Navigating diverse careers: A symposium for graduate students
The Graduate Career Diversity Symposium (GCDS) was established in 2022 as a part of IU’s participation in the Ph.D. Career Pathways project (2019–22) organized by the American Association of Universities. Coordinated with seven other institutions, this initiative studied ways to make diverse career pathways visible, valued, and viable for all Ph.D. students and postdocs. This annual event is an opportunity to build communities of practice, foster curriculum development responsive to students from diverse backgrounds, and provide graduate students and postdocs with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to succeed in a range of careers.
Register now for the 2025 Graduate Career Diversity Symposium
Thursday, November 6th, in the Indiana Memorial Union
Theme: Getting Hired
It is no secret that the job market is changing. Changes to funding for higher education, institutional restructuring, and the repercussions of generative AI have all destabilized traditional employment pathways, further complicating what is often considered a binary for many PhD students: “Pursue academia, or roles in other industries?” Given the uncertainties, this year’s Graduate Career Diversity Symposium will focus on the question: What does it take to get hired in a complex market?
The 2025 theme, Getting Hired, will address several topics over the course of a full day event to serve this purpose. Our keynote speaker, Dr. L. Maren Wood, PhD, will share her expertise in navigating job market twists and turns. Guests, including recent alums who secured diverse positions outside of academia, will share their experience. And our concurrent sessions will center on graduate career development concerns, how-to, and strategy for engaging the job market.
Job search skills and planning are essential for everyone, no matter your discipline or your career direction. No matter where you are in graduate school, Getting Hired will help you engage in job search preparation, both now and in the future. We hope you are as excited as we are to connect and to enhance your knowledge, skills, and abilities to get hired!
Agenda:
8:15 - 9:00 AM Check in and continental breakfast in the Frangipani Room
9:00 - 9:15 AM Welcome
9:15 - 10:15 AM Opening Panel: Getting Hired: Insights from Graduate Alums Who Recently Secured Diverse Positions
10:15 - 10:30 AM Break
10:30 - 10:45 AM Remarks and keynote introduction, David Daleke, Dean of the University Graduate School - Bloomington
10:45 - 11:45 AM Keynote address, How Graduate Students and PhDs Can Stand Out in Today's AI-Driven Job Market, Dr. L. Maren Wood, Director and CEO, The Center for Graduate Career Success
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM Lunch, and 12:15 - 12:45 PM Three Minute Thesis
1:00 - 2:00 PM Concurrent Sessions Round 1 in the Tree Suites
Leveraging Your Teaching Experience on the Job Search
Beyond Graduate School: An Overview of the Beyond Curriculum for Master's Students
What Was it Like to Interview? Round Tables with Recent Graduate Alums
Applicant Tracking Systems & Beyond: Getting the Interview and Telling Your Story
2:00 - 2:15 PM Break
2:15 - 3:15 PM Concurrent Sessions Round 2 in the Tree Suites
Strategic Networking: Building Social Capital for Career Success
Beyond the Professoriate: An Overview of the Beyond Curriculum for PhD Students and Postdocs
AI & the Job Hunt: Navigating the Future of Work
Thriving in U.S. Workplaces: Understanding Culture and Building Professional Networks
3:15 - 4:15 PM Networking and refreshments in the Tree Suite Lobby
The symposium is a full day event. Continental breakfast, lunch, and refreshments are provided and space is limited. Registration for the 2025 symposium has closed, however a waitlist will remain open through October 28. Waitlisted registrants will be automatically registered in the order enrolled upon cancelations.
