sample life sciences postdoc cover letter upenn career services

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University of pennsylvania career services.

Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs partners with Penn's Career Services office so that most of their services can be provided to our biomedical postdocs. The first step to your job search should be to look at their website https://careerservices.upenn.edu  and become familiar with their services and resources. Then you might want to meet with a career counselor at Career Services for an appointment.

Career Services counselors can help with CV editing, converting a CV into a resume, review of cover letters, interview preparation, and salary negotiation tips. Along with their one-on-one services, they also offer a plethora of workshops throughout the year that cover every aspect of looking for a job, plus speakers on a vast array of fields that you can work in with a scientific degree. They organize a biomedical career fair every fall, have numerous job openings posted by employers interested in Penn students and postdocs on the Career Services website (on Handshake ), and send job postings and other career/job related information through their distribution list.

Career Services-University of Pennsylvania Suite 20, McNeil Building-3718 Locust Walk Philadelphia, PA 19104-6209 Phone:   215-898-7530

It is never too early during your postdoctoral appointment to begin thinking about your next career move. In order to assist you with this process, BPP offers several valuable career management tools. On average the postdoc period is for five years. To maximize this time so you can attain your ideal job we suggest the following timeline.

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Handshake This is Career Services’ powerful platform for University of Pennsylvania students, postdocs and alumni served by our office. Handshake uses cutting-edge technology to help you more easily connect with employers and source jobs and internships, event information, and schedule appointments with Career Advisors. All career fairs, workshops, employer information sessions, and on-campus interviewing is coordinated through this platform. Select your career interests to get more tailored communications from Career Services with resources and opportunities more aligned with your career goals.

  Aurora :  Your complete resource for PhD professional and career development including interactive workbooks, interviews with PhDs in diverse career roles, and a comprehensive series of workshops covering all aspects of career exploration, networking, applying for faculty, and expanded career roles, and more! Get started by watching this overview from Aurora’s founder: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/videos/how-phds-postdocs-can-use-aurora-at-penn/

  Versatile PhD   Career Services subscribes to this web-based community so that you can explore the broad diversity of careers that value a PhD and gain job-search relevant skills. Take advantage of the Ph.D. Career Finder Tool to investigate common career paths taken by PhDs across disciplines. Additionally, the VPhD Options 4 Success program is designed to help PhDs identify viable career paths, understand the link between their degrees and the professional world, and confidently manage the transition from university to high-quality professional careers

myIDP   Developed specifically for STEM PhDs, this free resource provides self-assessment tools to help you evaluate your skills, interests, and values, and compare these against a wide diversity of careers that value a STEM Ph.D. You can use the individual development plan tool to identify key next steps as part of your academic and professional development.

  Vault Career Insider   Vault provides in-depth intelligence on what it’s really like to work within a range of industries, companies, or professions—and how to position yourself to launch and build the career you want. Many of the vault guides are featured on the Engineering industry community page of the Career Services website: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/channels/engineering/

Big Interview   complete engaging courses on resumes, interviewing, and negotiating, learn how to build effective STAR stories for your interviews, and practice and record mock interviews.

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity   An independent professional development, training, and mentoring community for faculty members, postdocs, and graduate students.

CareerShift   An excellent tool to identify contacts at different organizations, build lists of organizations in different fields, and search for jobs at companies of interest.

Management Consulted  A comprehensive resource on consulting and case interview prep, featuring cases, math drills, online video courses, and everything you need to know to ace your consulting interviews.

GoinGlobal This resource includes a searchable database of thousands of international jobs and internship listings, country and international city-specific resources, a database of companies that have provided H1b visas in the past, resume & cover letter samples, and cultural advice.

Penn Engineering postdocs can contact Alicia Pickul , Executive Assistant to the Senior Associate Dean, with any questions, concerns, or suggestions.

Postdoc Information:

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Penn & Beyond

Thoughtful Career Advice for Penn Students and Alumni, written by the staff of the University of Pennsylvania Career Services office and selected special guests.

Tag: cover letter

How to write a cover letter recruiters will read.

Tiffany J. Franklin M.S.Ed, Associate Director

Cover letters are one piece of the job search many job seekers would rather skip. In fact, some will only apply to positions that don’t require them. Omitting the cover letter is a mistake. After all, a cover letter is really a marketing piece that allows you to make a strong case (backed up by examples) for why this company should hire you. Why would you miss out on an opportunity to show a recruiter why you are qualified for a position?

As a former recruiter, I would sometimes receive well over 100 resumes for one job posting. When evaluating which ones to interview, the applications with cover letters stood out because it demonstrated that the candidate took extra time and went a step further than other applicants. Cover letters provided insights into how well the candidate could communicate, their attention to detail, and made a case for why I should hire them. The best cover letters were customized. I gained a clear sense of why the candidate wanted that particular job and company. It was apparent the applicant took the time to think about why they wanted that company and role. Conversely, it’s easy to tell when a candidate uses the same generic letter and applies to 50 jobs.

When writing cover letters, you want to show that everything you have done so far has lead you to this job. It’s up to you to craft a story and pull out all your transferrable skills you gained during your academic and internship journey. Your goal is to inspire confidence in the recruiter that you have the skills and motivation to do this job and you have researched the company culture.

Some writers feel the need to list everything they have ever done and hope the recruiter will find something relevant. That strategy backfires because recruiters don’t have that kind of time to sift through extraneous information. Like the opening arguments in a court case, you need to provide the hiring manager the lens through which to view your experience in the first paragraph of your letter. Explain how your unique combination of education, experience, and skills has qualified you to make contributions to their team. Then, use the middle paragraphs to provide evidentiary support through relevant examples. Be sure that the cover letter is not simply restating your resume. Instead, it’s an opportunity to bring your resume to life and tell your story in a compelling way.

Here are a few tips for how to tackle that first cover letter.

1) At the top, include your address and the date

2) Address the letter to an actual person, not a generic “Dear Hiring Manager.” If you can’t find the contact name, Google “LinkedIn Company Name Recruiter” for ideas. Include contact name, title, company name, and address.

3) Opening Paragraph (I LOVE YOU) – Mention position title, requisition number if listed, why you want the company (see mission statement, About Us page), and a sentence stating why you are qualified to contribute to their team.

4) Middle Paragraphs (YOU LOVE ME) – This is the part where you pick 3-4 examples from your experience and bring your resume to life. Through success stories, you demonstrate your ability to do this job and highlight your transferrable skills. These examples should speak to the key skills mentioned in the job description. That job description may list 50 different qualifiers, but usually these can be grouped into a few primary categories.

5) Closing Paragraph (LET’S TALK) – Restate your interest and summarize key qualifiers, how to reach you (contact info), that you’ll be available for an interview, and thank them for the consideration.

The first letter may take a little longer to complete, but it’s worth the time investment. Writing subsequent letters should be easier as you get used to the format. Be sure to have different letters for each industry and job type to which you apply. From there, customize each one to each company and specific position.

There are great samples at www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/writtenmaterials/coverletters.php . The samples are a helpful guide, but be sure to make the letters your own and that they are not too close to the samples. This is your chance to shine and you need to make it unique to your skills. Proofread your cover letter and have someone else read it before applying to any positions. One grammatical or spelling error will reflect poorly upon you, so editing is a must.

Career Services is here to help! We have walk-ins throughout the week and you can schedule an appointment to have an advisor review your resume and cover letter. www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/appointments

Gifts for You!

Thinking about being a scientist? Teacher? Marketer? Filmmaker? Consultant? Programmer? Professor? Unsure? We have information to help you learn about different career fields , whether you are exploring a wide range or are ready to dig into a specific area.

Want to talk to other students or alumni to learn about their career paths? Use our resources or meet with us to explore the many connections available to you. Or read our surveys to see what other students have found in their internship and job searches.

Continue reading “Gifts for You!”

Getting in the Loop: Crafting a Letter of Interest

By Sharon Fleshman

This semester, I’ve talked to a few students who are interested in particular jobs that they’ve seen posted, but wonder whether it’s too soon to apply since they’re not graduating until May. Maybe that’s your dilemma. Or perhaps you know that you have your heart set on working at a particular organization, but at the moment, there is no position posted that matches your skills and interests. What to do? You may assume that correspondence with a potential employer has to be in response to a given opportunity. Not so! In both cases, you can send a “letter of interest,” a type of cover letter that will allow you to express your enthusiasm about a given organization or position.

Let’s start with the first scenario I mentioned. You see the posting for an ideal job, but suspect that the position would need to be filled sooner than your graduation date. Of course, your letter would highlight your interest and qualifications, but it can also include something like “I was excited to see that you had an opening for Position X. I will be graduating in May 2011 and I hope that you will consider my application for this position. However, I realize that you may need to hire someone sooner. If that is the case, please consider me for any future similar opportunities that arise.”

In the second scenario, let’s say that you simply want to pursue an opportunity with a given organization but there are no current job openings relevant to your background or career interests. You should include much in your letter that focuses on what attracts you to the organization itself. After you bring attention to how you resonate with the organization’s mission and core values, be sure to identify your skills and qualifications as it relates to particular areas and functions of the organization which interest you. As I already noted, you can request that the recruiter consider you for any future opportunities. In addition, you may want to inquire about the possibility of an informational interview .

To get started, check out the resources on the Career Services website on how to write cover letters. Once you develop a draft, feel free to make an appointment with a Career Services advisor who can help you tweak your letter and networking strategy.

Seniors: Five Job Search Tips for Winter Break

by Kelly Cleary

Once the semester stress is behind you and you’ve had some time to rest up and celebrate, I imagine many seniors will start to focus on your post-grad plans. Even through, for many industries, the application timeline won’t begin until later in the spring semester, there are some things you can do now to better position yourself when you do start applying for jobs. Below are a few tips and resources to help you get started.

FIVE JOB SEARCH TIPS FOR WINTER BREAK

1. EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS : Spend some time exploring career possibilities by looking at some of the websites below. This can be an overwhelming project but it’s an important first step.

• First Jobs and Graduate Schools for Penn Grads, listed by major –  these are long lists of what Penn students have done with their major in past years.
• Career Plans Surveys for the Class of 2009 and earlier years – you might be surprised by the wide variety of paths your predecessors have chosen. And hopefully you’ll be encouraged to see that while only about 30% of the College Class of 2009 had accepted job offers by the end of December, almost 75% of them had accepted job offers by the end of May.  (The 2009 report is preliminary. It will include more detailed employer information soon.)
• What Can I Do with this Major? —These PDF’s provide a helpful overview of career paths related to specific majors including suggestions for types of employers and advice on preparing for those jobs.
• Watch our Career Exploration video:

Career Exploration from Penn Career Services on Vimeo .

2. RESEARCH EMPLOYERS: Once you’ve narrowed down your preferences for types of work, industries of interest, and where you hope to live, it’s time to start developing your wish list of prospective employers and build your list of favorite job search websites.

• Vault & Wetfeet Guides – Yes, these two companies make great books to help students land i-banking and consulting jobs, but they also publish career and company guides for other industries like entertainment, fashion, retail, green, healthcare, pharma, marketing, PR, and many others. You can download the career guide books for free from our Online Subscriptions page.
• PennLink – This is where employers who specifically want to hire Penn students post jobs. Under the “Advanced Search” tab, you can set up a Search Agent to schedule weekly emails of new jobs that match your interests so you don’ t have to log into PennLink every day.
• Career Resources by Field – From Anthropology and Arts to Sciences and Sports, you’ll find job search websites and transcripts from alumni speakers. There are similar websites for Wharton, Engineering, Nursing, and Graduate programs.
• Online Subscriptions – this page includes log in and password information for over 25 job search websites including Art Search, Ecojobs, JournalistJobs, Policy Jobs and many others.
• GoinGlobal – From GoinGlobal you can access international country and U.S. city guides that include lists of job search websites and links to local chambers of commerce which all have extensive employer directories for their regions.

3. TALK TO PEOPLE WHO DO WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO : Yes, I’m talking about networking. Outside of trying out a job through volunteering, interning or actually getting the job, talking with people who do or have done the job is one of the best ways to figure out if a career is right for you and to gather advice for landing a job in a particular field or within a specific company.

• PACNet – Penn’s alumni career networking database is an easy way to connect with Penn alumni who have volunteered to be career mentors. They are a great resource for information and advice.
• PEOPLE Search –  If you don’t find what you’re looking for in PACNet, you can search for alums (or even people with whom you don’t have a common affiliation) who work in the fields and/or organizations that interest you. You can view their profiles to see sample career paths and you can send direct messages to ask for advice. While this is more like cold calling, if it’s done respectfully and professionally, it can be worthwhile.
• GROUPS – There are thousands of groups (i.e. alumni, specific industries, etc.) in LinkedIn where people share job postings and other career-related information, and they also serve as a forum for asking questions and gathering answers from more experienced professionals. Joining the University of Pennsylvania Alumni Group is a great first step.
• Want to learn more about LinkedIn? Check the LinkedIn Guide for Recent Graduates. Tutorial from LinkedIn.com.
• Watch our Networking Tips video.

4. UPDATE YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER DRAFTS:

• Check our Online Resume & Cover Letter Guide for tips and samples.

5. RELAX AND ENJOY:

• Unless you’re heading straight to graduate school, it’s likely that it will be a while before you have such a long mid-winter break again, so  sleep in, eat well, and enjoy good times with your loved ones.

Good luck with your remaining finals and papers. I hope you all have a safe and fun break. We look forward to seeing you in 2010!

EMBL Careers

A life science careers blog for early career researchers

This blog aims to inspire early career researchers exploring different career options. We provide interview-based profiles of life scientists working in diverse science-related careers and articles on a broad range of career-related topics, with new content added on a regular basis.

Rachel Coulthard-Graf

15 March 2019

Category: Articles Job applications

Tags: CVs , job applications

Crafting impactful statements for your CV and cover letter

When you are writing a job application, it is essential to describe your experience in a way that highlights the skills relevant for the position you are applying for. We’ve previously posted on some general tips on preparing job applications for industry . In this post, we provide details of some techniques that can help you demonstrate your skills in your CV & cover letter.

1. Action verbs

Action verbs can help demonstrate your skills by clarifying your role in projects. This can be particularly helpful for short statements on your CV.

For example, rather than simply stating:

“Project: role of gene xyz in process abc , collaboration with Bloggs & Mustermann labs”

to emphasize your role in assay development, you could write:

“Developed biochemical assays to investigate the role of gene xyz in process abc.” .

or emphasis leadership you could write:

“Led project coordination and biochemical research in an international collaboration that revealed the role of gene xyz in process abc.”

Be precise so that you demonstrate your skills without overstating your role.  If you are unsure how your statements could be interpreted, ask others for feedback.

See: 185 action verbs (external) or (within EMBL) handouts on job applications , which also includes a list of action verbs relevant for scientists’ applications.

2. Quantification, achievements and evidence

The easiest way of demonstrating a skill is to provide evidence of a positive outcome. For example, if you have great feedback for courses you have taught on, you can use this feedback in the cover letter to evidence your communication skills.

I have taught a number of courses at EMBL, where my ability to communicate complex topics has resulted in excellent evaluations (average  rating 4.9 / 5, where 5 is excellent teaching).

Quantification can more generally provide context for the scale of projects, helping to show the impact of your work.

If there is a key skill you have, but you don’t have hard evidence for, you could instead simply give examples of when you have used the skill. Additionally, if you want to really highlight this skill – show you know what makes someone good in this area:

During my postdoc, I have communicated my results in a wide-variety of settings, for example by writing a news and views article on a paper in my field. I have learnt the importance of tailoring the message to the audience and of using clear but precise language.

3. Re-framing experiences to highlight key skills

As this article outlines, framing examples in different ways can change the skills you are highlighting.  See below for some examples that would be suitable for a cover letter, and note the use of different action verbs. Reframing your examples can also be used for shorter CV bullet points.

To highlight impact / ability to deliver results – highlight the outcomes and your actions

I introduced a new high-throughput assay in the lab, which enabled analysis of x samples per day (increase of x compared to previous method). In addition to my project, the assay has now been used for 6 other projects and contributed to research in 4 papers to date.

To highlight teamwork – define who you worked wit h

I introduced a new high-throughput assay in the lab,  collaborating closely with the light microscopy facility to ensure compatibility with existing technology. I also worked with 5 others in the lab so that the technique could be applied to their projects in addition to my own.

To highlight communication skills – define the different ways you communicated

I introduced a new high-throughput assay in the lab, successfully persuading my PI to fund the adaptations to our microscopy set-up, and liaising with the company providing the technology and with the light microscopy laboratory. Additionally, I wrote detailed documentation and carried out informal training sessions, enabling others to use the technique for their own research.

Ability to Work Independently – define your contribution

I initiated and implemented introduction of a new assay in the lab. This involved independently researching high-throughput techniques, gaining PI and budget approval, and liaising between the company providing the technology and relevant stakeholders at the institute.

Project management – define the complexities & process

I led the introduction of a new high-throughput assay into the lab. This involved carrying out an analysis of the potential solutions, helping prepare documentation for budget approval, and finally coordinating delivery and installation, including liaising with the company providing the technology and relevant stakeholders at the institute.

Bringing it together

The annotation below shows how these techniques could be used in the research experience section. The level of detail, focus and exact points included should depend on the role you are applying for.

Relevant sources:

• Other articles on job applications from this blog
• (within EMBL) EMBL Fellows’ Career Service : handouts e.g. on Academic Applications | Non-Academic Applications
• University of Columbia career service post on impactful bullet points
• Boehringer Ingelheim guide to creating a compelling job application
• NatureCareers academic and nonacademic toolkits
• UCSF and UPenn sample CVs
• Blog post from @akrook on describing your skills in a cover letter
• Jobs.ac.uk article on identifying your unique selling points
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Table of Contents

Cover letter for a postdoc (5 samples)

As a BetterHelp affiliate, we may receive compensation from BetterHelp if you purchase products or services through the links provided.

The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter.  The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.

This blog post will show samples of “cover letters for a postdoc.”

Samples of postdoc cover letters

To get a postdoc position, you need a well-written cover letter that showcases your passion for and dedication to the industry. When writing a postdoc cover letter, these are some of the essential things to include in your letter:

• Address the employer with a formal salutation. For example, “Dear/Hello (name of the recipient or hiring manager).”
• The next step is to state the position you are applying for and how you found the opening. 
• Write a short sentence about why you’re interested in the position.
• State your skills and work experience; ensure they are similar to the job position. When stating your skills, provide the accomplishment you have achieved. 
• Conclude your letter with a forward-looking statement. For example, “I look forward to discussing the position further.”

“01/06/2021

Dr. Harold Bergman

Enteny University

113 Sunnyside Circle

Enteny, Illinois, 60002

Dear Dr. Bergman,

I am writing to express my sincere interest in Enteny University’s open postdoc laboratory position. I would love to pursue my postdoctoral studies as a member of your team. I am a recent graduate of Bertrum University where I gave my presentation on hydrogen fuel cell viability. You may remember Juan Sosa mentioning my interest in your laboratory at the end of the last school year.

In my research, I focused on developing hydrogen fuel cell delivery and storage solutions focusing specifically on portable applications for military use. In my doctoral studies, I worked to develop charging and backup systems for portable electronic devices (PEDs). Current military operations cannot effectively use fuel alternatives because emergency and frequent charging solutions remain unavailable. Most of my work has revolved around alternative energy-harnessing systems and long-lasting batteries. In my work, I produced fuel cells less susceptible to environmental degradation factors and extreme temperatures. I look forward to continuing my research and working toward miniaturizing fuel cells to improve their PED compatibility as a member of your research team.

I would appreciate the opportunity to continue my research in your laboratory and pursue a long-term future with Enteny University. I believe the nature of my research relates to your lab because, as the leading institution in fuel cell research, my chosen field of study is extremely relevant to your efforts. I think my knowledge and experience surrounding PEDs and battery longevity could aid in your research.

I am a self-motivated, independent researcher with eight years of experience. As a detail-oriented, qualified and creative candidate, I feel my fuel-cell research, grant proposal writing and tutoring experience could be a major asset to your laboratory. I’ve attached my CV and would be very interested in setting up a time to further discuss my skills and qualifications with you. Please let me know if you have questions and I look forward to hearing from you.

Harriet Browne”

“[Today’s Date]

[Hiring Manager’s Name]

[123 Company Address]

[Company City, State xxxxx]

[(xxx)-xxx-xxxx]

[[email protected]]

Dear [Dr./Mr./Ms./Mx.] [Hiring Manager’s Last Name],

I am writing to express my interest in a postdoctoral position in your lab. I am a PhD Candidate in the Andrew Dwyer lab at James Hill University expecting to graduate in June 2022. My graduate work, published in Science this year, investigated the RNA virome in various aquatic environments using metagenomic analysis. My future research goals are to apply my computational skills and develop my skills working with non-human primate models to better understand and design therapeutics against pathogenic viruses. I believe my strong background in virus biology, library preparation, and next-generation sequencing analysis make me an ideal candidate to study respiratory disease viruses in your lab.

In my thesis lab, we use viral evolution to find trends that unite eukaryotic disease viruses. However, our current picture of RNA virus taxonomy is still incomplete, with the five-clade organization largely informed by human and agricultural animal and plant studies.

Therefore, to refine and complete our understanding of the global RNA virome, I sampled multiple complex aquatic environments and performed metagenome analysis. Confirming that the five-phyla classification based on RdRP sequence comparisons holds true, my analysis nearly tripled the number of currently known RNA viruses.

Host assignments proved to be tricky during my thesis. But I tackled this problem through various methods, including developing machine learning algorithms and comparing RNA viruses to size-separated microbial preparations subjected to DNA and RNA sequencing. I am continuing to characterize the novel and more highly divergent RdRPs discovered by our sampling. Also I mentor one graduate and one undergraduate student with their independent projects drawn from my work.

While I have focused primarily on RNA virus ecology and evolution during my graduate work, I am comfortable extending my research to studying RNA viruses in human disease. I collaborated with Dr. Henry Fields on a publication, currently under review at Frontiers in Immunology, studying rhesus macaque responses to MERS-CoV. The skills I learned through our collaboration, as well as from electives and literature search in immunology and human virology, have prepared me well to transition from studying viruses to studying virus-host interactions. Additionally, I look forward to applying my computational skills toward single-cell sequencing analysis examining the effects of age, diet fat content, and viral strain on primate responses to SARS-CoV-2 challenges, building on the methods and results in your recent Cell Reports Medicine paper. I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to talk with you more about my fit in your lab. Thank you for your time and consideration.

“Anshu Mahajan

Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

+91 84 90184020

[email protected]

linkedin.com/in/anshu.mahajan

Pondicherry, 10.01.2022

Kajol Samra

Head of the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Pondicherry University

Chinna Kalapet

Kalapet, Puducherry

Dear Ms. Samra,

As an alumnus of Pondicherry University, I was thrilled to learn about the Post-Doctoral Fellow position available at the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. During my PhD studies at Pondicherry University, I researched the relationship between circadian regulation and neurodegenerative diseases and wrote my doctoral thesis “Circadian activity and memory performance in Alzheimer’s patients” under the supervision of professor Qadim Ray. Seeing that Pondicherry University hopes to move to the forefront of neurodegenerative disease research with a new team led by professor Abbas Sengupta, I believe that my analytical skills and academic experience could be a great asset to this programme.

The fellowship offer mentions you’re looking for candidates skilled in the areas of lab management, cytometry for apoptosis detection, and data collection. I am happy to say that I possess all of those qualities:

• Lab management: During my PhD research, I collaborated with fellow doctoral students to create a lab maintenance plan, which included up-to-date information on equipment booking, planned activities, instrument inventory, scheduling details, and a list of consumables and chemical supplies for restocking. By implementing this system, we were able to reduce the instances of conflicting activities by 67% within two months, and we maintained a stock of consumables and chemical supplies 88% of the time.
• Cytometry for apoptosis detection: I am familiar with various methods of apoptosis detection, having conducted flow cytometry to detect changes appearing in organelles, monitor activation of caspase 3, oversee changes to the plasma membrane, and changes in the nuclear DNA, using cells at a concentration of 1×106 cells/ml.
• Data collection: For my doctoral thesis, I have conducted 74 detailed interviews with Alzheimer’s patients, covering their current memory-related symptoms, overall health, family history, and sleeping habits. I have compared this information with data gathered using sleep trackers that collected information about sleep cycles. Instead of paper copies, I have used Excel spreadsheets and Cloud solutions for storing information, which helped to speed up the process of pulling up specific data by 89%.

What makes me particularly interested in your post-doctorate fellowship program is the chance to continue my research. Having worked with Alzheimer’s patients, I have seen first-hand how this disease influences the quality of life of not just the patients themselves, but also their loved ones. I believe that working together with other researchers under the guidance of professor Abbas Sengupta can lead to significant discoveries in the nature of neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, I have observed how another team of researchers at Pondicherry University achieved a major breakthrough in the study of endosome function and dysfunction. I believe that professor Sengupta’s team can replicate this success and lead to a better understanding of diseases that afflict over 50 million people worldwide.

I can’t wait to discuss my ideas for managing data gathered by professor Sengupta’s team and for introducing changes to laboratory procedures to create a smooth workflow. Could we schedule a meeting next week to discuss how my research experience can contribute to this project?

Anshu Mahajan

linkedin.com/in/anshu.mahajan”

“Dear Professor Knightly,

Having completed my doctorate in Slavonic Studies last semester, I am applying to continue my Postdoc research in the area of the Old Church Slavonic language.

Researching the homeland and language of the Slavs has always been a passion and I have undertaken many translation projects that have contributed to the modern understanding of how language influenced the early Slavonic church in the Moravian Empire.

I will be spending much of my Postdoc period in libraries across Eastern Europe, presenting at local symposia and writing my second book on the development of early Proto Slavic and Common Slavonic languages in conjunction with a number of leaders in the field. My travel has mostly been funded by the publishers, but given the considerable expense in my work I am continuing to request the bursary from the university.

I teach classes for local students and will continue to lead seminars six times a year on my return trips to Chicago. I enclose my latest research paper for your interest. It has received critical acclaim in over 15 industry publications. After analyzing over 2,000 church manuscripts, it is fascinating to see the evolution.

I was proud to receive my doctorate, but the work is just beginning. Understanding the origins of language is helping to unlock the secrets of the early Slav Church – exploring many of the rituals that still hold firm to this day.

Simon Bartley”

“New Haven, June 26, 2020

Professor B. Hawthorne

Faculty Search Committee

Stanford University

Stanford, CA 94305

Dear Professor Hawthorne,

I am writing to apply for the position of Postdoctoral Researcher at Stanford. I am completing my PhD in Clinical Psychology and Criminology at Yale University under the direction of Professor Mark Fisher with an expected graduation date of May 2021.

Within my research, I have focused on a multidisciplinary approach to examining the nature of self harm and how social support networks affect the likelihood of self-harm being fatal. The thesis ‘Cry for Help: Non-Suicidal Self-Harm Characteristics’ takes 128 participants aged 15-39, 50% male and 50% female. Analyzing quantitative statistical data on the angle and depth of NSSH, the comparison versus factors such as time of contact with therapist, standardized family awareness of issues, number of social support network points as well as self-reported severity of suicidal ideation found the following.

It was found that severity of suicidal ideation didn’t reliably predict the severity of NSSH, i.e. its actual objective risk to life. However, it was found that gender was a reliable predictor of location of NSSH, with females mostly harming their arms and legs, while males were more likely to harm their chest and private areas. It was also found that the combined strength of social support was a significant predictor in the severity of NSSH, i.e. depth and angle. Early time of contact with a therapist was not affecting severity of NSSH, but had a significant correlation with frequency of harm.

With the NCHS reporting a 30% increase in death by suicide in the United States between 2000 and 2016, it is a highly pressing issue to reverse engineer the factors that lead to heightened risk, and many scholars consider NSSH a stage in the development of fatal suicidal ideation. The next part of my study intends to look at the relationship between strength of social support for young males and risk of online political and religious radicalization, another great risk to our civilization in these uncertain times, and there aren’t many better places to conduct this study than Stanford. My approach is highly informed by the modern machine learning cross-factor analysis that has been innovated by Professor Musk, and upon which I based my own analysis.

I am well-prepared to do my part teaching as well as researching, having taught a range of courses in Psychology, Criminology, Sociology and Statistics, such as ‘Radicalization: Social and Scientific Factors’ which has been wildly successful with the undergraduates at Yale, and grew from 7 students signed up in 2018 to over 55 in 2020. All in all, I have taught 400+ undergraduates and mentored 20+ master’s students, and achieved increasing participation in courses designed by me year and year, and higher than average results on all previously-established courses.

I am enclosing my curriculum vitae, research and teaching statements, as well as copies of transcripts. I also attach letters of reference from Dr Smith, Dr Jones, and Robert Martinson. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I could provide additional information or materials that will aid you in the evaluation of my application. I am available for interview during the next Criminology conference at Stanford, or by phone or email at any other time.

Best Regards,

Sam Marks PhD

211-978-1043

[email protected]”

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Friday, September 27, 2024, 12 PM – 4 PM

Biosciences career fair – in-person/on-campus houston hall, 3417 spruce st, philadelphia, pa 19104, click here to register.

Employers are welcome to meet with students interested in the biosciences through two fairs:

• Virtual, Friday September 20th at the Virtual Fall Career Fair
• In-person, Friday, September 27th at the BioSciences Career Fair

Employers have the choice to register for the type of interaction that aligns your recruiting approach. Join us for one of Penn’s main recruiting events in the fall that focuses on connecting employers with Penn’s population of students and postdocs with strong science and research skills. Take this opportunity to showcase your internship and full-time opportunities to a population of > 2,200 undergraduate students with declared STEM majors, >6,000 Master’s and PhD students across all STEM fields, and 1,200 biomedical and engineering postdocs .

With Penn’s strong reputation for biomedical research, this career fair has a particular emphasis on the life and physical sciences, and attracts employers from a diverse range of industries and career fields (including the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, consulting firms, science writing and publishing organizations, patent law and intellectual property firms, government and non-profit institutions, start-ups, policy think tanks, and more!)

Participate in this in-person career fair to enjoy these featured advantages:

• ACCESS TOP TALENT: Penn undergraduate/graduate students and postdocs are driven and engaged, and bring with them strong research experiences, and transferable skills applicable to careers beyond research. Postdocs from organizations affiliated with Penn, including the Wistar Institute and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, will also participate in this event.
• REVIEW RESUME BOOKS: We will create resume books for this year’s event, broken down by degree and whether students/postdocs are seeking internships or full-time opportunities. Employers will receive a link to resumes from students and postdocs registered for this career fair one week prior to the event. Employers may reach out and connect with students/postdocs that they are particularly interested in talking to, and arrange to meet during or after the career fair.
• ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A PRESENCE AT PENN: Build a recruiting pipeline for future STEM candidates by sharing best practices about your hiring and opportunities.

Penn’s students and postdocs are eager to make a connection with employers interested in their wide range of technical and transferable skills, and you can be confident that you will find the high caliber of students and postdocs that you are seeking.

What is the format?

For this in-person event , each registered employer will have 3 chairs and a 6-foot table for handouts, information, and displays, as well as a sign identifying the organization. Students and postdocs will speak to employers at the tables. Employers with specific job opportunities can identify these during the registration process by uploading positions to Handshake, and then easily linking to these during the registration process. These opportunities will be highlighted in the career fair booklet, and in the pre-event outreach and marketing to students and postdocs interested in attending the fair. Information on shipping for supplies related to the career fair will be shared when registrations are confirmed.

ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEWS: Please indicate during the registration process whether you would be interested in taking advantage of complimentary space in our on-campus interviewing suite to interview students/postdocs you meet during the career fair on another day during the fall semester

If you are interested in participating in the Virtual Fall Career Fair , please follow this link:

Don’t forget to view our other 2024 virtual and in-person career fairs to find the events that are the best fit for your recruiting strategy. You can find more information on the fairs below on our website: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/career-fairs/

• Career Link : Opportunities in Consulting, Communications, Consumer Products, Education, Finance, Manufacturing, Marketing, Nonprofits, Real Estate, and Retail.
• Engineering & Technology Career Fair : Opportunities in Engineering and Technology. Our in-person fair is open to all students served by Career Services interested in these fields, particularly those in School of Engineering and Applied Science.  The virtual event is also open to online students in a degree program.
• Virtual Government & Non-Profit Career Fair : Opportunities in government, nonprofits and NGOs. A consortium fair open to all Penn students with a Handshake account, including online students.
• Nursing Career Day s: Opportunities in Nursing and Healthcare for undergraduate and graduate students at the School of Nursing.

Registration Fees and Deadlines

The registration fee is $700 per organization and $250 for start-ups, non-profits, government entities, and Penn affiliates. There is an opportunity for employers to sponsor this event, and details are provided during registration. Registrations will be invoiced starting July 1, 2024, after which payments can be made. If you have any questions about the different populations of students or postdocs who attend this fair, then please contact Dianne Hull ([email protected]) .

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Logistics for Employers

DAY OF SCHEDULE

9:30 am – 11:30 am: Employer Registration & Set Up – Coffee & tea available 12:00 – 4:00 pm: Student Registration opens (11:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Boxed lunches available)

GETTING TO THE EVENT – UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, HOUSTON HALL

Map: https://www.facilities.upenn.edu/maps?glid=421 By Flight: Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), 7 miles SW of Houston Hall. Estimated taxi/ride share fare: $30-40 USD (one way) By Train: 30th Street Station, Philadelphia, PA – Houston Hall is 1.2 miles west Parking: On-site parking, fee: $35-40 USD daily; closest garage is 38th & Walnut Streets

The fair will be held in Houston Hall: 3417 Spruce Street, Philadelphia PA 19104.

Shipping information and other logistics will be shared with registered employers in the fall.

Prior to the day of the fair, please feel free to reach out to Dianne Hull ([email protected]) or Lisa Giang ([email protected]) or call 215-898-7530 with any questions or concerns!