Doctoral Student Resources

Don’t wait until the last years of your doctoral program to think about what you’re going to do once you graduate! Career Design can work with you throughout your program to help you better understand your motivations and goals, explore career options, craft job materials, learn how to network effectively, and reflect on your progress.

We know that every doctoral program and doctoral student is unique, so we’ve devised a flexible career design pathway that will help you investigate your interests and develop the skills you’ll need whether you pursue a career in academia or industry (including jobs in government, non-profit organizations, K-12 education, corporations, startups, and more).

Below, find suggestions for how you can begin to design your future career, with links to specific Career Design programs that can support you in this work.

Are you wondering what kind of academic institution you want to work for? Are you curious what industry careers might be a good fit for you? Reflect on your skills, values, and interests to envision potential career outcomes, then set goals to help you achieve these outcomes. Check out our self-paced Canvas Modules for resources on self reflection and self assessment, as well as our Career Design Events Calendar for upcoming relevant programming. Come to Doctoral Office Hours to discuss career pathways and set goals with Career Design’s doctoral advisor.

Learn how to leverage online platforms as well as events like conferences and panels to build a meaningful network of contacts that can support you throughout your Ph.D. program and beyond. Explore our self-paced Canvas modules for more on these topics, as well as our relevant coaching labs. Check out the Career Design Events Calendar for upcoming networking opportunities. Come to Doctoral Office Hours to discuss networking strategies with Career Design’s doctoral advisor.

Career Design can help you create a clear understanding of your professional identity, and practice confidently sharing that identity with those in your network. Learn how to use LinkedIn and other platforms to build your online professional brand. Create a professional introduction (your “elevator pitch”) to share when attending recruiting events or networking opportunities. Attend practice interview sessions to gain confidence in articulating how your Ph.D. experience has prepared you for the professional world. Explore our Career Design Events Calendar and self-paced Canvas modules for more on these topics. Career Design also has coaching labs to help you tell your story. Come to Doctoral Office Hours to discuss how to convey your unique professional brand.

Write and review your academic job materials (academic CV, academic cover letter, and diversity, research, and teaching statements) and/or your industry job materials (resume and cover letter) through our self-paced Canvas modules and coaching labs. Explore the Career Design Events Calendar for specialty workshops on crafting doctoral job materials. Once you have utilized these resources, bring your job materials to Doctoral Office Hours for review.

 

Career Design support for doctoral students includes: 

There are many other useful tools and resources available to you:

  • Visit the Employer Engagement and Career Design website for helpful resources on drafting your resume using VMock Smart Resumes, practice for an interview with Big Interview, learn Tips for working remotely, and explore career guides to see how different fields of study can lead to a variety of occupations.
  • Sign into NUworks for posted internship and employment opportunities, as well as other career resources.
  • Explore resources through NU PLACE, a campus hub that provides programs and tools to support the career and professional development of historically marginalized learners.
  • Join NUsource and Northeastern LinkedIn groups to connect with alumni.