Do you know where you are heading? What are your professional goals? And are you still on the right track to get there?

Since 2020, the Postdoc Academic Career Support (PACT) Center has been the central point of contact for all postdoctoral scientists in temporary employment at GEOMAR. The goal of PACT is to support you in your individual career planning and development and to show perspectives for professional careers after the doctorate, both for an academic career and for career opportunities outside academia.

Detailed information on all our offers as well as links to our events and registration for our courses can be found on our intranet page.

We also welcome your own ideas and suggestions for events and topics that we can implement in PACT. Feel free to contact us by e-mail. Of course, all requests will be treated confidentially.

We look forward to getting to know you!

Your PACT Team

Events

  • Prospects: Info Talks on DFG Funding Opportunities for Research Careers

     April 29–30, 2024, 10:00 - 11:30 am, Heisenberg-Programm (in German)

  • Bridging Spheres Pop-up Campus

     April 8–12, 2024, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, more information

  • Career Day "Transition Possible - Postdoc Skills = Job Market's Needs"

     April 25, 2024, virtual, more information

  • Course "How to improve PhD supervision"

     April 29–30, 2024, virtual, more information and registration

  • Welcome on Board

     May 6, 2024, 11 am - 1:30 pm, conference room 8A-101

 

Trainings

  • PACT Training: Creating your future - making choices and decisions

      Next training: 21-22 October 2024, in person

  • PACT Training: Developing your leadership - taking the next step creating your future

      Next training: 23-24 October 2024, in person

 

Past Events

  • April 27, 2023, 9 - 17 h

    Virtual Career Day "Transition Possible - Recruiting Postdocs in Industry"

    At the Virtual Career Day 2023 "Transition Possible" organized by various Helmholtz institutes, more than 350 postdocs came together to learn and exchange information about recruitment processes for postdocs in industry. In panel discussions and subsequent smaller discussion groups, the postdocs had the opportunity to get to know companies, their recruiters and former postdocs working there and to explore their career options.
    In the afternoons, various workshops were offered to help postdocs transition into industry (e.g., interview preparation, self-presentation, assessment center training).
     
    The bottom line:
    Postdocs are desperately needed in the job market! Be honest! Be authentic! Be proud of your accomplishments and experiences! The application process is an exchange where both companies and applicants introduce themselves.
     
    Graphic recording by Anna Lena Schiller.

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    February 7, 2023, 13 – 15 h

    Connect:ting: Academia meets Companies

    At the first "Connect:ting: Academia meets Companies" event, about 40 GEOMAR scientists met nine companies from northern Germany. Representatives of the companies Phi-Stone, OceanBASIS, TrueOcean, north.io, Bornhöft Industriegeräte, Sea & Sun Technology, Fugro, osteolabs and DSN Connecting Knowledge presented their fields of work and their personnel needs in the GEOMAR lecture hall. Afterwards, the GEOMAR scientists had the opportunity for a personal exchange with the representatives in a speed-dating format in the foyer. In 5 rounds à 10 minutes there were questions and answers about working conditions and requirements as well as information about hospitations. 

    The great demand for workers with a (marine) science background in various sectors of the economy became clear. The company Fugro alone advertised with currently 600 unfilled positions worldwide. Within the framework of the CONNECT - Hospitation Program, GEOMAR postdocs and associated scientists now have the opportunity to get to know interesting companies during a three-month working stay, to establish further contacts and cooperation, and to try out working in the non-academic job market.

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    April 28, 2022, 9 - 16 h

    Virtual Career Day "Transition Possible - Career Perspectives for Postdocs"

    At the first joint career day "Transition Possible - Career Perspectives for Postdocs" of the postdoc career centers of the Helmholtz institutes DESY, DZNE, GEOMAR, HZDR, IPP and KIT, 216 participants came together to inform themselves about career paths outside academia.

    After an inspiring talk by Tina Persson, representatives from BASF, BOSCH, Ginkgo Analytics, NaWik and the German Scholars Organization discussed possible career paths for postdocs outside of science in a panel discussion. Afterwards, the participants had the opportunity to talk to representatives of individual companies, science management and science communication, as well as former postdocs employed there, and to gain insights into their working lives and companies. In the afternoon, eight workshops were offered, in which the participants could inform themselves in detail about various topics of career planning, job search and the application process.

    The career day was characterized by an atmosphere of optimism, which gave the participating postdocs the feeling of being sought after on the job market and highlighted the special skills they had acquired during their scientific careers. The focus was also on the motivation to actively plan and pursue career paths outside of academia.

  • Postdoc Event (joint event with CAU Kiel)

    At regular postdoc events, young scientists in leading positions present their career paths, working methods and research areas.

    The event, which is jointly organized by PACT and the CAU Postdoc Center, takes place on the first Friday of every month and offers postdoctoral researchers a forum for networking and professional exchange. The event is also open to Master students, doctoral candidates and other interested researchers.

    Past Events:

    June 3, 2022 - Panel discussion “Habilitation – must have or redundant?

    with Prof. Dr. Holger Kersten, Prof. Silja Klepp, Dr. Christa Marandino, and Prof. Heidrun Kopp

    March 4, 2022 - Olivia Roth, CAU

    February 4, 2022 - David Needham, GEOMAR

    December 3, 2021 - Meike Stumpp, CAU

    November 5, 2021 - Felix Elling, CAU

    September 3, 2021 - Nadine Mengis, GEOMAR

    June 4, 2021 -  Morelia Urlaub, GEOMAR

    May 7, 2021 - Julia Gottschalk,  CAU

    March 5, 2021 - Aaron Micaleff, GEOMAR/Malta

    February 5, 2021 - Christian Baatz, CAU