MARUM Research Academy

Mentoring for Postdocs

Postdoctoral researchers usually find impulses for qualification and career development opportunities from colleagues and supervisors in their working group or within their professional network.

In addition it can be helpful to get guidance from a colleague who acts as a mentor. Such an exchange or counselling process is a rewarding way of self-development since you will receive honest feedback and benefit from the other person's experience.

Mentoring - Learning from the experience of others

A mentor is usually a scientist who already has a head start in professional experience, and who will support you in various roles (e.g. role model, advisor, critic, promoter) on your further career path and who can offer another (possibly external) view of your current professional situation.

A mentoring relationship will be especially helpful when you have some specific questions in mind (typically regarding your career) that you want to solve for yourself, for example

As a new postdoc on my first project, how do I organise myself arround finishing my doctoral project, working on my new postdoc project and already planning the second postdoc project?
I would like to have my research group eventually. What do I need to do? Which skills do I need, and which contacts may help? How many first-authored publications will I need?
Being an advisor to Master/doctoral researchers myself, how can I learn to be a good mentor for them? Who could serve as a role model for me?
I would like to become a professor and have children at the same time. Is this even possible?

Of course, there are many different questions you might have.

Every postdoc at MARUM can have a mentor. This can be a colleague from MARUM or an external scientist, or another professional.

If you need support in finding a mentor, we will be happy to assist you. We may also provide an official letter of invitation and funding support for travel if you want to go and visit an external mentor in person. Please note that the budget is limited and thus decided upon on an individual basis.

You are welcome to contact the MARUM Research Academy to discuss your options: [Bitte aktivieren Sie Javascript].