Join us for our series of virtual workshops and panels centered around helping graduate students navigate their careers. Register for each session you’re interested in on Handshake to receive access! All virtual sessions except panels will be recorded and uploaded to our YouTube channel afterward. Make sure that you subscribe and follow our channel to get notified when the video is posted! Undergraduates – many of these programs may be interesting to you as well! Please look at the description below for each program which indicates which programs you can register for – please join us!
Presented and co-sponsored by:
Monday, October 23: Exploring Career Options
10-10:30 AM: Navigating your Master’s Program with Purpose: How to Set 5 Professional Goals | Virtual
Your time as a master’s student at Penn will move quickly. Whether you are here to pivot your career in a new direction, or are not sure what direction you’d like to go after you complete your master’s degree, taking the time to set some goals for your time at Penn will help you! Participate in this program to assist in creating tangible and actionable goals utilizing some of Career Services’ online resources.
Register on Handshake
10:45-11:15 AM: Utilizing AI in your Job Search | Virtual
AI tools can be immensely helpful as part of the process of career exploration or when you are actively on the job search. From helping you understand key themes from job postings, creating a networking plan for the next 12 months, giving you insight into different jobs and industries, to providing you with actionable feedback on your own professional narratives as you apply and interview, it is wonderfully convenient to have a tireless copilot to support your career development. In this workshop, we will cover some best practices you can take with AI tools, and a few approaches to avoid, as you position yourself for future career opportunities.
Register on Handshake – Undergraduates welcome!
1-1:30 PM: Leveraging Beyond Graduate School for Career Planning | Virtual
Join us for this workshop to learn how you can make the most of the Beyond Graduate School platform to support your professional and career development. Beyond Graduate School in an online, eLeanring platform designed specifically for Master’s students, providing a structured curriculum as you position yourself for your internship and job search, and immediate resources to help you at every stage of the process. Whether you have questions about career exploration, networking, resumes, interviewing, negotiating, or how to make the most of your next career opportunity, there are resources you can use on Beyond Graduate School.
Register on Handshake
1:30-2 PM: Leveraging the PhD Career Training Platform for Career Planning | Virtual
Are you a doctoral student or postdoc looking to explore different career pathways? The PhD Career Training Platform can help you navigate your options and achieve your professional goals. In this session we will show you how to make the most of this resource by providing you with practical tips and strategies to utilize this tool effectively. You will learn how to access and utilize the tools and modules provided, and gain insights on how to apply these to your career search.
Register on Handshake
2-3 PM: Industry Dialogue on Careers in Government [Panel] | Virtual
Want to learn more about the Pathways for Students & Recent Graduates to Federal Careers Program? Have questions about federal resume format required for some federal jobs? Attend this interactive alumni panel to learn more about the process of applying to federal jobs. Panelists include Penn Fels Institute of Government MPA alums:
Cameron Ashton, Program Analyst, FEMA
Dylan Hayden, DPA, Social Science Analyst, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Bring your questions to this interactive program!
Register on Handshake – Undergraduates welcome!
Tuesday, October 24: Documents for the Job Search
10-10:30 AM: Resume Crafting for Graduate Students: 5 Tips to Get You Started | Virtual
If you are currently working on a resume as part of an internship or job search and are looking for some best practices to improve the content and formatting of your document, then join us for this workshop. We will cover some easy changes, effective approaches, and useful resources that can help you showcase your relevant skills and experience in your updated resume.
Register on Handshake
10:45-11:15 AM: How to use Targeted Resume: Identify Key Skills and Rise Above Applicant Tracking Software | Virtual
Many employers use applicant tracking software to manage the 100s applications they may receive for internships or jobs. Recruiters use this software to determine if there is a good match between your skills and the requirements of the position, and keywords in your resume are an important part of this. In this mini-workshop, learn how you can use the freely available parts of the tool Targeted Resume to compare your resume with internship/job descriptions, and how you can use this to create a better keyword match when you apply for positions.
Register on Handshake – Undergraduates welcome!
2-3 PM: Social Impact Careers [Alumni Panel] | Virtual
Attend this program to learn more from alumni working in social impact careers. Confirmed panelists are:
Angela Maldonado, M.S.Ed, Urban Education – Partner, The Bridgespan Group
Andrea Patton, M.S. Organizational Dynamics – Senior Manager, Employee & Community Engagement, Campbell Soup Company
Dan Rosica, Master of Behavioral & Decision Sciences – Senior Behavioral Designer, ideas42
Tosin Shenbanjo, M.S.Ed., Education Policy – Human Services Researcher, Mathematica Policy Research
Register on Handshake – Undergraduates welcome!
Wednesday, October 25: Networking & Alumni Connections
10-10:30 AM: Leveraging LinkedIn | Virtual
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for leveraging connections you currently have and ones you have yet to make! In this workshop, learn how to optimize and maximize your LinkedIn experience to help you expand your network, personalize invitations, find Penn alumni, and update your profile to be “employer-ready.”
Register on Handshake – Undergraduates welcome!
10:45-11:15 AM: Unlocking the Penn Alumni Network with myPenn | Virtual
Penn’s alumni network stretches far and wide – but how do you go about finding the right person to connect with? In this mini-workshop, we will walk through how to search for and find relevant alumni using myPenn – a searchable database of over 470,000 Penn alumni. We will touch on what you can write when reaching out, and where to look if you can’t find a great email address to get the conversation started.
Register on Handshake – Undergraduates welcome!
1-3 PM: LinkedIn Lab | In Person
LinkedIn is one of the most powerful networking and job search tools out there – if you are going to be applying to jobs or internships in the near future, having a strong profile is a must. Bring your laptop to Career Services’ first ever LinkedIn Lab for grad students. Share your profile with other grad students and offer feedback to other students. Drop in anytime between 1-3 PM and make your edits on the spot.
After you have updated your LinkedIn profile, stop by Career Services’ photo booth for a FREE professional headshot to add to your profile!
Register on Handshake
4-5 PM: STEM Career Pathways Alumni Panel presented by GAPSA | In Person Ben Franklin Room, Houston Hall
Discover the limitless career opportunities awaiting you with a graduate degree! We invite you to be a part of our engaging Penn Alumni Career Pathways Series, designed to inspire your professional growth, foster valuable connections, and demystify the exciting journey that awaits you as a graduate student.
At this event, we’re putting a spotlight on the dynamic world of STEM-related fields. However, we extend a warm welcome to all graduate students, regardless of your academic background!
Join us for an enlightening panel discussion featuring accomplished Penn alumni who have harnessed the power of their graduate degrees in their current occupations. From the thrilling realms of biotech and pharmaceuticals to the ever-evolving landscape of consulting firms and innovative startups, our panelists will share their unique career journeys.
Panelists include:
Gleb Bazilevsky, PhD, Senior Investigator of Protein Production, Aro Biotherapeutics
Kerra Henkin, MPH, ML, Public Health Program Manager, Penn Medicine
Leah Suttner, PhD, Associate Principal Scientist, Merck
Matthew Stetz, PhD, Data Scientist, GSK
5-7 PM: Networking Reception presented by GAPSA | In Person Golkin Room, Houston Hall
Following the panel discussion, join us for a mixer. Food and drinks will be provided!
Come, broaden your horizons, and embrace the wealth of career possibilities that await you.
Click here to register for the GAPSA panel and reception.
Thursday, October 26: Interviewing & Negotiating
10:45-11:15 AM: Resource Showcase: Big Interview | Virtual
The Big Interview platform is designed to help you prepare effectively for your next internship or job interview, with a video curriculum on how to answer interview questions, a STAR-story builder for coming up with effective answers to behavioral-based questions, and the opportunity to practice industry-specific questions. If you want to be prepared to ace your interview, then learn how to take advantage of this tool.
Register on Handshake – Undergraduates welcome!
Friday, October 27: International Students
12-12:45 PM: Interstride: Job Search Strategies for International Students | Virtual
Join this program to learn more about Career Services’ newest platform – Interstride. Designed specifically for international students, Interstride provides a wealth of resources and guidance to navigate the job search process successfully. Join this virtual program to learn how to access valuable insights and leverage Interstride’s tools. Learn how to effectively search for jobs and internships as an international student and enhance your employment prospects with tailored job search strategies. Discover techniques that will give you a competitive edge in today’s job market.
Register on Handshake – Undergraduates welcome!
1-2 PM: The Job Search for International Graduate Students Q&A with ISSS | Virtual
International graduate students will follow the same steps along the job search process as their domestic peers, but there are certainly unique challenges that they will encounter along the way. In this Q&A session, advisors from Penn Career Services and International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) will talk about ways to manage some of these challenges, and will answer questions from students submitted prior to this session and in the chat during the session. As part of this conversation, we will highlight key resources that you will find helpful. If you would like to submit your questions prior to this session, please email Tithi Basu Mallik in Career Services. This Q&A will be recorded and made available if you are unable to participate in the virtual session.
Register on Handshake – Undergraduates welcome!
