Career Selection and Professional Skill Development Workshop Series
Evening Workshops

The goal of these evening workshops is to assist Ph.D. students managing their career and professional development by providing students with workshop opportunities to develop their knowledge, abilities, and skills for academic and nonacademic career trajectories. While these workshops have been designed with Ph.D. students in mind, Master's students are welcome to attend. Registration is required. For more information contact Matt Helm (helmmatt@msu.edu).

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 Room 6, Student Services Building

The PREPed Ph.D.: A Model for Career and Professional Development for New Ph.D. Students 

Early career planning and strategic professional development is essential to completing the Ph.D. and achieving positive career outcomes after graduation. This workshop is designed to expose new Ph.D. students to the Graduate School’s PREP model for Career and Professional development and to help students take a proactive approach to career planning during graduate school. As part of the workshop, students will begin developing a strategic plan for their career and professional development.

• Dr. Matt Helm, Director, Ph.D. Career Services
• Dr. Judith Stoddart, Assistant Dean, Graduate School
• Dr. Rique Campa, Assistant Dean, Graduate School

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 Room 6, Student Services Building

Developing Your Written Credentials: CV’s, Resume’s, and More

In developing your written credentials, it is crucial to represent your professional experience, accomplishments, expertise, and qualities in the most impact manner possible. This workshop is designed to help Ph.D. students learn how to present their CV’s, resumes, and cover letters in the strongest possible manner and to provide insight from the perspective of the search committee. Learn what the search committee is looking for and how to write your way into an interview. Participants should bring a copy of their curriculum vitae.

• Dr. Matt Helm, Director, Ph.D. Career Services

Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Room 6, Student Services Building

What’s Out There?: Identifying Non-Academic Options in the Ph.D. Job Market

This workshop will discuss job search strategies for graduate students seeking employment in business, government, or non-profits. It will provide information about how to begin and organize the job search, what strategies are most effective, how to research organizations, and where to find other helpful resources.

• Dr. Linda Gross, Assistant Director of Career Services and Placement

Wednesday, November 5, 2008 Room 6, Student Services Building

The Art and Science of Project Management for Ph.D.s

In this workshop graduate students will learn the discipline of project management which is being adopted by global companies in fields as diverse as construction, IT, pharmaceutical research, and government. Project Management includes formal methods for planning, organizing, and managing time and resources effectively so that projects are completed on time, within budget, and within quality standards. Students will spend time in this workshop defining their various projects and developing goals for their completion. At the end of this workshop, students will be able to better optimize their time and energy to meet academic goals AND incorporate project management terminology into future job searches.

• Candace Winslow, MS, PMP, Educational Program Coordinator, Pharmacology & Toxicology and Osteopathic and Vet Medicine

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 Room 6, Student Services Building

Negotiation Skills for Overcoming Personal and Professional Barriers: Make the World Your Oyster!

Negotiation skills are relevant to our daily personal and professional lives, yet many of us do not capitalize on opportunities to negotiate and improve our circumstances. This workshop aims to cultivate among participants a greater awareness about opportunities to negotiate and factors that influence our decision to (or not to) initiate a negotiation. Strategies for negotiating beyond common professional and personal barriers will be discussed and practiced.

• Dr. Meredith Gore, Professor of Wildlife Biology

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Room 6, Student Services Building

Networking or Not-working for Ph.D.’s : Building Relationship for Your Future

In a tightly competitive job market learn how to position yourself for an effective job search. It is estimated that 75% of all jobs are not advertised, creating a “hidden” job market. Most people locate job openings through a networking process of referral, personal relationships, and informational interviewing. This workshop is intended to expose Ph.D. students to a variety of techniques associated with successful networking including the art of “small talk” and how to combat fear and anxiety in the networking process.

• Dr. Linda Gross, Assistant Director of Career Services and Placement

Wednesday March 18, 2009 Room 6, Student Services Building

Mastering the Interview

The interview is a dynamic process designed to help employers and candidates gauge mutual fit. This workshop is designed to help graduate students optimize their interview performance in academic and nonacademic settings and will discuss general interview questions, strategies for preparation and self presentation, recommendations about how to respond to tough questions, and topics to avoid.

• Dr. Matt Helm, Director, Ph.D. Career Services

Wednesday, March 25, 2009 Room 6, Student Services Building

Developing Communication and Conflict Management Skills to Save Time and Enhance Productivity (2 Hour Version)

The graduate student/faculty advisor relationship is an important component of a successful graduate education experience. As with any relationship, conflict is inevitable. Conflict can negatively impact our relationship which, in turn, takes time away from our main objectives and leads to decreased productivity. Learning to prevent conflict through setting expectations and managing the conflict which may occur later will serve to build strong life skills and enhance one’s graduate education experience.

• Dr. Julie Brockman, Assistant Professor of Labor and industrial Relations and Coordinator of MSU’s Conflict Resolution Program