What are your short-term and long-term academic career goals? As you are seeking academic opportunities and creating a plan to reach these goals, check out our After Grad: Academic Pathways Week (November 1-5, 2021), where you can connect with professionals in your field and learn how to navigate the academic job market.

Academic Pathways Week is designed to promote your professional career understanding, cultivate skills like cover letter writing, and foster your preparation for the future job search process. This year, our week-long series features a first-generation faculty panel, newly hired faculty and postdoc panels, advice on interviewing for faculty positions, and a cover letter writing workshop.

The sessions will be held virtually on Zoom. Visit the event’s website for more information and to register. The Zoom links will be shared with you the day before the session(s) for which you registered. Important note: you must register before 5pm the day before the session you would like to attend in order to receive the Zoom link. If you have any questions, email gradsuccess@ucr.edu.

[Image Description: A fluffy cat wearing a business tie sits at a table with a glass of milk and a notebook]

Pictured: Registered and ready for Academic Pathways Week!

Monday, November 1

Join our First-Generation Faculty Keynote Panel to meet two first-generation faculty members and learn about their academic paths and experiences in the professorship. Our keynote panelists are Dr. Catherine Ramírez, Professor in Latin American & Latino Studies at UC Santa Cruz, and Dr. Olivia Graeve, Professor in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UC San Diego. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Flip Tanedo, Assistant Professor in Physics & Astronomy at UC Riverside.

[Image Description: Headshots of Dr. Olivia Graeve, Dr. Catherine Ramírez, and Dr. Flip Tanedo]

Tuesday, November 2

The second day of Academic Pathways Week is action packed with two workshops centered on how to navigate the job market. From 10:30 am to 12:00 pm, tune in to our UCR New Faculty Panel and learn from our panelists, who will discuss their experiences navigating the academic job search, the application process, job talks, and interviews. Attend to become a well-informed and better prepared candidate on the competitive academic job market.

[Image Description: Professors wearing graduation regalia and dancing in front of a university building]

Pictured: Let’s celebrate receiving offers for faculty positions!

From 3:00-4:00 pm, join us in the "Interviewing for Faculty Positions" workshop to learn useful job interview tips for both in-person and virtual interviews. Dr. Annika Speer, Professor of Teaching, Theatre, Film, and Digital Production at the UCR Theatre Department, will present this virtual workshop.

[Image Description: A headshot of Dr. Annika Speer]

Wednesday, November 3

Join Alexis Smith, Coordinator of the UCR Graduate Writing Center, at 11:00 am to learn the basics of effective academic cover letters. The "An Introduction to Academic Cover Letters" virtual workshop will help you to better market your academic skills to a hiring committee. 

[Image Description: A girl writing on her laptop with a cup of coffee on the table]

Pictured: I hope to get my cover letter done today!

Thursday, November 4

Postdoctoral positions are increasingly attracting new PhD graduates to help them stay competitive on the academic job market and become faculty members/researchers later. Join the UCR Postdocs Panel from 1:00-2:30 pm to learn how these positions may fit into a larger academic career trajectory. You'll also hear about current postdoctoral fellows' experiences with navigating the search and application process, position requirements, and time management. 

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Pictured: The future is yours, young professionals!

Later that same day, the Graduate Writing Center will offer an Advanced Academic Cover Letter Clinic from 4:00-5:00 pm. You can bring a copy of any job announcements you are applying to along with a drafted cover letter. Our consultants can help you brainstorm ideas your cover letter or tailor it to better fit the job description. Space is limited, so please sign up early to guarantee your spot for this virtual clinic.

[Image Description: A man is busy typing on his laptop]

Pictured: Writing by myself is lonely. Having a consultant to assist me is great!

After Grad: Academic Pathways Week is the first of three series in our “After Grad” professional development programming, which is offered by GradSuccess over the course of the academic year. It is our goal that the talks, panels, and workshops in Academic Pathways Week will help graduate students and postdocs become more confident in entering and navigating the academic job market. Come join us, and we hope to see you there!

More information and the registration link can be found at https://gsrc.ucr.edu/aftergrad/apw.