Coaching Groups

Aims of Coaching Groups

  • To support scientists in their career planning process and to allow participants interchanging and improving personal networking
  • To make participants aware of possible alternatives to academic careers
  • To support them in decision reframing, in creativity processes, in getting over past conflicts, help them reflecting their own situation
  • To support them in applying for new jobs (how to improve application documents, preparation for interviews)

What is the difference between mentoring and coaching?

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Kick-Off Event

To launch the 2024 program of courses and coaching Groups, a networking event took place on February 6, 2024. More information on that page.

Kick-Off Event

Methods

Workshops, working groups, individual works, presentations, talks, role play exercises, coaching tools.

Costs

The fee for participants from the ETH domain amounts to 250.- CHF for 5 half-days sessions.

Invoicing

Before registering you should know who’ll pay the invoice (yourself or your employer). It’s very important for us, as it will change the way the invoice is prepared.

Schedule

Sessions last for about 6 months (5 half-days).

Registration

Registration will open a few weeks before the coaching group starts, please use the online registration form on the webpage. Participant number: 8 Coaching groups will take place if the minimum number participants is reached.

Additional individual coaching session

FLP offers to participants who have followed a course or a coaching group, or are part of the 1-1 mentoring program, the possibility to take a one-hour individual coaching session with one of the coaches or trainers of the FLP program (see list below). The cost is CHF 50.- This session can support you in your career planning process and help you reflect on your own situation. If you are interested, you can apply via this application form.
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Cancellation policy

For cancellations latest one week before the start of the coaching group and in case of illness or force majeure, the participants will be reimbursed.

Commitments and duties

Participants are expected to attend all coaching group sessions.
Offers in 2024

Coaching Group @ ETHZ

Dr. Beatrice Sigrist

Target audience: Doctoral students and postdocs

Dates: Tues, April 23, 13-17h 
(Other dates will be defined with the participants)

Location: ETHZ

Fully booked

Coaching Group @ EPFL

Dr. Verity Elston

Target audience: Doctoral students and postdocs Focused on career choices within or beyond academia

Dates:
Wed, May 1, 13-17h
Wed May 15, 13-17h
Thurs, June 06, 13-17h
Fri, August 23, 13-17h
Fri, September 27, 9-13h
(joint session with Dr. Ingrid Le Duc)

Location: EPFL

 

Registration

Coaching Group @ ETHZ

Dr. Sarah Shephard

Target audience: Advanced Postdocs

Dates:
Mon, May 6, 13-17h
Wed, June 5, 13-17h
(Other three dates will be defined with the participants)

Location: ETHZ

Registration

Coaching Group @ ETHZ / Online

Sibyl Schaedeli

Target audience: Doctoral students and postdocs

Dates:
Mon, May 6 (ETHZ)
Wed, June 5 (online)
Thu, August 29 (ETHZ)
Mon, October 28 (online)
Mon, November 18 (ETHZ)

Location: ETHZ or ONLINE

Registration

Coaching Group @ ETHZ

Dr. Lille Springall

Target audience: Doctoral students and postdocs

Dates:
Tue, August 27, 9-13h
Tue, September 24, 9-13h
Tue, October 29, 9-13h
Tue, November 26, 9-13h
Tue, December 10, 9-13h

Location: ETHZ

 

Coaching Group @ EPFL

Dr. Ingrid Le Duc

Target audience: Doctoral students & postdocs Focused on skills transfer for PhD and Post-Docs in STEM disciplines

Dates:
Fri, September 13, 9-13h
Fri, September 27, 9-13h
(joint session with Dr. Verity Elston)
Fri, October 4, 9-13h
Fri, October 11, 9-13h
Fri, November 1, 9-13h

Location: EPFL

What participants say
"I feel a renewed interest to stay in academia, but I also feel more confident that I can succeed elsewhere."
"It has made me be aware of that if I don't make an active choice in my planning, life will make the decisions for me."
"lt really worked for me: I wanted to have more open discussions in my research unit and it worked. I take things less Personal. I see other people have the same issues. I feel better."
"The majority of the issues raised during the sessions were common across all participants, regardless of their academic background. Being in such a group means discussion flows more easily. It is also common for us as academics to be the only woman in the room in meetings or discussions. An opportunity to discuss in an women only environment is a novelty (and a nice one!). I also felt it was acceptable to bring up for example, the effect of an academic career on one’s family life, something I would not do in other workplace environments. Being in a group made up exclusively of women made this possible."

Other offerings

Courses

The aim of the courses is to provide customised further education on career-relevant topics. The courses will be held at EPFL and ETH Zurich.

Details
One to One Mentoring

The one-to-one mentoring is based on a relationship in which a more experienced person (mentor) supports a less experienced person (mentee) in developing her career. In a mentoring relationship, the mentor shares her/his experiences in academia or industry with the mentee. The goal of a mentoring relationship is to empower and support the mentee developing her career and in addressing upcoming career steps.

Details
Peer Mentoring

In peer mentoring, persons who are nearly at the same stage of their careers (peers) constitute themselves as group and take a proactive attitude to share their knowledge and experiences, with punctual support from more experienced mentors. The goal is to empower and support participants to actively develop their careers in academia or towards industry and to establish adequate networks.”

Details