Career Resources
The majority of our programs are open to anyone at Jefferson, except the Intramural Professional Development Programs which are open only to faculty and postdoctoral fellows. The individual career counseling is open to JCLS postdoctoral fellows and graduate students.
Individual Career Counseling
The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
In collaboration with Jefferson’s Center for Career Success, Lisa Kozlowski, PhD, Associate Dean in the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, offers individual career counseling to both postdoctoral fellows and PhD graduate students. She explains the job search process, including discussions on self-assessment, information on career paths, contact information for professionals in different career fields and reviews of resumes/CVs and cover letters. To set up an appointment please contact Dr. Kozlowski.
The Center for Career Success
The Center for Career Success offers a variety of services including:
- Individual appointments in-person, over the phone, and Zoom include the following topics: job search strategies, resume/CV and cover letter reviews, LinkedIn profile reviews, informational interviewing, mock interviews, career inventories/assessments (StrengthsFinder, Strong Interest Inventory), and personal career planning.
- To schedule an appointment, please log in with your campus key and password at Jefferson.JoinHandshake.com.
- The Center for Career Success runs over 70 workshops and presentations in classes and in partnerships with student organizations on a wide range of career topics. Many custom made to suit. Please contact us to speak to your class or club.
- Employer programming is held throughout the year.
Contact Us
Chris Miciek, Director & JCLS Adjunct Instructor
Nadine Mfum-Mensah, Coordinator for Academic & Career Success
1800 Edison
215-503-5805
[email protected]
Individual Development Plan (IDP)
An individual development plan (IDP) helps you explore career possibilities and set goals to follow the career path that fits you best. Resources to help you create an IDP:
- myIDP is an online career planning tool hosted by AAAS/ScienceCareers. Create your IDP.
- ImaginePhD is a career planning and exploration tool. Though this tool was built initially for humanities and social sciences, it has proven very useful in helping with IDPs for STEM fields.
Career & Professional Development Resources
iBiology Courses
Provide video trainig for career and professional advanecement.
Management 101 for Scientists - Webinar
In this webinar, Joanne Kamens, PhD, Executive Director at Addgene, talks about managing people
Industry Careers
Slides from talk by Lori M. Conlan, PhD - Director, Office of Postdoctoral Services and the Career Services Center, NIH (April, 2020)
Chronicle of Higher Education – Career Talk
Starting Fresh: A primer for new professors on what to expect in the first year on the job.
Academic Scientist's Toolkit
The Toolkit, produced by Science’s Next Wave, is a fairly comprehensive guide to becoming a faculty member. It groups together in convenient chunks--tools--the most pertinent articles on the topics that you worry about most. Teaching. Lab setup. Hiring and firing. Grantsmanship. And most importantly... getting hired.
Article on Applying for Faculty Positions at a Liberal Arts College
A Chronicle Careers section of the online Chronicle of Higher Education includes an excellent article written by a science department head at a liberal arts college. People applying for faculty positions at liberal arts colleges should read this article.
BWF/HHMI Laboratory Management Book
This book is a collection of practical advice, experiences, and opinions from seasoned biomedical investigators and other professionals on such topics as grant writing, project planning, and budget, time, personnel, and data management.
Negotiating a Faculty Position
An article from ScienceCareers.org/Science’s Next Wave.
Interviewing for a Faculty Position
An article from the Chronicle of Higher Education called, The Fourth Factor for Hiring.
NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education
Excellent resource for NIH careers as well as career and professional development seminars.
Management Consulted
A resource on all things consulting, including resumes, interviews, case studies, and finding management consulting jobs.
Career Development Events
The Annual Speed Networking Event
Since 2013, the Jefferson Speed Networking event has provided a great opportunity for students and postdocs to interact with scientific professionals from a variety of career paths, learn about their career trajectories and their current roles.
Visit the event page to learn more about Speed Networking at Jefferson
Career Paths for Postdoctoral Fellows Seminar Series
Throughout the academic year, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs provides up to seven career seminars. These seminars are given by PhD or MD scientists that have gone into a variety of careers from academia to industry to non-traditional, such as writing and venture capital. Some of the speakers have been alumni from Jefferson.
All are welcome to attend these events.
Submit a Topic
If you have a suggestion or know of someone that you would like to come speak at a seminar, please contact Dr. Kozlowski, or at 215-503-5750.
Career Books
Scott Library has acquired a diverse group of books on job searches, career paths, mentoring, women in science, writing and presentations. Review their latest listings.
Career Survival Skills
In addition to learning about a variety of career paths, postdoctoral fellows need to enhance their career skills, such as networking, resumé writing, presentation and interviewing. The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs hosts both internal and external speakers on these topics.
Intramural Professional Development Programs
The Office of Faculty Affairs offers professional development workshops for faculty and postdocs. Grant writing, negotiation skills, teaching techniques and enhancing research skills are among the topics covered.
Academic Job Search Resources
Non-Academic Job Search Resources
- Resume Writing for Non-Academic Jobs
- Expect the Unexpected: How to Handle Off-the-Wall Interview Questions
Consulting Job Search Resources
Job Listings
Academic Job Links
Chronicle of Higher Education – Academic Jobs
One of the best places to search for faculty positions.
HERC - Higher Education Recruitment Consortium
One-stop shopping for faculty and staff positions
AACR's - CancerCareers.org
Offers career services and opportunities to cancer and biomedical researchers seeking to advance their scientific career
AAMC Job Board
The AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) has launched a new online service, the “AAMC Job Board,” that allows member institutions to post notices of job openings for non-faculty positions at their institutions, and allows them to search for qualified and available personnel in a variety of career areas. Resumé posting, for job seekers, is free.
Government Departments & Agencies
- One Stop Shopping of all government related jobs including the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- FDA Commissioner's Fellows Program
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- National Cancer Institute Employment Site
Website for employment and training at NCI - National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education
Excellent resource for NIH careers as well as career and professional development seminars - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
- US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Women in Science at the NIH
Industry/Non-traditional Jobs
- AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships
- Biospace.com
Information on regional hotspots of biotech and pharma, job postings, company profiles, and much more. - Biotechnology Industry Organization
All things BIO. - Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program
- Non-Academic Postdoc Listing
- NationJob Network
Job search engine with lots of research jobs listed.