The UC Berkeley Visiting Scholar and Postdoc Affairs (VSPA) Office, in partnership with the Berkeley Lab Career Pathways Office, co-hosted the 2025 Postdoc Career Development Symposium on Friday, July 25, bringing postdocs together for a full day of career insights and networking on the Berkeley campus.
The event kicked off with opening remarks by UC Berkeley Vice Chancellor for Research, Katherine A. Yelick, and Carol Burns, Deputy Director for Research and Chief Research Officer at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. They shared important insights on how postdocs’ research experience and skills can serve as valuable assets in this challenging job market and that their expertise goes beyond their academic field alone.
The first panel of the day ensued shortly after, featuring Tomi Akindele, Research Scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Max Bremer, Software Engineer at Meta; Sarina Patel, Policy & Engagement Coordinator, California Lead at Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment; and Edi Wipf, Assistant Director of Science, Student Learning Center at UC Berkeley. The panel focused on providing information on transitioning career landscapes.
The second morning workshop, Your Expertise, Their Language: Telling your story in a way that opens doors, featured speaker Thi Nguyen. In this hands-on workshop, Thi shared how attendees can craft a personal pitch, strengthen their LinkedIn profile or resume summary, and gain practical strategies for connecting with employers and collaborators.
The morning also featured concurrent employer information sessions alongside a professional photography session, where postdocs had the opportunity to get updated headshots.
After a catered networking lunch break, the afternoon focused on the Resume/CV Clinic where attendees received personalized resume reviews and tips from industry professionals. Two concurrent afternoon panels offered at the symposium were From Research to Startup: Exploring Entrepreneurship and Interviewing & Negotiation.
The entrepreneurship panel included key panelists Shaherose Charania of Unshackled Ventures; Darren Cooke, UC Berkeley’s Interim Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer and Executive Director of the Life Sciences Entrepreneurship Center; Julia Kennedy-Darling, Patent Agent, with Patents and Innovations, Wilson Sonsini; Julian Rees, CEO and Co-Founder of HOPO Therapeutics; and Melanie Sonsteng, Berkeley Lab’s Cyclotron Road Program Manager. Panelists shared resources available to support postdocs in exploring entrepreneurship, as well as information about how they made the leap to starting their own companies. Former UC Berkeley postdoc, Naresh Sunkara, founder of Nostalgic Foods, Berkeley Science Fellows Program and the Berkeley Postdoc Entrepreneurship Program’s Executive Director and Founder moderated the entrepreneurship panel.
Leading the Interviewing & Negotiation workshop was Career Coach Michael Matrone, Ph.D. He provided a general overview of the principles of effective interviewing and negotiation that are applicable to any field, as well as resources and further suggestions for preparing for interviews in specific fields (e.g. academia, industry, government).
The afternoon continued with more company information sessions, where attendees networked with potential employers and collaborators.
The symposium concluded with a lively reception on the Pauley Ballroom patio, featuring light snacks, refreshments, music, and raffles. Attendees had the opportunity to unwind, network, and reflect on the insights and connections gained throughout the day.
Photo credit: Brittany Hosea-Small