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In today’s creative economy, job seekers with advanced degrees have no shortage of opportunities. But what are the best strategies you can use as a graduate student and Ph.D. holder to leverage your education and build an impactful career?

To help you build a clear strategy for career success, the Graduate School has invited L. Maren Wood, Ph.D., founder and CEO of the Center for Graduate Career Success, to deliver a pair of in-person workshops focused on career and job search success.

 

About the Workshops

Finding a Job You’ll Love: For Doctoral Students and Postdocs

Thursday, Oct. 27, noon -2:00pm, Lyman Hall 312 (Lunch provided!)

Many doctoral students and postdocs worry that a non-academic job will be less rewarding and intellectually stimulating than being a professor. In this workshop, participants will learn how to find a non-academic career where they will thrive, engage in meaningful work, and be connected to people and projects that matter to them.

After attending this workshop, attendees will be able to:

• Describe how non-academic careers can provide intellectual and rewarding work for Ph.D.s.
• Illustrate how values and motivators can be career hooks.
• Recognize the importance of identifying your Optimal Career Pathway.

Lunch will be served at noon, with the workshop beginning at 12:30 p.m.

How Master’s Students Can Communicate their Value to Employers

Friday, Oct.  28, 10:00-11:30 am, Falk 200 (MacNaughton Hall)

In this workshop, participants will develop strategies for identifying and communicating their value during the job search. You’ll learn to identify what employers are looking for in job candidates and how to describe your skills and value clearly and confidently at various stages of the job search.

After attending this workshop, you’ll be able to:

• Identify why networking is important for job search success.
• Apply strategies to effectively communicate value and skills to employers.
• Design a compelling LinkedIn profile and elevator pitch.

The Center for Graduate Career Success partners with universities to scale career and professional development to meet the needs of all graduate students and Ph.D. holders. Through two digital platforms (Beyond the Professoriate and Beyond Graduate School), the Center provides scalable, research-driven career support designed for the unique needs and demands of graduate students.

In addition to the upcoming in-person workshop, Doctoral students and postdocs at Syracuse can access Beyond the Professoriate resources and programming through Aurora. This unique platform helps graduate students and Ph.D. holders successfully transition into academic or non-academic career paths. Graduate students have been able to gain valuable skills and knowledge that help them discern the best career paths for them.

Dr. Wood earned her Ph.D. in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Since 2012, she has dedicated her career to supporting universities in preparing graduate students and Ph.D. holders for meaningful careers in academia and beyond. Her expertise has been featured in Inside Higher Ed, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and peer-reviewed books. She also serves as an external advisor on committees such as the Council of Graduate Schools Humanities Advisory Committee and the ETS Graduate Education Advisory Council and is regularly sought as a keynote speaker.

Graduate student life can mean many long hours spent alone immersed in coursework, writing and research. Graduate students who experience positive social support tend to have higher satisfaction and greater success in completing their programs, according to Tracy Balduzzi, associate director of strategic initiatives for the Graduate School.

To that end, a suggestion to organize social time for graduate students has taken root in the formation of the Grad Social Spot program. Last fall, first-year graduate student Asma Jaghman asked if the Grad School could arrange an informal social gathering as a way for graduate students to become better acquainted with their peers.

Events are now scheduled on a monthly basis. Grad Social Spot gatherings are very informal and are held on Wednesdays once a month from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Lyman Hall. These events are designed to provide a space for relaxed conversation and community-building, promote acquaintance between graduate students across the campus and help students make connections to others in different academic programs. Students can drop in for snacks and conversation, can come and go as they please or even just stop by to pick up some refreshments, Balduzzi says.

Asma Jaghman, a second-year master’s student in the Arts Journalism and Communications program, says the idea of organizing a safe space for graduate students from diverse backgrounds to gather socially, discuss their experiences and connect with each other seemed like a great way to alleviate stress and offset what can sometimes seem like an isolating and overwhelming existence. “The support of fellow social group members, even in providing tips on where to spend weekends or places to visit around Syracuse, is something I like about going to social group meetings. Watching the group grow after a year is something I am proud of,” she says.

Aysenur Deger, a fourth-year student Political Science Ph.D. student, enjoyed a sense of renewed energy about her studies after meeting with a first-year student through the Grad Social Spot. Balduzzi recalls that Deger thought the first-year student’s enthusiasm was contagious, and it resulted in Deger’s feeling renewed excitement about her own project. “The Grad Social Spot event made me realize how much the pandemic prevented us from meeting our fellow grad students in different programs. Meeting new Ph.D. students from various departments energized me and reminded me of how big of a community we are. As a fourth year Ph.D., I felt useful when I had the opportunity to help fresh grads in navigating life in Syracuse,” says Deger.

Don’t know many people on campus yet? Want to meet people from other parts of the University community? Upcoming Grad Social Spots for graduate students and post-doctoral candidates are planned for Nov. 16 and Dec. 7.  Everyone is welcome to drop by! You can view more details on the event page.

Dear Graduate Students,

Over the past year, the Graduate School has taken steps to enhance graduate students’ sense of welcome, belonging and holistic support. I’ve previously highlighted the new all-University welcome and information session that we hosted this fall. In addition, hundreds of you have already been participating in activities hosted by the Graduate School BIPOC Alliance, an initiative that seeks to foster academic success and builds community in support of graduate students who self-identify as Black, Indigenous or other persons of color (BIPOC).

This month we highlight the Grad Social Spot, a new group led by Graduate School staff member Tracy Balduzzi. The Grad Social Spot features monthly meetups with fellow graduate students from across the University. It is designed to build social and professional connections across disciplinary areas. There has been a great response to initial sessions, with well over 50 students participating. One student made a connection that led to a new professional development opportunity, and others describe connecting with fellow grad students in other programs as both empowering and stress-relieving. Check out the feature story below and keep an eye out for the next meeting date.

Associate Dean Gabby Chapman and I are also making steady progress in finalizing a New Parent Accommodation policy to provide academic and financial accommodations for students who become new parents while in graduate school. We hosted a well-attended student feedback session in late September and faculty feedback sessions this month. With helpful and enthusiastic feedback, we hope to move this policy towards approval before the end of the academic year.

I hope you are thriving this semester. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or others in the Graduate School if you have ideas to share or if you need extra academic or social support.

Sincerely,

Peter Vanable
Dean of the Graduate School