Sometimes it’s hard to feel productive at home.
Between pandemic stress, campus closures and unrelenting child care, everyone’s routine has been disrupted and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or unproductive. I’ve curated a list of resources that are online, self-directed, and available at any time, so you that when you have the bandwidth, you can continue to advance your career and development during this stay-at-home period.
Resources have been divided into categories, you can jump to each category by clicking:
Skills to Advance You as a Postdoc
Take a Skills Development Course!
iBiology offers free, self-paced courses for scientists:
- Let’s Experiment, A Guide for Working at the Bench
- Planning your Scientific Journey
- Business Concepts for Scientists
Get Help with Your Writing Projects!
National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity
NOTE: UCLA has an institutional membership to the NCFDD, so you can make a free account with @ucla.edu email address to access resources like, Why Aren’t You Writing? Article, How to Develop a Daily Writing Practice Webinar, get Matched with a fellow Postdoc Writing Accountability Buddy, join a Monthly Writing Challenge, or register for Summer 2020 14-Day Writing Challenge: June 15-28
Develop Your Teaching Skills!
CIRTL is a national network of universities that share a mission to enhance the teaching practices that advance STEM learning. UCLA is a CIRTL Network member, so you can join for free. Start by checking out the CIRTL Network Video Archive.
Apply for Funding!
UCLA online resources to find funding and tips for writing a great proposal.
Be a Successful Postdoc!
The Postdoc Academy is an online program to support skill development throughout postdoc training that offers of two (free!) online courses. The Postdoc Academy: Succeeding as a Postdoc is the first 6-week online course, which will start on June 22, 2020 and registration is now open!
Build Communication Skills!
Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science webinars:
Create Graphical Abstracts!
A graphical abstract is a single‐panel image designed to give readers an immediate understanding of the take‐home message of a paper.
Attract readers at a glance with your Graphical Abstract
Cell Press Graphical Abstract Guidelines
Project Management Tips for Real Life!
Stanford’s Linnea Williams discusses some simple tools that you can use to make sure that you’re working on the right things at the right time. Because there will always be more than you can do. Video and resources
Learn to Self-Advocate!
Self Advocacy for Scientists from NIH OITE: Learning to advocate for yourself is a skill that all scientists should acquire. This webinar will discuss how to set boundaries, communicate expectations, and assert yourself in research groups. REGISTER HERE TO VIEW WEBINAR – Recorded 4/13/20 VIEW SLIDES
Managing Stress and Productivity
COVID-19 Care Package
UCLA’s Depression Grand Challenge, in partnership with BeyGOOD, is offering the COVID-19 Care Package that includes resources and tools designed to lift moods and ease anxiety and depression. New content is being published weekly.
UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center
MARC’s mission is to foster mindful awareness across the lifespan through education and research to promote well-being and a more compassionate society. MARC offers a weekly guided meditations via Zoom. They also have an archive of guided meditations that can be downloaded or accessed via the UCLA Mindful App (iTunes / Google Play).
UCLA Staff and Faculty Counseling Center
Counseling sessions are available for staff and their immediate family members/significant others. Skilled counselors provide crisis intervention, assessment, and short-term counseling and consultation services. Referrals may be made to community therapists and services for ongoing counseling.
Tips for Working from Home with Kids
Suddenly working from home is challenging for everyone, but for those of us with young kids, it is even more of a struggle. Here are some tips from other parents.
Sleep Better and Stress Less
Learn tools and techniques to manage stress better and to sleep more soundly with this Quick Bytes workshop presented by Stanford’s Aneel Chima. Video and resources
NIH OITE Videocast Seminars and Webinars
Becoming a Resilient Scientist, Managing the stresses and setbacks of a biomedical career
The Imposter Phenomenon: Overcoming the Fear That Haunts Your Success, It could change your life.
Career Path Exploration
InterSECT Career Simulations
InterSECT is an online career exploration platform for PhD trainees to explore career options. Provides true-to-life job simulation exercises that help individuals test their working identity. Currently over 40 simulation exercises for science PhDs!
Beyond the Lab: Career Path Interviews
Vanderbilt Beyond the Lab has assembled 90+ PhD and postdoctoral alumni interviews about a wide range of post-PhD training career paths. Available both on YouTube or as podcast episodes.
Do Some Informational Interviews
Designing Your Career: The Informational Interview YouTube
Campus Human Resources Informational Interview Doc
UCLA Career Prep Toolkit for Grads and Postdocs, pg. 19
AAAS Career Trends: Exploring Careers Beyond the Bench
Want to learn about career options for bioscience research trainees outside the bench? Check out this report from AAAS.
Boston U Biomedical Workforce Trend Reports
Curious about what types of jobs PhDs have been getting hired for lately? Check out Boston Universities annual biomedical workforce trend reports.
Job Search and Interviewing
Vault Articles on Job Search and Interviewing During COVID-19 Lockdown and Aftermath
How Will Coronavirus Affect Your Job Search in 2020?
11 Tips for Video Interview Success
Resume Tips From Career Coach
Resume Tips with Heather Krasna, Columbia University, presented by Idealist Careers. YouTube playlist with 11 short videos.
UCLA Career Preparation Toolkit
- Job and Internship Search, pages 25-29
- Application Materials – Industry, pages 30-41
- Application Materials – Academic, pages 42-53
- Interviewing and Negotiation, pages 54-62
Planning and Preparing for your Career Goals
Do Some Self-Assessment
Life Values Inventory Online helps individuals clarify their values for effective career decision-making.
The MyIDP Individual Development Plan is used
to help PhDs define and pursue their career goals.
UCLA Career Prep Toolkit for Grads & Postdocs
- Career Development Planning section, pages 6-11
- Analyze Your Skills, Strengths & Values, pages 12-18
Cheeky Scientist Ebooks – Industry Focus
Cheeky Scientist eBooks are all professionally written and designed by PhDs working in industry. Includes the essentials of an industry job search, from crafting a resume to negotiating a salary contract.
How to Hold a Stand Up Meeting with Yourself
Every morning, you can take 10-15 minutes all by yourself to re-establish your goals, track your progress, and discover potential resources that can get you through any challenges you may face during your iterative workflow.