HDR career development

• Undertake a personal audit of your interests, strengths and values and understand what is important to you and how this applies to study, work and your career. Your HDR  Career Development Consultant can assist you with this.
• Start to gather information about a variety of career pathways, what skills and qualities employers look for in academic and industry pathways. By exploring a non-academic career in industry, you are keeping your options open.
• Review your personal audit and map skills to those required for your career area of interest.
• Identify skill gaps and seek opportunities for skill development including participating in workshops and training offered by the Griffith University such as the Careers and Employment Service, the Graduate Research School, University Library or GUPSA/GPAC.
• Join the Griffith Industry Mentoring Program as a mentee and gain industry insights to support your career plan.
• Find out how you can get involved in activities outside of your study and broaden your personal skill set.
• Identify who works in your discipline area of interest and industry. Undertake research and gain insight into what they do and how they got there. Connect with organisations you would like to work for.
• Go beyond the standard search methods and seek knowledge through informational interviews to help you gather a real understanding of what type of knowledge, skills and attributes your future employers may expect you to offer them.
• Keep a journal record of experiences to demonstrate knowledge, skills and attribute capability.
• Research HDR internship opportunities and begin to map employer requirements.
• Establish a career action plan with realistic timeframes for achieving your career goals during the next stage of your HDR journey.
• Establish a set of career goals with realistic timeframes for the next stage of your HDR journey.

• Join professional associations and actively engage with professionals from your field of interest and take advantage of events, seminars, workshops and conferences to meet prospective employers and collaborators
• Establish ways to collaborate / keep in contact with your professional networks, such as meeting at conferences or being part of a community of practice or research forum.
• Start “advertising” your research in blogs, journals, LinkedIn etc
• Leverage your networks and establish what employers working in your discipline and industry want to gain greater insight into what you are aiming for
• Make the most of workplace learning experiences and begin to understand how the unique set of experiences can demonstrate your suitability for work in your area of interest.
• Recognise the transferability of your skills and begin to adapt the skills to be applied in different contexts or across different industries.
• Where possible, start planning early for long- or short-term exchanges with other research organisations including overseas
• Review and start to update your career documentation such as your resume, cover letter/selection criteria and career profiles such as on LinkedIn to ensure you are building a positive professional identity through showcasing your research, specific and generic skills. Your Career Development Consultant can assist you with this.
• Undertake a search for an internship opportunity or work placement. Gain support from your supervisor.
• Review your career action plan and timeframes for achieving your career goals during the next stage of your HDR journey.

Final – Take Charge of Your Next Steps

• Attend workshops that will develop career development skills to help you establish your self-marketing strategy.
• Establish a job search strategy across a diverse range of online platforms and face-to-face activities.
• Review, update and enhance web-based professional profiles LinkedIn, Google, Scholar, ResearchGate, Academica.edu/ etc.
• Review, update and enhance career documentation such as your resume, cover letter/selection criteria.
• Become part of the professional community before you complete your study – attend seminars, conferences and lectures. Contribute to online discussions and forums.
• Consider starting your own professional blog to showcase your expertise and work.
• Develop a concise networking message which expresses who you are and how you can add value to an organisation.
• Apply for interviews, submit a well-presented tailored application with strong selection criteria examples to demonstrate suitability.
• Conduct a practice “mock” interview with professionals in your network, your HDR Career Development Consultant or through the online Big Interview tool and gain feedback. Reflect on feedback and adapt approach accordingly.
• Prepare for your job interview and coping with change or setbacks. Access support from the wider Student Success team when required (such as the Wellbeing and Counselling Service) to support your transition from your HDR study.
• Enter new position and become an active member of the Griffith Alumni Community and support students in variety of ways including providing placements/internships or by being an industry mentor.