Individuals who are thinking graduate school are often overwhelmed with the “what will happen after I get my graduate degree?” question. The answer can often be found by utilizing the resources readily available.
Tennessee Tech University’s Center for Career Development could be considered a “one stop shop” for those graduate students seeking a new career and for those who are simply hoping to move up the career ladder in their current careers, all at no cost.
They offer help with resumes, either updating a current resume or starting from scratch and creating a new resume. Professionals in that office know the latest trends and the skill sets that employers currently place high emphasis on. They can offer advice on showcasing those skill sets and creating a professional resume will stand out in any competitive market.
The center also offers the program Handshake. This program is Tech’s “part-time, co-op, internship, fellowship and full-time job gateway for students in all majors.” Handshake offers self-help items to assist with activating, setting up an account, and engaging with employers for the first time. In Handshake one can build your profile from a resume, request appointments, learn how to make a profile public to employers and even create and save job searches.
Career fairs are another great career resource for graduate students, and are not, as commonly perceived, only for undergrads. The center hosts various events during both the fall and spring semester. This is an excellent resource, and the list of employers who will be attending the various career fairs ahead of time are posted on the center’s website. This will allow one to plan, research potential employers and their job openings to attend the fair with well-prepared confidence and create that all important first impression.
As most graduate classes are online, and the student may not be in the same city as the university, having the list of employers attending the fairs posted in advance is extremely advantageous. This allows time to prepare and make any arrangements, either travel or work related, possible.
A career resource that is also readily available to graduate students is the professors in their courses and their fellow graduate students.
This was something that Natalie Robbins, who is obtaining her Professional Science master’s degree with a concentration in environmental informatics, learned while in the program.
“One thing about the professional science master’s program that I don’t think is highlighted enough is how much everyone in the program cares about making sure you succeed,” Robbins said. “I never felt like I was on my own or had to just figure it out, even post-graduation. Everyone in the program is invested in making sure the graduates are able to find a job in their wheelhouse and the program has created a great network of post-grads looking to help each other succeed, as well.”
Individuals can also utilize LinkedIn for networking and job searches. LinkedIn is the “world’s largest professional network on the internet.” LinkedIn can be used to find the “right” job or internship, build business connections and enhance professional relationships. It also offers opportunities to learn or improve the skills one needs to succeed in their career.
The future after graduate school does not have to be scary or intimidating. For those thinking of attending graduate school and obtaining that dream job, utilizing the career resources available can help make obtaining that goal a reality.