Duke Graduate School

Are you the first in your family to attend grad school? Join Duke F1RSTS for a kickoff lunch to meet other first-generation graduate students. Our guest will be Dr. Melissa Bostrom, Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Professional Development, who will answer your questions about how to get involved with professional development on campus.

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.

Ever wonder why you may have some difficulties communicating with certain people? Are there exchanges with others that frustrate you? It's probably not the person but rather the difference in the styles of communication. Participants will learn how to recognize the four different communication styles as well as how to best interact with those whose style differs from their own.

Career fairs and employer events are great opportunities to explore career opportunities, practice your communication skills and network with recruiters and hiring managers. Preparation is key in order to have a successful experience. This interactive workshop will focus on the strategies and tools you can incorporate in order to prepare for these events and stand out as a candidate.

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.

Do you have an upcoming interview, conference presentation, challenging conversation, or other situation for which you'd like advice? This workshop with In The Public Eye President Joy Javits will help you build the skills you need to make a good impression.

Cover letters are very common in the U.S. and provide you with an opportunity to communicate why you are interested and how you can contribute to the organization's success. In this workshop, you will discover what employers are really looking for, how to analyze a job description and create a persuasive cover letter. The focus of this session will be on non-faculty positions.

Spend an hour getting to know yourself better with ImaginePhD, a free online tool that helps you assess your skills and interests as well as examine your values. ImaginePhD can help you surface gaps between your skills—the things you’re good at doing—and your interests—the activities that bring you satisfaction. Armed with that self-knowledge, you can make a plan to grow in the skills that matter to you.

Maintaining an active research agenda and writing practice in a non-faculty position presents a unique set of challenges. Drawing on her own experiences as an academic administrator as well as her research on the professional identities and career experiences of alt-acs, Brandy Simula will discuss strategies for maintaining an active research agenda. This free webinar is available through Duke's subscription to the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity.

Do you struggle to share your writing at early stages because it’s not perfect? Do you find yourself devastated by criticism of your work? Do you beat yourself up every time the tiniest thing goes wrong? Is it difficult for you to celebrate other people’s success because it reminds you of your own shortcomings? If any of these things sound familiar, congratulations! You’re a perfectly normal perfectionist! Join this free webinar, offered through Duke's subscription to the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity, to identify strategies to deal with academic perfectionism.