Professional & Career Development
Career and professional development is the process of reflecting on one’s values, interests, and experiences, understanding careers available for one’s academic background, and gaining new skills from training and education in preparation for your future career. The Graduate School has many resources to help you with your career and professional development during your time at UMD.
From day one, it's valuable for all doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars to self-reflect on values and interests, establish connections with academic and professional mentors, and identify meaningful career pathways, as well as the requisite skills and experiences that pave the way for a fruitful job search. Engaging in purposeful professional development and career planning are important parts of the doctoral and postdoctoral experience and essential to building a fulfilling career across one's lifetime.
Where do I start?
- Check out our workshop schedule and announcements page. Signature courses and offerings will rotate every semester, so do not worry if you miss an event. There are also online webinars and recorded learning content from Beyond the Professoriate (a virtual learning platform) to accommodate your schedule and enable you to continue learning remotely.
- Take 10 minutes to activate your free Handshake account. Upload your current CV and/or resume to Handshake. After logging in, explore and register for upcoming career fairs, panels, and workshops open to the UMD community. Finally check out the University-Wide Career Resources if you are interested in campus-wide events, such as UMD Fall and Spring Career Fairs.
- It's important to remember that career development is the foundation of a successful job search when you are about to graduate. Before conducting submitting any job application, you should first explore career paths in diverse sectors.
- As part of your career development process, you are strongly encouraged to develop an Individual Development Plan (IDP) in every semester. The IDP is an evolving document that includes steps you will take each semester to achieve your academic and professional goals. You should also try to engage in networking early on and continuously to learn more about your discipline and future career field.
- When you are getting closer to search an internship or graduation to launch your job search, don't forget to revisit all the resources listed on our website and within the university.
- Along the way, current doctoral students and Postdoctoral Scholars can schedule 1:1 career advising/coaching sessions to discuss your circumstances and get feedback on your job search strategies, application materials, and interview preparation.
- Still have questions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page for more details and clarity!
We welcome suggestions for workshops from doctoral students, postdocs, faculty/staff colleagues, departments/academic units, or graduate student organizations. You can also learn more on how to request a workshop for your program/organization. Please contact Dr. Yi Hao (yihao@umd.edu), Program Director of Career and Professional Development.