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The Graduate School

Getting Started with Professional Development


Your Professional Development Strategy

Participating in professional development as a graduate student or postdoctoral scholar at NC State University is vital to preparing for your future career. The Graduate School’s Professional Development team offers numerous opportunities to strengthen your skills, expand your network, and become a more competitive job candidate. Here’s the strategy to boost your career readiness and enhance your job market competitiveness:

Career Readiness Wheel

One’s career journey is not linear; it involves phases that are ongoing.  The Career Wheel serves as a guide throughout your graduate degree or postdoc journey.  Use this wheel to stay focused and strategic as you plan your next steps in your professional development and career preparation.

  • Take career assessments to discover your strengths, interests, and career values
  • Take the Professional Development Competencies Assessment
  • Use the Individualized Professional Development Plan to guide your next career step
  • Join graduate student organizations and professional associations connected to your field
  • Build relationships with NC State career services professionals, faculty, and advisors to explore career paths
  • Attend career fairs and networking opportunities
  • Build your profile in ePACK
  • Explore the Professional Development Team’s Moodle page to develop a career strategy
  • Set up informational interviews with NC State alumni and personal contacts to seek career advice and insight regarding job roles
  • Gain experience through graduate assistantships, internships, skills-based training, and volunteer experiences to discover your interests and work values
  • Continue attending career fairs and networking opportunities
  • Pursue experiences to develop your career-ready skills (talk to your supervisor on areas that you would like to grow in your technical and soft skills)
  • Update your resume and tailor your documents based on your career path (i.e. academic vs. non-academic)
  • Present and publish research (if applicable to your field and career goals)
  • Evaluate further education (i.e. certifications, courses, etc.) to meet your goals
  • Continue attending career fairs and networking opportunities
  • Utilize your growing professional network to identify full-time job opportunities and notify your network that you are transitioning into your next role
  • Tailor your application materials for each job that you apply to (i.e. professional portfolio)
  • Practice mock interviews with NC State career services professionals
  • Utilize the Wolfpack Styled Professional Clothing Closet to prepare for interviews and full-time role
  • Continue attending career fairs and networking opportunities
Career Readiness Whee

Professional Development Involves Five Competencies

Did you know there are a few main competencies employers are seeking in their new hires – outside of technical skills?  Based on research from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the Professional Development team has identified five competencies around which we focus our programs, workshops and initiatives. 

Oral & Written Communication

Communicating effectively involves both verbal and written forms.

Teamwork & Collaboration

Positive working relationships with teams and colleagues are crucial to the success of any organization.

Career & Self Development

Self-awareness is the foundation for understanding how one best operates in both personal and professional environments.

Leadership & Management

There is a difference between leading others and managing people.

Effectiveness & Well-Being

Knowing how to appropriately self-manage, respond, cope and work are imperative to being a productive employee.

Take the Competencies Assessment

The Professional Development Team has created a Competencies Assessment to help graduate students and postdocs identify the competencies which are strengths for them and the ones that need further development. 

Get Started
A student works on his laptop in the hallway of Talley Student union. Photo by Marc Hall

Once the Competencies Assessment is completed, the results will be sent to the graduate student or postdoc, and from there, one can see on the Professional Development Dashboard the workshops to taken the strengthen the competencies that have been identified.  We encourage you to use the Professional Development Dashboard to plan your professional growth and chart your progress towards building the skills employers want by participating in individual workshops, cohort programs such as the Advanced Teaching Certificate, Job Search Strategies or the Leadership Learning Institute, certificates, or signature events such as the New TA Workshop, Writing Retreats or the Accelerate to Industry (A2i) Immersion Week.

Need help building out your professional development plan?  Contact one of the Professional Development team members today with any questions.  

Professional Development

Our signature Professional Development programs provide certificates and programs to help our graduate students and postdoctoral scholars develop a foundation for scholarly and professional success.

Workshops

The Graduate School’s Professional Development Team offers an array of workshops focused on career readiness, communication skills, leadership, mentoring and teaching.