Professional and Career Skills Development

You have probably heard that the development of professional and career skills is essential to the formation of well-rounded graduate students, but why is that? This training, which complements academic growth and disciplinary expertise, has multiple benefits. Professional and career skills are not only important to increasing your career mobility and employability after grad school, but also to enhancing your overall student experience and achieving your personal and professional goals. Graduate students who work on developing and strengthening their skills are more confident when they apply for jobs and are better equipped to transition from academia to other sectors. Finally, developing professional and career skills also sets you on a path of self-motivated learning that can last a lifetime.

A plethora of career opportunities await you! We would love to help you navigate the world of PCS and help you achieve your career goals. We invite you to explore the resource options below.

CBS Resources

CBS Grad Chats Series

This series covers topics related to professional skills and graduate school in general. All CBS graduate students are welcome to attend! Workshops take place in the Fall and Winter, and students receive details a couple of weeks before each workshop. Our workshops are as follows:

• Monday, September 8, 10 - 11:30 a.m.: Scholarship applications
• Tuesday, September 9, 12 - 1 p.m.: Stipends, scholarships, and financial aid
• Tuesday, October 14, 12 - 1 p.m.: Graduate school expectations
• Tuesday, November 11, 12 - 1 p.m.: Academic publishing
• Tuesday, December 2, 12 - 1 p.m.: GSA and CUPE3913
• Tuesday, Jan. 13, 12 - 1 p.m.: Networking strategies
• Tuesday, Feb. 10, 12 - 1 p.m.: Challenge mindset for career exploration
• Tuesday, March 10, 12 - 1 p.m.: Job searching

Questions? Comments? Please email us.

Careers in Biology

• What? Careers in Biology is an opportunity to learn from professionals who hold graduate degrees and work in various sectors (R&D, education, management, sci comm, business). Students network and get tips and tricks on how to enter and succeed in the workforce, with an emphasis on non-academic sectors.
• Who? Organized by a CBS grad student committee with oversight of the ADR office. A call for volunteers for the committee goes out in the late Fall.
• How? Students can attend their preferred session(s) and interact with the speakers.
• Where? Virtually and in-person.
• When? Annually, at the end of the winter semester.

Graduate Student Symposium

• What? Graduate Student Symposium fosters networking and presentations skills in a friendly and professional setting. The event usually features keynote speakers, a complimentary lunch, and a grad student social at the end. Faculty and staff are also welcome to attend the presentations.
• Who? Organized by a CBS grad student committee with oversight of the ADR office. A call for volunteers for the committee goes out in the late Fall.
• How? Students register like they would register for a conference. Students can present either a poster or talk and are required to submit an abstract. Students can also compete for best presenter prizes.
• Where? In the Science Complex, typically the Science Complex Waasamowin for poster session, complementary lunch, and keynote speakers, and classrooms for concurrent talk sessions.
• When? Annually, at the end of the winter semester.

Graduate Mentorship Program

• What? The Graduate Mentorship Program connects graduate students with alumni to explore career paths, develop professional skills, and build networks.
• Who? All graduate students in CBS (both in thesis and coursework programs) can apply as long as they are registered as a student in the Summer when the program begins. Alumni are recruited by the College.
• How? Students apply when a call opens in the Winter semester and wait to be matched in May. Matches are handpicked based on background, interests, and skills.
• Where? Encounters between mentors and students occur virtually, unless the group decides to meet in-person.
• When? Students apply in April, get matched in May, and meet at least four times with their mentor and peer mentees during the Summer and Fall semesters.

SCRIBE (Students Communicating Research in Biology Education)

• What? SCRIBE (Students Communicating Research in Biology Education) is a CBS research communication and knowledge mobilization program that offers grad students the opportunity to polish their writing skills by producing short stories (500-800 words) about CBS research articles. SCRIBE is part of the Professional and Career Development Record (PCDR).
• Who? Powered by grad students and organized by the ADR office. A call for writers goes out every year in the Fall.
• How? Students register by the deadline and attend two training session. Students then sign up for stories, interview faculty/postdocs, prepare a draft, get feedback, and produce the final story. Students get paid as well! All stories get posted online as part of our SCRIBE Research Highlights and in CBS social media channels.
• Where? This is entirely virtual, except for interviews and training sessions, which can be in-person.
• When? The program runs throughout the year.

CBS Postdoc Summer Training

• What? This is a series of sessions that guide postdocs/research associates in preparing academic job applications. The series covers academic CVs and cover letters, academic interviews, and independent writing drop-in time. We also invite recent faculty members to provide advice and feedback to postdocs as they work on their applications. Senior PhD students with an interest in an academic path are also welcome!
• Who? Organized by the ADR office.
• How? Postdocs and graduate students receive an email announcing the sessions at least two weeks in advance.
• Where? This event is hybrid, with in-person sessions in the Science Complex and the option to join on Zoom.
• When? Annually, usually in July and August.

Job Portals

We have published an Excel list of job portals that regularly post academic and non-academic job opportunities in the biological sciences. Please feel free to download this document to explore career options and let us know if you would like to see additional job portals included here!

University of Guelph Resources

Career Advising

If you are interested in talking to a Career Advisor, please reach out directly to CBS's career advisor, Julia Leary, or book an appointment through Experience Guelph. Please also see a list of upcoming fairs and career nights.

Experiential Learning Hub Modules on CourseLink

• What? These are modules on Career Advising available on CourseLink and were designed to help students access pertinent career development information whenever they want.
• Who? The program is developed and delivered by the Experiential Learning Hub. All students have access.
• How? Students can log into CourseLink and take modules at their own pace. Modules are: Career Planning and Exploration, Networking and Job Search, Resumes and Cover Letters, Interviews, and Further Education Options.
• Where? To find and take these modules, follow the steps outlined in the Career Advising Modules on CourseLink page.

Grad Pathways

• What? Grad Pathways is the University of Guelph hub of academic and professional skills development for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
• Who? It is administered by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in collaboration with on-campus and off-campus partners.
• How? Grad Pathways identifies six skill domains: Communication, Teaching, Leadership, Research & Analysis, Your Career, and Wellness. The program offers: 1) a list of opportunities within each domain, 2) a calendar of workshops/events for grad students, and 3) a non-credit Skills Development Course that allows students to earn a Record of Completion for attending eight workshops spread across the skills domains, and then completing a short task for each.
• Where? For more details, check the links above or contact gradpath@uoguelph.ca.

Individual Development Plan

• What? The Individual Development Plan is a guide to help you align your personal and professional goals with your academic expectations and responsibilities. In other words, it can help you tailor your graduate experience to your future career goals.
• Who? The plan is used across many universities in Canada. At U of G, it is promoted by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and several departments and colleges. Graduate students work on their own and with a mentor (e.g., advisor, U of G staff member) to set and discuss goals and assess student progress towards their goals.
• How? Students, with the support of their mentors, complete the Individual Development Plan, which consists of seven steps: 1) assess your skills, 2) explore careers, 3) set your goals, 4) discuss with a mentor, 5) track your success, 6) revise and repeat, and 7) sell your achievements.
• Where? To download templates and guidelines, please visit the IDP site. For more details email gradpath@uoguelph.ca.

Office of Teaching and Learning

• What? The Office of Teaching and Learning provides hands-on and community-based teaching development opportunities for grad students. These introduce participants to evidence-informed strategies and ideas for learner-centred instructional development, as well as for implementation in their reflective teaching practices. They also offer a graduate course in university teaching.
• Who? The program is developed and delivered by the Office of Teaching and Learning.
• How? Students participate at their own pace and based on their own interests.
• Where? Visit the OTL's Graduate Student Programming page to learn more and register for training activities.

Library Workshops

• What? The library offers a variety of workshops on topics such as data and statistical analysis, research project planning, scientific writing style, academic publishing, social media, video and infographics, GIS, EAL, and presentation skills, among others.
• Who? These workshops are designed, developed, and facilitated by learning and media professionals from the McLaughlin Library.
• How? Students can explore the calendar of events and sign up for sessions they are interested in.
• Where? Check out the Library event calendar for upcoming opportunities.

Skills for Research Impact

• What? In this series of workshops, you can learn how to increase the impact of your research. It covers topics such as knowledge mobilization, knowledge translation, use of infographics, and clear language writing.
• Who? These workshops are designed, developed, and facilitated by the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, together with the Community Engaged Scholarship Institute.
• How? Students can explore the calendar of events and register for the sessions they are interested in.
• Where? Check out the Skills for Research Impact page for upcoming opportunities.

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition

• What? 3MT is a university-wide competition for graduate students in which participants present their research, creative activity, and its wider impact in three minutes or less to a panel of non-specialist judges. The challenge is to present complex research in an engaging, accessible and compelling way, using only one slide.
• Who? Grad students are eligible if they are in a thesis or MRP program, have made progress with their research, and haven't graduated. Students receive details by email in the winter semester.
• How? Students register for their College Heat, after which a winner and runner-up move to the U of G Final. The winner of the U of G Final goes to the Provincial Final. Usually, training workshops are also offered before the college heats. The ADR office will email students every February with details.
• Where? These events are in-person and take place between March and May. Please see OGPS' 3MT site for information on eligibility, evaluation criteria, registration, and examples of past presentations.

External Resources

Beyond the Professoriate

• What? Beyond the Professoriate is a professional development training platform that helps doctoral students and PhDs successfully transition into academic or nonacademic career paths. The content is also helpful for master students.
• Who? The platform is administered by Beyond the Professoriate, and subscribed by several universities across North America, including UofG.
• How? The site offers a video library and live webinars on different career and professional skills topics. It also features interviews with professionals from different sectors, who share advice on their career path.
• Where? Go to the Beyond the Professoriate website and select UofG from the drop down list of institutions. You are required to log in.

Graduate and Postdoctoral Development Network (GPDN)

• What? The Graduate and Postdoctoral Development Network aims to educate and inspire Canadian graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to develop and take action to achieve current and future career goals. They host an annual career symposium in the Fall.
• Who? The network is led by career development professionals from the postsecondary sector, and houses a variety of Standing Committees, Working Groups, and Communities of Practice.
• How? The network offers an annual career symposium (usually around October) that graduate students and post-docs across colleges can attend at no cost. They also have a series of articles with advise on careers that might be of interest.
• Where? You can check out the Graduate and Postdoctoral Development Network’s available resources and symposium page for more information. You can also follow them on Twitter @GPDNCanada.

Interested in PCS that you don’t see listed in the links above? Want to chat more about PCS? We encourage you to reach out to us directly (email cbsadr@uoguelph.ca) to discuss how we can best help you!