We offer more than a career workshop...
It's a career transforming experience
and an exciting inner journey
Intensive Career Orientation Workshops for Researchers in Transition to Industry
The Format
We currently offer our workshops in two versions:
Four-Week Intensive Online Career Development Course for Researchers in Transition to Industry
These intensive online workshops for PhDs last for 4 weeks (4 hours of online training per week), and include a set of homework assignments and 1-1 post-training online session with the coach.
This fast-paced group training is dedicated to researchers need to quickly improve on their knowledge about the job market, and start looking for jobs very soon. The lectures are spread over the period of 4 weeks to help the participants better memorize the material and go through all the homework during the course.
The Package Includes:
➣ Interactive lectures, hands-on exercises, aptitude tests, group assignments (4 x 4 hours),
➣ Digital handouts,
➣ A set of homework assignments (4 x 6 hours),
➣ An individual follow-up online career consultancy session after the course (1.5 h),
➣ Professional editing of your job application documents,
➣ A digital copy of the book “What Is out There For Me? The Landscape of Post-PhD Career Tracks,”
➣ An access to The ODYSSEY Test,
➣ Unlimited access to our internal “Ask me anything” Slack channel.
The number of seats per event is limited. First come, first served!
The Participation Fees
(the discount is active until August 31st, 2021):
➣ Postdocs: 419 EUR incl. VAT p.p. (519 EUR incl. VAT after August 31st 2021)
➣ PhD candidates: 389 EUR (incl. VAT) p.p. (489 EUR incl. VAT after August 31st 2021)
Register Here!
Thursday 2nd September 2021 – Thursday 23rd September 2021, 6 pm – 10 pm CEST: Four-Week Intensive Online Career Development Course for Researchers in Transition to Industry
Thursday 7th October 2021 – Thursday 28th October 2021, 6 pm – 10 pm CEST: Four-Week Intensive Online Career Development Course for Researchers in Transition to Industry
Thursday 4th November 2021 – Thursday 25th November 2021, 6 pm – 10 pm CEST: Four-Week Intensive Online Career Development Course for Researchers in Transition to Industry
Two-Day Intensive On-Site Career Development Program for Researchers in Transition to Industry
These intensive on-site workshops take place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The program involves a two-day training (2 x 8 hours, the training days are separated by 4 weeks), followed by a set of homework assignments, 1-1 post-training individual online consultancy session with the coach, and further online assistance with job search.
This fast-paced group training is recommended for researchers who need to quickly improve on their knowledge about the job market, and start looking for jobs straight away. The events take place in Therapeutisch Activiteiten Centrum Amsterdam (TACA), Borgerstraat 102, 1053 PW Amsterdam. TACA is located in Central Amsterdam, 15 minutes by tram #17 from Amsterdam Centraal station.
The Package Includes:
➣ Interactive lectures, hands-on exercises, aptitude tests, group assignments (2 x 8 hours),
➣ Digital handouts,
➣ A set of homework assignments (2 x 12 hours),
➣ Coffee/tea + snacks, farewell drinks at the site,
➣ An individual follow-up online career consultancy session after the course (2 h),
➣ Professional editing of your job application documents,
➣ A digital copy of the book “What Is out There For Me? The Landscape of Post-PhD Career Tracks,”
➣ An access to The ODYSSEY Test,
➣ Further post-training assistance with the job search online,
➣ Unlimited access to our internal “Ask me anything” Slack channel.
The number of seats per group is strictly limited. First come, first served!
The Participation Fees
Flat fee: 990 EUR + 21% VAT p.p., paid as follows:
➣ 36 EUR + 21% VAT p.p. registration fee for reserving the seat in the group (paid during the registration, non-refundable),
➣ 6 monthly installments of 159 EUR + 21% VAT p.p., starting with the first month of employment.
🔥 No risk involved – it’s a win-win! You sign a contract with us before the training starts, and you pay the fee only after you land the job and start working.
Register Here!
Saturday 24th September 2021 + Saturday 22nd October 2021, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm CEST: Two-Day Intensive On-Site Career Development Program for Researchers in Transition to Industry (TACA Center, Amsterdam, location TBC)
Comparison Between the Online and the On-Site Version of our Workshops for PhDs
Online Course
- The comfort of getting trained from your own home and in time slots that don’t interfere with your working time,
- Online contact with the lecturer and co-participants through Zoom and Slack,
- The material spread over 4 weeks,
- Materials universal for PhDs residing in various countries,
- The fee paid upfront, discount price for PhD candidates.
On-Site Program
- You need to commute to the training-site in Amsterdam,
- More direct contact with the lecturer and co-participants, live discussion,
- All the material condensed within two working days spread over a few weeks,
- Extra materials specific for PhDs in the Dutch job market.
- The flat fee paid in 6 installments only after starting the new job.
Why Choose Our Workshops?
We always take an individual approach to every participant — you will be taken care of! At the end of the training, you will be fully equipped to rock the job market — not only now, but also in the future. You will develop self-navigation skills for life!
After this workshop you will:
- Become conscious about your core competencies,
- Develop a concept of what a “dream job,” and “dream lifestyle” mean to you,
- Have a clear picture of where in the job market you should start your adventure,
- Build a resume that fits the industry standards,
- Network and present yourself at the job interviews more efficiently,
- Take active steps towards landing your new position.
Our workshops are highly interactive and vibrant, and the atmosphere is always joyful — both on-site and online. Moreover, we care about the team spirit, and make sure that the participants learn from each other and are mutually supportive. Career development is a challenge, and it is always more efficient when you work in a supportive group. So, if you are building a new career in times of the pandemic, don’t be alone in the process!
Our Philosophy
We believe that the best approach to develop your full potential, is to find your competitive advantage in the job market and cooperate/collaborate rather than compete. This approach proves to be the most effective both in business and in career building! Therefore, we will help you determine your unique profile and position yourself in the job market in a way to excel.
In the job market, there is no one else like you. You have your unique “professional ID” or “professional fingerprint.” This fingerprint is composed of a set of your core competencies acquired throughout your education process and professional career, your individual way of creating value for others, and your values and beliefs that make you fit into specific working environments. We use our own methodology developed with our in-house R&D tools to let you discover your fingerprint and navigate in the job market like a pro!
Given all my skills and talents, where should I go next?
Where will I flourish and build the career I love?
Are there any hidden career paths I haven’t noticed just yet?
Where can I find “my” people in the job market and how to join them?
How can my PhD advantage my career in today’s job market?
We have the answers.
The answers to these questions depend not only on your skills but also on your personality, working style, and values. And as a matter of fact, there is nothing like the best job in the world. Namely, you and your job are like two pieces of a puzzle — to be happy at work, you will need to find that the perfect fit! Our intensive workshops for PhDs in transition to industry aim to help you find your “Person-Market Fit” together.
Moreover, can your PhD give you an edge in today’s job market? Of course! There is great demand — but for the PhD degree holders, not just the PhD degrees. It is all about you and your self-discovery; about how you are as a PhD. It’s about your mindset, in-demand skills, and planning strategies that will allow you get an edge in the job market.
In our workshops for PhDs, we combine insightful, up-to-date information on the job market with intensive training in self-navigation. This is what tells us apart: we don’t just fill missing space in your profile. Instead, we guide you so that you can dig deep into yourself, improve on your networking and negotiation skills, and your strategy planning. In order to achieve this, we include interactive group lectures, self-discovery exercises, aptitude tests, mock-up job interviews, group exercises, and a 1-1 consultancy session in our workshops for PhDs.
Our Methods
We do our own R&D based on networking, field research, informational interviews, and psychometrics combined with machine learning. Therefore, we don’t offer yet another career orientation workshop based on textbook knowledge! During our courses, you will go through a battery of aptitude tests and exercises to help you determine the career path that might be optimal for you.
But this is not all – we also keep in touch with the participants of our workshops for PhDs and help them further! Firstly, our participants receive many homework assignments followed by an individual online career consultancy session. Secondly, after the workshop, we always arrange a 1-1 meeting that aims to discuss the personal progress and prepare a strategy for the job application process together with the participant. Thirdly, we stay in touch after the course through the dedicated Slack group.
We also give our participants an opportunity to register in our database. We have a number of companies in our network, and you might be called with a job offer!
The Coach
The course is led by Dr. Natalia Bielczyk, the author of the book “What Is out There For Me? The Landscape of Post-PhD Career Tracks”.
Natalia is an entrepreneur, researcher, author, and philanthropist.
She graduated from the College of Inter-Faculty Individual Studies in Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Warsaw, Poland, with a triple MS title in Physics, Mathematics, and Psychology. Thereafter, she obtained a PhD in Computational Neuroscience at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
In 2018, she launched a public foundation, Stichting Solaris Onderzoek en Ontwikkeling, aiming to help early-career researchers find new careers in industry. Since 2019, she is also the owner of Odyssey Careers and Welcome Solutions. Next to writing books on career development, she runs a YouTube channel dedicated to post-PhD careers in industry, and she blogs about life in general. Even though she chose to work in the open market, she is still a researcher in her free time and she believes in the compatibility of science and entrepreneurship.
The Content of Our Workshops for PhDs
Our workshops include the following lecture modules:
➣ How to find your true calling? Nature versus nurture
➣ Where to go next? The landscape of Post-PhD career tracks
➣ How to land a dream job? Finding and developing your transferable skills and core competencies. Applying for jobs/approaching job interviews
➣ Entrepreneurship session: Personal finances & How to build a business as a scientist
➣ Survival guidebook: How to manage yourself in industry?
Please find more information about the content of the online and the on-site version of the course below.
➣ How to find your true calling? Nature versus nurture
➣ Where to go next? The landscape of Post-PhD career tracks
➣ How to land a dream job? Finding and developing your transferable skills and core competencies. Applying for jobs/approaching job interviews
➣ Entrepreneurship session: Personal finances & How to build a business as a scientist
➣ Survival guidebook: How to manage yourself in industry?
Please find more information about the content of the online and the on-site version of the course below.
Testimonials From Previous Participants
Claire Braboszcz, PhD
Higher Data Scientist at UK Office for Standards in Education, Children's services Skills (OFSTED) & Owner at CosyData Ltd
After a few months of working on my own on my career transition from academia and a few failed job interviews in industry, I found out about Odyssey Careers and their online workshops for PhDs. I got convinced by the description of the workshop - as giving not only knowledge of the job market and practical tips for job applications but also giving keys for self-discovery, and I decided to invest in it. The fact that Natalia was herself from a STEM PhD and based in EU (as I am) was also a big plus.
Taking part in the workshop delivered on every aspect I was expecting, and more. The added value was not only great first-hand knowledge and tips from Natalia but also the interaction with the other participants.
The 4 weeks of the weekly lectures, the weekly session, and the homework helped me structure my time and making actual progress on practical aspects of the job search I had been postponing otherwise. For instance, I changed the template of my CV for a more modern-looking one or looked up the procedure for becoming self-employed. I found Natalia's knowledge of the job market and her descriptions and practical advice on the different working environments in industry really insightful. And so were the "personality tests" and a session on how to manage personal finances. The 1-to-1 session after the workshop was also a great opportunity to get some further personalized advice for the job search. Natalia's enthusiasm and forward-thinking personality gave me some great energy to pour into my transition from academia. About a month and a half after the end of the workshop, I received my first job offer for a senior data scientist position in the public sector, which was the job I applied to following the discussion and online search during the 1-to-1 session with Natalia. I also started developing a freelance activity on the side.
The practical tips on how to approach a job search and consider my own personal values in the process are in my opinion pretty agnostic of whether you want to try and stay in academia or not. Therefore, I would definitely recommend Natalia's workshop and a companion book on post-PhD careers as a part of the training of every early-career researcher.
Vicky Sherwood, PhD
Expert Scientific Writer, Novartis
I attended an online career development course hosted by Natalia in late 2020. Natalia’s got an amazing grip on the diversity of work options open to those with formal higher education. She clearly distilled this knowledge through the course and her associated book: “What Is out There for Me? The Landscape of Post-PhD Career Tracks.”
I don’t think there’s been a more insightful or comprehensive interpretation on the topic of career-design produced since the classic bestseller; “The Pathfinder” by Nicolas Lore, published over two decades ago. Natalia’s work offers career-design support that’s well and truly rooted in the changing landscape of work in the 21st century.
I would recommend this career orientation course to seasoned professionals looking to change careers and graduates just starting out. Anyone who’s seeking a career that’s more engaging and better aligned to their own needs would be sure to learn something new and benefit.
Joanna Szopińska, PhD Candidate
Business Intelligence Consultant at Quintus
These workshops for PhDs differ from the ones I attended until now. Odyssey Careers really provides a lot of information, exercises, and homework. These gave me an opportunity to discover my likes and dislikes and it gave me a picture of what should be my next step in my career. Thank you, Odyssey Careers, for your spirit and uniqueness. Moreover, Natalia (the workshop organizer) is very natural, friendly, and intelligent. It was my pleasure to meet her in person.
I have to add that I highly appreciate the idea of meeting 1-1 after the workshop (included in the price). This gave me a feeling of personal interest in my career — something unique compared to other workshops. Also, Odyssey Careers provides recruitment solutions to help in finding a job by matching you with a potential job. And at the end of the workshop, I got Natalia’s book, ‘What Is out There For Me? The Landscape of Post-PhD Career Tracks.’ It is a great addition to the course 🙂
Vera Chan, PhD
Medical Writer at AB Science & Host at PhD Coffee Time
After taking the Odyssey Careers’ aptitude tests, I have become more aware, confident, and unapologetic about my strengths and weaknesses. As a result, I have also become more streamlined and determined after identifying a suitable science career path. These turned out to be the essential qualities that have convinced employers and future colleagues at job interviews.
This workshop had many practical sessions and helped me tremendously when I worked with a recruiter, performed at a job interview, and negotiated my salary. I have landed my dream role as a Medical Writer and I am thriving in the corporate environment because I love working in teams. I would not be so confident about my career choice without this awareness!
This workshop would be highly valuable for PhD students in their final year, and postdocs who are looking into transitioning into a non-academic role. As Natalia is not funded by universities or private companies, she always gives neutral and honest opinions. Thus, when working with Natalia, I was assured that she has my best interest in mind.
Cristiane Zuconelli, PhD Candidate
Yoga Teacher at Radboud University
If you are looking for a change in your career or simply want to know in which industry sector you fit the most, Natalia’s workshop is of great value to you.
Natalia’s workshops for PhDs are well-structured and full of original, practical, and useful tips and ideas. She uses extremely helpful and dynamic questionnaires which help you to discover what keeps you moving forward and also your career purposes. Moreover, Natalia knows how to convey the workshop with a variation of her professional knowledge and personal examples.
Chiara Bastiancich, PhD
During the workshop, she discovered that academia is her home, and she is a happy academic now
This intensive course was well-structured and filled with tips and self-observation exercises that I would have never found elsewhere. Working on myself made me realize that I could have a future in the industry, how to smoothly transition there, and look for the perfect position for me. However, it also made me realize that most of the things that I enjoy at work and I am better at are present in my daily activities in academia! As it does not only matter what you do but also in which environment you want to do it, learning about the different working attitudes, tribes and environments was really important for me.
And it made me realize that I am quite happy with my freedom and current tribe in academia. And that perhaps, I don’t have to rush looking for something else! Lack of knowledge on your core competencies and future working environment can reduce your career possibilities, but a lack of knowledge on yourself and your relationship with your job might reduce your happiness for life! Therefore, take the time to discover yourself and evaluate where your natural talents and passions could fit, and let Odyssey Careers help you do that!.
