Career Pathways

 

Sept. 15, Show Yourself Some Love: Identify & Promote Your Strengths

This session guides graduate students through a reflective process to recognize and articulate their existing professional value. Participants will learn how to strategically align their academic skills with in-demand career competencies, ensuring they can confidently promote their strengths for future opportunities, whether in academia or industry.

Oct. 6, Job Search Strategies: Setting a Job Search Strategy

Ready to launch your job search but not sure where to start? Learn how to identify target roles and organizations, stay organized, leverage your network, and set a realistic plan for tracking progress. Whether you're applying now or planning ahead, this session will give you the tools to search with confidence and purpose.

Nov. 10, Job Search Strategies: Tailoring Job Application Materials to Stand Out

A one-size-fits-all approach won’t get you noticed. This workshop will help graduate students learn how to tailor résumés, cover letters, and other application materials to specific jobs and employers. Whether you’re applying in academia, industry, or beyond, this session will help you craft compelling documents that make a strong first impression.

Well-Being & Balance

 

Oct. 13, The Efficient Academic: Sustainable Strategies for Peak Performance

Graduate school is a marathon designed like a sprint but running on fumes isn't a sustainable strategy. Join us for a practical workshop focused on the mechanics of sustainable academic performance. We’ll bypass the generic advice and dive straight into data-driven strategies for managing cognitive fatigue, setting boundaries, and structuring your time to prevent diminishing returns on your work. Come learn how to work smarter, protect your focus, and actually enjoy your time at VCU.

Oct. 27, The Grad Student Financial Playbook

Navigating your finances during graduate school is a powerful opportunity to build lifelong financial wellness and independence. This workshop provides clear, proactive strategies to help you maximize your university benefits, budget your grant funding effectively, and confidently balance investing with student loan management. By learning how to optimize your current income while planning for future goals, you will gain the peace of mind needed to focus entirely on your academic success. Join us to discover the practical tools and insights that will set you up for financial growth both during and after your degree.

Scholarship & Impact

 

Sept. 8, Goal Setting for Academic Success: Preparing for a SMART Start

Tailored for graduate students navigating heavy academic workloads, this interactive workshop helps participants combat common challenges by reconnecting with their foundational motivations. Attendees will learn to transform their academic milestones into actionable targets using the SMART goals framework and apply the "Big Rocks" prioritization method to protect their weekly schedules. By the session's end, you will establish 3 to 5 strategic goals for the semester while discovering vital campus resources to support your well-being and success.

Sept. 22, Translating your Research: Presenting to an Interdisciplinary Audience

This workshop helps graduate students translate complex academic research into clear, non-technical language for diverse audiences. Participants will learn practical strategies to move beyond their academic knowledge by using impactful analogies and restructuring their communication to emphasize real-world relevance. Attendees will leave with strategies for distilling their thesis into a compelling, jargon-free pitch suitable for funders, employers, and the general public.

Sept. 29, Strategic Funding & Grant Writing for Graduate Researchers

Securing external funding is a critical step in advancing graduate research and building a competitive academic career. This session clarifies the grant-seeking process by comparing the narrative-driven proposals of the humanities and social sciences with the technical, data-focused requirements of the STEM/medical fields. Participants will gain practical strategies for utilizing funding databases, evaluating application readiness, and managing submission timelines effectively. Ultimately, attendees will learn how to articulate their research impact clearly and tailor proposals to meet the distinct expectations of disciplinary review panels, funding agencies, and project sponsors. Leading experts in the area of research funding & grant writing from across VCU will facilitate this session.

Nov. 4 (Wednesday), Academic AI Overviews: What Graduate Students Need to Know

Google search isn’t the only place where AI overviews are popping up. Library databases and journal publishers also are adding generative AI onto their platforms. This presentation will explain the generative AI features available through VCU Libraries’ subscriptions. Participants will get a better understanding of these features, along with questions to consider when deciding how – and whether – to use them.

Nov. 17, Effectively Leading Teams and Group Projects 

Whether in research, coursework, or professional settings, strong team leadership is key to successful collaboration. This workshop will equip graduate students with practical strategies for effectively leading group projects. Learn how to set shared goals, delegate tasks, manage conflict, and keep your team motivated and on track. Ideal for anyone stepping into a leadership role or looking to strengthen their collaboration skills, this session offers tools to help your team thrive.