Professional Development Series

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Events in the Professional Development Series can help students evaluate and prepare for the range of career options open to master's- and PhD-prepared professionals. This series is designed to broaden graduate students’ career perspectives and develop competencies in communication, self-awareness, professional adaptability, leadership, and professionalism.

Programming is offered on a two-year cycle and change each semester; over the course of two years, the series includes opportunities to learn about career paths in each of the five major career sectors available to alumni of The Graduate School: academia, business, entrepreneurship, government, and nonprofit.

Careers beyond academia

Graduate students and postdocs interested in exploring career options in industry, government, and nonprofit can learn about opportunities in the Careers Beyond Academia series throughout the 2018-19 academic year. This series is offered every two years and is co-sponsored with the Duke Career Center and the Office of Postdoctoral Services.It alternates with the biannual Academic Job Search Series.

Visit the Careers Beyond Academia webpage for a complete listing of events.

Core Competencies

An Introduction to Your Professional Development at Duke: A Workshop for Master’s Students
Thursday, January 10, 2019, 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm

Whether you’re a new master's student or about to finish your program, this workshop will help you familiarize yourself with the career and professional development resources, programs, and opportunities available at Duke and beyond. The workshop is open only to current master's students in The Graduate School. More information

Advanced Time Management for Graduate Students
Monday, January 14, 2019, 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm

This workshop will equip you with strategies to understand your strengths in managing short- and long-term goals. You will also learn ways to build new habits and break with old ones to ensure your success. More information

Pump Up Your Professionalism
Tuesday, January 15, 2019, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

Come to a fun, interactive and intimate session led by Certified Etiquette Trainer (CET) Ms. Sharon Hill. Learn essential networking skills such as the power of a handshake, the magic of eye contact, the secrets of small talk, and how to give and receive a business card. More information

An Introduction to Your Professional Development at Duke: A Workshop for Ph.D. Students
Wednesday, January 16, 2019, 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm

Whether you’re a new PhD student or about to finish your program, this workshop will help you familiarize yourself with the career and professional development resources, programs, and opportunities available at Duke and beyond, including the new Duke OPTIONS tool. More information

Surviving Your Dissertation: Writing Groups and Other Survival Tools
Monday, January 28, 2019, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

This workshop will present useful strategies for structuring your writing life, including thinking about the role that writing groups can play in completing a major project in a timely, and even enjoyable, manner. More information

Improving Your Presentation Presence
Wednesday, January 30, 2019, 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm

You spend a great deal of time preparing your presentation visuals and talking points. Do you invest the same preparation in your presentation presence--that is, the nonverbal components of your presentation like vocal quality, movement, and eye contact? In this interactive workshop, you'll learn strategies for projecting an effective presentation presence from Joy Javits, President of In the Public Eye: Effective Communication. More information

Showing Confidence in Oral Communication: An Interactive Workshop
Monday, February 4, 2019, 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

Want to experience confidence that is truly felt, express yourself with clarity and conviction? Do you long to be engaging and engaged, curious, open, and persuasive? We will dedicate our interactive time together to these goals. In The Public Eye President Joy Javits will be your coach for this limited-enrollment workshop. More information

Take Your Teaching Skills Anywhere: Identifying Transferable Skills from your Teaching Experiences
Tuesday, February 12, 2019, 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm

In this interactive workshop we will uncover how our teaching experiences are an ideal way to help potential employers understand the crucial skills we’ve learned in graduate school—skills that are transferable to a variety of careers beyond faculty positions. More information

Ph.D. Career Paths

Working in DC: What to Know Before You Go to Jobs and Internships in Government, Think Tanks, Nonprofits, and More
Thursday, January 31, 2019, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

Are you interested in working in Washington, DC for an internship or professional employment? Learn how best to prepare for the experience as well as leverage your Duke connections in the area once you arrive. Our speaker is Christopher Simmons, Duke’s Associate Vice President for the Office of Government Relations. More information

Take Your Teaching Skills Anywhere: Identifying Transferable Skills from your Teaching Experiences
Tuesday, February 12, 2019, 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm

Introduction to Consulting: Brains for Hire
Thursday, February 14, 2019, 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm

Are you curious about how you can apply your research skills in a consulting career? Join us for this workshop offered in collaboration with the APD Consulting Club to learn about careers in consulting for graduate students and postdocs and to practice a mini-case interview. More information

Past Events

Contact

Melissa Bostrom, PhD
Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Professional Development
Duke University Graduate School
melissa.bostrom@duke.edu