Professional & Career Development

Presented by Dr. Stephanie Harper, Assistant Director, ETD & Writing Services, Office of Graduate Studies

Recordings of the online workshops are available here:

ETD Workshop

To help graduate students navigate the ETD process, the Office of Graduate Studies holds semesterly workshops to provide critical information, including:

• an overview of the process;
• a review of submission deadlines and requirements;
• student and faculty responsibilities;
• use of Microsoft Word;
• formatting requirements for the manuscript;
• time management tips; and
• resources to assist you in the preparation and completion of the ETD.

Presented by Tracy Costello, Director, Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Student Development

The Three Minute Thesis, or 3MT, is an annual competition held at over 200 universities world wide, open to graduate students who present their research in less than 3 minutes, with only one static slide.  Winning presentations are engaging stories that are understood by the broader audience, requiring little expertise in the research area.  

This lecture is designed to help you understand and develop your best 3MT presentation so that you're prepared to enter the USF competition, typically held in October. We'll share tips for success including how to frame your research for any audience and considerations for your slide's design.  

The winner and runner up of the USF competition receive awards, and are also supported to travel and present in the Council of Graduate Schools 3MT competitions at the current Council of Florida Graduate Schools Conference and the current Council of Southern Graduate Schools Conference, schedule and funding permitting.

Read 3MT® Event Info

Presented by LeEtta Schmidt, Copyright and Intellectual Property Librarian, USF Libraries

While you are researching or working on your thesis or dissertation you are making use of a wealth of different resources: published articles, books, images, software, datasets, etc. All, or almost all, of these things are protected by intellectual property laws like copyright. View Copyright and Previously Published Materials page.

This session will introduce common copyright issues encountered during the research, publication, and the writing of theses and dissertations.

Previous Workshop Materials for viewing: Video

Presented by Kiri Kilpatrick, PhD, former Associate Director, Office of Graduate Studies

For graduate students seeking external fellowships for research, travel, or professional development, getting started is often the hardest step. In this session, Dr. Kiri Kilpatrick will give an overview of the fellowship application process, share tools to aid in your search for fellowships, and provide tips for preparing a strong application.

Video | Slides

Presented by Dr. Stephanie Harper, Assistant Director, ETD & Writing Services, Office of Graduate Studies

OGS Writing Services presents a writing workshop on structuring and crafting literature reviews. This workshop covers the basic genre conventions of Literature Reviews as well as strategies for organizing and drafting one.

Presented by Tracy Costello, Director, Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Student Development

Presenting at the virtual Graduate Student Research Symposium? Then, this session is for you! Research posters are a communication tool commonly used in the academic community to visually share your research projects and creative ideas. In this session, we will discuss pertinent information about the virtual Graduate Student Research Symposium, key aspects of designing effective posters and tips for your poster presentation.

Video | Slides

Presented by Tracy Costello, Ph.D., Office of Graduate Studies, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

In today’s competitive academic environment, being able to write a clear, precise abstract is increasingly critical to your success as a graduate student and beyond. Abstracts enable you to attend conferences, which in turn give you the ability to present your work, improve your presentation skills, and opportunities to both network with and learn from peers and faculty. It can be challenging to concisely convey your complex research project in a short abstract – some as little as 200-250 words. It must grab the reader’s attention – first the abstract selection committee or conference organizers, then the attendees – all who are looking for evidence that you can deliver an informative and entertaining presentation! This presentation will break down writing the abstract into simple steps that will enable you to create an engaging abstract highlighting your amazing research.

Slides

Presented by Kathleen Koviak, Health Promotion Specialist, Center for Student Well-Being

With everything going on in the world today, it is normal to feel stressed or anxious. Changing routines, keeping up with coursework, and making sure you and your loved ones are safe are probably just a few of the many things on your plate. Tune in for this interactive webinar with your fellow graduate students to discuss tips and strategies for taking care of yourself and your mental health to help you better weather life’s uncertainties.

Video

In this workshop, we discusses managing time effectively with final exams and papers approaching. Sponsored by the Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC).

Presented by Tracy Costello, Ph.D., Director, Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Student Development

Video | Slides

Being SMART will help you achieve success in the goal that is most important to you. Join us for an interactive session in SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timebound) and SMARTER (+Evaluate +Readjust) goal setting. We will discuss the mechanics of SMART(ER) goals and have ample opportunity to establish, in real-time, goals that will be achievable and help you succeed in the new year.

Presented by Tracy Costello, Ph.D., Director, Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Student Development

Video | Slides

Presented by Tracy Costello, Ph.D., Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Student Development

Your job search can be divided into four primary steps: 1. identification of opportunities, 2. preparation of application materials, 3. interviewing, and 4. negotiation. Building upon the previous lecture on career exploration, we discuss resources, best practices, and tips to connect with opportunities and present your best self to impress hiring managers. Participants will gain understanding of the importance of quality over quantity in job applications, how to develop required application materials with focus on resumes and LinkedIn profiles, actionable tips to improve interviewing, and negotiation.

Slides

Presented by Tracy Costello, Ph.D., Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Student Development

Informational interviews can be used to understand a potential career of interest, to connect with individuals and expand your network, to learn how others have navigated transitions from training to career, to have a deeper understanding of a role you are applying for, to gather insight about salary ranges, and so much more. Come learn about how to leverage this opportunity to maximize your career exploration and job search.

Slides

Presented by Tracy Costello, Ph.D., Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Student Development

A cover letter is an opportunity to demonstrate how your skills, experiences, and professional goals uniquely qualify you for a position. In this session, we will explore techniques to translate your research experiences for nonacademic positions and strategically tailor your cover letter to increase your chances of getting an interview.

Slides

Presented by Kiri Kilpatrick, Former Associate Director, Office of Graduate Studies

A cover letter is an opportunity to demonstrate how your skills, experiences, and professional goals uniquely qualify you for a position. In this session, we will explore techniques to translate your graduate experiences for nonacademic positions and strategically tailor your cover letter to increase your chances of getting an interview.

Slides

Presented by Tracy Costello, Ph.D., Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Student Development

The preparation of a resume that successfully navigates the hurdles of applicant tracking systems, HR representatives, and hiring managers is essential to an effective and intentional job search. During this lecture, we will discuss these components within the larger framework of a job search, with heavy focus on an attention getting template structure of a resume and how to craft impactful descriptions of skillsets targeted to a specific job requisition.

Slides

Presented by Tracy Costello, Ph.D., Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Student Development

Preparing to make a great impression during an interview and bridge the gap between application and job offer can feel overwhelming. The interview is crucial to the career exploration and transition process. The aim of this workshop is to provide a toolkit for all participants to understand how to prepare for the interview and create a positive first impression, how to respond to common interview questions, how to ask thoughtful questions, and ultimately wow your interviewer(s).

Part 1: Video | Slides

Part 2: Video | Slides

Presented by Tracy Costello, Ph.D., Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Student Development

When preparing application materials, including a resume, cover letter, or other documents in response to a job ad, it is critical to carefully read the job ad to identify the key skills sought by an organization. This webinar will discuss techniques and tools to identify and categorize keywords in a job ad. With this information, you can create tailored and targeted application materials and get to the interview stage.

Slides

Presented by Tracy Costello, Ph.D., Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Student Development

Being able to build relationships (networking) helps you develop and improve your skillset and gain resources necessary to your career development. It is critical to present yourself during these interactions with confidence, through understanding the difference between self-awareness versus bragging, and especially in recognizing and dealing with imposter syndrome that may surface. During this seminar, we will discuss tips and techniques for this as well as email/LinkedIn etiquette for building and securing connections and developing your “elevator pitch” when you meet someone in person or virtually.

Learning outcomes: After this lecture, attendees will be able to:

• identify potential challenges to connecting with others and developing their network
• proactively and positively own their experiences (self-awareness) and be able to identify when imposter syndrome occurs and take steps to deal with its impact
• and have a framework to reach out to others in a variety of settings and converse about their skills and experiences.

Slides

Presented by Tracy Costello, Ph.D., Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Student Development

Want to ensure your LinkedIn profile grabs the attention of recruiters and hiring managers? The aim of this webinar is to provide a toolkit for all participants to understand how to present their experiences impactfully through active verbs and emphasis of skillset. What are the first components of your profile that are viewed? How can you write a compelling headline? How can you include all your publications and presentations? How can you use LinkedIn to establish your expertise? We’ll discuss all this and more.

Slides

Presented by Kiri Kilpatrick, PhD, former Associate Director, Office of Graduate Studies

Interested in landing a faculty position? This workshop will provide an overview of the academic job search process. We will discuss the general application timeline, types of faculty positions and institutions, and tips for strengthening your candidacy during a challenging faculty job market due to COVID.

Slides

Presented by Kiri Kilpatrick, former Associate Director, Office of Graduate Studies

In academia, we use a CV to communicate our academic and professional history and accomplishments. In this session, we will discuss how to build a well-organized CV and tips for tailoring your CV for different kinds of positions.

Slides

Presented by Tracy Costello, Ph.D., Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Student Development

Exploring options about what comes after the completion of your Ph.D. research dissertation? A postdoctoral training experience may be the opportunity to continue your training, professional development, and career exploration. We will discuss important considerations for deciding if a postdoc is appropriate and selecting a postdoc position to set you up for future success.

Slides