Review your education, research, thesis or dissertation, publications, and any other academic or professional information you have. What are your strengths? What problems are you most passionate about addressing? What do you most want to be known for? This is how you create your brand, and it is your responsibility to market it!
Many of the skills you acquire in graduate school—researching and writing papers, working as a teaching assistant, presenting papers—are transferable.In addition to your professional work experience, present your academic skills and expertise in a way that translates to your chosen career field.
- Translate your skills into language employers understand
- Identify the transferable skills you have developed in your graduate studies for work in non-academic careers
- For more tips for career changers, visit Career Change Tools and Advice
- Develop a resume consistent with expectations from employers in your field of interest.
- To view a graduate-level resume in your industry or career field of interest, visit our Career Specific Resource pages
- Focus on your transferable skills rather than titles or roles
- Use Jobscan for an instant analysis of how well your resume matches a particular job description. Get help writing an optimized resume to get past the initial screen of employer Applicant Tracking Systems
- Supplement your resume and directly connect your interests and experiences to the organization and position for which you are applying with a well-crafted cover letter
- Complete or update your profile on Handshake, a national career network with connections to thousands of fellow graduate students and employers hiring for masters and doctoral level talent.
- Create/update a LinkedIn profile. Set your profile to public, fill your profile with skills and keywords for your target industry, contribute to discussions, and join and participate in groups to connect with like-minded professionals. Publish LinkedIn Articles to go deep on key topics that matter most to your professional community.
- Engage on Twitter by tweeting on current topics in your field using hashtags.
- Introduce yourself using your personal pitch (or elevator speech).
- Attend career events (Examples: career fairs, professional association meetings, and conferences) to meet and interact with employers and working professionals in your field
- Help an employer understand your interest in the position, your education, skills, and experiences during an interview
- Know your salary requirements and preferred salary range based on your research and your budget
In summary, your brand is your reputation. It is what other people know and understand about you. You create a brand by consistently marketing yourself:
- in documents (resumes and cover letters)
- online (social networking platforms such as LinkedIn)
- in person (networking events and interviewing)
For internship/job search support, schedule an appointment.