Making the Most of Seasonal Transitions

Greetings! How has your summer been? If it’s been like ours, there’s been some hard work, some good play, and continual reminders of why we do student affairs work in the Graduate School. Every time we have the privilege of talking with graduate students, we are in awe of your tenacity and creativity.

Some of you may be winding up summer quarter, some may be deep in research mode, others may just be getting started. We at Core Programs just wanted to check-in and offer a few thoughts for making the remaining month before fall quarter work for you. What do you need most right now? Is it a real break? Some play time? Some focused effort towards work? Some reflection about what’s ahead for the year? Although the fall quarter is a little more than a month away, we thought we’d share some helpful tips to help you feel more prepared and ready to hit the ground running.

Set goals. Make a list of goals that will address your interpersonal, wellness, intellectual, and professional needs. Break your goals down into manageable tasks. Deadlines can be self-imposed, but realistic. Deadlines can also be external depending on whether you are applying for research funding, preparing for your qualifying exams, applying for a job, or ensuring that you block out time for self-care and relaxation. Remain open to your goals and deadlines shifting, depending on your circumstances. An individual development plan (IDP) can help you think through, and map out, your goals.

Write. Maybe you’d like to start writing your thesis, plan to work on another dissertation chapter, or interested in revising that seminar paper so it’s publishable. Get in the habit of doing structured, timed writing. Set a goal to write for 30 minutes a day, or every other day, using a timer. Choose a work space that will enhance your productivity. For some, it’s the quiet of the library. For others, it’s a bustling café. Turn off your web browser and phone (unless you need your phone because of family or work-related responsibilities). Also, it’s helpful to reach out to peers and have a writing partner or two. Rely on one another to keep each other accountable to your work. Here are more general writing resources.

Grow your networks. Get an early start on your career development and network with professionals in academic, non-profit, private, or governmental sectors. Your chances of finding, or getting, the job you want increase when you develop and sustain connections with industry professionals. One strategy is to join LinkedIn (check out this tutorial, if you haven’t joined). Use its search engine to look up individuals by job title or industry. Peruse profiles to get a sense of how individuals describe their work, tasks and responsibilities, previous work experience, and the verbiage of their field. Message individuals whose careers, companies, or industries pique your interest and set up an informational interview.

Find some space to release, reflect, or rejuvenate. While summer is busy for many of us, it also does offer more spaciousness as email inboxes are lighter and the sun is shining high. Take some time for yourself – alone or with friends – to do something that is solely for you. Set yourself up for fall quarter by “filling your tank” with energy you can draw on as the months ahead get ever more full. Perhaps start some refreshing habits that could keep you going into the fall.

We hope you find these tips useful as you prepare for the coming year. As we get closer to the start of the fall quarter, we’ll be announcing an assortment of tri-campus welcome events, career-related programming, and more! So stay tuned to this newsletter.

And let us know what you are up to! #UWGradSuccess on Twitter or Instagram, or check out our Core Programs Facebook page.

Best,

Kelly, Jaye, Ziyan
Core Programs Team
UW Graduate School

Tips from Employers to Guide Your Career Search

A few weeks ago, Core Programs in the Graduate School, Career Center, and the Alumni Association sponsored an employer panel for graduate students and postdocs. We would like to share a few pearls from the terrific UW alums who sat on the panel and who also hosted conversations during the networking reception that followed.

The job search is about finding the right fit for your talents. Be creative about your career options, test out new ways to tell the story of your (deep) experience and skill set, and it is never too early to start exploring and building your network.

Getting Started

Evolve your resume. Your resume should always be evolving and tailored to each job you are applying for. Also, describe examples of specific accomplishments, including those that came up during your education and training. What problems did you approach, how did you solve them, with what results? Find out more about building your resume here. If you’re interested in careers beyond academia, here are tips on how to revise your CV into resume format.
Build your experience. Find out what key skills or top tools are used and needed in the field of interest, and learn them. Look at the whole picture of your experience, inside and outside of graduate education. Align your skill sets to particular positions or organizations. Use specific examples in your talking points and written materials with the goal of making yourself stand out from an applicant pool. Learn how to get internship and related experential skills as graduate students at this upcoming workshop.
Demonstrate excellent communication skills (in writing and in person). Be able to discuss complex ideas in a simple, clear, concise fashion. Be ready to describe the research you are working on in 30 seconds or less–and in a way that anyone can understand.
Consider entry-level positions. Don’t get discouraged by entry-level positions. It can be helpful to get your foot in the door, demonstrate your contribution and capability. Depending on the organization (check this out first), you can move up within 3-6 months.
Find your passion. Pay attention to your energy and passion as those are the kinds of jobs you should be looking for (and not others!).

Networking

Start early. It is never too early to start building and growing your network. Networking is possible even for those of us who initially shy away from it.
Talk about your talent and passion. Practice. Get comfortable. Own it, but without arrogance. Do mock interviews.
Set up networking meetings. Identify target companies to narrow your options, and then set up informational interviews.
Use LinkedIn strategically. Start with classmates, alums, professors. Join LinkedIn groups in order to initiate professional connections and learn about new job postings.
Attend receptions. Face-to-face conversations can spark interest and connections at these professional gatherings. Send a resume to those you’ve connected with as a follow up. Personal connections always move a resume up if it is already in the pool.
Ask questions. You are interviewing the informant and the organization to determine fit as much as they are interviewing you. Show them you want to know what the work is like, that it matters to you (that is, you aren’t just looking for “a job”). Questions you can ask: What is your day-to-day work like? What is the best part of what you do? The most challenging? What is the culture like here? What would you change about your job (or the organization) if you could?

Interviewing

Phone interview. Always prepare for this as you would an in-person interview, and follow up with a thank you email or note.
Answering technical questions. If a potential employer asks you a technical question, or to solve a technical problem during the interview, how should you handle it? The interviewer mostly wants to know how you strategize solving a problem. It is important to show how you would approach the problem, what you’d consider, and why.
Be relationally savvy. Organizations are looking for people who will be colleagues.
Show resilience. You can’t always control what interviewers will ask or how they will behave. Show some resilience and keep your composure, as well as keeping things in perspective. If you don’t like how you were treated in an interview, chances are you don’t want to work there anyway!
Not hearing back. You might not hear back. Be persistent. Keep honing your materials and learning from the process.

Best Wishes on Your Career Paths!

Kelly, Jaye, and Ziyan
Core Programs Team

You’re Hired!

I feel behind my cohort in terms of applicable experience. I’ve applied to several internships/practicum experiences, but my financial situation dictates that I either need a paid internship or another job while I complete an unpaid internship. Because my classes are during the day, I’ve found the latter next to impossible. Additionally, I haven’t revived much interest in hiring due to my lack of experience. How do I find the right positions for this situation? —Inexperienced

(This week’s answer is courtesy of Catherine Basl, Lead Career Counselor, Career Center.)

Thanks for sharing a bit about your situation. It can definitely feel discouraging when we aren’t having as much luck as we want in the job search and when we are faced with hard decisions about lackluster paid positions versus highly interesting unpaid positions. Below are some tips you might find helpful.

Don’t worry! Most graduate cohorts are made up of students who have a range of applicable experience. If they accepted you into the program, they think you have enough experience to be successful! Though it can be difficult, try to stay positive and confident.
Consider making a list of what you are looking for in a job or internship. Whether it includes a desired weekly schedule, skills, location, or something else, making a list and prioritizing it can help when mulling over possible options.
Applicable experience is more than work experience. Consider your volunteer experience too! If you are within a few years of your undergraduate work you might also include relevant clubs and student activities on your resume. Don’t sell yourself short.
Use your network! If you have only been looking online, consult with your graduate program adviser, departmental staff members and faculty about possible internships. Depending on your field, HuskyJobs might also be a good resource.
Polish your resume and cover letter! Tailor your resume and cover letter for each position and consider getting them reviewed to ensure they are submission-ready. Sometimes tweaking your materials or doing a mock interview can make a world of difference in the job search.
Feeling stuck? Schedule an appointment with a career counselor—we can help you with every step of the process from deciding what’s most important to you to helping you prep for the interview that will land you your dream internship.

Ask the Grad School Guru is an advice column for all y’all graduate and professional students. Real questions from real students, answered by real people. If the guru doesn’t know the answer, the guru will seek out experts all across campus to address the issue. (Please note: The guru is not a medical doctor, therapist, lawyer or academic advisor, and all advice offered here is for informational purposes only.) Submit a question for the column →

It’s Never Too Early, or Late, to Get Started on Your Career Path

Welcome back! We hope you made time for yourself to relax and enjoy the break. As you begin the Spring quarter, we know that many of you are thinking, “What next?!,” especially if you’re pursuing work outside of academia (note: For those of you who are interested in pursuing an academic career, we haven’t forgotten about you! Check out these resources.) We assure you that it’s never too early—or late—to get started on planning your career path.

Here are some tips:

Research. Conduct an online search about industries you’d like to work in. Take a look at these resources: Exploring Options, Versatile PhD, or Ph.D. Career Guide. Also, take your research offline and schedule informational interviews with professionals in fields that interest you. From these one-on-one meetings, you’ll get a more accurate picture of specific job experiences and work environments.

Identify. Know your strengths and transferable skills. Highlight them in application materials and interviews. Earning a graduate degree means you can do a task to completion, meet multiple deadlines, display strong written and verbal communication skills, to name but a few. More here: Dependable Strengths, Ph.D. Transferrable Skills, and Transferrable Skills and Qualities.

Network. Reach out to alums, join professional organizations and social media sites, or attend a campus or niche market career fair to make connections and market yourself as a strong and employable candidate. A UW Career Center survey found that local employers usually recruit grads through networking referrals.

Practice. Learning how to present yourself during job interviews takes practice, and one way to build confidence, learn what to expect, and effectively respond to different types of interview questions is to do mock interviews. As with any actual interview, be prepared for your practice session by knowing the job description well, doing research about the company that’s hiring, tailoring your cover letter and resume, and brushing up on standard interview questions. Here’s another set of commonly asked interview questions.

We recognize this is a lot of work and you already have a full plate. As one alum said at a recent panel, treat looking for a job as a job. If you set aside a little time each week, you can make progress over time. By developing these habits now, you will set yourself up for success and work that is meaningful for you.

Effective Job Search Tips from Employers

You’re investing time (and money) building your skills, knowledge, and experience in graduate school, and earning that degree is just one piece of the puzzle in your professional development. As you think about future career options (inside or outside of academia), there are a number of things to consider–and work on–to help you be the right match between you and potential employers.

Check out these strategies:

Reflection. Reflect on what you really want. What are you passionate about? What type of impact do you want to make? What work environment would best suit you? Imagine yourself in different environments and jobs – what draws you in?

Build Relationships. Networking, meeting people, becoming known, expressing genuine curiosity in others – is absolutely critical. Informational interviews, mixers, conferences, and coffee meetings are all great strategies to build relationships. Be intentional in your approach to networking and always try to walk away with two names of potential contacts. Often times, job candidates who make it through the first round of resume screenings are those who have somebody advocating for their application.

Professionalism. Evaluate and maintain your brand and professionalism – examples include an intuitive e-mail address, an appropriate voicemail message, a polished and up-to-date LinkedIn profile, and non-embarassing posts/pictures on social media sites.
Translate – Practice internalizing and communicating how aspects of your graduate work translates into a broader skill set – project management, meeting multiple deadlines on time, problem-solving, clear and effective communication, etc.

Communicate. Practice communicating your work to all different types of audiences, at different levels of detail, in different mediums – academic presentations, posters, concise slide decks, executive summaries, and conversations with your neighbors are some examples.
Intangibles – Be confident about what you bring to the table; passionate about your background and the job opportunity; genuine and true to yourself; steer clear of being presumptuous or full of yourself.

Focus on the Employer. Convince recruiters that you want to do those tasks, in that job, in that organization, in that sector. Directly state how you will bring value to them, what you can do for their organization, and what you can do to further that company’s goals. This requires that you research employers very carefully–mission, environment, catalysts for change, job description, etc.

Application Materials. Create targeted, specific, non-generic application packets that convey why you want the position. Use specific words from the job description in your cover letters and resumes. Quantify your contributions when possible and discuss the impact or results of your work. Have somebody proofread your materials; simple things like spelling errors can get your application tossed out. Treat the job search like a job and give it the effort it deserves.

Interviews. Take the interviewing process seriously and prepare ahead of time. Anticipate what you’ll be asked. Role-play various interview questions. Prepare a few examples in advance that show qualities you wish to highlight. Effective stories will be succinct and include: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Be specific. Focus on your role in projects you’re discussing. Make good eye contact.

Tips gathered by Briana Randall from the Employer Panel at the 11th Annual Career Symposium & Networking Reception–an event co-sponsored by the Graduate School and Career Center in January 2015. Briana is the Associate Director of the Career Center. Check out more academic and non-academic career development resources.

Surviving and Thriving in Grad School: Crowdsourced Advice from Your Peers

Just a few short weeks into Fall Quarter, the energy level is amped up and the pressures are piling on. We asked current and former UW grad students to give advice to incoming students. We think you’ll find a pearl in these words of peer wisdom.

Go fast, go slow. While it is important in this day and age of finite resources to be efficient in your graduate preparation, it’s also essential to make the most of your graduate experience. With grad school, it really is the process as much as the end result (i.e. the degree).

Get connected. Finding your people is critical to your success. Look in several places, including outside of your program. Set up regular check-ins with faculty advisors, build a mentoring team (you do not need to rely on just your primary advisor, nor should you), connect with peers, and start building a professional network–inside and outside the University.

Put your learning in context. Take ownership over your graduate experience, by finding ways to connect your learning with the real world. Volunteer or seek out an internship. Graduate School is just one step in your lifelong learning process.

Be open to surprises. It is difficult to predict where you will be as you work through your program – your program may change, your goals may change, opportunities may emerge or shut down, and your career may take an unexpected turn. Being flexible and responsive will serve you well.

Take care of yourself. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Investing in you makes you more productive and efficient in your work, and just generally a better person with your family and friends. There will be crunch times throughout grad school, but it helps to know your go-to strategies for sustaining your energy and clearing your head. This could be exercise, napping, massages, or time with loved ones. Only you know the activity that resets you and helps you get back to work with fresh energy.

As you identify and use strategies that sustain you, meet with Faculty, Graduate Program Advisors and Coordinators, Peers, and Core Programs in The Graduate School—to encourage, remind, and hold you accountable to your surviving and thriving strategies. We are here for you.

Core Programs thanks all the seasoned UW grad students who helped with crowdsourcing these pearls of wisdom!