Postdoc Career Hub

Recommended Reading and Self-Study Resources

Self-study

Looking to explore your next career steps or reflect on your professional journey?  This page brings together a curated selection of reading materials, self-study tools, and UGent intranet resources designed to support your development as a postdoc.

Whether you want to better understand your strengths, explore academic and non-academic career paths, learn about entrepreneurship, or focus on your well-being, these resources will help you deepen your insights and take your career learning into your own hands.

 

 
A postdoc is not a career - it is a time of transition it is a stepping stone to the next stage in your career, be that in academia or in other sectors. - Liz Elvidge et al., 2017:4 - What every Postdoc needs to know

Get to know yourself better

JobTeaser has launched four tests to help you discover your career path. Each test includes a personalized, confidential report designed to help you understand yourself better and explore career options that truly fit you.

  • FREYA: Discover your occupational values: The exercise consists of two steps: rate the proposed items on a scale of 0 to 10. Based on your answers, choose the value you prefer among the 2 proposed by FREYA.
  • HESTER: Identify the soft skills that are your strengths: The exercise consists of three steps: identify your inspiring achievements, the situations you have already experienced, and tell us in what contexts. Based on your answers, discover the 3 soft skills that clearly stand out in your profile, among the 10 observed with Hester.
  • MARCO: Discover your vocational interests: Express your preferences for each element proposed in the six exercises on the following topics: courses and training, professional environment, extra-occupational activities, work environments, professional activities, professional aspirations.
  • VASCO: Discover the careers that suit you: Explore and sort careers based on categories you choose by swiping left or right on career profiles. You can open up these profiles to see more detailed content about each career. At the end, you’ll see a dashboard with various tasks to complete on the top careers you’ve chosen, as well as an overview of relevant opportunities currently available on JobTeaser.

Career toolkits

Academic careers

Entrepreneurship and spin-offs

Start by reading the guidelines for entrepreneurial researchers (employees only) or the the guidelines and roadmap for spin-off companies(employees only) . Tech Transfer delivered a presentation on Entrepreneurial Careers (employees only) during the Funding Academy Day (employees only), offering a valuable introduction to the subject. Be sure to watch the video "Support for entrepreneurial researchers at Ghent University". Within the Career learning Track (PhD Career Hub) (employees only), you’ll also find a section dedicated to entrepreneurial careers — check out “Explore what’s out there.” 

Een doctoraat en ondernemerschap" (only available in Dutch), stakeholders share their experiences and insights on the interplay between completing a PhD and pursuing entrepreneurship. The publication covers different perspectives, sectors, and disciplines, revealing common themes across unique stories. It also highlights key services and platforms in Flanders that can help you start and grow your own venture.



Tracking the careers of PhD holders

Further Topics of Interest

Blogs and communities

  • Smartsciencecareer: A blog and community by Prof. Sven Hendrix (UHasselt, Life Sciences) offering practical insights into academic life and smart career decision-making. 
  • Young Academy: 'Jonge Academie' is a community of outstanding early-career researchers and artists from across disciplines, working together on initiatives that connect science, art, and society.
  • The Thesis Whisperer: Written by Prof. Inger Mewburn (Australian National University), this popular blog shares valuable advice on PhD and postdoc careers, complemented by podcasts on researcher development.
  • The National Postdoctoral Association: A US based global community offering a rich library of free resources, toolkits, and publications to support postdocs in their professional growth and career planning.

Articles and books

  • What every postdoc needs to know. Elvidge, C. Spencely, E. (World Scientific, 2017)
    For anyone thinking of starting a postdoc or wanting to get the most out of your postdoc years. A guide to developing your postdoc career.
  • How to Succeed as a Scientist: From Postdoc to Professor. J. Gabrys and J. A. Langdale (Cambridge University Press, 2011)
    A practical guide for postdoctoral researchers explaining how to build and perfect the necessary research tools and working skills to build a career in academia and beyond.
  • Surviving Your Academic Job Hunt. Advice for Humanities PhDs. Kathryn Hume (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010)
    Offers practical guidance and equips academic job seekers with the skills and insights needed to secure a position in the humanities. 
  • The Academic Job Search Handbook. Julia Miller Vick, Jennifer S. Furlong, Rosanne Lurie (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016)
    Beginning with an overview of academic careers, this book moves step by step through the application process, from establishing relationships with advisors, positioning oneself in the market, learning about job openings, preparing CVs, cover letters, and other application materials, to negotiating offers.