The Graduate School Office of Professional Development sponsors UW–Madison’s membership with Beyond Graduate School and Beyond the Professoriate's PhD Career Training Platform. Anyone with an active UW–Madison NetID can log in to the platforms, including recent alumni.

Strategies for Career Centers

These are strategies recommended by the Center for Graduate Career Success, which built and maintains Beyond Graduate School and Beyond the Professoriate. For a quick reference document, download a PDF of these Strategies for Career Centers.

Beyond the Professoriate and Beyond Graduate School are career training platforms for graduate students. These resources can assist career centers in mentoring and advising students, scaling career support, and maximizing staff time. Below are ways career center staff at peer institutions are utilizing the on-demand curriculum and live webinars to scale career support.

Include links in email confirmation

When students book 1:1 advising appointments, they typically receive an email confirmation from career centers (you!). Use your confirmation email to link to lessons on popular topics (see "Popular Lessons" below) in Beyond the Professoriate (for doctoral students), or Beyond Graduate School (for master’s students).

Links students find useful include lessons on writing resumes, networking, or career exploration. By completing these lessons prior to 1:1 consults, students come better prepared, and staff are able to provide tailored advice rather than spending time repeating foundational knowledge.

Share lessons before on-campus events

Inside the career training platform, students can access video lessons to help them prepare for career fairs, alumni networking events, resume writing workshops, etc.

By emailing video lesson links to students prior to on-campus events, more students will come prepared and be able to benefit from events hosted by career services.

Continue professional development outside of 1:1 consults

The majority of students come to career services primarily seeking help on their resume. They often overlook other parts of the job search process.

By assigning modules after a 1:1 consult (on informational interviews, for example) students can learn proven job search strategies that can help them successfully land jobs.

Explore career options

Many graduate students, especially PhDs, are often unsure of the range of career options available to them. Without clear pathways into industries, many struggle to launch careers. Through the platforms, students can access 150+ career interviews with Master’s and PhDs working in a range of careers.

Encouraging students to watch these videos will help them overcome their fear of career change and learn how other advanced degree holders build careers.

Promote upcoming webinars

The teams at Beyond the Professoriate and Beyond Graduate School host monthly webinars and live virtual events throughout the year. By promoting these webinars through email and in Handshake, career centers can increase the number of workshops available to graduate students.

Note: At UW-Madison, students who read GradConnections Weekly or GradConnections bi-Weekly for Online Students also receive information about each webinar prior to the event. However, not all students read these newsletters, so career services professionals can help to make sure their students know about these opportunities.

Popular Lessons

For Master's Students

 For Doctoral Students and PhDs

Materials for Further Promotion

The Center for Graduate Career Success offers a marketing toolkit, including introductory slides for presentations and seminars, postcards and flyers to hand out to students, and social media/Handshake graphics to promote events and webinars.