Workshops

Now more than ever, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars are preparing for a diverse set of careers. Programs and departments play a crucial role in creating a culture that supports diverse career pathways and career exploration. 

In this workshop, you will learn about the importance of creating a culture of career development in your program. You will also learn about different resources, such as career planning and exploration tools, that are available to UMD graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.

This workshop is best suited for department leaders and administrators who are wondering:

• What does it mean for a graduate program to have a culture of career development?
• How can our program better support graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in their career and professional development?
• What resources and tools are available to UMD graduate students and postdoctoral scholars?

Common myths about doctoral students’ career trajectories can be harmful to student satisfaction, retention, and job placement. It is important for programs and departments to be aware of the current landscape of doctoral career pathways, and the value of supporting students’ career and professional development throughout their academic journey. 

In this workshop, you will learn about the current landscape of doctoral career pathways, and why early career development is important for doctoral students. You will also learn about promising department and program-level practices that enhance your students’ career and professional development. 

This workshop is best suited for department leaders and administrators who are wondering:

• What is the current landscape of doctoral career pathways? 
• What are the current promising practices and trends in doctoral career development? 
• How can we better align elements of our doctoral program to the career needs of our students?

Although there are general promising practices and trends in doctoral career and professional development that any program can benefit from, each program has a unique context. Using data can help inform what career and professional development improvements will be most beneficial to your students.

In this workshop, you will learn about the benefits of collecting and communicating data on doctoral career pathways. You will also learn about existing campus assessments on doctoral career outcomes, and brainstorm data-driven possibilities for improving your program’s career and professional development opportunities for doctoral students. 

This workshop is best suited for department leaders and administrators who are wondering:

• How can collecting and communicating data on doctoral student career pathways benefit our program?
• What data collection efforts already exist at UMD in regards to doctoral student career pathways?
• How can we use data to inform our program-level career and professional development offerings for doctoral students?