Are you interested in pursuing a career outside of traditional academia? Do you ever wonder what kinds of opportunities there are outside 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 (February 7-10, 2022) is for you!

Career Pathways Week 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. 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. Visit the CPW website to read more and register. If you have any questions, email gradsuccess@ucr.edu.

Monday, February 7th

Join our Keynote Address: Demystifying Your Career Choices: Career Planning for Graduate Students and Postdocs from 11:00 am – 12:30 pm to meet Rebekah Layton, PhD, PCC, CMC, the Director of Professional Development Programs at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Attendees will learn about how to identify graduate-level career options and associated valued skill sets. You’ll leave with techniques for career exploration and gain an understanding of how to get started preparing for career paths you are excited about. Learn to use a holistic career planning approach to find career pathways that are a good fit for you!

[Image Description: A headshot of Dr. Rebekah Layton]

Pictured: Meet Dr. Rebekah Layton!

Monday, February 7th

The week begins with the session Identify and Leverage Your Transferable Skills from 1:00 to 2:00 pm, which will be 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: Anna Kendrick, Anna Camp, and Brittany Snow finding their talents.]

Pictured: Good friends acknowledge each other's talents!

Tuesday, February 8th

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 from 10:00 - 11:30 am and one for HASS from 2:00 - 3:30 pm.

[Image Description: Moira Rose from the show Schitt's Creek saying "One never knows what may happen"]

Pictured: Come learn from our panelists to prepare for a sometimes unpredictable job market!

Wednesday, February 9th

Wednesday continues with the CV to Resume Workshop from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm held by Graduate Writing Center Coordinator Alexis Smith. The resume is a hard document to crack for many, so Alexis 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.

[Image Description: Dwight from the show The Office handing over three resumes.]

Pictured: Dwight is more than ready for his interview!

This week, as usual, the afternoon Coffee Social will be held from 3:00 to 4:00 pm. Join us in winding down and share with fellow graduate students, and hear about what the Women’s Resource Center has to offer.

[Image Description: Three friends celebrating being together over coffee at Starbucks.]

Pictured: Join us for an exhilarating cup of coffee---dancing optional.

Thursday, February 10th

Need help with your resume but do not know where to go? Join our Resume Clinic from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm 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: Lamorne Morris describing his skills in an interview.]

Pictured: Lamorne sharing his very impressive Word skills.

Later that same day, join the Career Center in a session titled Networking at Virtual Career Fairs and on LinkedIn from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. Join this interactive workshop to learn the top tips and strategies to network with prospective employers, recruiters and other professionals.

[Image Description: Kamie Crawford holding her laptop in one hand and coffee in the other hand.]

Pictured: Kamie's ready to network online!