Career & Professional Development
Welcome to Career & Professional Development (CPD)!
The Career & Professional Development team supports trainees throughout their career exploration and professional development journey. Our offerings include individual advising, professional development workshops, cohort-based learning, and more. Feel free to browse our Youtube channel below and additional resources at the bottom of the page.
Want to talk?
The CPD Team provides FREE 1:1 advising appointments with personalized coaching and guidance.



About OGPS Career & Professional Development
Our team offers weekly seminars, workshops, and panels to meet trainee needs for academic and professional success. For more statistics on our events, check out the latest annual report from the career team.
We embrace the University of Michigan’s vision of developing “leaders who will challenge the present and enrich the future“, and follow an interdisciplinary approach toward our program and resource development. Our model uses a rigorous and tailored approach in our intentionally planned programs to meet the needs of our graduate, postdoctoral, and post-baccalaureate communities. Our programs are intended to empower learners in the eight competency areas using a hands-on approach. Because of the current diversity in interests, opportunities, and outcomes, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows need to be exposed to many different career paths. We ensure that every member of our academic community can develop the necessary professional skills and use the best resources available to enhance their current training outcomes and to smoothly transition into their chosen career paths.

Additional Career Resources
Your Portfolio: CVs, Resumes & Cover Letters
University of Michigan Resources
- UM Career Center Resume Resources
- UM Career Center Cover Letter Resources
- UM Career Center Cover Letter Quick Guide
- UM Career Center Resume Quick Guide
- UM Career Center Transferable Skills Resources
- UM Ross Career Center Action Verbs
Articles
- How to Write a Winning Resume – Science Magazine
- Resume Wisdom – Science Magazine
Applying and Interviewing
Interview Etiquette
- How to Prepare for and Conduct a Great Phone Interview – Career Builder
- Ace Your Video Interview – Science Magazine
- The Two Most Critical Elements of Interview Day – Science Magazine
- Interview Resources – UM Career Center
- “Job Hunting in Industry: Searching, Applying, Interviewing, and Negotiating for a Science Position in Biotech and Pharma” – Bill Lindstaedt (UCSF)
- Informational Interview Quick Guide
- Job Talk Quick Guide
Follow-Up Etiquette
- The 6 W’s of Thank-You Notes – Career Builder
- Post Interviewing Tips: How Not to Follow-up – Career Builder
Self-Assessment
- Individual Development Plan (IDP): a free tool to help align your skills, interests, and values with career options.
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): an online assessment to help you identify what motivates you and how you interact with the world around you.
Cohort Programs
- BCDP:
- The Biotech Career Development Program (BCDP), formerly the Biotech Career Exploration Program, is a structured program
to educate, train, and provide career exposure to many aspects of biotechnology outside of the traditional academic tenure-track
faculty position. There will be two sessions per month (each one hour in length, generally). One of the monthly sessions will be a
panel discussion focused on different career sectors. The other session will be focused on skill building. Applications will be
available in the spring of 2023.
- The Biotech Career Development Program (BCDP), formerly the Biotech Career Exploration Program, is a structured program
- You3:
- A Leadership and Management Program for Postdocs is a structured program aimed at filling a critical need in postdoc
professional development for current training and future career success. This program is designed by postdocs for postdocs under the
guidance of OGPS’ Director of Curriculum and Educational Initiatives. Using statistical tools to analyze survey data and aligning them
with pedagogical best practices, this program is structured as eight 1.5-hour weekly modules to develop mastery in three aspects of
management and leadership. These modules, organized below, will be facilitated by topic experts. The program will be enriched
with effective tools and case-studies to provide learning opportunities for participants. The 2023 cohort information will be
announced in early 2023)
- A Leadership and Management Program for Postdocs is a structured program aimed at filling a critical need in postdoc
- ACT
- The Advancing Career Targets (ACT) Program aims to help grad students in their 3rd year and above engage in active career
exploration and empower them to take concrete steps towards their career goals. The program is open to Ph.D. students who are in a
PIBS-affiliated program. What differentiates the ACT program from others is that it creates a community of peer support among
students within biomedical disciplines currently in similar stages of career exploration and preparation.
- The Advancing Career Targets (ACT) Program aims to help grad students in their 3rd year and above engage in active career
Fellowships and Funding Resources
Professional Development Resources
Maas Professional Development Award – The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies supports our graduate trainees in professional development opportunities such as non-scientific conferences and workshops. Eligible applicants will be graduate students in good academic standing who are actively pursuing a degree in one of the 14 degree-granting programs within PIBS. Application deadlines are rolling and will be reviewed at the end of each month. Grants are up to $500.
Postdoc Professional Development Award – The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies provides support for postdoctoral trainees to pursue professional development opportunities. All Michigan Medicine Postdoctoral Fellows are eligible. Application deadlines are rolling and will be reviewed at the end of each month. Grants are up to $500.
Rackham Professional Development Grant – Looking for funding for professional development workshops, training, activities, etc? Apply for a Professional Development Grant. Application deadlines are rolling. Grants are up to $400.
Postdoctoral Fellow Travel Award – The Office of Postdoctoral Studies provides $500 travel support to Postdoctoral Fellows whose first author abstracts are selected for oral or poster sessions at a conference or meeting. Each year, 20 travel grants will be awarded. Applications are due January 31 for meetings March 1-June 30. Applications are due May 15 for meetings July 1-December 31.
Additional Resources
Michigan Medicine Corporate and Foundation Relations Funding Opportunities – The Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations within Michigan Medicine is a centralized office that helps to foster relationships between Michigan Medicine and companies and private professional foundations. The office helps faculty and external funding partners connect and collaborate to advance mutual goals that align with the university’s research, teaching, and clinical care mission.
Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Negotiating
Negotiating Salary
Negotiating Offers
- Academic Scientists at Work: Negotiating a Faculty Position – Science Magazine
- Negotiation Tactics and Strategies – Science Magazine
- Negotiating an Academic Position – Drs. Kassandra Ori-Mckenney, Omar Quintero, Raychelle Burks, Mónica Feliú-Mójer – iBiology Professional Development
Communication
- Broad Institute CommKit
- American Association for the Advancement of Science Communication Toolkit
- LinkedIn Quick Guide
- Poster Presentation Quick Guide
- Elevator Pitch Quick Guide