Are you considering a nonacademic job as your next career move? The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs has several resources that might be useful for you as you prepare.
The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs partners with the Graduate School to offer occasional nonacademic job informational events, or other workshops on topics including How to Convert a CV to a Resume, Interviewing Techniques, Exploring Careers Outside of Academia, and Job Search Resources. These activities are announced through the ListServ and the monthly Office of Postdoctoral Affairs newsletter. Careers Beyond Academia, an office in the graduate school, maintains a Library Guide that is full of useful resources for job preparation and search.
The Cornell Career Network, which serves primarily undergraduates, maintains a Career Development Toolkit on Canvas. This is not a course per se, but a suite of resources on networking, resumes, cover letters, interviewing, negotiating job offers, as well as resources for international job seekers.
Postdocs may join Handshake to learn about upcoming career fairs and career exploration events as well as job advertisements by employers specifically looking to interact with individuals at Cornell. While Handshake is primarily for undergraduates, the graduate school and outside employers often advertise events on Handshake that are open to postdocs. To join Handshake, please go to the Handshake website and open an account. The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will receive a notice and approve the request.
Other resources for nonacademic job seekers are the NIH Office of Intramural Teaching & Education (OITE) video library, the postdoc academy (note this has ended but the resources are available), and the National Postdoc Association SmartSkills Career workshops and prior recordings. Join the NPA as an affiliate member for free to access more information.
Interstride is an excellent starting point to identify job openings with U.S.-based international-friendly employers who have a demonstrated track-record of work visa sponsorship and CPT/OPT hiring. Workshops led by immigration experts help students to understand key information, including U.S. and Canadian work visas. Create your profile on the Interstride website.
For additional guidance and additional resources for nonacademic job searches, see Networking, Documenting Your Qualifications, Letters, Interviewing for Industry Positions, and Negotiating Offers for Positions Outside Academia.