Career Development Resources

Welcome to Graduate and Professional Studies CAREER DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES!

Preparing Future Faculty Seminar Series

  • What: Are you a PhD student or postdoc in the school of engineering, interested in exploring a path to an academic career? Do you want to learn more about what the faculty job is about? What does the academic job search consist of? How to better prepare yourself for it? Do you need help polishing your application materials? 
    • This seminar series aims to provide information in an informal setting, demystify the faculty job and the academic job search process, create a community, and point you to available resources. This is not a course for credit.
  • When: Second Thursday of every month, 1-2pm, throughout the 2023-24 academic year. Coffee and cookies at 12:45 p.m..
  • Where: ISEB 1200. 
  • Who should attend: Engineering Ph.D students and postdocs who are considering an academic career.

If you would like access to the canvas page for this seminar series, please complete this interest form.

Graduate Career Services Updates - Winter 2024

Featured Events:

  • Grad-Specific Webinars: Students can register for events on Handshake Events | Handshake (joinhandshake.com). Winter webinars include:
    • Jan 17 | What Can I Do with My PhD? (hosted by Beyond the Professoriate)
    • Jan 23 |In Person: Professional & Dining Etiquette 
    • Jan 31 | 3 Common Mistakes PhDs Make in Their Job Search (hosted by Beyond the Professoriate)
    • Feb 6 | In-Person: Salary Negotiation 
    • Feb 14 |How to Find a Job You'll Love (hosted by Beyond the Professoriate)
    • Feb 28 | How to Write an Academic CV (hosted by Beyond the Professoriate)
    • March Series | How to Decide Between an Academic & Nonacademic Career - Every Wednesday in March (hosted by Beyond the Professoriate)
  • Winter 2024 Career Fairs (including a graduate-specific fair):
    • Virtual Winter Career Fair | Wed, Jan 24   I   10am-2pm   I  via Handshake           
    • In-Person Public Service & Social Impact Career Fair | Wed, Jan 31   I   11am-2pm   I   Outdoors on Aldrich Ring 
    • In-Person Winter Career Fair| Thurs, Feb 8  I   10am-2pm   I   Indoors in the Student Center 
    • ***Virtual PhD & Master's Virtual Career Expo***| Wed, March 6   I   9am-1pm   I   via Career Eco | More details to come
    • Additional fair information available here: Career Fairs - UCI Division of Career Pathways
  • Career Discovery Virtual Series: Learn first-hand about a career pathway from an industry professional | Register on Handshake |

Featured Resources:

  • Professional Photo Booth | UCI students, staff, and faculty can visit our office to enhance their online presence with high-quality professional headshots. 
  • Graduate students can schedule 1-1 career advising appointments (virtual and in-person) on Handshake:  Appointments | Handshake or attend drop-in advising (Mon-Wed in-person, Thurs-Friday virtually). More information available here: Meet With Us - UCI Division of Career Pathways
  • UCI's institutional access to the Beyond the Professoriate professional training platform allows doctoral students & postdocs to explore both academic and non-academic careers while obtaining access to exclusive live webinars, podcasts, and access to interviews with PhDs | https://institutions.beyondprof.com/
  • We invite faculty to post weekly announcements about DCP Winter Quarter events on your Canvas course pages to highlight important career events and resources such as career fairs and webinars for your students.

Featured News:

A2i/Accelerate to Industry

Hosted by UCI Graduate Division, A2i, Accelerate to Industry, is a modular based professional development training program that focuses on helping our graduate students develop key competencies industry is looking for when hiring and helps to connect our students to industry through workshops, career panels, networking events, lunch and learn events, site visits, Grad Slam and more.

We recently wrapped up our first module, with over 40 PhD students and postdocs during a 5-week intensive workshop series that focused on understanding corporate culture, LinkedIn & networking, resume building, interviewing skills, career exploration and building your brand. Our current focus is on PhD's and Postdocs for our Job Search Strategies module and plans to launch to MS students in the near future. 

For more information, visit https://grad.uci.edu/professional-development/industry-partners/.

Graduate Professional Success for STEM PhDs and Postdocs (GPS-STEM)

GPS-STEM better prepares STEM scientists for a variety of careers within the STEM workforce, and empower them to become not only skilled scientists, but also polished professionals. We work to create, identify and support innovative approaches to broaden the graduate and postdoctoral training.

Most GPS-STEM events and activities are open to all graduate students and postdocs across campus. However, in order to take full advantage of our program, we encourage you to register!

Learn more about the Graduate Professional Success for STEM PhDs and Postdocs!

Graduate & Postdoctoral Scholar Resource Center

Dedicated to supporting the academic and professional success of all UC Irvine graduate students and postdoctoral scholar, the Graduate & Postdoctoral Scholar Resource Center (GPSRC) has everything you need to succeed.

The GPSRC offers the following services:

  • Writing Assignments
  • Career Advising
  • Undergraduate Graduate Preparation Advising
  • Writing Support
  • Workshops

Programs are open to all domestic and international Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars, free of cost.

Learn more about the Graudate & Postdoctoral Scholar Resource Center!