By Leah DeVellis, Coordinator of Graduate Student Services & Professional Development
Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs
More and more grad students are looking for ways to gain practical skills and experience to be successful in their studies and more prepared when looking for work.
Up until recently, graduate training at Carleton was geared almost exclusively to TA training. This has changed dramatically. With the introduction of Grad Navigate workshops, all graduate students can take advantage of a wide variety of training topics. And for those who are TAs, all workshops count toward TA hours.
There’s no doubt that grad students are extremely busy; juggling school, research, TAships, family and relationships, not to mention trying to kick start a career. But professional training enhances the grad experience and is not ‘just one more thing do’. Actually it’s not terribly time consuming and it’s a great way to connect with grad students outside of your departmental bubble. But there are other questions I’m sure you have:
Why is Professional Training Important?
Graduate programs do a great job of instilling the building blocks of research, critical thinking and analytic skills. Think of professional training as filling in some of the gaps and offering hands-on training that will help you develop a well-rounded skillset. Building a diverse skillset is key to being confident and competitive on the job market. Grad Navigate can get you there.
What Training is Available?
You can find workshops in the categories of Research & Writing, Professional Skills, Teaching Skills, Career Planning and Wellness. A snapshot of topics include:
• Data Management for Grad Students
• How to Write a Thesis in Science & Engineering
• Project Management
• How to Setup a Blog
• Media Training
• Networking for Grad Students
• Interview skills for Grad Students
• Preparing a Teaching Philosophy Statement
• Accessible Learning
• Sleep, Eat, Exercise and Relax!
• Get Motivated, Manage Time & Relax!
Who is Professional Development for? Who Provides the Training?
Professional development is available to all full-time and part-time graduate students. There is something for everyone! In fact many of the workshop topics were created because grad students requested them.
FGPA is thrilled to be collaborating with fantastic people from Coop & Career Services, Educational Development Centre, International Student Support Office, Department of University Communications, MacOdrum Library, and Health and Counseling offer most workshops. Even some of your fellow grad students are facilitating workshops.
When is the Best Time to Start?
Professional development is an ongoing process with no set timeline, but it’s always a good idea to plan ahead. Take a look at the training available and see which workshops you are most interested in and which fit with your schedule. If you can squeeze in one or two workshops per term you are a rock star!
Where Can I Find Workshop Options?
Click HERE to go to Grad Navigate and click on each category to see what is coming up. Follow @CUGradStudies on Twitter and look for TheGraduate@Carleton newsletter in your inbox to hear about upcoming workshops and events.
For other questions or if you have an idea for a workshop please email leah.devellis@carleton.ca
Monday, January 13, 2014 in News, Student News
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