KNOW YOUR SKILLS
PRODUCE A CAREER (HSSER)
Ruth Schemmer, PhD
Assistant Dean for Career Development
Graduate School
411 Kirkland
OVERVIEW
• Know Your Skills
• Produce a Career (how to get
from Point A to Point B)
• Final Thoughts
Know Your SKILLS
• What do you think of when I say
competency?
o Required skills? Possible skills?
• What are some skills you have developed as
a graduate student?
Know Your SKILLS
Skill Areas
(some from Michigan State’s work:
http://grad.msu.edu/prep/docs/planyourwork.pdf )
•
•
•
•
•
Research, Scholarship, Creative Activities
Leadership/Management
Collaboration
Communication
Balance & Resilience
Know Your SKILLS
•
•
•
•
•
Research, Scholarship, Creative Activities
Defined a problem and designed approach; came
up with solutions
Courses, independent research
Ability to manage data/large amounts of
information (both qualitative and quantitative)
Additional training (e.g., digital humanities,
statistical training)
Improvements made in processes, outcomes,
new knowledge
Know Your SKILLS
Leadership/Management
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Not necessarily elected or designated position
Not everyone has same degree of leadership
Campus/community activities; departmental
responsibilities
Teaching/Managing a classroom; Organizing entire
semester
Evaluating student performance
Training newer TA’s
Project management: taking multi-year project from
initial question to be asked through to completion
Know Your SKILLS
Collaboration
• More difficult for isolated, individual
researchers
• Must seek outside opportunities:
organizational involvement
• CFT, Writing Studio, CASPAR
• TA collaborations; co-teaching
Know Your SKILLS
Communication
•
•
•
•
Conference presentations/Journal articles
Thesis/Dissertation
Newsletter articles/website presence
Successful proposals for funding—convincing
someone to give you money!
• Ability to convey and explain complex concepts
to undergraduates
• 3MT participation
Know Your SKILLS
Balance & Resilience
• Ability to learn something new; self-taught is
fine
• Spend time outside study carrel; interact with
others
Know Your SKILLS
Others??
PRODUCE A CAREER
Consider Optional Paths:
Alternate Academic (non-tenure track, higher education)
• Typical Positions: Academic Advisor; Program
Coordinator; Development Assistant; Research
Assistant/Associate; Content Specialist
• Potential settings: Writing Centers; Academic
Departments; Teaching Centers; Development
Offices, Research Institutes; Career Services;
Libraries
PRODUCE A CAREER
Non-academic: (business, government, non-profits)
• Typical Positions: Curator; Educational Liaison;
Policy Analyst; Development Assistant; Analyst;
Consultant; Educational Consultant
• Potential settings: Government Agencies;
Museums; Health Care Organizations;
Consulting Firms; Non-profits (e.g., arts,
research, health, education); Think Tanks; K-12
Teaching
PRODUCE A CAREER
Gain Experience
• Internships
• Volunteering at non-profits; Science outreach
• Grant-writing
• Interacting with undergraduates
• Campus/Community leadership
• Fellowships: pre- and post-doctoral
PRODUCE A CAREER
Explore Options
• Network! ask for advice/suggestions/tips, not
preferential treatment
–Lit review for your career: gather stories, informational
interviews
–VUConnect.com: set up a profile, locate PhDs in interesting
jobs
–Alumni from your undergraduate institution
–Alumni from your Department (ask professors for names)
–Campus Staff (alternate academic careers)
–LinkedIn (join groups for discussion; VU Alumni)
PRODUCE A CAREER
Explore Options
• Chronicle of Higher Education: www.chronicle.com
• Chronicle of Philanthropy: www.philanthropy.com
• Versatile PhD: www.Versatilephd.com
–Career Panels, HSS forum, PhD Career Finder
–First access through Graduate School Career Development
https://my.vanderbilt.edu/gradcareer/  Non-academic
Careers  Exploring Options
• Indeed.com
–Web aggregator; read for skills in job descriptions
PRODUCE A CAREER
Explore Options
• Career/Professional Development events & resources
–Graduate School Career Development:
https://my.vanderbilt.edu/gradcareer/
–GradLEAF: https://my.vanderbilt.edu/gradleaf/
FINAL THOUGHTS
• A degree of serendipity/chaos in any career journey.
• You may start below your skill level, with commensurate
pay.
• Volunteering time and services may be necessary to
demonstrate evidence of skills.
• Knowing your skills and creating a resume containing
them is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for job
searching: networking is a must!
CAREER DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Ruth Schemmer; 411 Kirkland
ruth.schemmer@vanderbilt.edu
Twitter: @VUGradCareer
Appts: Wednesdays, all day; Friday mornings
Call 615-343-2727 for appt
Walk-ins: Thursdays, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
15-minute short consultation (e.g., resume review)
THANK YOU & QUESTIONS