Spring 2025

Duke Chapel | Students, Welcome back from Spring Break. The cherry blossoms are here to greet you! | InstagramThe Academic Job Search Series is sponsored by The Graduate School and the Office of Postdoctoral Services.

Weds Feb 5, 10-11 am

WHAT: Dress for Success: A Workshop on Presenting Yourself Professionally
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9mApEM8G16t4qAC

While workplaces have become more casual since 2020, there are still expectations of what “professional dress” looks like in different industries. This workshop will address first impressions, dressing authentically, and tailoring your professional image. We will discuss how to determine an organization’s unofficial dress code, dressing appropriately for the occasion (eg, career fair, coffee chat, networking event, interview) and shopping on a budget. Attendees will have the opportunity to put what they’ve learned into action in a short exercise.

Speaker: Laura Coutts, Associate Director for Career Services, Duke Biostatistics and Bioinformatics

Weds May 21, 10-11 am

WHAT: From Vision to Reality: 4 Steps to Creating & Executing Your Individual Development Plan
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eJ0PNkwxIzI8oTA

For better or for worse, your experiences and the training you receive as postdoctoral researchers and graduate students can greatly shape the rest of your career. However, there are strategies and resources that can increase your chances of getting what you came for. During this program, participants will learn how to develop clear and specific goals and objectives, along with a plan for executing them in an Individual Development Plan (IDP). You’ll learn:

  • An approach to setting meaningful, achievable goals aligned with your long-term vision.
  • A structured planning routine to manage your time effectively.
  • How to speak with your mentor about your goals and strategies to address any misalignments in expectations and needs.
Speaker: Dara Wilson-Grant is the Associate Director at the UNC-Chapel Hill Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. With over fifteen years experience providing career management education and counseling, Dara’s mission is to help individuals develop a framework for choosing a meaningful and rewarding career path, plus develop the skills necessary for a lifetime of career success.