Navigating Graduate School and
Beyond
Outline
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How did I get to this point?
Advice that helped me?
The best/worst parts of my job?
My book
My Journey
6) UK Met office
Exeter, UK, 50N, 3W
2) Rapid City, SD
44N, 103W (MS)
2
3
6
4
1
3) Fort Collins, CO
41N, 105W
(PhD)
4) Huntsville, AL
35N, 87W
(MA)
1) COIMBATORE
INDIA, 11N, 77E
(BE)
5
5) Sydney, Australia
34S, 151E
Global Aerosol Distribution from Satellites
Career Progression
• M.S. > PhD > Assistant Professor
• Typical career progression after
that Associate Professor > Tenure
> Full Professor and now the
chairman
• Also serve as Associate Director
for ESSC - research center
Advice that helped me
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Do good research
Stay on top of state of the art
Publish like crazy
Communicate effectively
Don’t get too big for your britches!
Why Psychology degree?
• Industrial/Organizational
Psychology has always been
fascinating for me
• I studied motivation and job
satisfaction
• Helps me in my current job to
deal with students and faculty
better – I think!
Best part of my job
• I thoroughly enjoy teaching
• Light bulbs went on in my head during the
radiation budget lecture (M.S) and I still do
research in that area
• Writing papers/proposals
• I get excited when students succeed at the
highest levels including winning awards
(One of my students is a PECASE award
winner, $1M for research!)
Worst part of my job
• Needless
Encountering leadership in
meetings/Administrative trivia
academic chain of command
•who
Seeing
students/faculty
perform
do not have a vision and
below potential
serve primarily as wet blankets
• Not
being
able
to
stop
and
smell
(OK, I got that out of my
the roses!
system)
Why the book?
• Primarily written for graduate students and
their advisors
• I teach this as a 1 credit course in the ATS
department every Fall semester
• Students often do not know how to
effectively navigate graduate school and
beyond
• Advisors have a professional obligation to
empower students beyond classes and
research
Without vision there is chaos
• Need to know where you are going –
while in graduate school
• Strength, Weakness, Opportunity,
Threat (SWOT) analysis is a must
• Where do I want to be? Where am I
now? How am I going to get there?
Huge vision
• A resume should only be a place
holder
• If you did the right things in graduate
school, jobs should come looking for
you!
Manage your advisor (Boss)
• Know what your advisor expects of
you – especially if you are on a
research assistantship
• Do you know their strengths and
weakness?
• Mentor versus advisor – beware!
Work ethics
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Time management – Stay organized
Project Management
Life management
Become a resource center
TAKE OWNERSHIP/BE PROACTIVE
Grad school is a fantastic time in your
life
Writing
• There are smart ways to ditch a
formal dissertation
• Write peer reviewed papers
• Yes, you can write a proposal while in
graduate school – ATS 782 provides
a complete experience for proposal
writing
Communicating
• You need to learn how to
communicate in formal and informal
ways while in graduate school
• Attend a conference and learn how to
network
• Work in teams (all of this is
preparation for your real job to come)
Advice
• Know where you want to go and then
diligently prepare for that goal – Without
vision there is Chaos!
• Learn how to serve various communities
(local, regional, national) while in graduate
school
• Private organizations? If that is your goal,
know what skills they need
Navigating Graduate School and
Beyond
1. Introduction
2. Sowing
Cast a Vision/Do a SWOT
Avoid the Resume
3. Your Advisor and You
What Your Advisor Expects from You
Manage Your Advisor
4. Skills
Work Ethics for a Graduate Student
Take Initiative: Becoming a Resource Center
Take Ownership
Work Hard and Smart/Be Whole
5. Organize.
Manage Your Time/Beat the Stress
Don't Get Weary
6. Writing
Ditch the Dissertation/Write a Paper
7. Proposals
Why Write a Proposal
Budgets/The Actual Proposal
Top Ten Dos for Proposal Writing
Proposal Review Process/Proposal Evaluation
8. Communicating
Learn to Talk/Conferences
9. Teams
Pick your team/Become a Team Player
10. Jobs
Danger of Not Finishing
Staying on/Postdoc
Get a Job/Job Interview
11. Career Exercises
Job Hunting and CV Exercises
Proposal Writing Exercises
12. Concluding Thoughts: The Final Word
“Really
Final Slide