The NACS program is committed to supporting students' professional development. The biweekly Professional Development Newsletter provides a comprehensive list of campus workshops relevant for grad students, offered by the University Career Center, the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center, and the library Research Commons, among others.
NACS staff and students also hold occasional workshops aimed specifically at NACS students. These workshops are relevant for ALL STUDENTS, from first-years to dissertators, regardless of whether you're interested in academic or non-academic careers.
Workshops for Fall 2018 will be announced this summer. Below is information on the Spring 2018 workshops.
Spring 2018 Workshops
All workshops will take place in the conference room in 0211 Cole Student Activities Building. Please RSVP so we can order the right amount of food!
Career Development 101: Self-assessment
Friday, April 13, 4-5pm (snacks served + BYOB)
Led by Shevaun Lewis.
How are you supposed to figure out what career is right for you? In this workshop, we'll talk about how to identify your own interests, skills, and values (using some fun activities as well as online tools), and how to use that knowledge to narrow down potential career paths.
Handouts: Career Development 101, Career and Professional Development Resources for PhD students (UMD Career Center), Building a Competitive Record for an Academic Career (UMD Career Center)
Crafting Your Elevator Pitch
Wednesday, April 18, 1-2pm (lunch served)
Co-led by Adam Fishbein and Shevaun Lewis.
You approach an important professor at a conference. You're meeting with the Dean for a faculty job interview. You're on a first date in DC. What will they all ask? "So, what do you work on?" Everyone needs a good elevator pitch: a 15-60 second explanation of what you do and why it matters, designed to get someone interested in continuing the conversation. In this workshop you'll create a pitch, practice it on your peers, and get feedback. This will be useful preparation for the "elevator pitch speed dating" session at NACS Research Day, when you'll have the opportunity to pitch your research to NACS faculty and other UMD VIPs.
Handout: Elevator pitch guide/worksheet
Developing Your Online Presence
Wednesday, May 2, 1-2pm (lunch served)
Led by Shevaun Lewis.
What happens when you google yourself? Do you get lots of hits about your impressive professional accomplishments? If you're attending conferences, applying to jobs, communicating with researchers in other labs, or in any other way putting your name out in the world, you need an online presence that reflects your academic and professional identity. In this workshop we'll talk about WHAT you should put online, as well as HOW and WHERE.
Handout: Online presence worksheet
