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Contact Us
Battelle-Tompkins, Room 200 on a map
CAS Dean's Office 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016 United StatesFrom Classroom to Career Tools for Every Step
Success in today’s workforce requires more than field expertise. Employers value transferable skills such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creativity, project management, and professionalism. These abilities are essential across industries and career paths.
To help graduate students develop these skills, the AU Career Center created the Career Skills Initiative. The College of Arts and Sciences also offers a professional development program and a “Study Here/Work Anywhere” resource guide, designed to support CAS master’s and doctoral students throughout their academic and professional journeys.
Key skill areas include:
- Academic Skills: Writing, quantitative analysis, research funding, working with advisors, and publishing
- Career Skills: Career planning, job and internship searches, networking, interviewing, resumes, and cover letters
- Life Skills: Time management, financial planning, and personal well-being
Below, select your stage of graduate study to build the skills you need for academic and professional success.
Early Program
Academic Skills
Academic Planning
AU Eagle Service: Student Planning
Learn how to manage your academic plan in AU’s Student Planning tool in Eagle Service.
Quantitative Skills
AU Quantitative Suppoprt
Provides assistance with statistics-related needs in a variety of research arenas.
Research Commons in AU Library
AU resources for all your research needs.
Writing for Academia
AU Writing Center
Graduate students can schedule one-on-one consultations.
Purdue Online Writing Lab
Provides a wide variety of online instructional materials for a variety of writing projects.
Yale Graduate Writing Lab Resources
Providess both discipline-specific and general online instructional materials for a variety of writing projects.
Career Skills
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Identifying Your Career Goals
Discover Your Passion (AU Career Center)
Deciding what major or career to pursue can be difficult, so we encourage you to take a deep breath, ponder these questions, and focus on what will ultimately make you happy.Vitae Research Developer Framework
Vitae, a non-profit dedicated to enhancing the skills of researchers, has developed a framework to explore the skills you need to become a professional researcher.American Historical Association
AHA's Career Diversity for Historians initiative helps prepare graduate students and early-career historians for a range of career options.Humanities Indicators
The American Academic of Arts and Sciences presents career data for those with advanced degrees in the humanities.National Science Board
The National Science Board presents career information for doctorates in science, social science, engineering and health. -
Developing a Professional Online Profile
Beginner’s Guide to Establishing a Professional Online Presence
Overview of popular social media platforms used by academics.NACE: The Career Counselors Guide to Social Media
A series of guides on professional use of social media by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. -
Writing a Successful Resume
AU Career Center: Resumes
Templates and tips on writing the perfect resume.
Life Skills
Time Management
- Skills and Workshops for Academic Success — Time Management
The Academic Support and Access Center provides tips and tools for time management. - Counselling Center: 20 Time Management Tips
Tips from the Counselling Center.
Financial Planning for Graduate School
- GradSense.Org
The Council of Graduate Schools presents an online education platform to help students better understand a variety of issues, including the value of their degree, borrowing and saving, and money management. - AU Office of Financial Aid
Your first stop for questions about applying for financial aid.
Part-time Jobs
Students looking for a convenient part-time job can use a wide variety of resources, including
- Student Jobs
- AU Career Opportunities
- International Student Employment
- Federal Work Study
- Neighborhood Jobs
Creating Your Wellness Plan
- AU Recreational Sports and Fitness
- AU's RecFit offers a variety of workshops and activities designed to keep AU students in peak form.
- Health Promotion and Advocacy Center
- AU's Health Promotion and Advocacy Center offers workshops, outreach activities, and one-on-one consultations with students on a variety of issues including alcohol and drug use, sleep patterns, and healthy relationships.
Mid Program
Academic Skills
Funding Your Research
Office of Graduate Studies: Funding Your Research
Internal Competitions sponsored by the Office of Graduate Studies.
College of Arts and Sciences: Student Research and Travel Support
Internal Competitions sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences.
Office of Merit Awards
Learn about nationally-competitive, merit-based scholarship programs.
Office of Merit Awards: National Scholarship Directory
National Science Foundation: Special Programs for Graduate Students
Funding programs for graduate students sponsored by the NSF or NSF-awardee institution.
Career Skills
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Building your professional network
Idealists Careers: Networking
Networking strategies from Idealist.org.NACE: The Career Counselors Guide to Social Media
A series of guides on professional use of social media by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.Office of Graduate Studies: High Impact Research
Tips for promoting your research through social media and other non-academic channels. -
Developing your teaching skills
Center for Teaching, Research and Learning (CTRL)
CTRL provides workshops and consultations on teaching and pedagogy. -
Securing an internship
Career Center: Job and Internship Searching
The Career Center provides resources to help you find your perfect job or internship, including AU-specific listings which can be accessed through Handshake.Career Center: Employers on Campus
The Career Center hosts a variety of employers in on-campus events.Career Center: Advising Appointments
Meet one on one with a Career Center advisor to discuss your resume, interview preparation, or to build your networking skills. You can meet with your advisor in-person, over the phone, or over SkypeCareer Center: Job & Internship Fairs
With more than 140 public, private, and nonprofit organizations.
Life Skills
Stress management
- Counseling Center
Resources and one-on-one appointments. - Health Promotion and Advocacy Center
AU’s Health Promotion and Advocacy Center offers workshops, outreach activities, and one-on-one consultations with students on a variety of issues including alcohol and drug use, sleep patterns, and healthy relationships.
Late Program
Academic Skills
Defending and submitting your dissertation/thesis/capstone
Office of Graduate Studies: Theses and Dissertation Submission
Templates, due dates and instructions for submitting your theses and dissertations.
Dissertation Support Group
First Tuesday of Every Month, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
This group is a support group in which fellow PhD students from across disciplines could meet to combat the sense of isolation and anxiety that sometimes comes from the dissertation writing process; it could also have monthly themes with guest speakers on common issues facing dissertators, such as procrastination, time management, and work/life balance.
Publishing your research
Office of Graduate Studies: High Impact Research
Tips for promoting your research through social media and other non-academic channels.
Career Skills
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Job search strategies
Career Center: Job and Internship Searching
The Career Center provides resources to help you find your perfect job or internship, including AU-specific listings which can be accessed through Handshake.Career Center: Employers on Campus
The Career Center hosts a variety of employers in on-campus events.Career Center: Advising Appointments
Meet one on one with a Career Center advisor to discuss your resume, interview preparation, or to build your networking skills. You can meet with your advisor in-person, over the phone, or over Skype.Career Center: 2019 Job and Internship Fair
Date: September 11, 2019, 1-4
Description: The Fall Job and Internship Fair attracts more than 140 public, private, and nonprofit organizations. -
Interview preparation
Career Center: Interview Preparation
Use Interview Stream to practice for interview of all types. -
Negotiating the job offer
GradSense.Org
The Council of Graduate Schools presents an online education platform to help students better understand a variety of issues, including evaluating and negotiating your job offer.American Association of University Women: How to Negotiate your Salary
The AAUW provides tips on negotiating your salary.
Life Skills
Financial planning for your early career
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Career Pathways for Masters and Doctoral Students
The Council of Graduate Schools presents an online education platform to help students better understand a variety of issues, including transitioning to life after graduate school.