North Columbus News

During National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW), held from September 16-20, The Ohio State University organized activities to help graduate degree holders prepare for their careers.

Postdoctoral scholars engage in research, teaching, and other professional tasks at academic institutions after completing a Ph.D. or another graduate degree, according to the National Postdoctoral Association. This association established NPAW to recognize postdocs' contributions to academic research and scholarship.

Ohio State's NPAW events included professional development sessions, job search assistance, and networking opportunities. A panel discussion titled “Alternative Career Pathways for Postdocs” focused on non-faculty career options within academia.

The panel featured Ohio State employees with Ph.D.s: Stephanie Buehler, a research development specialist who previously worked at Battelle; Joe Sharick, a technology commercialization ambassador and former Ohio State postdoc; and James Gentry, director of Ohio State’s Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, who moderated the discussion.

Panelists emphasized that postdocs develop many transferable skills useful in various workplaces. Research development requires technical and soft skills that many postdocs possess, Buehler noted.

“There’s a lot of writing and editing and reviewing of proposals” in her current role,” she said. “Those writing skills that you gain from writing publications… are going to come in really handy.”

Buehler and Sharick highlighted the importance of communication skills in non-faculty roles 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 address that with them.”

Sharick added that his work involves clearly communicating scientific ideas to different audiences.

“What I do a lot of the time is talking about science… with faculty and then translating that into a summary so that I can communicate it to other folks in my office,” he said. “You’re synthesizing and condensing things down to their main points.”

Gentry advised postdocs applying for jobs to detail all relevant skills and experiences on their resumes without assuming HR professionals understand what postdoc work entails.

“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… If you’re applying for a management type of role, that’s a perfect example.”

The panelists encouraged utilizing career resources available at Ohio State.

“You can come talk to me... There’s also Buckeye Careers... Depending on what college you’re in, your college might also have [a] career services [office],” Gentry said.

They also recommended networking through professional organizations, informational interviews, informal meetups with industry professionals, and using LinkedIn for exploring opportunities.

“Don’t be limited... Sometimes just scrolling on LinkedIn… ‘Oh,… I didn’t know you could do that,’” Buehler said. “I think it’s about exploring…”

Sharick concluded by advising postdocs to seek opportunities for intellectual growth alongside professional advancement.

“Think about what you want to learn... how those puzzle pieces fit together,” he said.

For more information on support services offered by Ohio State for postdocs, visit the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs website.