Professional Skills Development

Women Workshop

Professional Skills Development workshops were designed to provide women physicists with professional training in effective negotiation, communication and leadership skills. The primary workshop goal was to produce more women leaders in physics and to help these women achieve their full potential in the top ranks of their profession. Upon the conclusion of the workshops in 2020, a video series was developed to help provide information on the core training topics.

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Gray arrow Past Workshops

Information on previously offered Communication and Negotiation Skills Seminars for students.

 

Seminar Topic Video Series

This video series provides helpful tips that align with the topics covered in many of the Professional Skills Development seminars and workshops.

Becoming a thoughtful mentor videoicon
This video will provide information on becoming the kind of mentor and advisor that is a success leader.

Communicating your research and career goals videoicon
Learn tips for effectively communicating your research and career goals.

Know your worth...and negotiate for it videoicon
This video will provide information on factors to consider when negotiating a starting salary and what impact these negotiations can have on your future.

Negotiating a tenure track faculty start-up package videoicon
Learn some tips for making your first professional negotiations.

Workshop Testimonials

"The workshop had a huge impact on my professional life, and I just wish more women physicists could have the opportunity to participate in such a workshop."

"You should keep this effort going: it really boosts our self-confidence. It gives us the feeling of being part of a community and gives us the mentoring that some of us are lacking."

"I can’t count the number of meetings I’ve attended in 15 years. This is the only one where I was 100% engaged from the very first minute to the very last minute. This has been life-changing."

"I gained tangible skills and tactics which I will take back and put into practice in my next department meeting."

"This has been the most effective discussion of issues and problem solving techniques that can be implemented and useful. It was not a gripe session that most of these sessions devolve into and the facilitators were very skillful and personable. I enjoyed this experience very much and I sincerely hope that more people can be exposed to this quality of workshop."

Acknowledgements

The APS Professional Skills Development Program acknowledges the contributions of COACh at the University of Oregon, for developing the materials and facilitating many of the PSDW workshops.

Sponsor

National Science Foundation logoSupport for this program has been received from the National Science Foundation under Award Nos. PHY-0752540 and PHY-­1419913.