Get career ready
Dal GradPD is your go-to hub to learn about professional development designed for your specific needs as a graduate student. Together with partners across the university and external providers, the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) assembles an ongoing schedule of free workshops and events aimed to help you prepare for a diversity of careers.
The four pillars of the Dal GradPD program are dedicated to building skills necessary for success in any career — Communication, Career Intelligence, Health and Wellbeing, and Leadership — and are offered exclusively to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
Upcoming Dal GradPD workshops and experiential learning
Professional Career Development Group
Graduating this year and feeling anxious about life after university or unprepared for an uncertain job market?
Attend this career development support group facilitated by a career counsellor to build a peer support network and confidence as you prepare to embark on the next chapter of your life!
Registration is now available on the . Go to the next Friday on the events calendar to register, after which you will be contacted to confirm your eligibility and additional details. New registrations will be accepted weekly throughout the term, but space is limited, so students are encouraged to register early!
Date and time: Ongoing weekly; Tuesdays from 3 to 4 p.m.
Partner: Bissett Student Success Centre Academic Advising and Career Services
Type: In-Person
Pillar: Career intelligence
Location: McCain Arts and Social Sciences Building
An Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a personal roadmap that can identify personal and professional goals and objectives. In this interactive workshop we would reflect on our achievements, articulate our values, and explore future goals to develop an action plan moving forward in your academic and professional growth. This session will also introduce the Dal GradPD Certificate and how you can take part in this opportunity at H.
Date and time: November 6 from 12 to 1 p.m.
Type: Hybrid
Location: Room 1116, McCain Arts and Social Sciences Building
An Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a personal roadmap that can identify personal and professional goals and objectives. In this interactive workshop we would reflect on our achievements, articulate our values, and explore future goals to develop an action plan moving forward in your academic and professional growth. This session will also introduce the Dal GradPD Certificate and how you can take part in this opportunity at H.
Date and time: November 8 from 9 to 10 a.m.
Type: Virtual
Location:ձ
Join a community of writers and during the Writing Centre's online quarterly Writing Week from November 12th-15th, 2024. Build motivation and momentum—and find support, accountability, and consistency—through daily check-ins with peers and experienced advisors.
Date and time: November 12 - 15 from 9 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 4:30 p.m.
Type: Online
Location: Class Collaborate
Do you find yourself running out of momentum with your writing or stuck in a loop of endless revisions? This session will present writing strategies such as reverse outlining to help get you “unstuck” and back on track with your graduate writing projects.
Date and time: November 12 from 9 to 10 a.m.
Type: Online
Location: Class Collaborate
While graduate students often enter their disciplines because they have found a project that is invigorating or intellectually stimulating, the process of researching and writing a large project can be daunting and/or draining. This workshop introduces creative writing strategies to help keep the writing process playful and joyful. Keeping this process fun and dynamic can increase productivity and help keep graduate writers on task.
Date and time: November 13 from 9 to 10 a.m.
Type: Online
Location: Class Collaborate
Whether you are writing a lengthy term paper, completing an honours project, or beginning work on a graduate thesis or dissertation, it can sometimes be difficult to undertake a big writing project. This seminar will provide goal setting and time management techniques to help you stay on track. Facilitator: Janice MacDonald Eddington, Coordinator of the H Writing Centre.
Date and time: November 14 from 9 to 10 a.m.
Type: Online
Location: Class Collaborate
Writing Bootcamp at the International Centre
Come to the International Centre for the afternoon to workshop your writing assignments with Writing Centre tutors before the end of reading week! This will be a drop-in event (no registration needed). Enjoy some snacks, work with tutors, and enjoy being in a space where you can focus on your writing.
Date and time: November 14 from 1 to 6 p.m.
Type: In-person
Location: International Centre (Suite 1200 – 1246 Lemarchant Street)
The labour market is changing at a rapid pace and it can feel daunting to even the most educated and experienced job seekers. Attend this session focused on helping grad students build hope, resilience, and confidence as you prepare to launch your career. The session will include an exploration of values and goal setting that will help move you in the direction of a successful future!
Date and time: November 14 from 3 to 4 p.m.
Type: In person
Location: Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building, Room 3089
Successful revision requires students to think critically about the material they have written. The writing process can sometimes make it difficult for writers to distinguish between what actually appears on the page and what they believe appears on the page. This workshop will allow students to practice asking critical questions to guide their revision process.
Date and time: November 15 from 9 to 10 a.m.
Type: Online
Location: Class Collaborate
Join us for an insightful session on intellectual property (IP), tailored specifically for graduate students, with Lachlan MacLeod, hosted in collaboration with the Copyright Office. This event is designed to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of IP rights and their critical importance in academic and professional settings.
Date and time: November 19 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Type: Online
Partner: Legal Counsel Office with the Copyright Office
Location:ձ
This workshop is offered to students who may be experiencing barriers to executive functioning skills and want to gain an understanding of the reasons why, as well as strategies to reduce barriers related to these executive functions. This workshop is not limited to students who have accommodations or have been diagnosed with ADHD, Autism, or self identify as neurodiverse. All students with executive functioning challenges are welcome to learn more and contribute their experiences.
Date and time: November 25 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Type: Hybrid
ʲٲԱ:Student Accessibility Centre
Location: Room 3089, Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building
Good data management planning and practices are essential in research, and there is a growing awareness of the value of sharing, accessing, and preserving research data. Funders and publishers increasingly require open data sharing. This presentation will provide attendees with an overview of research data management practices, and the related services offered by Dal Libraries. Facilitated by Louise Gillis, Library Services.
Date and time: November 25 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Type: Online
Partner: MRDO
Pillar: Career intelligence
Location:ձ; link shared upon registering with prep@dal.ca
Dal has some great resources to help you find those numbers, statistics, and datasets you need for your projects. This workshop provides a gentle introduction to finding Canadian statistics available through a wide variety of sources. Will include quick overviews of Stat Can health indicators and microdata, the Canadian Census Analyzer, data available through CIHI, and more. Facilitated by Julie Marcoux, Library Services.
Date and time: November 27 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Type: Online
Partner: MRDO
Pillar: Career intelligence
Location:ձ; link shared upon registering with prep@dal.ca
This workshop identifies the qualities and characteristics of traditional academic writing and offers participants techniques and strategies for finding their own unique academic voice. The workshop will ask participants to reflect on and apply the knowledge presented through a short, independent writing activity. For this, they should bring a paragraph or two of recent academic writing to the session.
Date and time: November 28 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Type: Online
Partner: Writing Centre
Location: Class Collaborate
This session will provide an overview of critical appraisal in the context of research literature with a focus on core principles. We will present some tools and approaches to apply in your own context and discuss the implications of critical appraisal on the research and writing processes. Facilitated by Jackie Phinney, Library Services.
Date and time: November 29 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Type: Online
Partner: MRDO
Pillars: Career intelligence; Communication
Location:ձ; link shared upon registering with prep@dal.ca
A literature review attempts to analyze what scholars have written about a given topic or question. Comprehensively and critically reviewing the literature allows authors to not only situate their own work but to persuade readers that the work is necessary and worthwhile. This workshop will focus on structuring the literature review using writing strategies to summarize and synthesize the literature while maintaining or establishing your own voice. Facilitated by Janice MacDonald Eddington, Coordinator of the H Writing Centre.
Date and time: December 4 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Type: Online
Location: Class Collaborate
The workshop is designed to guide you through the process of writing an effective personal statement and will provide strategies for helping you begin your draft as well as revision and refinement. Statements of intent or personal statements can be part of applications to graduate programs, co-op placements, and funding applications.
Facilitated by Janice MacDonald Eddington and Kala Hirtle, H Writing Centre.
Date and time: December 10 from 2 to 3 p.m.
Type: Online
Location:ձ
Participate in the Dal GradPD certificate program
To help you navigate your PD journey, we have created a free certificate program to recognize your efforts and help you identify the opportunities you need to take you where you want to go.
What you’ll do during the certificate program:
Individual development plan (IDP) workshop: In this session, you’ll explore the skills and experiences you need to achieve your professional goals and map your plan to get there. IDP workshops will be held every month, so don't worry if you missed an earlier session. An asynchronous video of the IDP workshop is also available in the Dal GradPD Brightspace.
Pillars workshops: Participate in two hours of workshops from each of the Dal GradPD pillars: Communication, Career Intelligence, Health and Wellbeing, and Leadership. You can select from options provided by Dal GradPD partners or find other opportunities you think will best suit your goals.
Experiential learning: Take on four hours of hands-on experience from each pillar. Write a blog, go to a networking event, practice a time management strategy, organize an event – the possibilities are vast and the experiences priceless.
Professional identity workshop: Wrap up the certificate with this session that will empower you to articulate the value of the skills you've gained at graduate school to prospective employers.
When done, you’ll receive a certificate signed by the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and recognition on your transcripts. More importantly, you’ll have developed a plan for where you want to go with your career and assembled the professional and personal skills you need to get there.
