Hosted by CHOP – Office of Academic Training and Outreach Programs
This summer, we will be featuring blog posts written by PhD students who participated in Career Services’ Career Exploration Initiative (CEI), a program that helps doctoral candidates explore their career interests through networking opportunities with advanced degree professionals. Click here to learn more about CEI.
I spent the semester working with Olivia Chesniak, a Senior Programs Officer within the Office of Academic Training and Outreach Programs at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Olivia was supportive in helping me think through potential non-academic career paths. We met monthly to discuss how I could best position myself for careers outside of academia. Our conversations focused on networking, interpreting job postings, and strengthening my resume and professional materials. One of the most valuable aspects of the experience was that Olivia connected me with colleagues for informational interviews. This helped me begin building my professional network and gain firsthand insight into a variety of career paths.Â
The most surprising thing I learned was that I already have many of the skills employers are looking for. Before participating in the program, I often felt that my experiences were too specialized or academic focused. I learned that I have skills such as project management, communication, and prioritization that are valuable across many industries. CEI helped me find a way to frame and communicate these experiences effectively.Â
The program encouraged me to think more intentionally about how my research and clinical experiences align with careers beyond academia. Moving forward, I plan to continue conducting informational interviews to expand my network and find careers that allow me to combine analytical thinking with patient/client work. CEI broadened my understanding of the range of opportunities available to PhD students and gave me more confidence in exploring non-academic career paths.Â
The most valuable interactions I had were the informational interviews Olivia helped set up. These conversations gave me the opportunity to hear directly from professionals working in different roles and helped me better understand the day-to-day realities of various career paths. I also learned how important it is to ask thoughtful questions during networking conversations, on topics such as team culture.Â
I would encourage any PhD student to apply to CEI! The CEI program is a great opportunity to explore non-academic careers in a supportive and low pressure environment. The hosts genuinely want to help students succeed and create a space where it feels comfortable to ask questions. The program helped me build confidence in my transferable skills, expand my professional network, and better understand how to navigate the non-academic job search process. Â
