Are you interested in pursuing a career outside of traditional academia? Do you ever wonder what kinds of opportunities there are outside of the confines of the campus? Do you want to understand more clearly what “transferable skills” you have attained by earning your degree? Then After Grad: Career Pathways Week is for you!

CPW is organized by GradSuccess as the Winter quarter’s “After Grad” professional development programming. This week-long series of panels, presentations, and workshops is designed to support graduate students and postdocs who are taking their first steps towards a post-graduation career.

All events during Career Pathways Week will be held virtually through Zoom. Visit the CPW website to read more and register:

 

Monday, February 8, 2021

The week begins with the session Identify and Leverage Your Transferable Skills (1-1:50pm) which is presented by the UCR Career Center. This event aims to teach you how to identify the transferable skills you have developed during your graduate and postdoc studies and how to use them for a non-academic position.

[Image Description: A man is eating cheese doodles with chopsticks to avoid getting cheese dust on his fingers.]

Pictured: An example of a non-transferable skill learned in grad school

The day continues with the CV to Resume Workshop (3-3:50pm) held by Writing Center Coordinator Christina Trujillo. The resume is a hard document to crack for many, so Christina will talk about the basics of resume writing, with a specific focus on how to effectively communicate information and experience from the standard Curriculum Vitae to a resume.

HOT TIP: This workshop goes well with the Resume Clinic that is held on Wednesday.

[Image Description: Quicksilver, from X-Men: Apocalypse, removes his goggles and yells out “Wow” with an impressed look on his face.]

Pictured: The hiring committee reading the resume you wrote after attending this workshop

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Tuesday is dedicated to UCR graduate student alumni panels. Come and hear about the lessons learned by those who have gone before you as they found their current position and career trajectory. The sessions are divided into two panels, one for STEM (10-11:20am) and one for HASS (2:30-3:50pm).

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Virtual job interviews are becoming increasingly common (even without the pandemic), so Wednesday kicks off with How to Ace Your Virtual Job Interview (11-11:50am) led by Professor of Teaching, Theatre, Film, and Digital Production, Dr. Annika Speer. In this engaging lecture, you will learn tips on how to best present yourself as a well-suited and confident interviewee.

[Image Description: A woman in black and white does a confident shoulder tap on herself. The caption reads CONFIDENT.]

Pictured: You, walking into the interview after attending the How to Ace Your Virtual Job Interview session

Wednesday continues with the Resume Clinic (2-2:50pm) where Graduate Writing Center staff can look over your resume and give you valuable and constructive feedback. However, spots are limited so be quick about registering!

[Image Description: Four people are sitting around a table talking. They look professional and like they are planning something.]

Pictured: Teamwork makes the dream work – of your perfect resume

This week, as usual, the Afternoon Coffee Social will be held at 3-4pm. Join us in winding down and share with fellow graduate students, and hear about what the Career Center has to offer.

[Image Description: A coffee cup and a paper cup are fist-bumping in front of the text “Coffee Time” which is made to look like the logo for Adventure Time. As their fists touch; the logo blinks.]

Pictured: Time to get caffeinated and talk to your peers about career pathways

Thursday, February 11, 2021

Join the Career Center and Office of Alumni Engagement in a session titled Networking 101. Networking is something that may seem daunting at first, but this space is designed to let you practice and learn in a safe environment. Come and meet graduate alumni and learn how to build and maintain a professional network.

[Image Description: A woman is sitting on a Zoom call and asks: “How do I start building a network?”]

Pictured: You, about to get all your questions answered

The week then ends with a bang as Naledi Saul, Director of the Office of Career & Professional Development at the University of California, San Francisco, joins us to hold the Keynote Address: You Are Meant for the World: How Graduate Students/Postdocs Can Strategically Find Their Joy, Agency, and Career Path in an Age of COVID (3-3:50pm). Naledi has identified three core best practices to guide anyone who is engaging in career exploration. Join this engaging and insightful talk to learn what they are as well as what Naledi has identified as the key barriers keeping graduates from finding their dream job.

[Image Description: A woman is on the phone and enthusiastically says: “I got the job!”]

Pictured: Your future, should you attend After Grad: Career Pathways Week

It is the goal of this week to provide graduate students with various illuminating talks, panels, and workshops centered around the post-academic job market. Come for some or come for all. We hope to see you there!

More information and the registration link can be found on our website.