The Careers Beyond Academia Series is sponsored by the Office of Postdoctoral Services and The Graduate School.
Spring 2025 Careers Beyond Academia Job Search Series
Kickstart the New Year with our Careers Beyond Academia Job Search Series! Whether you are ready to pivot or just contemplating making a change, this series will guide you through reinvention, crafting a standout resume, networking, mastering interview techniques, and negotiating salaries confidently.
Sessions:
- Changing Course with Confidence: Embracing a New Identity for a New Direction, Jan 16
- Dress for Success: A Workshop on Presenting Yourself Professionally, Feb 5
- ChatGPT for Job-Seekers: The Right Way to Use AI to Accelerate Your Search, Feb 26
- From CV to Resume: Repackaging Your Academic Experience for Industry Employers, Feb 27
- Mindful Networking: Building Authentic Relationships, Mar 18
- Interview Ready: Tools and Techniques for the Non-Academic Job Search, Mar 27
- The Art of Asking: Navigating Salary Negotiations with Ease, May 1
Session 1: Thurs Jan 16, 10-11 am
WHAT: Changing Course with Confidence: Embracing a New Identity for a New Direction
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6QjUIstwUY9bsSW
In this session, you’ll learn:
- The challenges and emotional aspects of transitioning away from a traditional academic career.
- Strategies for reimagining yourself outside academia and planning a new path.
- How to build a foundation for exploring career options and making well-informed decisions about your future.
Speaker: Dara Wilson-Grant is the Associate Director at the UNC-Chapel Hill Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and a Licensed Professional 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.
Session 2: 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 is the Associate Director for Career Services for Duke Biostatistics and Bioinformatics and former Assistant Director for Duke Career Center. She has over 15 years of experience in consulting, counseling, problem solving, and project implementation. Laura believes in the power of effective storytelling and thinks that everyone needs a little perspective when it comes to telling their life (and career) story.
Session 3: Weds Feb 26, 11 am – 12 pm
WHAT: ChatGPT for Job-Seekers: The Right Way to Use AI to Accelerate Your Search
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bDWZ1ChTfWgqwZ0
ChatGPT feels like a miracle for job-seekers: instant résumés, cover letters, and more. What could be better? But there’s a dark side to using AI in the job search: It can actually hurt your chances if you use it the wrong way. So join OpenAI’s first education partner and a former hiring manager at LinkedIn and Khan Academy to understand ChatGPT from an employer’s perspective, including:
- The right way to use AI – from the best prompting techniques to the best models for every stage of your search
- The biggest pitfalls of ChatGPT – and how to avoid them so your résumé doesn’t get automatically rejected
- How to find your perfect career path, your most important résumé keywords to beat the ATS (applicant tracking systems), and your best interview prep plan of attack – all by choosing the right AI tool at the right time!
Speaker: Jeremy Schifeling has devoted his career to helping others succeed in theirs. From leading the Education Team at LinkedIn to the Marketing Team at Khan Academy, he’s touched the lives of millions of people at every stage of their journeys.
Session 4: Thurs Feb 27, 10-11 am
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9BSGX5abrgUeQ5w
In this session, you’ll learn:
- Key differences between an academic CV and an industry resume.
- How to assess job requirements and demonstrate your qualifications effectively.
- Strategies for brainstorming and repackaging your experiences to highlight relevant skills for the job.
Speaker: Dara Wilson-Grant is the Associate Director at the UNC-Chapel Hill Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and a Licensed Professional 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.
Session 5: Tues Mar 18, 11 am – 12 pm
WHAT: Real Talk on Networking: Building Professional Relationships that Matter—Even for Introverts
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_efeSLF6840ez02O
Most of us have heard that networking is critical for finding job opportunities and navigating career transitions. Yet we often feel uncomfortable with it, perceiving networking as sleazy, pushy, or inauthentic. Join Duke alumna Mayya Shveygert, PhD (Molecular Genetics & Microbiology) for a workshop designed to help grad students and postdocs master the art of genuine networking. Networking has been instrumental for Dr Shveygert’s career growth, first as she transitioned from being a postdoc at UCSF to regulatory affairs at Amgen and then growing her business as a medical writing consultant and meditation teacher for biopharma.
During this information-packed workshop, we will address the following topics:
- Typical fears and misconceptions about networking and how to dispel them
- Why seasoned professionals actually want to help you break into the field
- How to find the people who can aid your career growth
- Why asking for AIR (advice, information, referrals) is your not-so-secret weapon
- Dos and don’ts for connecting with people you don’t know (gasp!) on LinkedIn
- How to build up confidence and ease for networking events
Session 6: Thurs Mar 27, 10-11 am
WHAT: Interview Ready: Tools and Techniques for the Non-Academic Job Search
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_57vORwIEdBLYXk2
In this session, you’ll learn:
- The typical structure of an interview.
- How to prepare for and respond to commonly asked questions using the STAR technique.
- Questions that help you foster a two-way conversation and evaluate fit (ie, does this role and company align with my values?)
- The importance of post-interview etiquette.
Speaker: Dara Wilson-Grant is the Associate Director at the UNC-Chapel Hill Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and a Licensed Professional 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.
Session 7: Thurs May 1, 10-11 am
WHAT: The Art of Asking: Navigating Salary Negotiations with Ease
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1YNju4qg9uN438a
In this session, you’ll learn:
- The importance of preparation and research in determining a fair salary range.
- Insights into overcoming common fears and pitfalls.
- Practical tools to advocate for yourself and secure the compensation you deserve.
Speaker: Dara Wilson-Grant is the Associate Director at the UNC-Chapel Hill Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and a Licensed Professional 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.
EVEN MORE EVENTS
Weds May 21, 10-11 am
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.
