Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA)
Needles Hall, second floor, room 2201
University of Waterloo resources
- Employer information sessions: Employers regularly visit campus to recruit Waterloo students. Often, there are several employers on campus in a single day. Although employers often target co-op students and undergrads in specific fields, they sometimes choose to target master's students and PhDs. Regardless of their target audience, you may register for and attend any info session hosted by an employer that interests you. These info sessions are a great opportunity for you to meet a representative of a potential employer, get their business card, and practise your five-minute elevator pitch.
- Job fair/career fair: The job fair/career fair is a great opportunity to network with potential employers, Investigate and research career options and get information from employers on career opportunities that match your educational background and professional experience. Admission is free with a WatCard.
- The Bibliometrics subject guide, which explores citation-tracking, measures, individual data, discipline data, institutional data, recommendations, and more information.
External blogs and websites of interest
- Beyond the Professoriate provides career education and professional development to graduate students and PhDs through a variety of avenues, including blogs and free how-to seminars.
- From PhD to Life is a rich resource maintained by Jen Polk, a history PhD from Toronto. The question and answer (Q&A) section features former PhD students who have made the transition to careers outside of academia. Read their stories about their transitions to non-academic careers.
- iBiology Courses has free online courses that help you do good science and enhance your career and professional development. Try out Business Concepts for Life Scientists or Planning Your Scientific Journey today!
- ImaginePhD is a free career exploration and planning tool targeting PhD students and postdoctoral scholars in the humanities and social sciences.
- Inside Higher Ed's collection of career topics is a great resource to find articles and blog posts related to topics ranging from surviving graduate school to adjunct teaching to job interviews.
- Jobs on Toast, a blog by Chris Humphrey, PhD, focuses on the subject of "How to market yourself for a career outside academia".
- myIDP is a free career exploration and planning tool targeting PhD students and postdoctoral scholars in STEM fields.
- University Affairs' career advice section contains several useful articles for graduate students thinking about their career options and professional development.
Online workshops and resources
Are you located off campus, or have difficulty attending in person workshops? Check out our online event listing for workshops by Mitacs that are available online and can be accessed from anywhere, at anytime!
University of Waterloo graduate students also have access to web based training from LinkedIn Learning using their WatIAM credentials. There are over 13,000 online courses to help you learn software, creative, IT and business skills with unlimited, 24/7 access. Get started with LinkedIn Learning.