Published: April 12, 2018
Conference

By Benjamin Nault

I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Chemistry Department and CIRES. I am also the president of the Postdoctoral Association of Colorado. I had the pleasure of representing University of Colorado, Boulder, at the National Postdoctoral Association Annual Meeting, held in Cleveland, Ohio, this year. Postdocs and representatives from postdoctoral offices from around the United States convened here in order to discuss best practices and how to improve the postdoc experience and training.

The biggest take away from the conference that I would like to share today is the importance of training during your postdoctoral experience. Something that I feel is set aside, or not even discussed, during our postdoctoral experience is what the training should be. As described by the National Postdoctoral Association, a postdoc is “an individual holding a degree who is engaged in a temporary period of mentored research and/or scholarly training for the purpose of acquiring the professional skills needed to pursue a career path.”

These professional skills encompass more than the ability to do research and write the papers, and these skills have become more important to highlight during the interview and hiring process. Acquiring and discussing these skills may provide an important advantage when it comes to the hiring process. These skills, sometimes referred to as “soft skills,” include but are not limited to: networking, mentoring, communication to all levels of audiences through various forms, and leadership and management skills.

Both the Postdoctoral Association of Colorado and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs strongly advocate and create programs to develop these skills outside of the laboratory through workshops and events. Also, the Postdoctoral Association of Colorado is always looking for postdocs to join, where you can learn many of these “soft skills,” including leadership, management, budgeting, and planning events.

In the end, remember that your postdoctoral training is more than just research. Take the time to develop the training the way you think will most benefit you, ensuring that you attend events that help you to develop your professional skills. This will ensure that you not only have a more fulfilling experience, but provide you with an advantage when you start seeking your next step in your career.