways from other sectors: What does a scientific application portfolio look like? Which competencies from my studies or my previous scientific career should I particularly emphasize? At the beginning, the seminar primarily deals with the phase before the invitation to a job interview. Here the participants find out for themselves which job formats are suitable for them (e.g., externally funded position, junior . professorship). Then they will learn how to present themselves in the best possible way in written form and adapted to the academic world, what special features there are in CV design, how teaching experience and teaching evaluations can find their way into application documents and what is expected from a research concept. Building on this, the second half of the seminar deals with the phase after the invitation to a personal interview, starting with preparing for an interview, critical interview questions and giving a presentation.

Course aims:

• Knowing the most common postdoc formats
• Creating the written application documents (CV, cover letter, publication and teaching lists, research and teaching concept)
• Preparation for the interview

Teaching methods:

Interactive input, Work with sample materials, Written exercises, Practice with typical interview questions

This course fits doctoral candidates in the following phase:

at the end of the doctorate

Participation requirements:

Attendance is recommended at the very advanced stage of the doctorate (last year).

Technical requirements:

Laptop/tablet with stable internet connection, microphone, webcam, Zoom (in most cases)

Literature:

none

Additonal information, notes:

The course is oriented towards postdoctoral positions in German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).

Information about the trainer:

Dr. Dieta Kuchenbrandt is a psychologist with additional training as a coach and management consultant (Curriculum of the Deutsche Psychologen Akademie). After several years as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bielefeld and an interims professor at the University of Osnabrück, she is now an independent consultant and coach, specializing in the needs of scientists. Her work focuses on academic career planning and applications for professorships and postdoc positions.