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:
Doctoral Student Professional Development Road Map
This roadmap is designed to help you navigate your doctoral journey, build career-ready skills, and prepare for a variety of career paths. Use it as a guide, as not every recommendation will apply to you, and your department may have additional suggestions tailored to your field and goals. Download the Road Map
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
Take charge of your professional growth and be among the first 100 graduate students to complete the Professional Development Level Up challenge. Members of the Grad Pack will build practical skills, make progress toward a certificate, and earn exclusive NC State Graduate School rewards along the way. Complete each step, collect each reward, and join a community of graduate students investing in what comes next. The challenge ends December 1, 2026.
Learn more about the Professional Development Dashboard
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.