External Resources for Postdocs

Below is a list of independent, non-Columbia organizations that provide career and professional development resources. OPA also includes information about some upcoming external events in the "OPA Weekly Listings" email that is sent on Thursdays to all Postdocs and Associate Research Scientists on the OPA mailing list.

The New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) organizes many seminars, workshops, and courses for NYC area scientists and non-scientists. Columbia Postdocs receive a free membership to the NYAS when signing up here with their Columbia email address.

The NYAS also runs the Science Alliance, a hub of career development resources for students and Postdocs in the NYC area that consists of a consortium of all of the NYC area Universities.

The NPA facilitates enhanced professional growth, raises awareness, and collaborates with stakeholders in the postdoctoral community. They offer a variety of resources and events for the postdoc community and hold an annual conference. Columbia Postdocs can receive a free membership to the NPA by signing up with their Columbia email.

The AAAS seeks to "advance science, engineering, and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people." AAAS publishes five respected peer-reviewed journals and is a great spot for science news. See the AAAS website for more information.

NIH OITE offers a variety of archived videos of their career and professional development skills workshops on such topics as communication skills, grant writing, career exploration, networking for scientists and engineers, the industry job search, and the academic job search, among others.

MyIDP and ImaginePhD are excellent resources that can help you assess your career-related skills, interests, and values and manage your career-related decisions and goals. 

The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) offers an interactive platform with a curated list of learning opportunities based on your career level including professional growth, executive development, and strategic leadership.

Beyond the Professoriate is an online professional development training platform for graduate students, Postdocs, faculty, and PhDs that helps them successfully transition into academic or nonacademic careers. This research-driven platform is informed by nearly a decade of experience supporting PhDs to launch new careers with their skills and training. 

As a Postdoc or an Associate Research Scientist at Columbia, you have free access to Beyond the Professoriate. Please visit the Beyond the Professoriate website and choose "Columbia University (postdocs)" to sign in using your UNI credentials. 

The following career and professional development resources are pertinent to different career and training tracks. 
  • Science Careers is a resource for articles on science-related career information and news. Science Careers also provides a large searchable database of science related job opportunities.
  • The New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) organizes many seminars, workshops, and courses for NYC area scientists and non-scientists. The NYAS also runs the Science Alliance, a hub of career development resources for students and postdocs in the NYC area that consists of a consortium of all of the NYC-area Universities. The Science Alliance webpage contains video interviews with individuals with science backgrounds who have gone on to a variety of careers (research and non-research). 
  • Women in Science @ Columbia is a graduate student organization dedicated to the advancement of women and underrepresented groups in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. 
  • The NY Women in STEM presents Careers in STEM Networking Event Connect with professionals across different fields and industries to learn more about career options after your PhD. 
  • The Association for Women in Science  fights for safe, inclusive spaces to keep women in STEM, improve outcomes, and further science for the betterment of society. 
  • Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Long Island, NY runs numerous courses for students and postdocs on particular scientific research focus areas.
  • Science Careers: Are you considering an industry career? If so, check out Science Career’s guide for scientists transitioning to industry jobs. 
  • Harlem Biospace: If you are interested in biotech start-ups, consider checking out Harlem Biospace.
  • The Entrepreneurship Lab: For anyone interested in becoming a scientist-entrepreneur, you might want to check out The Entrepreneurship Lab, a NYC based organization designed for NYC life scientist students and postdocs interested in gaining practical entrepreneurial experience.
  • InformaConnect: Interested in learning more about the latest happenings in the science and technology entrepreneurship world? If so, you might want to keep up-to-date using this platform. 
  • The Chronicle of Philanthropy: If you are interested in what is happening in the non-profit sector, a great resource is The Chronicle of Philanthropy, which also maintains a searchable database for jobs in the non-profit sector at many foundations and non-governmental organizations. 
  • Idealist: Another great resource for the non-profit sector is Idealist, which maintains databases of volunteer opportunities as well as a plethora of jobs available at non-profits across the country. 
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): Interested in working on the policy end of Science? The AAAS is an inclusive, mobilized, and global scientific community that ignites, enables, and celebrates scientific excellence and science-informed decisions and actions.
  • Columbia Graduate Consulting Club: Thinking about exploring a career in consulting? Did you know that Columbia University has a consulting club? The Columbia Graduate Consulting Club holds regular events and membership to their group is open to postdocs.
  • The Solution Lab: Anyone interested in life science consulting may want to check out The Solution Lab, a non-profit dedicated to educating graduate students and postdocs about healthcare and pharma consulting through workshops, seminars, and volunteer experiences.
  • Insight Data Science: Data science is a field that utilizes data to solve big problems. Many postdocs already possess a lot of the skills necessary for a career in data science, yet don’t know where/how to seek employment in this area. One great program for postdocs looking to make a transition to a career in data science is the Insight Data Science fellows program.
  • Advice on Data Science Jobs: You may also be interested in reading the following article on data science job searches.