Career Resources

Panoramic photo of South Building on UNCʼs campus, Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill

Career Resources

The following list of resources is not exhaustive. We suggest you search for additional organizations and job/networking sites in your area of interest, and regularly check the UNC-Chapel Hill Office of Postdoctoral Affairs Calendar of Events.

On this page:

Job boards – STEM

Job boards – Humanities & social science

Job boards – All postdocs

Job boards – Professional associations

The following professional associations post job listings to all site visitors. Other organizations require membership to access job postings.

Job boards – Faculty & higher ed positions

State/regional professional associations & networking groups

(Some organizations are regional chapters of national organizations)

Humanities & social science resources

  • The Humanities PhD Project
    • Supports doctoral students and faculty in the humanities as they imagine, plan for, and pursue multiple career paths as humanists in the world, in the academy and beyond.
  • National Endowment for the Humanities
    • Since 1965, NEH has awarded over $6 billion to support museums, historic sites, universities, teachers, libraries, documentary filmmakers, public TV and radio stations, research institutions, scholars, and local humanities programming. 
  • The Versatile Ph.D.
    • OPA offers Versatile PhD, a web-based resource for postdocs interested in exploring career opportunities beyond academe. The site is mainly for Humanities and Social Science Postdocs, but may benefit others as well. Access this supportive, web-based community by clicking here or copy and paste this link into your browser – https://webapps.grad.unc.edu/auth/versatilephd.html. (Requires Onyen registration). The site includes:
      • PhD Career Finder – Provides information about careers in various disciplines
      • Discussion Forums – Helps you learn from others and get your specific questions answered
      • Panel Discussions – With PhDs now employed in various fields such as grant writing, management consulting, university administration, and policy analysis
      • Members Directory – Is searchable and can assist in networking
      • Meetups – Which occur regularly in many cities across North America
      • MyVPhD – Lets you manage your account and sign up for email notifications of forum discussions and/or jobs
  • Imagine PhD
    • ImaginePhD is a free online career exploration and planning tool for PhD students and postdoctoral scholars in the humanities and social sciences. Humanities and social sciences PhD students and their mentors have long recognized the need for more resources to help bridge the knowledge gap between doctoral education and the realm of career possibilities. ImaginePhD is designed to meet this need by allowing users to:
      • Assess their career-related skills, interests, and values
      • Explore careers paths appropriate to their disciplines
      • Create self-defined goals
      • Map out next steps for career and professional development success

Self Assessment – The individual development plan

Individual Development Plan (IDP)

The IDP is a career exploration and planning tool that clarifies your career direction and maps out the best course of action for achieving your goals. Accessed online, myIDP (recommended for STEM fields) and Imagine PhD (recommended for the Humanities & Social Sciences) can be used independently or with an OPA career counselor. Each resource provides:

  • Online assessments that allow individuals to self-assess their career-related skills, interests, and values
  • Detailed career-related information to help postdocs and graduate students explore, connect, and build skills
  • A customizable individual development plan (IDP) template will allow you to set specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based goals

Watch a video from UCSF on how to formulate an IDP

Postdoc mentoring & networking

MentorNet

The E-Mentoring Network for Diversity in Engineering and Science, connects mentors and mentees in engineering, science, and mathematics. MentorNet was created to foster the retention and success of women and underrepresented minorities in particular, but welcomes anyone interested in connecting with peers and experienced professionals in their field. The MentorNet Community offers the One-on-One E-Mentoring Program, which pairs postdocs with professionals in an email based mentoring relationship, the E-Forum for web based discussion of issues like job searches and the work/life balance, as well as resources and a résumé database. To learn more and find a mentor (or become a mentor), visit the MentorNet website. Membership is available on an individual basis.

Resources & job search articles for aspiring faculty members

Teaching Philosophy Statements

 Research Statements

Diversity Statements

Job/Chalk Talks

Teaching Demonstrations

Faculty Salaries & Negotiations

UNC Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE)

Whether you’re contemplating a university faculty career and/or currently teaching a course, CFE offers resources, programs and workshops of value to postdocs, including:

  • Resources for mentors and mentees
  • Leadership development plans
  • Faculty professional leadership skills series
  • Resources for diversity and inclusion
  • Course Design Institute
  • Equity in Teaching Institute
  • Teach with technology
  • Survey and classroom management software

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity

NCFDD is an independent faculty development center dedicated to providing external mentoring, professional development, and a supportive community for advanced graduate students, postdocs, and faculty members across institutions. Visit the website and register as an Institutional Sub-Account Member. You must use your UNC email address for registration.

  • The Monday Motivator – A weekly message that reinforces core ideas presented in webinars and provides support for individuals making the transition to a faculty position
  • Webinars – Monthly 60-90 minute Guest Expert professional development sessions
  • Multi-Week Courses – Intensive workshop series guided by expert facilitators
  • Discussion Forum – A place for members to connect, share information, peer-mentor, problem solve, and celebrate each others’ success
  • The Library – A resource that provides transcripts, slides, and audio recordings of past webinars.
  • Career Center – Search job openings, subscribe to new posting notifications in your field, and learn more about the job search process
  • Resources – Recommended readings, writing clubs, productivity we apps and more

Career & job search articles / videos

Job search documents and correspondence

Mentoring, networking & informational interviewing

Job interviewing

Industry interview job talks

Similar to faculty interview job talks and chalk talks, many industry job interviews require a presentation on your past and current research. If you have questions about the talk (e.g., audience, duration, preferred subject matter, setting, audiovisual equipment) – ask the hiring manager with whom you have been communicating.

Communication skills

Non-faculty career

Career books of interest to postdocs

Academic careers

Science, industry & health-related careers

Science & medical writing careers

Math & data science careers

Examples of Linkedin groups (membership # in parentheses)

Some groups are exclusive to Linkedin, whereas others are associated with professional organizations. Actively participate in group discussions with professionals who share your interests.

  • Professional Medical / Scientific Writers (11,000)
  • Cancer Research & Oncology (5,000)
  • Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, Patent Attorneys, Tech Commercialization, and IPR Office (8,000)
  • Regulatory Affairs Professional Society (93,000)
  • Medical Science Liaisons & Medical Affairs Networkers (35,000)
  • American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (22,000)
  • Life Science & Medical Device Sales Representatives (14,000)
  • Global Public Health – HIV & AIDS (49,000)
  • The Postdoc Forum (11,000)
  • Lab Manager Magazine (7,000)
  • Epidemiologic Management & Consulting – Epidemiology and Public Health Consultants (10,000)

Be sure to join the Linkedin “UNC Chapel Hill Postdocs & Postdoc Alumni” Group to share information on a variety of topics to facilitate your professional development and enhance the postdoctoral experience at UNC.

UNC postdoc Linkedin profiles

UNC postdoc websites

Create a Free Website through UNC – TarHeels Live is a web publishing service that allows anyone with an Onyen to create their own website at no charge. The service runs on the WordPress platform, so it’s easy to use yet offers powerful features and functionality. All websites are hosted on enterprise-level hardware and supported by ITS Digital Services. Please note: When you leave UNC, the site will remain active for 90 days. You can transfer the site to another web server before the 90 day limit goes into effect. .

Training opportunities for UNC postdocs

Miscellaneous