Abstract
The purpose of this chapter was to promote a supportive journey of the postdoc candidates to collaborate and discover a career position upon the completion of a doctoral degree. Examples of safe harbors for moving through the post-doctoral career experiences will also be provided. Specifically, this chapter will focus upon post-doctoral education program graduates, of which there are minimal research and programs available directly related to education doctoral graduates. There is a decline of PhD students entering the academic career. Additional career options beyond the academia will be discussed. Lastly, the postdoc career development plan will be recommended along with viable services for the postdoc who remains in academia.
TopProfessional Planning & Post-Doctoral Career Choices
Many doctoral students enter the academic program with only a vague idea of their career goals. Duke and Denicolo (2017) recommended that a student consider their passion and begin looking at careers that may fulfill their goals in life. Students should consider the fit of the university with their current and future needs as they begin looking for the right institution for the doctoral journey. It is essential that the courses allotted, degrees offered, and support provided to the student in preparation for a career which meets the needs of the student.
All universities do not offer career counseling. Some universities will offer preparatory courses to teach the scholar a variety of employability skills that can be transferred to many different settings and introduces the students to a wide selection of suggestions for possible career choices (Duke & Denicolo, 2017). Some universities have trained mentors who can work collaboratively with the scholar to assist with challenging decisions (McConnell, Westerman, Pierre, Heckler, & Schwartz, 2018). However, other universities have nothing to offer the student in the way of employment preparation and support. Finding a university that can support the scholar in all areas of the doctoral journey is valuable.
Often doctoral students who have recently graduated will choose to continue in academia by accepting a postdoc position with a university (Duke & Denicolo, 2017). These positions may offer mentored or scholarly experience, which could be beneficial to the graduate seeking a career in academia. The scholar will often publish research while in the postdoc position. They can gain confidence as a researcher and establish expertise in their field through scholarly articles they publish or seminars presented at various conferences (Duke & Denicolo, 2017). This internship or research position is a steppingstone from doctoral studies into the career world. Elvidge, Spencely, and Williams (2017) emphasized, “Being a postdoc is not a career…but it can be the pivotal point in the making of one” (back cover). The postdoc position will often solidify or nullify the scholar’s aspirations concerning a career path (McConnell et al., 2018). Many scholars will find that their ‘dream job’ is indeed what they desire to pursue, while others will realize that they wish to pursue different goals.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Professional Development: The process of career development in which a person seeks to gain education and experience which will help in the advancement in one’s profession.
Postdoctoral Researcher: Many universities offer research positions to doctoral scholars after completion of the doctoral process. These positions assist the scholar in receiving additional training to prepare for a career in academia or research.
Postdoc: An abbreviated term for a postdoctoral researcher.
Academic Profession: A career which includes being a researcher or faculty member in an institution of higher education.
Career Development: The process of advancing in one’s career, it can include career transitions, involving self-assessment, career information, decision making, and job search strategies.