Grad Hour is a new professional development workshop series for Master’s and doctoral students at UTM who are preparing for their next steps—whether that means continuing in academia or exploring opportunities beyond it. The series creates space to reflect, plan, and build confidence for a range of career paths.
The workshop series includes:
- Graduate Life into the World of Work
- Networking for Graduate Students
- CV Preparation for an Academic job Search
- Interview Preparation for Academic Jobs
- Professionalism in Research Settings
- Cross-cultural Competencies in Academia
Now it’s your time to connect!
Join Grad Hour to expand your perspective, grasp key details and feel more prepared—wherever your career takes you.
Each workshop is 1 hour and held in-person.
In partnership with:
Each session focuses on practical, transferable skills you can use right away. You’ll learn how to communicate your strengths, grow your professional network, and approach applications and interviews with greater confidence, while gaining insight into both academic and non-academic career paths.
Transition from Graduate Life into the World of Work
We will provide an overview of the most common career pathways for individuals completing graduate studies. You will also learn how to translate the skills you developed during your program into the workplace. Finally, we will explore how your approach may differ depending on whether you choose to pursue a career in academia or outside of it.
Networking for Graduate Students
Whether you plan to pursue a career in academia or explore opportunities beyond it, this session will provide an overview of how to refine your approach and present your networking skills effectively. We will also highlight the importance of building and maintaining academic relationships, as well as promoting your work to access opportunities that may not always be publicly advertised.
CV Preparation for an Academic Job Search
This session goes beyond identifying the basic sections of an academic CV and focuses on what hiring committees are really looking for today. You will learn how to frame your research in ways that are both accessible and appropriately sophisticated, and how to present your experience to highlight the outcomes and impact of your work, whether you are preparing for doctoral studies, postdoctoral opportunities or a dream tenure-track position.
Interview Preparation for Academic Jobs
We will introduce the most common interview formats in academia. Then you will learn how to navigate the opportunities and challenges of each and adapt your communication style to different audiences. We will also provide practical tips on how to answer the most common questions in academic job interviews.
Professionalism in Research Settings
You will gain an understanding of workplace expectations in research settings. There are often unspoken norms that apply whether you are engaged in lab-based or conceptual work. Then we will also provide guidance on managing relationships with supervisors in ways that support, rather than hinder, your academic and professional development.
Cross-cultural Competencies for Academia
Building on cross-cultural foundations, we will explore key competencies in academia. This includes working on projects with academics from different parts of the world, hosting postdoctoral researchers from different backgrounds, or thinking about continuing your academic career abroad. You’ll also become more familiar with inclusive academic practices and how they support effective collaboration.