Exploring Career Paths
You Have Transferable Skills!
Did you know that approximately half of all doctoral graduates are employed outside academia? Doctoral graduates possess a multitude of transferable skills that are useful to employers across industry sectors. All doctoral students and Postdoctoral Associates are strongly encouraged to consider, explore and prepare for multiple career paths in academia, private industry, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Be sure to include career exploration tasks and goals in your Individual Development Plan.
Explore Your Career Options
Learning about the world of work can feel overwhelming…but it doesn’t have to be! There are online resources you can easily tap into for well-organized and clearly written information about various career sectors. Explore the resources that we have outlined below for various sectors.
Learn from Professionals
Talk with people who work in the field and learn from them.
- Terrapins Connect - UMD's community for mentorship and purposeful connections
- LinkedIn - University of Maryland, College Park Alumni Association (Official)
- Conduct Informational Interviews - This useful guide will help you set up, prepare for and conduct an informational interview
- Gather information at career panels, career and internship fairs, and employer networking and information sessions (check the events calendar of your department, College/School, UMD, the Graduate School and University Career Center & The President's Promise for upcoming programs)
- Utilize career resources developed by professional associations
- UMD Alumni Association - Connect with UMD Alumni through events, workshops, and meetings
- UMD-DOCNET