Creating a Teaching Dossier

This session will introduce the nature and structure of teaching dossiers, which are a valuable summary of accomplishments, strengths, and directions as a teacher increasingly submitted when applying for academic positions.

CTL - Andy Leger

 Resources & Tips (62KB)

CV’s and cover letters for Academia

Did you know that the terms “resume” and “CV” are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing?  This workshop will help you learn and make decisions about strategies for producing effective CVs and cover letters, if you’re aiming for work in academia.  Find out how to customize sections of the CV and how to include appropriate stories and anecdotes to enhance cover letters.

SGS & Faculty

Interviewing for an academic position (interactive)

Learn how interviewing in academia is similar to and different from other job interviews. Practice a process for dealing with behaviour-based interview questions and staying focused when talking about your past experiences. Identify key messages about yourself that you want to communicate during an often multi-day interview event.  Get tips on how to develop good questions, stand out from other candidates and give relevant evidence to support your strengths.

Career services & Faculty

Christine Fader

Mock Interviews for Academic Positions (interactive)

This workshop provides students with the opportunity to see academic interviews  in action.  Several graduate students who are on the job market will be interviewed for 15 minutes by faculty members in front of the workshop.  These students have submitted in advance their cvs and cover letters applying for a position.   Workshop faculty facilitators will then evaluate the interview in discussion with workshop participants.  This open discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate's  interview will offer valuable, practical tips and strategies on effective academic interviews. 

If time permits, you could prepare for this workshop by reviewing the presentation notes on two previous workshops on academic cvs & cover letters and academic interviews.

SGS - Dr Leslie Ritchie (English) and SGS Associate Deans

Academic CVs & Cover notes (706KB)         

Academic Interviews (1316KB)

How to find a post doctoral position

Postdoctoral fellowships are an invaluable bridge between graduate study and a post-graduate career.  Opportunities for these competitive positions are limited.  This workshop will help you find out where to find post doctoral opportunities, how to complete applications, and how to make the most of the opportunities provided by post-doctoral study

SGS - Dr Vinay Singh

Resources & Tips (59KB)

Resumes and cover letters that convey your strengths for the professional job market

An application that features clear and memorable descriptions of your abilities will distinguish you from other applicants—and it can win you an interview. Find out how to customize sections of the resume or CV to demonstrate a match between you and the work you want. Discover ways to communicate with specific audiences in business and government. Integrate your transferable skills and experience in your Resume and Cover letter with a little help from your fellow graduate students. 

Please bring a resume and cover letter and a sample job description to the workshop.

Career Services -

Julia Blackstock

Resources & Tips (109KB)

The job search for industry, business & government

You may be wondering if you will find work after graduation.  Come to a workshop with Career Services and we will get you asking:  “How can I have as much influence as possible on where I end up?”  Learn how you can influence the outcome even you face challenges (e.g., tight job market, limited or no paid professional experience, etc).   Find out the advantages of being focused, using a project management approach to job search and knowing specific resources. Learn from alumni who have made the transition to business, industry, and government and be able to tailor general strategies to your goals.  Enjoy the energy that comes from looking at this as a group—come away excited about the future ahead of you.

Come with an idea of the type of work or industry you are interested in exploring.  If you need help with career direction consider making a career counselling appointment prior to the workshop.

Career Services & Alumni

Julia Blackstock

Resources & TIps (112KB)

Interviewing for industry, business & government (interactive)

You already know that a successful interview can be critical to achieving your career goals.  Learn how to communicate in an interview so that, down the road, you are able to make decisions about specific opportunities.  Our interviewing workshop is all about communicating—starting with you and what is important to you. Understand how to get across a key message and practice responding (in a safe context) to questions such as: “Tell me about yourself” and “What additional training would you most benefit from?” Learn from alumni who have relevant experience in business, industry, and government and come away better prepared to communicate with specific audiences.

Come with an idea of the type of work or industry you are interested in exploring.  If you need help with career direction consider making a career counselling appointment prior to the workshop.

Career Services 

Julia Blackstock

Resources & Tips (112KB)

Building Strategic Relationships 

Want to add to your network and increase your opportunity for future success?  This interactive workshop will walk you through employing effective networking techniques in both formal and informal settings, as well as how to maintain your relationships with contacts to enhance your network for job search and career development.

Powerful Personal Introductions & Professional Portfolios

Refine your proactive job search strategy as you learn the art of providing important information about yourself during both interviews and when networking and learn how to display your skills and strengths in a professional portfolio to use as support in a job interview.

Build Professional Experience

You want professional experience to move forward with your career plans – you may need to an internship to get that.  On the other hand, you want to get paid if that is at all possible. Tricky decisions.  If you are wondering about the value of an internship, come to a workshop facilitated by Career Services where we will explore options.  We will also hone in on critical stages in the process: communicating what is important to you, communicating where you can add value, maximizing the value to you (remuneration, scale of project, or depth of challenge). Group discussion, practice in pairs, and the experience of former interns will help make this kind of opportunity more real.    

Come with an idea of the type of internship or industry you are interested in exploring.  If you need help with career direction consider making a career counselling appointment prior to the workshop.

Career Services - Julia Blackstock

Resources & Tips(112KB)

Using social media (e.g. LinkedIn)  to help with the job search

Social Media is a reality for people building a career in the current world.  You do, however, have choices. Make social media resources of the day (will it still be Linkedin?) work for your goals and needs.  We will explore the capabilities of tools such as Linkedin.com (advanced people search, groups, alumni and new grad subsites). With all the drama (and uncertainty) of a live experiment, we will attempt to answer questions such as “Where have all the graduates gone?”  and “Who else cares about thin film crystallography the way I do?” Integrate the newest tool or resource on the horizon with time-honored career strategies that put you in the driver’s seat (and at the same time observing the rules of the road). 

Come with an idea of the type of work or industry you are interested in exploring.  If you need help with career direction consider making a career counselling appointment prior to the workshop.

Career Services

Julia Blackstock

Resources & Tips (113KB)

Effective Networking

You’ve all heard the saying “you are only as good as your network”, but have you ever wondered how to get one?

Now is your chance to experience, first-hand, the power of positive networking. From academia to industry to your personal life, these skills will help you succeed!

This half-day workshop is designed to provide insight and interaction along with the know how to build and stabilize their business relationships through effective networking.

We will cover who-what-where-when and why to network. The participants at this interactive workshop will leave with the tools they need to succeed in their research internships. They will have the opportunity to practice what they learn in the latter half of the day. Details on the actual networking exercises will be determined by the location of each event. Activities will be customized to reflect the interests of the participants.

Participants will learn the importance of sharing contacts, and will receive insights on how to refresh, build, and make the most of the networks they already have. They will learn to build the rapport needed to make an impact on the decision makers.

Alumni in the workforce & how to gain professional work experience as a grad student

A series of short presentations by Queen’s alumni featuring their experience of moving from graduate study to careers in diverse areas.

Get to hear first hand how alumni from the Public Service, Kingston & the corporate world got to where they are now and what they did (or could have done) during their time at grad school to improve their job prospects.  This will be followed by a Q&A.