Postdoctoral Industry Careers Summit (PICS)
Supported by the MRC Proximity to Discovery Fund
The Postdoctoral Industry Careers Summit (PICS) is an event which combines the best of a science industry day and a careers fair, and is explicitly targeted at Warwick postdoctoral researchers of all STEM disciplines. PICS aims to support science postdocs in recognising how their skill sets can be valuable to professional scientific roles outside academia, thus enabling them to produce job applications/CVs that are better targeted and that better demonstrate their strengths in an industrial context. Moreover, PICS sets out to connect individuals from academia and industry, catalysing meaningful scientific collaborations and creating a space for postdocs to find career pathways and opportunities beyond academia.
PICS is an event tailored to improving postdocs’ abilities to market themselves to industry sectors outside of academia, as well as providing a fertile space for key connections to emerge. In addition, the networking between these communities may also result in new academia-industry collaborations, not discarding the possibility of postdocs themselves becoming interested in each other’s work and starting new interdisciplinary research ideas.
Outline of the event
Keynote speaker: Melissa Hanna-Brown, Pfizer
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Melissa is the Technology and Innovation Lead for Pfizer Pharmaceutical Sciences and a visiting professor at the University of Warwick. As such, she is perfectly placed at the border line between industry and academia to have a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities for postdocs wishing to transition between the two. |
- Postdoctoral professional development activities (why and how to transfer from academia to industry, build an industry-targeted CV, etc.)
- Industry showcase: industry partners will have the opportunity to showcase their company’s ethos, its vision and what it can offer to the ambitious, talented postdoctoral researchers in the room.
- Postdoctoral researcher showcase: what innovative science inspires them and how their skills and ideas can help you achieve and further your company’s vision.
- Lunch and refreshments provided throughout, with ample time to engage in informal conversation and strike new collaborations. This is the opportunity for you to approach a postdoctoral researcher that you think has something to offer for your team and your company. Postdoctoral researchers will be encouraged to have their CVs for distribution where necessary, and rooms will be available for spontaneous meetings.
Ways for postdoctoral researchers to get involved
- Give a flash presentation (5 min): this should include both some content on your work but mainly what your interests are as a scientist and what skills you have developed and can offer a company looking to hire you.
- Present an ‘enhanced poster’: Not only would you be presenting a poster which, as for the talk, should include both your work and your skills, but you will also have a space to leave copies of your CV. There will also be a space for you to leave a business card (we can provide an alternative if you don’t have one) and for companies to leave their cards for you in case they want to talk to you later.
- Hear and participate in a Q&A panel with a group of people who have transitioned from academia to a set of different industries, from chemicals to consulting and more.
- Participate in an active, hands-on CV building workshop that will help you tailor your CV to job applications in industry (you can then distribute this new CV on the day!)
- Attend and network: if you find yourself having an interesting conversation that seems like it may lead to something exciting, there will be satellite rooms for you to use in order to have lengthier, more detailed conversations.
Ways for companies to get involved
- Present a 10 minute pitch on your company. What does your company do and what is the vision? Who are you looking for to join the team and what can you offer them? What can a postdoctoral researcher expect to achieve if they join you? Spaces for pitches are limited and will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- Hire a stall for the duration of the event, taking the opportunity to further advertise recruitment opportunities with your company.
- Bring your HR representatives along – there will be private rooms available for impromptu meetings and interviews, so why not make the most of the opportunity?
- Is there something else you would like to contribute to the event? Let us know!
If you have any questions, please contact Nat Rodrigues Lopes (n.das-neves-rodrigues@warwick.ac.uk) or PSoC directly.
When?
Friday, 13th December 2019
Where?
The Oculus, University of Warwick