Hosted by Penn Career Services
- Describe your experience working with your host.
During my Career Exploration Fellowship (CEF), I had the privilege to work with Dr. Ariana Alexander, Associate Director with the Graduate School Advising Team at UPenn Career Services. Dr. Alexander was very supportive, approachable, and encouraging from the beginning. During our initial meeting, we discussed my motivations to apply to CEF, potential career plans and expectations from the program. She proposed an action plan so I could shadow her advising undergraduate students, get to explore different branches in advising, and meet with other people working in the field to know their experiences and perspectives. She then scheduled at least 10 informational interviews and connected me with the leaders and coordinators of several office committees including First Generation, International Students and Summer Funding. We had bi-weekly in-person meetings where we discussed my experiences during the informational interviews and committee meetings, potential future jobs and qualifications, and our next steps in the CEF. For my project, I prepared a presentation addressed to undergraduate students interested in pursuing a PhD in Biomedical Sciences. The content included tips and advice regarding how to think about their scientific interests, look for program requirements and specifications, write personal, research and diversity statements, ask for letters of recommendation, prepare for an interview and how to choose the program and institution that is the right fit for you.
Finally, I had an amazing experience during my CEF and Dr. Alexander was a great host who I consider now one of my mentors in the PhD. I am very grateful for her enthusiasm and commitment.
- What did you learn from this opportunity (about yourself, about career fields, the job search, etc.)?
Before starting CEF, I didn’t know that a career in academic advising was possible because is not something that is expected for someone who beholds a PhD degree. Thanks to CEF, I have a better understanding of how a career in academic advising looks like and all the different branches and opportunities I have available if I decide to pursue this career. I learned how much I enjoy academic advising and what my future steps in my professional development journey should be to accomplish that goal.
- How does your CEF experience benefit your future career plans?
CEF gave me amazing networking opportunities, very helpful resume, cover letter and LinkedIn workshops to start thinking about how to market yourself, tailor documents for specific job listings and develop necessary knowledge and skills to pursue a career in academic advising. I feel more prepared to look for this kind of job if I end up deciding to pursue this career.
- What was the most valuable part of your CEF experience?
Everything during my CEF experience was remarkable, but the most valuable part was the opportunity to network with different scientists from who I learned that there are different career paths and journeys, and many options outside the traditional careers that PhD students are expected to follow. The support and encouragement that I received from the amazing people I had the honor to meet is something I will always remember and treasure.
- Top reason PhD students should apply to the CEF:
CEF is an excellent program that brings you the opportunity to really explore what a career outside academia looks like in a personalized approach, focused on the interests, inquiries, and concerns of the student. One of the great aspects of this program is that the students are matched with one host with who will be working during the semester which allows them to build a stronger connection. In addition, CEF provides several networking opportunities and very helpful workshops for professional development.
