MyFuturePlan

Helping bioscientists develop, progress and work out what comes next

MyFuturePlan began as a programme for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers and has developed through 15 years of work with people across the biotechnology and bioscience sector.

At its heart is a simple idea:

Better self-awareness leads to better career and development decisions.

MyFuturePlan combines behavioural insight with your technical skills, experience and ambitions to help you explore three broad questions:

Development — How can I make more of where I am now?

Progression — What do I need to develop to take on greater responsibility or move forward?

Transition — Is a different role, organisation or career direction right for me?

Psychometric profiling provides a starting point for understanding your behavioural preferences. Coaching then helps you explore what those preferences may mean for your communication, confidence, collaboration, leadership, resilience and career choices.

The objective is not to tell you what career you should pursue. It is to help you understand yourself well enough to make better decisions about what comes next.

MFP 1: Career Direction and Development Group

For most early-career bioscientists, I recommend starting in a carefully selected group of just four people.

Before the session, each participant completes an individual psychometric profile. I use this, together with my preparation, to help make the group conversation as relevant and useful as possible.

The group then meets for a focused 90-minute Zoom session.

The starting point is not: “What job should I move to?” It is broader: “How can I make more of where I am — and where might I want to go next?”

Working alongside three other bioscientists provides something individual coaching cannot: different perspectives, shared experience, peer learning and potentially valuable new professional connections.

·       Self-funded: £200 + VAT

·       Academic or not-for-profit funded: £300 + VAT

·       Commercially funded: £375 + VAT

The rate depends on who is funding the development, not where you happen to work. Someone working in industry but paying personally qualifies for the self-funded rate.

MFP 2: Going deeper

Participants who want to continue can join a further small-group programme.

This provides approximately three hours of Zoom development and explores areas such as confidence, communication, resilience, adaptability, emotional regulation, managing pressure and navigating difficult situations and conflict.

These capabilities can help you make more of your current role, prepare for progression and navigate future change.

·       Self-funded: £200 + VAT

·       Academic or not-for-profit funded: £300 + VAT

·       Commercially funded: £375 + VAT

An optional individual coaching session with an additional psychometric, most often exploring emotional intelligence, is also available following the group programme.

Individual follow-up: £200 + VAT

Often a cohort is funded by the student or PDRs host institution or employer. Clients have included:

• Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance (SULSA)

• University of Oxford

• Resilience Centre of Excellence and previously the ATSTN network

• BEST - formerly the BioProNET STARS programme