General information

Date/Time: February 20, 2026, between 9:30 am and 5:00 pm

Duration: 45 min

Target group: Postdocs and Associated Researchers who want to plan their next career steps taking into account their medium to long-term scientific career goals

Format: online, one-on-one coaching

Trainer: Dr. Beate Scholz (Scholz CTC Coaching GmbH Trier)

Language: English or German

Application will open in January 2026: https://events.geomar.de/event/833/

Objective

As a postdoctoral researcher in the qualification phase, you often need to reflect on your current position and skills and weigh up different career and funding options. This is especially true during the transition between the various stages of qualification or at the end of the qualification phase when you become eligible for appointment. Discussions with superiors and the private environment are important at this point, but usually have the disadvantage that the direct interests of the conversation partners also come into play.

This coaching offer therefore chooses a fundamentally different approach by focusing on your previous experiences and plans. The aim is to jointly develop strategies for the further development of your scientific career in the light of your individual goals.

Key elements

• Elaboration of short and medium-term career steps as well as a long-term career prospection
• If applicable, deduction of a suitable funding profile
• CV Feedback

General information

Date: Early September 2026

Place: tba

Target group: Helmholtz Postdocs (1-2 years after PhD; designed for, but not limited to)

Trainer: Emma Ford and Dr. Steve Hutchinson (C4C)

Language: English

Participants: 24

Objective

The future of the world of work is changing more than ever, and these challenging times often make career and future planning less predictable. Opportunities for researchers are broad in terms of sector, and trends are demonstrating that more and more researchers are seeking roles outside of academia.

Whether you see your future inside or outside of academia, what do you need to make good decisions about your future and your career? And are you taking responsibility for making those decisions?

This focused and interactive online event will help to develop your thinking about your future and career: What is good for me and how can I achieve it?

We consider:

• Academic & non-academic careers
• How to make the best decision(s) for you?
• Making the best of yourself - what do you have to offer?
• How do you market yourself in a targeted way?
• Building your networks – who is on team you?

The approach of the event will be interactive, discursive, but pragmatic and above all supportive, so that the participants can take ownership of their future.

General information

Next date: 15.+16. September 2026

Format: online

Target group: GEOMAR Postdocs and Associated Researchers

Participants: 8

Trainer: Dr. Beate Scholz (Scholz CTC Coaching GmbH Trier)

Language: English

Goal

The workshop offers participants support in further planning their academic careers, focusing on securing research funding while taking their career profiles into account. A successful academic career is closely tied to the ability to develop a distinct and recognizable research profile.

Objective

Especially during transitional phases in their academic careers, researchers often feel the need to reflect on their position and competencies, and to weigh various career and funding options against each other. This is particularly relevant during transitions between qualification phases or at the completion of a qualification, when becoming eligible for a leadership position in academia. 

Knowledge of research and career funding programs, as well as an understanding of one's own strengths and interests, are crucial prerequisites for making informed decisions about the next steps in career development. Moreover, potential employers and funders increasingly require clearly defined descriptions of applicants' career and research profiles to assess their suitability for a specific institution or program.

The coaching session on the second day of the event aims to support participants in their reflections on the further development of their academic careers by offering an external perspective, as well as providing guidance on developing a research funding strategy.

Click here for more information.

service.bund.de: Deutschlandweite Stellen im öffentlichen Dienst

Stellenmarkt Schleswig-Holstein: Stellen im öffentlichen Dienst in Schleswig-Holstein

Academics: Stellenmarkt für Wissenschaft, Forschung, Öffentliches und Gesellschaft

Nature Careers: Wissenschaftliche Jobs in den Bereichen Biologie, Chemie und Physik

KoWi Stellenportal: Stellenausschreibungen im Bereich Wissenschaft und Wissenschaftsmanagement

Research Gate: Weltweite Jobs in der Wissenschaft

greenjobs.de: Jobbörse für Umweltfachkräfte

Jobvector: Karriereportal für Ingenieur:innen, Informatiker:innen, Mediziner:innen und Naturwissenschaftler:innen

Earthworks-jobs.com: Jobbörse für Geowissenschaftler:innen und Geophysiker:innen

Deutsche Geologische Gesellschaft: Stellenangebote für Geowissenschaftler:innen

Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft: Stellenangebote für Geophysiker:innen

Leitlinien für die Postdoc-Phase in der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft

Der Postdoc Ratgeber (academics.de): Berufsbild, Bewerbungstipps, Gehalt und Finanzierungsmöglichkeiten – hier finden Sie alles Wichtige für die Postdoc-Phase sowie aktuelle Stellenangebote, die zu Ihnen passen

Research in Germany: Seite des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung mit Informationen zur Deutschen Forschungslandschaft sowie Karriereoptionen und Finanzierungsmöglichkeiten für Postdocs in Deutschland

Förderdatenbank des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz mit Informationen zu Förderprogrammen, Förderorganisationen und Corona-Hilfen

KoWi: Kooperationsstelle EU der Wissenschaftsorganisationen 

GSO: Guidance, Skills and Opportunities for Researchers