red room
red room

Donders Career Day

Monday 2 March 2026, 1 pm - 6 pm

What is it about? 

The Donders Career Event will be an afternoon full of career-related workshops, talks from Donders Alumni, and a social gathering at the end of the afternoon. You can follow a workshop catered to your needs, whether you want to get more insights into your own motivation and values with a career profile, better understand your transferrable skills, are looking for practical tips about applying and networking, or want to explore how to become an entrepreneur. A Q&A panel with Donders PhD and/or postdoc alumni will give you an overview of different career opportunities after your time at the Donders Institute. 

Who is this day for? 

The day is free of charge and open to all PhD candidates and postdocs of the Donders Institute.

Programme

12:30 – 13:00 Registration

13:00 – 14:00 Plenary opening

Lecture by Academic Transfer about transferable skills

14:15 - 15:15 Workshop round.

You can choose to attend one of the following workshops: 

Showcasing Your Skills in Job Interviews - Using the STARR method effectively

During a job interview, you are likely to be asked  STARR questions; the committee will ask you to illustrate your skills and qualities using concrete examples and situations from the past. Being well prepared for these questions will help you impress the committee, and get offered the job. During this workshop you will learn about the STARR method, consider which transferable skills and qualities you can illustrate using STARR, and practise answering  STARR questions in small groups 

Trainer: Hertz Trainingen

Navigating the Dutch Job Market for PhDs and Postdocs

This workshop aims to support participants who are keen to expand their career search, with a clear focus on PhD candidates and postdocs who wish to stay in the Netherlands. Participants are encouraged to reflect on what drives their career decisions while gaining practical insight into the Dutch labour market. The session covers what motivates Dutch employers and the key dos and don’ts of Dutch application procedures, helping participants approach their job search with greater confidence.

Trainer: Nannette Ripmeester, Labour Mobility

Could your LinkedIn profile open doors for your next career step?

In this interactive workshop, you will learn what makes a strong profile, how to find inspiration for different career paths, and how to engage with others in a professional and authentic way through examples and short exercises. Participants are expected to have a LinkedIn profile set up in advance and to bring a device (e.g. smartphone) to actively take part in the session.

Trainer: Wencke Kieft, Career advisor faculty of science

Career paths in business: from startup to multinational

Explore your career options in business and discover what it’s like to work in a company - big or small! Take a short quiz to see what suits you best, and have an interactive discussion with Francien Mels, who has experience in both multinationals and startups.

Trainers: Francien Mels, business developer, RU knowledge transferThe Launch

15:30 – 17:00 Donders Alumni

A short introduction on the overview of career paths of our alumni, followed by a Q&A session with an alumni panel, consisting of former Donders PhD candidates and/or postdocs. They will provide very concrete examples of future career options and give advice based on their experiences. There will also be plenty of room for your questions.

17:00 Drinks

When
Monday 2 March 2026, 1 pm - 6 pm
Location
Trigon, Red Room
Registration deadline
Contact information

For questions feel free to reach out to dgcn [at] donders.ru.nl (dgcn[at]donders[dot]ru[dot]nl) of postdoc.coordinator [at] donders.ru.nl (postdoc[dot]coordinator[at]donders[dot]ru[dot]nl) 

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With this form you register for the Donders Career Day on 2 March from 13.00 - 18.00. 
If you register we are counting on your presence and you've blocked your agenda for this date.

We are finalizing the program details. You will be invited to select your workshop preferences soon.

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