Exploring Careers

Though some students enter graduate school with a clear plan for post-graduation and stay firmly on that path, others find those goals evolve, and some are undecided. All students benefit from engaging in career exploration, acquiring invaluable information about themselves and the wide range of career pathways available to advanced degree holders. Doing so ensures you are prepared and adaptable when approaching the job market.

At LGS, we offer an integrated set of resources to help you explore career pathways and connect with others who are using their graduate degrees in a broad range of professional sectors. Event announcements are sent each Friday from LGS, and students are encouraged to subscribe to the LGS Professional Development Calendar to stay up to date on offerings (You can also view the calendar on our Professional Development homepage). 

Begin exploring today!

Programming Overview

  • InterSECT Job Simulations: InterSECT is an online platform that enables graduate students to explore future career options through true-to-life job simulations.
  • Laney Alumni Career Panel: The LGS Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement hosts the Laney Alumni Career Panel, a monthly panel discussion where you will hear from PhDs across all disciplines—natural sciences, sciences, and humanities—about their career pathways. Lunch is served.
  • The Academic Job Search: Behind the Curtain: These programs feature panels of LGS alumni who teach at Georgia colleges and universities will discuss what it is like to be a faculty member on their campus, what experiences will make you more competitive for jobs at their institutions and others like them, and what mistakes candidates often make when applying to their schools.
  • Laney Network Exchange: The Laney Network Exchange invites back all alumni who have been involved in the LGS’s professional development programs. Participate in lunch discussions at “industry topic” tables, mingle with your LGS colleagues and network with alumni from a variety of careers inside and outside of the academy.
  • Versatile PHD: Versatile PhD is the largest online community dedicated to exploring non-academic and non-faculty careers for PhDs in humanities, social sciences and STEM. LGS holds an institutional subscription so students can take advantage of special content.