This spring semester, 11 online career webinars and workshops and a bonus PhD Career Conference will be available for all graduate students to attend! These doctoral-focused career sessions can be accessed through Beyond the Professoriate and the Office of the Provost’s Career Design Workshop.
To attend webinars offered by Beyond the Professoriate live, log into Beyond the Professoriate with your Pitt credentials, navigate to “Live Webinars”, and register for the interested sessions. Recordings will also be available for 14 days after each event. All events will be held on Wednesdays from 12-12:45pm ET unless otherwise noted.
To attend Career Design Workshops offered by the Office of the Provost, visit the Career Design Workshop website to complete the registration survey. Once registered, you will receive a Zoom link to attend. All events will be held on Fridays from 12-1pm ET. Deadline to register for any Career Design Workshop session is Friday, January 30, 2026
Schedule of Topics
This webinar will address:
- How is nonacademic hiring different from academic hiring?
- Why do I need to focus on one career path? Can’t I apply broadly to a range of positions and fields?
- How do I focus my job search, and how will this lead to success?
Register to attend by Jan 14
This webinar will address:
- Why do I need to research employers? Can’t I just submit my resume and wait?
- Where do I begin when researching nonacademic employers?
- How do I know if nonacademic employers will hire someone with my background?
- How can I find nonacademic employers who have hired international students/PhDs?
Register to attend by Feb 4
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Most of us have been asked this question at least once in our lives, but we don’t spend much time reflecting on whether this dream job will allow us to live in accordance with our values. During your degree, you may have thought you knew what you wanted in a job, but realize now that no longer holds true. Or perhaps you feel certain of what you want in your life, but still wonder if there’s more you haven’t considered.
For our first meeting, we’ll dive into why identifying values, interests, and skills you like using is key to establishing a foundation for screening out what opportunities best suit you.
Register to attend by Jan 30
This webinar will address:
- Why do I need to tailor my resume for each job posting?
- If resumes won’t get me a job offer, what should I focus on instead?
- How can I unlock new opportunities and access the hidden job market?
Register to attend by Feb 18
You may see yourself primarily as a researcher, educator, or specialist in your field—but how does that translate beyond academia, and how do others see you? In this session, we’ll reflect on how you view yourself as a professional in relation to your graduate training and how to express that identity in ways that are clear and compelling to different audiences. We’ll also look at examples and practical tips for presenting yourself online and on paper through a strong resume and cover letter, so you can begin to align how you see yourself with how you want to be seen.
Register to attend by Jan 30
This webinar will address:
- What are the promises and perils of using AI in your job search?
- Are there ways to use AI in your job search without losing your authentic voice or competitive edge?
- What makes you stand out in a hyper-competitive job market?
Register to attend by March 4
You may have entered your program with a specific career path in mind—perhaps in academia, research, or industry—but now find yourself rethinking what you truly want. Or maybe you’re still committed to your original direction, yet curious about possibilities you haven’t yet considered. In this session, we’ll take time to define what success means on your own terms, while building opportunities to leverage your unique strengths and skills you’ve developed as a graduate student. We’ll walk through how this can help someone feel like they are landing every job they ever wanted.
Register to attend by Jan 30
This webinar will address:
- How do I maintain relationships with people I connect / network with?
- How can I stay connected with people virtually?
- How can I continue to expand my network while job searching?
Register to attend by March 18
In this session, we’ll explore how company culture, team dynamics, and the soft skills that truly drive success in industry—communication, collaboration, adaptability, and self-advocacy—shape your day-to-day experience. We’ll dig into how company culture differs from the academic environment.
Register to attend by Jan 30
This webinar will address:
- Why is LinkedIn an important part of a nonacademic job search?
- How should I use LinkedIn strategically and effectively in my job search?
- What makes a good LinkedIn profile? How should I craft one as a PhD exploring nonacademic careers?
Register to attend by April 1
This webinar will address:
- How can I stand out in competitive job market if I have limited industry experience?
- What catches an employers attention in a crowded job market?
- How do I navigate additional factors in my job search—such as visas, geographic constraints, or funding considerations?
Register to attend by April 15
If you’re in the final year of your program, a postdoc planning your next steps, or a graduate student exploring your career options, this conference series is for you. Over the course of the week, you’ll learn what it takes to build a meaningful career beyond the professoriate.
This special event is open to doctoral students, PhDs, and postdocs from all academic disciplines. Each day, we’ll explore a key aspect of the nonacademic job search to help you strategically plan your next steps:
- May 4: What employers actually value about your degree
- May 5: How to write a resume
- May 6: How to network when you don’t have a network
- May 7: Using LinkedIn in your job search
- May 8: Advice for international students on the job market
Register to attend by May 4
