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Register for a PhD and Postdoc Career Development Series: Chicago Campus

January 7, 2026

This winter and spring, Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA) and The Graduate School (TGS) are pleased to facilitate an in-person career development series for PhD students and postdoctoral scholars on the Chicago campus. The series will consist of monthly hour-long workshops from Thursday, January 29 – Thursday, May 14, as well as two alumni panels on Tuesday, March 31 and Thursday, May 21. 

All sessions, except the March 31 alumni panel, will take place in the Stamler Conference Room in the Department of Preventive Medicine (DPM) – Floor 14 at 680 N. Lake Shore Drive on the Chicago campus. 

Designed as a career development course, participants will:

  • understand career tools and resources available through Northwestern to help navigate the job search
  • be able to articulate their relevant skills and experiences to different audiences
  • understand the role values play in career exploration and determining career pathways
  • develop an understanding of best practices for networking, applying, and interviewing for non-academic positions
  • engage with alumni and professionals to learn about different career paths for non-academic positions
  • engage with alumni and professionals to learn about different career paths

It is strongly recommended (but not required) to attend all sessions as the series builds competencies. Please register below for the following sessions and email the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs with any questions. 

Session 1: PhD Job Search Resources and SMART Professional Goal Setting
Thursday, January 29 from 3:00–4:15 PM in the Stamler Conference Room at DPM – Floor 14

To kick off the series, we welcome PhD students and postdocs at all levels and will explore job search strategies and resources offered at Northwestern. Participants will explore resources for all disciplines and career pathways. The workshop concludes with a framework for establishing professional goals at every stage of the career development process and introduces IDPs for PhDs. 

Session 2: Identifying the Right Roles for You – Skills, Values, and Your Career
Thursday, February 26 from 3:00–4:15 PM in the Stamler Conference Room at DPM – Floor 14

In this session, we’ll engage with self-assessment activities to identify what you want to do and how you want to do it in your post-PhD life. We’ll consider your skills, values, interests and goals and set action items based on that information to explore options, pursue professional networks, and ultimately target the right roles for you.

Session 3: Developing Professional Relationships On and Offline for PhDs
Thursday, March 19 from 3:00–4:15 PM in the Stamler Conference Room at DPM – Floor 14

This workshop will delve into the importance of developing professional relationships, the role they play in career exploration, and effective ways to communicate professionally on and offline about your PhD/postdoc experience. Attendees will review LinkedIn best practices, exploring alumni platforms and networks and discuss communication approaches and goals.  

Please note: This third session will be followed by an alumni career panel on Tuesday, March 31. 

**Bonus Workshop: Alumni Career Panel
Tuesday, March 31 from 3:00–4:15 PM in the Searle Seminar Room at Lurie Medical Research Center

As part of our PhD and Postdoc Career Development Series, we will be exploring different career pathways. We're excited to welcome NU alumni to share insight into how they navigated their job search and interview process(es), especially any surprises or challenges along the way. Panelists will discuss expectations in their current roles and general advice and lessons learned from post-graduate experiences.

Session 4: Best Practices in Writing Non-Academic Application Materials for PhDs
Thursday, April 16 from 3:00–4:15 PM in the Stamler Conference Room at DPM – Floor 14

In this session, we’ll discuss the difference between academic CVs and resumes and best practices for writing compelling non-academic application documents. We’ll also explore how to leverage AI tools to analyze job descriptions to write more effective and targeted application materials.

Session 5: Behavioral Interviewing & Salary Negotiation for PhDs
Thursday, May 14 from 3:00–4:15 PM in the Stamler Conference Room at DPM – Floor 14

Attendees will learn how to prepare for behavioral interview questions and stand out as strong candidates across all industries of interest. This interactive workshop focuses on classic fit questions and how to frame their unique PhD experiences for specific positions. Attendees will also have an opportunity to think about the negotiation process and navigating multiple search processes. 

Please note: This fifth session will be followed by an alumni career panel on Thursday, May 21. 

**Bonus Workshop: Alumni Career Panel
Thursday, May 21 from 3:00–4:15 PM in the Stamler Conference Room at DPM – Floor 14

As part of our PhD and Postdoc Career Development Series, we will be exploring different non-academic career pathways. We're excited to welcome NU alumni to share insight into how they navigated their job search and interview process(es), especially any surprises or challenges along the way. Panelists will discuss expectations in their current roles and general advice and lessons learned from post-graduate experiences.