Congratulations, fellow grad students, on making it through another year! For those of you who graduated this past weekend, I wish you good luck with your next step, wherever that may take you. If you're still not sure of that next step, remember that, as a Buff Alum, you can still continue to draw from the valuable resources here at Career Services. For the rest of us, even though days of having summers "off" may be long gone, I hope everyone is taking some much-needed time to relax, get outdoors, and enjoy Boulder!
I'm particularly excited to share this month's issue with you. Rather than our usual two interviews, we'll be hearing from a variety of past CU graduate students as they offer us a look at their alternative career paths after graduation. Read on for a first-hand look at the truly exciting work our alumni are doing and for some excellent advice on how to approach those next steps in your own career. This issue also features articles from Vitae and The Chronicle that encourage graduate students to rethink the way they approach their career path.
I hope you enjoy the issue and remember, the Career Services office is open this summer, so I encourage you to take advantage of those resources during these slightly less hectic summer months!
Trish
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Interview by Trish Bredar
A faculty member at a prestigious private school.
A human performance consultant.
A NASA researcher.
A managing editor.
What do these diverse titles have in common? They're all held by alumni of CU Boulder's graduate programs. We brought together four very different PhDs from: Comparative Literature, Integrative Physiology, Chemistry, and Aerospace Engineering. We asked these alumni pursuing careers outside of the traditional academic path the same four questions: Tell us about your current position., How did you get there?, How did you envision your career path when you were a graduate student?, and What advice do you have for current grad students?
Read the article here for a look at how these four scholars-Sarah Jane Gray, Jamie Bartlett, Rhea Williams, and Steve Chappell-leveraged their graduate education in powerful ways. Whether you're seeking inspiration, a potential career path, or solid advice, you'll find it here!
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Professional Advice
The Chronicle of Higher Education
"The Graduate Student as Entrepreneur"
By Sarah Ruth Jacobs
Addressing the rapidly-changing job market, Jacobs urges graduate students to stop following the "mythical path" to academia that was laid out generations ago and instead to start envisioning themselves as entrepreneurs. Jacobs lays out a few tips for diversifying your academic career and marketing your transferable skills to meet the job market head on. Read the article here.
If you're interested in this topic, you might also want to check out Kerry Ann Rockquemore's Academic Entrepreneurship series on Inside Higher Ed.
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The Chronicle - Vitae
"Stop Worrying About Job Security"
By Melanie Nelson
In this essay, Nelson addresses non-academic job seekers' concerns about job security outside the realm of tenure. Counseling alt-ac's to focus on career security instead, Nelson offers some smart tips for increasing your market appeal and insuring your future in a given industry. Geared towards those just beginning or transitioning to a new career, this article provides food for thought for those considering a future outside the academy. Read the article here.
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Career Services Summer Drop In Hours:
Monday through Thursday
1:30-3:45pm
Center for Community, N352
Take advantage of this opportunity to stop by our office for brief 15 minute career check ins without scheduling an appointment. Talk to a career counselor about anything from resumes and CVs to cover letters or job search and interview skills.
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Center for Community N352
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