We Deliver Training on the Following Categories
Professional Development and Work Productivity
Private Sector Career Development
Technology Commercialization and Product Development
Training for Faculty and Postdocs
"David delivered an engaging and thought-provoking keynote that brought a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our event. It was a delight to see the doctoral students in attendance with big smiles on their faces, clearly indicating their satisfaction.
There are many people who give career development guidance, but David has the first-hand experience required to give a genuine view of what a private sector career is really like!"
- Dr. Robert Radu, Advisor Supporting Early-career Researchers, University of Bonn, Germany
Check out our most popular workshops!
How to be More Employable in Industry
Learn how to build your private sector career!
(for scientists who want industry careers)
"Every slide in the presentation leaves room for interaction!" - Konika K, PhD Candidate, Michigan State University
How to Get Research Funding from Industry
Build successful private sector collaborations
Professional Development and Work Productivity
Seminar/Webinar: How Do Successful People Accomplish So Much? (Length: 1 hour) - We all know people who accomplish more than we feel we ever could. These are usually people who have demanding jobs, side investment projects, multiple volunteer activities, and on top of all that, active and exciting hobbies as well. In this webinar we will discuss the most important principle for achieving your productivity goals, and we’ll review some effective systems you can use to improve your productivity without sacrificing your work-life balance.
Seminar/Webinar: Managing (and Leading) a Project Team (Length: 1 hour) - As we scientists and engineers advance in our careers, many of us move on to roles where we manage a project, a team, or even an entire business unit. To be effective, we find we must learn many new skills that were not part of our technical training. If you are a manager, or if you aspire to become one, this webinar will give you insight that will help you be more effective.
Short-Course: How to Network When You Hate Networking (Length: 3 hours) – Many people hate networking, but if it feels cheap and sleazy, there’s something you need to learn. This short-course will help you see a much more positive view of connecting with people for the purpose of advancing your career and will teach you some techniques for building your professional network that even shy introverts can do well.
Workshop: Telling Better Stories with the Same Facts (Length: 3 hours) – You may have done excellent research in academia, but a manager in industry will be looking for what you can do to help them grow their business. How do you do that? Tell stories!
Workshop: Building Your Own Scientific Consultancy Side Gig (Length: 2 full days) - Have you wondered if your science skills and knowledge can be used to earn some extra income on the side? Well, they can! Learn how to do it!
Private Sector Career Development
© Volker Lannert
Seminar/Webinar: How to be More Employable in the Private Sector – The private sector is a very different environment than academic research, and the rules of success are also different. Learn five critical working/thinking habits for getting hired and promoted in industry
Seminar/Webinar: Can a Scientist Find a Rewarding Career in Industry? – Scientists planning an industry career have many questions and face some unique challenges. Learn how your unique skills as a scientist make you valuable!
Seminar/Webinar: Can a Scientist be a Successful Entrepreneur? – Can a scientist really be a good entrepreneur? Absolutely! Learn what strengths make us great entrepreneurs, and also some tips for succeeding at starting your own company.
Short-Course: Designing Your Own Career Path in the Private Sector (Length: 3 hours) - Planning a private sector career can seem daunting. Learn how to build an exciting career that works for you and your unique strengths and interests!
Short-Course: Essential Skills for a Career in Industry (Length: 6 hours) – This short-course expands on the popular “How to be more Employable in the Private Sector” seminar by digging into some critical industry topics such as corporate finance and project management.
Workshop: How to Be More Employable in the Private Sector (Length: 2 full days) – This workshop covers the full range of private sector career seminar topics listed above. The format is a blend of lecture, self-reflection worksheets, and interactive activities that give participants a solid and enjoyable head start on their private sector careers.
Workshop: How to Get Research Funding from Industry (Length: 2 full days) – Research funding from the private sector is not pursued by many academic researchers, largely due to an uncertainty about what companies need and how to connect with them. This workshop provides practical advice on how to identify and build valuable and lasting private sector research collaborations. (Designed for postdocs considering academic careers)
Workshop: Startup Basics for Scientists (Length: 2 full days) – Entrepreneurship has become very popular in recent years, and many scientists wonder what working at a startup is all about. Some scientists consider starting their own company and wonder whether it fits their skills and interests. This workshop reviews a wide range of topics about working at a startup.
Invite me to your university
Grab a spot now, before the semester fills up!
David is a traveling lecturer for SPIE and OSA:
Technology Commercialization and Product Development
Seminar/Webinar: The Stage-Gate Product Development Process - Learn the most popular approach to bringing some consistency to bringing new products to market.
Seminar/Webinar: Tactical Technical Problem Resolution - All companies have things go wrong. How the team handles these problems can make a big difference in their customer relationships and their future business.
Workshop: How to Develop Profitable Technology Products (Length: Full day) – Many factors impact whether a product is ultimately successful or not. This short-course teaches the fundamentals for developing products that will make money for your company.
Want to learn more about our training?
Training for Faculty and Postdocs
Seminar/Webinar: Industry Collaboration - Excellent Career Preparation for your Students - There is a lot of talk about how to help prepare STEM students for the private sector, but that’s hard to do in an academic environment with fixed curricula. Therefore, many science and engineering departments are looking at building private sector collaborations as a way of introducing students to industry without impacting the curriculum. We discuss how to start building your own industry connections and collaboration projects.
Workshop: How to Prepare your PhDs for their Private Sector Careers - Scientists and engineers provide valuable skills to the private sector, and as we know well, most of them end up there. But industry managers are frustrated by good skills but counterproductive working and thinking habits. We need to think about doing better. We'll show you some awesome ideas for helping them learn what they need in your research group!
Workshop: How to Get Research Funding from Industry (Length: 2 full days) – Research funding from the private sector is not pursued by many academic researchers, largely due to an uncertainty about what companies need and how to connect with them. This workshop provides practical advice on how to identify and build valuable and lasting private sector research collaborations. (Designed for postdocs considering academic careers)