The Early Career Community (ECC) organized a workshop on Tuesday 26 May titled “Careers for Highly Skilled Professionals at BIO – Life after PhD/Postdoc: CV, Interviews, and Career Plans”. The event took place at Vilvite and brought together early-career researchers and staff interested in exploring career opportunities beyond academia.
The workshop was led by Kristin Miskov from UiB Ferd at the University of Bergen, who works with career development and support for researchers and highly skilled professionals. The session focused on the growing importance of career planning for PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers in a rapidly changing job market where advanced research skills are increasingly valued across sectors.
Participants discussed practical strategies for navigating career transitions, with particular emphasis on preparing early for future career goals. Key topics included identifying the steps needed to achieve an ideal career position, recognizing and communicating transferable skills developed through academic research, and adapting CVs and interview approaches for both academic and industry settings.
The workshop also provided guidance on building strong professional profiles, preparing for interviews, and developing long-term career plans. Through discussion and practical examples, attendees explored how competencies gained in academia, such as analytical thinking, project management, communication, and problem-solving, can be effectively translated to non-academic careers.
The ECC team also encourages all early-career researchers to explore the services offered by UiB Ferd (https://www.uib.no/ferd), including career counselling, mock interviews, CV feedback, and interview preparation sessions that can support researchers in planning their future careers.
The ECC board