Overview

This course is designed to deliver a variety of high-quality professional development trainings to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Even if you are not a graduate student, the contents of this course can benefit you on your academic and professional journey. This course covers critical professional development competencies including communication, networking, career planning and strategizing, collaboration, teamwork, inclusivity, sharing your contributions to your field, and self-awareness. Learners will gain skills in a wide array of topics taught by experts across several institutions of higher education in Colorado. Lessons are divided into five modules, each containing 4-6 hours of content. We expect it might take 5 weeks to complete all the material if you dedicated an hour a day. However, recognizing the diverse needs of our learners, the course is designed to allow for flexibility. You don’t need to complete every lesson, you can pick those parts of the course most relevant to your interests and needs.

Syllabus

Communication and Networking

Whether you intend to pursue a career in research or private industry, communication and networking are essential to building the relationships necessary to advance your career. In this module we will cover strategies for communicating research, utilizing LinkedIn to facilitate professional connections, and gaining information through interviewing.

Career Planning and Strategizing

Your professional journey may follow a clear path, but it also may not. Knowing your strengths, weaknesses, and interests is key to everything from building professional relationships and writing a CV or Resume. In this module you will learn strategies to plan and explore career paths and write a CV or resume to showcase your career achievements.

Collaboration, Teamwork, and Inclusivity

Each individual brings their own experiences and perspectives. In this module, you will explore how to build inclusive and effective teams by understanding different cultural perspectives and communication styles. You will learn strategies for managing and resolving conflicts productively, as well as approaches to conducting culturally responsive qualitative research. These skills will help you foster respectful, equitable collaborations in diverse professional and academic settings.

Sharing Your Contributions

Research is iterative. Understanding how your work fits into a larger conversation is a critical skill for your career. This module will cover the basics of intellectual property, collecting and organizing relevant literature, and managing data in a way that ensures long-term usability. A solid foundation in these skills will enable you to better use and share the products of your work, expanding its potential impact.

Self-Awareness

Navigating graduate school and professional life requires resilience, self-awareness, and effective strategies for personal growth. This module explores the impact of impostor syndrome, distinguishing it from self-doubt, and identifying triggers that contribute to feelings of inadequacy. Through reflection and targeted strategies, students will learn to challenge negative thought patterns and build confidence in academic and professional settings. Additionally, participants will assess their personal accountability styles and examine how their responses to expectations shape motivation and productivity. By integrating reflection techniques and habit-tracking strategies, students will develop a personalized approach to accountability, fostering holistic wellness and long-term success.