GAUSS Career Blog

Career Information and Announcements

2025/01/29
by Stefanie Klug
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GAUSS Career Impulse Session (20 Feb 2026, 11:30-13:00, online) with Dr. Marcel Forster (Project Manager at Syserso Networks GmbH): “From biochemistry to telecommunications – my journey into project management”

We’re happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Impulse Session, this time with Dr. Marcel Forster, Project Manager at Syserso Networks GmbH in Hanover.

  • Date: Friday, 20 Feb 2026
  • Time: 11:30-13:00 (appr.)
  • Location: online
  • Registration: Please write a short e-mail to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de if you would like to attend.

About the speaker:

Marcel completed his PhD in biophysical chemistry at MPI-NAT on the topic of solid-state NMR spectroscopy of membrane proteins in 2021. After joining a contract research organization (clinical research) for a while, he now works for Syserso Networks GmbH as a project lead where he is responsible for the implementation of telecommunications projects. In his talk, Marcel will give insights on his transition from academia to industry, talk about his daily tasks and share his view on the role of a project manager and personal career choices.

About the sessions:

Our Career Impulse Sessions offer a platform for interactive and informal exchange about career-related topics for PhD students and postdocs in the Life and Natural Sciences. By inviting PhD holders with different career paths, we would like to illustrate the broad range of potential careers for PhD students and postdocs and give inspiration for career choices.

2025/01/28
by Stefanie Klug
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Workshop “Interview Training for the non-academic job market”, 12-13 March 2026

We are happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Service workshop in 2025 “Interview Training for the non-academic job market” by Christelle Linsenmann.

This workshop is intended for Postdocs and late-stage PhD students in the process of applying for a job outside of academia.

  • Dates: Thursday and Friday, 12-13 March 2026, 9-16h
  • Duration: two full days
  • Location: in-person on North Campus
  • Trainer: Christelle Linsenmann

Please register here (in case you are not registered yet) and send an email to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de including a short statement on your motivation to attend the workshop.

Workshop description

In this workshop, participants learn to prepare for upcoming application procedures and especially the different phases and requirements of a job interview. After this workshop, participants can effectively describe their individual job-relevant skills and unique strengths, present themselves professionally in a job-interview and are able to master unforeseen or difficult situations confidently. The workshop focuses on the reflection of individual competencies, practical exercises on frequently asked questions and techniques in interviews and dealing with critical or unknown questions. Finally, participants will develop their own authentic self-presentation. Methodologically, the workshop focuses on a change of input phases, feedback rounds and guided exercises.

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2025/01/27
by Stefanie Klug
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Workshop “Mastering Academic Job Interviews: Securing Postdocs, Grants, and Leadership Roles”, 16-17 March 2026

We are happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Service workshop “Mastering Academic Job Interviews: Securing Postdocs, Grants, and Leadership Roles” by Dr Alexander Britz.

This workshop is intended for Postdocs and late-stage PhD students preparing for the next big step in their academic career.

  • Dates: Monday, 16 March 2026, 9:00-17:00h and Tuesday, 17 March 2026, 9:00-13:00h
  • Duration: 1,5 days
  • Location: in-person on North Campus
  • Trainer: Dr Alexander Britz

Registration: Please register here (in case you are not registered yet) and send an email to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de including a short statement on your motivation to attend the workshop.

Workshop description

Whether you’re applying for postdoctoral positions (domestic or abroad), preparing for selection interviews for competitive grants, or aiming for junior group leadership or professorship roles, this workshop is designed to help you excel. In this interactive workshop, participants will develop and practice key skills to leave a strong, professional impression in academic interviews. Effective preparation strategies, presentation techniques, and ways to navigate the unique expectations of academic hiring processes are covered and the specific challenges of academic job applications will be addressed.

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2025/01/26
by Stefanie Klug
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Workshop: “Leadership Skills for Postdocs”, 15-16 Apr 2026

We are happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Service workshop “Leadership Skills for Postdocs” by Dr. Sabine Lerch.

Advancing as a scientist, both out- as well as inside academia, comes with increased leadership responsibilities. In this interactive workshop the participants learn the essential leadership skills which are necessary to be successful as a PhD student or Postdoc and to later facilitate a successful transition to a senior position at a research institution or the dream job outside academia.

Dates: Wednesday, 15 April 2026, 9-17h; Thursday, 16 April 2026, 9-13h
Duration: 1,5 days days
Location: in-person on North campus
Trainer: Dr. Sabine Lerch

Registration: Please register here and send an email to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de including a short statement on your motivation to attend the workshop.

Workshop description:

This course has been designed for Postdocs to provide you with theoretical and practical knowledge about leadership. The word “leader” goes together with “people”. Leaders are expected to improve human performance and manage resources. Yet many professionals focus only on technical or scientific qualifications – not on complex social interactions. These professionals quickly learn that poor leadership and communication skills can undermine credibility and overall effectiveness. Whether in academia or industry, leaders are likely to manage ‘knowledge workers’ (smart, creative, highly professional people) – who expect to be treated with respect and given opportunities to develop their potential. For these roles, working collaboratively with others, understanding their motivations, making sound decisions and influencing a group towards win-win goals will be valuable skills. You will take steps to learn how to identify your own leadership type, clarify leadership ideals and behaviours, script successful meetings and discussions, listen to get complete information, empower your people, give constructive feedback and manage conflict.

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2025/01/26
by Stefanie Klug
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GAUSS Career Impulse Session (17 April 2026, 11:30-13:00, in-person) with Dr Lukas Schulte (Team Lead Applied Analytics & AI, Boehringer Ingelheim): “Leveraging AI to identify new therapeutic concepts to benefit patients: My Big Pharma journey and what I learned about working in Industry”

We’re happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Impulse Session, this time with alumnus Dr Lukas Schulte, Team Lead Applied Analytics & AI in the Computational Innovation Unit at Boehringer Ingelheim, Biberach.

In his talk, Lukas will provide insights into the academia-to-industry transition and what it takes to succeed there, his learnings in the 7 years since his PhD, his current and past roles, how Big Pharma R&D operates and the ambition of Computational Innovation at Boehringer Ingelheim.

  • Date: Friday, 17 April 2026
  • Time: 11:30-13:00 (appr.)
  • Location: in-person
  • Registration: Please write a short e-mail to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de if you would like to attend.

About the speaker:

From 2014-2018, Lukas pursued his PhD at the Max-Planck-Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in the department of Prof. Dr. Holger Stark and in the GGNB Program “Biomolecules”. In his PhD work, he developed algorithms and software for Cryo-EM data analysis utilizing Machine Learning.

After graduating, Lukas joined ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions, Oberkochen, in November 2018 as a Research Scientist, where he leveraged AI/ML in Computer Vision for defect detection in automotive OEM production lines. He was promoted to Senior Scientist in early 2022, and later that year, decided to move to Boehringer Ingelheim in Biberach as Senior Scientist Machine Learning in the Global Computational Biology and Digital Sciences department.

Here, he worked on diverse projects, including virtual screening of Antibodies, ML-based steering of granulation machines and data-based identification of diseases to be added to the Boehringer Ingelheim portfolio. He was promoted to Principal Scientist Machine Learning in 2023, and after the inauguration of the new corporate function Computational Innovation, he took over the role of Team Lead Applied Analytics & AI, where together with this team and colleagues all over the organization, he develops methods to identify better targets and better biomarkers to ultimately create a benefit  for patients worldwide.

About the sessions:

Our Career Impulse Sessions offer a platform for interactive and informal exchange about career-related topics for PhD students and postdocs in the Life and Natural Sciences. By inviting PhD holders with different career paths, we would like to illustrate the broad range of potential careers for PhD students and postdocs and give inspiration for career choices.

2025/01/25
by Stefanie Klug
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Online workshop: “Time and Self Management” (20 May 2026)

We are happy to announce our upcoming GAUSS Career Service online workshop “Time and Self Management” by Dr. Matthias Mayer.

This workshop is intended for Postdocs and late-stage PhDs in the Natural and Life Sciences.

  • Dates: Wednesday, 20 May 2026, 9-17h
  • Duration: 1 full day
  • Location: online
  • Trainer: Dr. Matthias Mayer

Registration: Please register here (in case you are not registered yet) and send an email to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de including a short statement on your motivation to attend the workshop.

Workshop description:

Are you sometimes struggling to balance the demands of research, professional development, and personal life? This workshop is designed specifically for PhDs and postdocs who want to master the art of time- and self-management. With a focus on directly applicable, well-proven methods, you’ll gain actionable insights to set clear goals, plan effectively across different time horizons, and reduce stress in competitive academic environments. Join this engaging, interactive session to take control of your schedule, overcome distractions, and build habits that lead to long-term success—in your PhD, postdoc, and beyond.

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2025/01/24
by Stefanie Klug
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Online workshop: “Dealing with Failure and Rejection in Academia – How to Stay Resilient” (10 June 2026)

We are happy to announce our upcoming GAUSS Career Service online workshop “Dealing with Failure and Rejection in Academia – How to Stay Resilient” by Dr. Nicola Bauer.

This workshop is intended for Postdocs and late-stage PhDs in the Natural Sciences focusing on an academic career.

  • Dates: Wednesday, 10 June 2026, 9-12:30h
  • Duration: 3,5 hours
  • Location: online
  • Trainer: Dr. Nicola Bauer

Registration: Please register here (in case you are not registered yet) and send an email to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de including a short statement on your motivation to attend the workshop.

Workshop description:

Failure and rejection, such as repeatedly failed experiments or rejected papers and grants, are common companions in academic life and require a strong resilience. The additional embedment in a highly demanding work environment, however, often leads to a decline in researchers‘ resilience. In this interactive workshop, we explore the significance and psychological interplay of intrinsic motivation, failure and a high-pressure environment in academia. Furthermore, it invites you to shift perspectives and become aware of concrete coping strategies – cognitively, emotionally, and physically – for navigating these challenges. Through reflection, peer discussions, and interactive exercises, you will learn how to reframe setbacks, reconnect with your inner strength and develop individual resources and strategies to strengthen your resilience and maintain motivation for your academic journey.