Apart from academic success, I personally feel that professional development is of utmost importance for a masters or a PhD student since it helps to continuously learn and improve overall skills over time. At UCI, we are fortunate that the Graduate Division is committed to supporting graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in developing a strong professional identity and career plan. The Graduate Resource Center (GRC) offers certificate series and programs that focus on Graduate Professional Success:
- Communications and Cultural Fluency– An important element of being prepared for an interview is excellent communication skills. I experienced this while applying for internships and Teaching Assistant positions.
- Teaching and Pedagogy– It will be a wonderful learning experience for each one of us to be Teaching/ Research Assistants while at UCI and for that, we require effective teaching skills. In the upcoming year, I plan to apply to such positions after attending an array of training such as Quarterly workshops on contemporary and scholarly teaching practices, Certificate in Teaching Excellence Program (CTEP), Pedagogical Fellows course and practicum. For those of you who wish to become future faculty, this is a great resource.
- Life Skills– All work and no play does no good for anyone. For recreation, I usually go to Zot Zone that is a gaming zone near the Student Center. Southern California is also blessed with beautiful and picturesque beaches as well as many art museums. I also love going to the Anteater Recreation Center (ARC) where I play badminton, basketball and racquetball. There is also a well-equipped gymnasium and other classes that happen on a regular basis. UCI Health and Wellness provides a variety of social, emotional and physical resources and services.
- Ethics and Professional Responsibility– Since most of us will be involved in research and will be working under professors, we need a clear understanding of ethical reasoning, intellectual property, acknowledgement of contributions, including authorship, and conflict of interest. I have heard of a few cases where the student does a portion of the research but is not aware of how to approach his/her guide about authorship.
- Careers and Entrepreneurship– Many of us have elaborate career plans but are unsure of how to achieve them. I faced a similar situation and decided to approach UCI Applied Innovation located at the Cove on-campus. For anyone trying to be an entrepreneur, they provide access to outside entrepreneurs who look out for university talent. They are very approachable and extremely helpful. Under the Graduate Professional Success brand, there are many workshops including salary negotiation, career strategies, versatile PhD, perfecting the elevator pitch, resume preparation and international opportunities.
- Leadership– I personally wanted to cultivate leadership skills in myself, since everyone will be a leader at some point and it is an important responsibility. Although I am otherwise a shy person, I did my best to take on small responsibilities in various project groups during my first year. I also stood for elections to be on the Student Council in the Business School and am currently the Vice President of International Student Relations. I have already been exposed to so many situations that have made me think like a leader. The great thing about UCI is that there are always resources to turn to during tough times. I encourage all of you to try to take on leadership roles as and when possible.
- Funding– Prior to beginning to my education at UCI, I was offered a fellowship which covered a portion of my funds. For many of you who are pursuing courses that require funds and grants, it is very important to be able to convince the authorities to offer you a grant. Developing excellent grant writing skills is another essential academic skill which transfers to non-academic pursuits. The GRC will host grant writing workshops.
I encourage you to register for the GRC’s certificate programs and programs early in your academic career so that you have the time to address all seven areas of Graduate Professional Success.