Written By: Chee-Hann Wu
It is easy to become overwhelmed by the requirements and demands of graduate school both academically and non-academically. Research skills and discipline-specific knowledge are only one aspect of one’s professional preparation in grad school. Developing professional skills beyond one’s areas of specialization is also critical for graduate students to succeed in today’s dynamic and fast-paced workforce, both in industry and academia, and across disciplines.
What is “professional development” exactly? Attending workshops, courses or networking events is often characterized as a part of professional development. It is, similar to coursework, for people who are currently in school learning how to get prepared and do something professionally. We want to benefit from professional development because it offers us innovative ways of approaching what we do, thus making us more confident, competent and engaged. What to pay special attention to is that, professional development includes but does not equal to professionalism. Professional development covers both academic and non-academic professional skills, and also some integral skills that can be useful not only in professional but personal life.
I was inspired by a presentation at the 2013 American College Personnel Association (ACPA) by Dr. Matt Helm, Dr. Michelle Rodems and Amy Hector about professional development for grad students. They proposed a method called PREP which divides a grad student’s study into three stages (early, mid and late stage), and addresses four major categories of professional development—Planning, Resilience, Engagement and Professionalism. The chart is not discipline-specific, and can be perceived as a comprehensive overview for grad life. Now, I would use the chart as a basis, and talk about some aspects of professional development for grad students in humanities, arts, social sciences and social ecology.
Regarding the early stage planning, financial planning is just as important as setting expectations and identifying career goals. Let’s be honest. Education is expensive, so is living in California. It is crucial to know one’s (potential) sources of funding before starting grad school. Campus financial supports and funding packages differ from school and department. It is always a good idea to take initiative to ASK whether there will be any teaching or research assistanship, fellowship, scholarship, travel grants or other financial supports if needed. Besides financially planning, “planning” in other stages includes all different kinds of preparations—preparing for exams, job search and meeting academic standards.
“Resilience” is often overlooked in the paradigm of professional development, but is actually very critical. It includes creating one’s wellness plans, conflict resolution, stress and time management, sustaining support networks and more. There are plenty of support groups and resources both within and outside the department. One’s wellness is as important as professional achievements if not more.
“Engagement” and “professionalism” in the chart refer to what is often perceived as the core of professional development. Developing research and writing skills, working with faculty and colleagues, attending conferences, publishing and networking are all a part of it. Since many of the projects involve human interactions, learning to do ethical research and developing teaching and mentoring skills are especially important for grad students in humanities, arts, social sciences and social ecology. In addition, the research topics of most students working in the above-mentioned disciplines tend to be extremely diverse, even within the same program, lab or with the same advisor. On the other hand, there are also a lot of overlaps across departments or disciplines. Therefore, consulting faculty members, networking with people outside the program, and searching for interdisciplinary resources are always extremely helpful for professional development.
Methods for professional development differ from person to person. There is nothing that “everyone needs to do” in order to be successful in professional or private life. It is something that should be customized. For me personally, knowing one’s ability and goal is the best starting point for professional development. In addition, being flexible also helps when one needs to adjust the direction of professional life. Last but not least, never be afraid to ask questions. There are whole tons of resources on campus. The problem is, we do not always know where they are or if they even exist. Asking questions not only gives us more knowledge, but connects us to different people. Professional development should not be a burden, but a help for students to thrive in grad school and beyond.
