Graduate Students

• Reflect on your skills, interests, and professional values through a variety of online tools, including Imagine PhD (for humanities and social sciences) and myIDP (for STEM), as well as self-assessment resources like Stanford University’s Meaningful Work Kit.
• Identify your unique talents through a CliftonStrengths self-assessment. Meet with a grad career coach after your assessment to discuss your results.
• Practice communicating about yourself, your skills, and your career interests in a brief elevator pitch.
• Connect with professionals and alumni on LinkedIn to begin building your professional community.
• Gain insights into potential careers through informational interviews, or short conversations with professionals working in roles you’re interested in pursuing.
• Research careers in fields of interest through resources like O*Net. Explore job search sites and read job postings to set yourself up for success in your search.

Looking for more on-demand resources? Beyond the Professoriate allows you to explore academic and professional careers on your own time, with self-paced video lessons, industry interviews with PhDs, and monthly webinars, all designed to fit your busy schedule.

• Search for positions of interest to apply to. Find job postings on:
  • Broad job boards like LinkedIn, Indeed, and GoinGlobal
  • Job boards in specific fields like idealist (for nonprofits and NGOs), USAJobs (for government), and HigherEdJobs and Chronicle Careers (for higher ed)
  • Specialized job boards and through professional associations
• Let your professional community know you’re job searching. Many job openings never make it to online job boards, and are instead filled through professional networks and referrals.
• Craft and tailor your foundational job documents: a resume for jobs beyond academia, a CV for roles within academia, and a cover letter. Identify and include your transferable skills in your job documents where applicable.
• Research companies, institutions, and organizations you’re applying to. Consider how they talk about themselves on their websites, especially their mission and vision statements. Find employee reviews and other information about workplace culture on Glassdoor.

• Practice and prepare for interviews with Big Interview, an online tool with extensive question libraries, helpful tips on preparing answers, and digital mock interviews.
• Schedule a mock interview with a grad career coach for even more practice and real-time feedback.
• Explore salary data, consider benefits important to you, and research cost of living in order to negotiate job offers with confidence.

If you’re having difficulty making it to the interview or offer stage, don’t panic! Meet with a grad career coach to talk about your job search and work on your next steps together.

Explore resources Mizzou offers to support you during your degree program:

• GradEssentials is a university-wide initiative designed to support graduate student success by connecting students with essential resources and opportunities across three core themes: Academic Excellence, Career Exploration & Development, and Personal Health & Well-Being.
• The Writing Center supports grad students’ writing projects through virtual and in-person tutoring appointments and asynchronous feedback on online submissions, as well as workshops, events, and writing groups tailored to grad students’ needs.
• Mizzou Libraries support grad students’ research through subject librarians, webinars and workshops, and research guides and tools.
• The Teaching for Learning Center offers training and development for Graduate Teaching Assistants and Graduate Instructors, including Graduate Teaching Orientation.
• The Division of Research, Innovation & Impact supports and advances researchers’ scientific, creative, and entrepreneurial endeavors through professional development and assistance throughout the major phases of research projects.
• International Student and Scholar Services supports international graduate students through advising, timely information, and a variety of resources and activities to help new and current international students thrive at Mizzou.
• The Counseling Center offers individual and group counseling, clinical skills classes and programs, and crisis resources available 24/7. See more resources in the Mental Health Resource Hub.
• The Care Team provides one-on-one support to students experiencing significant difficulties related to mental and physical health, personal and family emergencies, financial issues, or other areas of concern, as well as help for students facing basic needs insecurities.
• The Office for Financial Success offers one-on-one appointments, workshops, and resources to help with creating budgets, managing credit and loans, and setting financial goals.
• Tiger Pantry provides free, confidential access to nutritious food and household items for students in need.
• Truman’s Closet allows students to borrow professional and business attire for job interviews and career fairs, free of charge.
• Student Health & Well-Being provides resources and programs to support your wellness, as well as one-on-one well-being coaching.

Visit the Finding Your Community page for even more resources!