Grad students get lesson in getting jobs
The University of Iowa Graduate College has expanded its employment seminar this semester, turning to campus experts to ease anxieties of graduate students set to enter the professional world soon.
The professional development series, now in its second year and called The Network, has jumped from a monthly discussion to a weekly meeting.
Officials have also partnered with the UI Project on Rhetoric of Inquiry and the UI ombudsperson.
"The focus of the job market is much more complex these days," said Minnetta Gardinier, an associate dean of the Graduate College. "We're trying to ensure students get exposed to things outside dissertation work."
But the importance of dissertation work was certainly stressed Tuesday evening to the nearly 80 graduate students at Understanding the Job Market, the first part in the semester-long series.
Last year's series saw around 125 students at each discussion, Gardinier said. Numbers were likely lower Tuesday because the events are now held weekly.
Offered campuswide to graduate students, the discussion focused on what to expect when seeking academic positions.
"This market is not friendly to Ph.D.s," UI Associate Professor James Elmborg said.
Elmborg and three other UI professors from the Project on Rhetorics of Inquiry shared stories of career hunting and the importance of setting tenure goals.
( Daily Iowan video feature )
Video in QuickTime format, click here for free player download
Panelists said students should not expect their dream job right away, but they should "continue looking forward" and build a résumé with published work and teaching experiences.
"You should start thinking like faculty right now," Associate Professor Aimee Carrillo-Rowe said.
Students at the series were warned about unstable job markets. For example, tenure-track positions at the UI are growing at a much slower rate than those of nontenure positions, according to a 2009 report released by the state Board of Regents. Only 15 tenured professors were hired in the last two academic years.
But the Iowa City Area Development Group's latest survey results suggest a 6 percent increase in employment in the private sector over the last year.
Danielle Rich, a UI graduate student in American studies attending the series for the second time, said she remains cautious about the job market.
"Not getting a call back, that's what worries me," she said. "Just waiting to hear something."
Rich said she plans to send out at least 15 résumés in her coming job search, but Gardinier said students average around 25.
Cuneyt Sahin, a UI physics graduate student, attended the Graduate College series for the first time Tuesday. He admitted he doesn't have much experience when it comes to how to approach the job market, but hopes attending the remainder of the series will prepare him.
"I've still got about two more years to worry," Sahin said.
comments powered by Disqus
