FAQ's for CP&PD - Career Planning and Professional Development

📌 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can someone help me match my skills, interests, and values to potential careers?

Yes! Schedule a one-on-one appointment with a career adviser for personalized guidance, who will discuss your needs and review career assessment and other tools with you that can help with this process. One good place to start is with tools such as ImaginePhD (for the humanities and social sciences) and MyIDP (for the sciences).
How early should I start career planning?
What resources can help me identify the career options I can pursue with my graduate degree?

We provide advising and resources to help you explore both academic and non-academic career paths. In a one-on-one session, an adviser can work with you to identify your skills, interests, strengths, and values—and connect them to potential career opportunities.

To learn more, take advantage of tools like ImaginePhD (for the humanities and social sciences), MyIDP (for the sciences), the wide range of webinar recordings available on our website, and our blog posts. You can also check out our Alumni Aloud podcast, featuring more than 100 interviews with Graduate Center alumni who have pursued diverse career paths. Throughout the year, panels and alumni programs offer additional opportunities to explore possibilities and build connections (see our Events page).

What is the difference between a resume and a CV?

Resumes are used for industry or non-academic/non-faculty roles. The resume’s main focus is on skills and is typically one to two-pages long. CVs are used for academic/faculty jobs and are more comprehensive. The CV’s main focus is on providing a record of your academic and scholarly accomplishments and can be as many pages as needed. For more information, check out our Career Planning Guide (see the Preparing Your Written Application Materials section) and blog posts on this topic.
Can someone review my resume/CV or cover letter?
Do you provide templates or examples?
What's a cover letter?

In addition to a resume or CV, some job applications will require a cover letter. While cover letters for academic and non-academic roles are different in length, content, and tone, a cover letter is generally a place to highlight your most related experience and skills for a specific job through examples, as well as a place to show your interest and research into a role and organization. The letter also serves as a writing sample. To learn more about cover letters, visit our Career Planning Guide (see the Prepare Your Application Materials section), blogs, and recorded webinars.

How do I meet with a career adviser?
What can I expect in a career advising appointment?

During a 45-minute career advising appointment —either in person or on Zoom —you’ll have the opportunity to talk with a professional who is there to listen and support your goals. Career advisers will reflect on what you share, provide tailored information and guidance, and help you explore strategies for your next steps. They can also point you toward relevant events, job boards, and resources offered by the office. All conversations are private, creating a space where you can openly discuss your career plans, questions, and concerns.
How do I know who to schedule a session with?

You don’t have to worry about matching with someone in your specific field; all of our career advisers are generalists who have significant experience working with PhD and master’s students and alumni. That means we work with students from every program and with all kinds of career goals. Whether you’re exploring options, preparing for a job search, or planning your next steps, we’re here to help. Learn more about our staff on this webpage.
What’s the best way to practice my interviewing skills?

How can I build my professional network as a grad student?

Attend our workshops, alumni events, employers’ panels, and create an account on LinkedIn. We also recommend conducting informational interviews with alumni who are working in your target field(s). You can learn more about informational interviewing by reading posts on our blog, watching our recorded webinar on networking, reviewing the networking section in our Career Planning Guide, and/or meeting with an adviser to discuss this networking strategy.
Is there a way to connect with alumni in my field?

Be sure to attend events at the GC featuring alumni, whether they’re hosted by your program or another office. You can also join LinkedIn, where you can find GC alumni on the GC’s LinkedIn page (see the “Alumni” tab there). As mentioned in the question above, we also recommend conducting informational interviews with alumni working in your target field(s). You can learn more about informational interviewing by reading posts on our blog, watching our recorded webinar on networking, reviewing the networking section in our Career Planning Guide, and/or meeting with an adviser to discuss this networking strategy.

How do I find fellowships, grants, or funding?

Read this blog post on finding funding at the GC and beyond for a comprehensive overview of this topic. For opportunities, you can check out the Handshake database, the Mina Rees library’s tools for grants and fellowships (also see their Grants and Funding guides), the GC Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, academic departments and student listservs, faculty members and advisers, professional associations, the ProFellow web site, and our newsletters. For additional information on this topic, visit our Career Planning Guide (see the Applying for Grants section).
Do you help with fellowship, grant, and funding applications?

What are CPT and OPT?

CPT and OPT are work authorizations for F-1 students. You can read more about OPT/CPT on the webpage of the Office of International Students. It’s important to familiarize yourself with your visa, and connect with the Office of International Students on regulations and processes to maintain your student status.
Do employers sponsor international students?

How does the office help me prepare to apply for a faculty or postdoc position?

Our advisers can help with CVs, teaching/research statements, diversity statements, and interview preparation and practice for academic/faculty roles. Students can also use the Teaching & Learning Center and the Writing Center for additional support in their application materials. Each fall, these offices host workshops to assist with preparation for the academic job search. Recorded webinars from our office are available on these topics on our web site. Also check out our Career Planning Guide (see the Job Search Process section) and blog posts on the faculty job search.

This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.

FAQ’s for CP&PD