Joseph Barber

Director, Graduate Career Initiatives

Dr. Joseph Barber is the Director of Graduate Career Initiatives serving graduate students and postdocs.  He has a Ph.D. in animal behaviour from University of Oxford (UK), has previously worked as a Research Fellow at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and currently also teaches graduate students as an Adjunct Professor at Hunter College (CUNY).  Joseph enjoys thinking creatively to help people find and explore different career paths, and is always interested in hearing students and postdocs talk enthusiastically about their research.

All Posts

The Power of Reflection and Intentionality

Check out this post from the Carpe Careers blog published on the Inside Higher Ed website – written by PhD/postdoc career advisors for PhD students and postdocs:

By Joseph Barber
Joseph Barber Director, Graduate Career Initiatives
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How to Design Your Career Like an Entrepreneur

Join Penn Career Services and Penn Alumni Lifelong Learning for “Find Your Inner Founder” on April 24th, 2025, to learn more about how an entrepreneurial mindset can help you find or create meaningful work. Dr. Erica Machulak (C’09) will be …

By Joseph Barber
Joseph Barber Director, Graduate Career Initiatives
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A Timeline for Job Search Success – for graduate students and postdocs

Check out this post from the Carpe Careers blog published on the Inside Higher Ed website – written by PhD/postdoc career advisors for PhD students and postdocs:

By Joseph Barber
Joseph Barber Director, Graduate Career Initiatives
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Students and Research Mentors Can Navigate Career Conversations Together

Check out this post from the Carpe Careers blog published on the Inside Higher Ed website – written by graduate/postdoc career advisors for graduate students and postdocs! And if you are looking for additional career advice to support these career conversations, …

By Joseph Barber
Joseph Barber Director, Graduate Career Initiatives
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Commit to Learning Something New

Check out this post from the Carpe Careers blog published on the Inside Higher Ed website – written by graduate/postdoc career advisors for graduate students and postdocs! And if you are inspired to explore LinkedIn Learning course, remember that Penn offers …

By Joseph Barber
Joseph Barber Director, Graduate Career Initiatives
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Cultivating Life-Giving Habits for Career Wellness

Check out this post from the Carpe Careers blog published on the Inside Higher Ed website – written by Penn Career Services Senior Associate Director, Sharon Fleshman!

By Joseph Barber
Joseph Barber Director, Graduate Career Initiatives
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How humanities PhDs can identify and use their transferable skills

Check out this post from the Carpe Careers blog published on the Inside Higher Ed website – written by PhD/postdoc career advisors for PhD students and postdocs:

By Joseph Barber
Joseph Barber Director, Graduate Career Initiatives
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Creating a Job that doesn’t yet exist!

Check out this post from the Carpe Careers blog published on the Inside Higher Ed website – written by PhD/postdoc career advisors for PhD students and postdocs:

By Joseph Barber
Joseph Barber Director, Graduate Career Initiatives
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Why grad students should make their own career Advisory Networks

Check out this post from the Carpe Careers blog published on the Inside Higher Ed website – written by graduate career advisors for graduate students and postdocs:

By Joseph Barber
Joseph Barber Director, Graduate Career Initiatives
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How graduate students can best use AI in job searches

Check out this post from the Carpe Careers blog published on the Inside Higher Ed website – written by graduate student/postdoc career advisors specifically for the graduate students and postdoc population:

By Joseph Barber
Joseph Barber Director, Graduate Career Initiatives
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