Graduate Students Find Success with Beyond Graduate School and Professoriate Platforms
Joshitha Chittayath and Syeda Hashimi have successfully used the FREE online resource available to all VCU graduate students for professional development. Beyond Graduate School provides Master’s level students with a specialized career development curriculum designed to set them up for success post-graduation. Similarly, it provides training and development for Ph.D. and postdoctoral students to transition to academic and nonacademic careers successfully. Both Joshitha and Syeda agree that having a self-paced, virtual option for professional development has been a game changer in helping them feel more prepared and equipped to enter the job market.
Joshitha, a student in the Mass Communication Master of Science program, is switching careers from Information Technology. While switching career tracks can be exciting, it also has challenges. Finding a new network, learning new skills, updating your resume, and figuring out the landscape of a new career path are all things that Joshitha had to consider. Beyond Graduate School’s webinars and library of resources provided her with tools, strategies, and tips to help with those challenges. Best of all, she could access these resources at the most convenient times for her busy schedule.
As a 4th year Ph.D. student in the Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Sciences program, Syeda was unaware of the many options for nonacademic careers. After receiving an email about Beyond the Professoriate, she registered for a networking webinar. She loved hearing from experienced professionals about their career journey and getting practical advice on preparing for her next steps in looking for jobs. This was particularly important for her as an international student who was used to thinking of career opportunities through the lens of her home country. Syeda learned important terms and thought more broadly about skill development, like collaboration and problem-solving, which are critical in nonacademic roles. While she is still considering faculty roles, her career focus has broadened thanks to Beyond the Professoriate.
Beyond Graduate School and the Professoriate are available to graduate students thanks to a partnership between the Graduate School, Career Services, and the Office of Postdoctoral Services. The platform was launched during the 2022-2023 academic year, with over 100 graduate students taking advantage of the resource. This year's goal is for 10-12% of graduate students to begin using the platform. Erin Brown, PhD, Director of Professional Development for the Graduate School, believes that “Beyond Graduate School is a critical tool that provides students with easily accessible professional development resources. It is worth registering and looking around to see what it has to offer. There is something for everyone.”
January Beyond Graduate School Events
What Employers Value About Your Degree (January 31, 2024 | 4 PM ET)
Register today: https://institutions.beyondgradschool.com/what-employers-value-about-your-degree/
January Beyond the Professoriate Events
What Can I Do With My PhD (January 17, 2024 | 12 Noon ET)
Register today at: https://institutions.beyondprof.com/live-webinar-what-can-i-do-with-my-phd/
3 Common Mistakes PhDs Make in Their Job Search (January 31, 2024 | 12 Noon ET)
Register today at: https://institutions.beyondprof.com/webinar-3-common-mistakes-phds-make-in-their-job-search/