Postdoctoral Education

A PhD Is Not Enough: A Guide to Survival in Science
Peter J. Feibelman
Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books 1993
Brief book with good, realistic advice for young scientists. One of the best gems is the idea of getting mentors besides your PhD advisor.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: Q 147 F297p 1993 / ISBN: 0201627175

Career Renewal: Tools for Scientists and Technical Professionals
Stephen Rosen and Celia Paul
San Diego: Academic Press 1998
This book is directed toward scientists making a midcareer transition. Nevertheless, the information provides a much needed perspective for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows on actively planning one's career.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: Q 149 R813c 1998 / ISBN: 0125970609

Put Your Science to Work: The Take-Charge Career Guide for Scientists
Peter S. Fiske, Ph.D.
Washington, D.C.: American Geophysical Union 2001
Roughly the equivalent of What Color is Your Parachute? for scientists. This is also a very practical guide on career planning starting with the process of self-assessment. The chapters on CVs and resumes are thorough and helpful.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: Q 147 F542p 2001 / ISBN: 0875902952

Outside the Ivory Tower: A Guide for Academics Considering Alternative Careers
Margaret Newhouse, PhD
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University 1993
Deciding on a career path requires understanding yourself and the characteristics of a job that are most important to you. The author of this book provides some valuable and creative exercises for self-assessment. Other useful sections are guidelines for informational interviewing and how to organize your job search.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: HF 5382 N548o 1993 / ISBN: 0943747082

What Color is Your Parachute?: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers
Richard Nelson Bolles
Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2009
This book is billed as the best selling job-hunting book in the world. Although not directed specifically toward scientists, it provides practical advice on analyzing your own strengths, interests, and goals. The author coined the phrase "informational interviewing" to describe a process for gathering information on career opportunities. Tips on interviewing should prove useful, as well.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: HF 5383 B691w 2009 / ISBN: 1580083412

Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life
Spencer Johnson, MD
New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons 1998
A humorous parable which explores how we respond to unexpected changes in our lives.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: BF 335 J69w 1998 / ISBN: 0399144463

Academic Environment: A Handbook for Evaluating Employment Opportunities in Science
Karl W. Lanks
Washington, DC: Taylor and Francis 1996
Provides the results of a survey of faculty at U.S. medical schools and major universities which evaluated the institutions on their academic environment, personal and family life and productivity. The pooled results from the 50 top small colleges (page 51) provide an interesting comparison to the results from larger universities.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: Q 148 L289a 1996 / ISBN: 156032436

Academic Scientists at Work: Navigating the Biomedical Research Career
Jeremy M. Boss and Susan H. Eckert
New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers 2003
This book provides advice on landing a position in academic research and how to get organized once you've started. The most valuable part of the book may be the Job Comparison Worksheets found in the appendices. These provide a great starting point to stimulate your thoughts about issues that should be the basis of comparison of different positions. Once you find a position, the chapter entitled "Gettin' Money" has some very helpful information on grantsmanship.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: W 88 B745a 2003 / ISBN: 030647493X

Getting Tenure
Marcia Lynn Whicker, Jennie Jacobs Kronenfeld, Ruth Ann Strickland
Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications 1993
For those pursuing academic careers, finding a job is the first step in a challenging process leading to tenure. This book explains the tenure process in detail and makes the case for the importance of planning ahead for gaining tenure. The chapter on the "Ten Commandments of Tenure Success" would be worthwhile reading for every new faculty member.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: LB 2335.7 W571g 1993 / ISBN:0-809-5302

How to Succeed in Academics
Linda L. McCabe and Edward R.B. McCabe
San Diego: Academic Press 2000
Blueprint for how to build an academic career. Tips are provided on successfully accomplishing common academic functions such as writing abstracts, papers, grant applications and making effective oral and poster presentations.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: LB 1778 M122h 2000 / ISBN: 0124818331

Tomorrow's Professor: Preparing for Academic Careers in Science and Engineering
Richard M. Reis
New York: Wiley Interscience 1997
This is a well-written book on how to prepare, compete, and succeed in an academic career. It provides some perspective with an overview of the modern academic enterprise. The author walks systematically through the stages of a scientific career including preparation, applying for positions, first years on the job, and achieving tenure.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: Q 149 R375t 1997 / ISBN: 0780311361

Winning the Games Scientists Play
Carl J. Sindermann
Cambridge Massachusetts: Perseus Publishing 2001
Sindermann breaks down the scientist's work into its component tasks of writing, presenting, attending conferences, chairing sessions, participating in meetings, etc. Each of these tasks are considered games in which the rules are not always clear. The author provides suggestions for how to play the game which can be summed up in the dictum (p 154) "Whatever the game is, play it as a professional."
Todd Wehr Library Call #: Q 175 S616w 1982 / ISBN: 0306410753

Alternative Careers in Science: Leaving the Ivory Tower
Cynthia Robbins-Roth
San Diego: Academic Press 1993
This is a multi-authored text, providing a perspective on 22 nonacademic career tracks. Although the term alternative careers is a misnomer, the descriptions of these career possibilities along with the attendant qualifications and expectations is very useful.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: Q 149 A466 1998 / ISBN: 0125893752

Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and Drug Development
Toby Freedman
Cold Spring Harbor, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 2008
This is a valuable compendium of information regarding careers for life scientists in Pharma or biotech. Explanations of job requirements, essential skills, and day to day responsibilities were distilled from interviews with hundreds of key players in industry. Although not an easy read because of its encyclopedic detail, this book is an essential reference.
ISBN-13: 978-087969725

Careers with the Pharmaceutical Industry
Peter D. Stonier
West Sussex, England: Wiley and Sons, 2003
Although this book has a decidedly British perspective, this book is worth perusing to examine the breadth of positions available in the pharmaceutical industry.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: QV 21 C2715 2003 / ISBN: 0470843284

Guide to Nontraditional Careers in Science
Karen Young Kreeger
Philadelphia: Taylor and Francis 1999
This book was written for the purpose of stimulating graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to consider careers outside of academia.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: Q 147 K92g 1999 / ISBN: 1560326700

The Academic Job Search Handbook
Mary Morris Heiberger and Julia Miller Vick
Philadelphia, PA: University Of Pennsylvania Press 2001
This is a comprehensive resource which starts with information on the structure of academic careers, the hiring process, and planning your job search. It deals extensively with vitae including a discerning gem of advice to tailor your vita to each position for which you apply. There are also chapters on interviewing, accepting/rejecting job offers, and additional guidance for special situations such as dual career couples, foreign nationals, etc.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: LB 2331 H465a 2001 / ISBN: 0812217780

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
Roger Fisher, William Ury, and Bruce Patton
Boston: Houghton-Mifflin 1991
A straightforward strategy for negotiating personal and professional issues. Special attention should be paid to the concept of developing options which provide gain for both parties.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: BF 637 F535g 1991 / ISBN: 0140157352

Resumes that Knock 'em Dead
Martin Yate
Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media Corporation 1993
Everything you need to know to create an effective resume.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: HF 5383 Y31r 2003 / ISBN: 1580627943

Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Art of Being Interviewed
H. Anthony Medley
Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press
In addition to standard advice on preparation (page 17), table manners (page 90), and appropriate dress (page 132), Appendix A contains three lists of commonly asked interview questions. Using these in mock interviews should help you prepare and reduce the likelihood that you'll be caught off-guard in an actual interview.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: HF 5549.5 M491s 2005 / ISBN: 0898154030

At the Bench: A Laboratory Navigator
Kathy Barker
Cold Spring Harbor, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 1998
The first third of this book contains practical suggestions that are geared to the neophyte in the laboratory, but can also serve as valuable reminders to those who are planning their own laboratories. One chapter is devoted to oral and written presentations. The final two thirds of the book describes in detail how to carry out specific laboratory procedures.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: QY 25 B255a 1998 / ISBN: 0879695234

At the Helm: A Laboratory Navigator
Kathy Barker
Cold Spring Harbor, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 2002
Running a laboratory requires the use of skills which are not often emphasized in graduate or postdoctoral training. Time management, hiring and retaining lab personnel, development of lab policies, communication, and group dynamics are among the issues confronting new principal investigators. Although "perfect" solutions to these issues are not identified, the approaches used in a variety of laboratories are described.
Todd Wehr Library Call #: W 23 B255a 2002 / ISBN: 0879695838

Lab Dynamics: Management Skills for Scientists
Carl M. Cohen and Suzanne L. Cohen Cold
Spring Harbor, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 2005
This is a useful book on a topic that needs more attention during graduate school and postdoctoral training. Its strong suit is personnel management, including advice on managing scientists, dealing with your boss, and working with peers. The book begins with the premise that effectively managing research teams requires an understanding of personality types including your own.
Todd Wehr Library Call No #: W 87 C678L 2005 / ISBN: 0879697415

Making the Right Moves
Research Triangle Park, NC: Burroughs Wellcome Fund 2004
Chevy Chase, MD: Howard Hughes Medical Institute 2004
A practical guide to scientific management for Postdocs and new faculty.
Available free at www.hhmi.org/labmanagement
Todd Wehr Library Call #: LB 2331.7 M235 2004