Chart Your Progress Using the Professional Development Dashboard

The Graduate School’s Professional Development team is excited to introduce a brand-new tool designed to help graduate students and postdoctoral scholars take control of their professional development journey: the Professional Development Dashboard. This user-friendly platform is here to guide students and postdocs in navigating their path toward building key competencies that employers look for in their new hires.

So, how do you get started? For newcomers to The Graduate School’s offerings, the Professional Development team provides a wide array of workshops, certificates, and cohort programs that are tailored to build essential skills in areas like career readiness, communication, leadership, and wellness. These programs are organized around five critical competency areas:

• Career and self-development
• Effectiveness and well-being
• Leadership and management
• Oral and written communication
• Teamwork and collaboration

Not sure where you stand in these areas? That’s where the Professional Development Dashboard comes in. With just a few clicks, you can take the Competencies Assessment, which will help you identify which of the five competency areas are your strengths and which may need further attention. Once you have your results, the Dashboard will guide you toward specific workshops and resources that match your goals.

Want to deepen your skills even further? The Dashboard also offers the opportunity to register for non-credit certificates in Basic Teaching, Advanced Teaching, Communication Skills, or Leadership. As you take workshops and grow your competencies, you can track your progress directly from the dashboard, giving you a clear view of how far you’ve come.

“The Professional Development Dashboard has been an invaluable tool, particularly the Competency Assessment, which provided a clear overview of my strengths and areas for growth.”
– Daria Bolgova, Ph.D. student

The Professional Development team is here to support you every step of the way, offering programs, resources, and guidance designed to help you succeed not just at NC State but in your future career. They encourage all graduate students and postdocs to take full advantage of these opportunities, as their ultimate goal is to equip you with the skills and insights you need to become ethical, transformative leaders who will contribute meaningfully to society.

If you haven’t already, take some time to explore the Professional Development Dashboard. It’s more than just a tool—it’s a gateway to your future success!