Teaser

A career strategy seen as a map through the rough terrain of academia seems helpful for navigation – even though it might not be precise in every detail. Also data suggests that (written) career plans corre-late with success (grants, professorship positions) in academia. As “owning one’s career” often trans-lates into “having the perfect plan”, the career day opens with the keynote addressing this core issue: Is a career strategy really necessary and eventually helpful or rather leading to a false feeling of security? And what would a realistic strategy look like - keeping in mind that there are so many aspects out of my control?

Speaker

I am Jane Reznick.

I moved to Berlin to do a post-doc in a group that studied a strange and fascinating animal model called the naked mole-rat. I was fascinated by this animal and all of its unique adaptations and devoted my post-doc years to looking into how this animal can survive in low oxygen conditions. This led me to travel and do experiments in South Africa and Tanzania and meet a fascinating network of biologists and zoologists studying this animal. In parallel, I discovered a novel target for diabetes treatment and started developing a new therapeutic drug against hyperglycaemia. This introduced me to the biopharmaceutical world of patents, VCs and drug development. In 2020 I started my own research group at the CECAD Research Center in Cologne Germany, where I will bring a colony of naked mole-rats to continue to study adaptations that contribute to the naked mole-rat’s astounding longevity with the long-term goal of developing novel therapies against ageing-related diseases in the future.

Ask me about naked mole-rats, metabolism, diabetes and how to live longer.

Teaser

Have you heard about networking? Sure. Have you tried it? Probably. Did you enjoy it? Maybe... Not feeling comfortable networking can have different reasons: maybe your target is not clear, maybe speaking to “strangers” is out of your comfort zone or maybe you simply don’t like to “ask for things”...
Bummer: This one-hour session on networking is not going to solve all of your problems. Instead it offers a systematic view on networking and provides ideas on how to get in touch with your “person of interest”. Knowing this is the first step to reduce your reservations and opens the door for enjoying to work on connections that serve your career development.

Speaker

I am Julia Lehnhof.

Ask me about... As organizational psychologist and trainer for communication I focus on establishing healthy, supportive work environments as well as effective communication (in all forms and shapes). Whether working with people on leadership approaches, networking skills or conflict resolution – my passion is to facilitate constructive communication and trustful relationships. Therefore, I provide skill training, knowledge and attitude-work in the learning environments I am invited to design.

Teaser

Whether a professorship, tenure track or “just” a permanent position at a research institute, there are official as well as implicit rules to get there. How can you increase your chances strategically? What is going on behind the scenes when you apply for a professorship? Which role do publication lists, third-party grants or networking skills really play for a successful academic career? This interactive talk gives you an overview of the success conditions of a career in academia: those within your control and those that lie beyond.

Speaker

I am Dr. Matthias Schwarzkopf.

Since 2009 I work as a coach for scientists and counsel them for their careers, but also for self-organization, leadership skills and didactics. I founded career counselling for academics www.kabeak.de along with some colleagues.

Ask me about career paths in and outside of academia, application, job interviews …

Teaser

Every postdoc knows that patience and luck are not enough to succeed in academia, don’t they? That’s why you dedicate so much effort to writing articles and proposals, to networking, teaching, etc. Despite it all, do you sometimes find yourself asking „What if it is still not enough?“ This workshop provides room to reflect on this inconvenient question. We will look into constructive ways to deal with worries, e.g. about missing opportunities or about leaving academia too soon or too late. We will consider what could be your very personal reason to consciously take the risk of an academic career and pursue it fearlessly: „No regrets, even if…“

Speaker

I am Dr. Anne Mazuga.

Ask me about decision-making under uncertainty; defining goals; making & changing life plans; the philosophy of leadership; team roles in team work; survival as an introvert in a world of constant performance

Teaser

For many Helmholtz postdocs it is a challenge to gain teaching experience. However, when you apply for a professorship you are usually expected to have taught in higher education. And perhaps you want to find out if you like teaching before you take on a position that comes with a teaching load. In this interactive workshop, meet three experts for teaching as a Helmholtz postdoc and/or as a newly appointed professor. Find out how you can teach without a regular teaching assignment in your work contract, how to acquire didactic know-how and how to convince an appointment committee that you can do the job.

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Speakers

Ask me about: What is your field of expertise and experience that people should know about? I study dynamics of watersheds and their role for water resources, riverine ecosystems and environmental hazards. Beyond science, I worked as street educator and (failed) startupper.

Ask me about the topics mentioned above or anything about applying for a (junior)professorship when coming from a Helmholtz Center without the classical teaching experience you are asked to have. Anything on how to gain teaching experience while not being appointed at a university and how to convince the committee that you can do good teaching.

Ask me how much fun interdisciplinary research is, how different the worlds of extramural research institutions and universities are and how much I am waiting to meet the students in my lectures in person instead of just reading their names on the screen.

Ask me about... As organizational psychologist and trainer for communication I focus on establishing healthy, supportive work environments as well as effective communication (in all forms and shapes). Whether working with people on leadership approaches, networking skills or conflict resolution – my passion is to facilitate constructive communication and trustful relationships. Therefore, I provide skill training, knowledge and attitude-work in the learning environments I am invited to design.

Teaser

What if a permanent position in my institute is highly unlikely? What other options do I have within academia? In this workshop we explore the variety of academic career paths and their differences. We also will take a look at how to decide which path might be your best option individually - based on your personal competencies, qualifications and preferences.

Speaker

I am Neela Enke.