UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Graduate and professional students looking for advice on how to improve their job search strategies for careers outside academia, from resume building to assessing company culture, are invited to attend the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School’s upcoming workshop, "Accelerate to Industry (A2i) Job Search Strategies: The Essentials Series."
The in-person series will be led by Lesley Jackson, associate director of graduate student career and professional development with the Fox Graduate School, and will take place Thursdays throughout October and November from 4 to 5 p.m. in 102 Kern Building at Penn State University Park. The first session will take place on Oct. 10.
The Essentials Series, part of Penn State’s larger A2i program, is designed to give students a broad understanding of career exploration, job search process and the tools needed to succeed as they look towards their next steps post-graduation. First developed by North Carolina State University, A2i connects graduate students with industry companies to explore employment opportunities, with a goal of helping graduate students develop the business, leadership, and communication skills that companies seek in new employees.
The upcoming full schedule and session details can be found below. Registration is required and will register the participant for the entire workshop series.
Resumes Workshop
Thursday, Oct. 10
First impressions are important, and this session will discuss how to put together a targeted resume for careers outside academia.
Networking Workshop
Thursday, Oct. 17
Networking is essential, and it does not look the same for everyone. Learn the basic principles of one of the most important skills needed in the job search.
LinkedIn and Interviewing Workshop
Thursday, Oct. 31
It often can all come down to how a student interviews when looking for a job. This workshop will look at the principles of expert interviewing and how to use the features on LinkedIn to keep the networking game moving.
Offers and Negotiations Workshop
Thursday, Nov. 7
One of the most confusing and intimidating topics, the workshop will discuss how to negotiate offers to make sure students are getting paid what they are worth.
Assessing Company Culture Workshop
Thursday, Nov. 14
Company culture is not one size fits all. Attendees of this final workshop will discuss how to find an organization compatible with their values.
Interested students with questions can reach out to Jackson at law177@psu.edu.