Duke Graduate School

Recent alumni from the English Department return to the third floor of the Allen building to share their experiences navigating the academic job market with current graduate students.

Some people spend energy working on their weaknesses, but you might be better off identifying and leveraging your strengths. Lucy Chikwetu shares her story of strengths carrying her from the dusty streets of Mucheke, Masyingo, Zimbabwe to an engineering Ph.D. program at Duke.

How does an engineering PhD student grow his network, gain exposure to business skills, and develop as a team member? By BOLDly climbing mountains, of course.

How scary do the words “Academic Job Market” sound? Now try to say these words with a foreign accent, draft a cover letter with a different language interfering with your (very professional) writing, and decipher a job ad without the advantage of a lifetime in the U.S. to understand how the American higher education system actually works. A series of workshops designed by graduate students in Romance Studies helped them overcome some of these challenges during job application season.