PCC Undergraduate Cohort Hosts Professional Development Workshop!
Although tourists were flocking to the Quad to see the Sakura trees in bloom on a gorgeously sunny day, members of the PCC Undergraduate Cohort were there for a different reason. During a sunny afternoon on 4/2, the UCo gathered on the third floor of Smith Hall, a room with a lovely aerial view of the cherry blossoms that certainly enhanced the atmosphere of the professional development workshop they were hosting. Not only did interested undergrads receive invaluable information on resume writing, graduate school, and career pathways, but they also got to see a unique view of one of UW’s most iconic spots, and got rewarded with pizza by the end!
The event began with a presentation given by Kirk Heynen, a representative from UW’s Career & Internship Center on how to properly craft a resume. His advice included recommendations on both the type of content that should be included, as well as how to create a format that is both appealing and consumable by human and machine reviewers. This included instruction on the best way to describe applicable experiences, how to properly tailor a resume, and much more! With this knowledge, UCo members will be primed to create attractive resumes that greatly increase the potential for landing an interview!
After Kirk’s presentation, undergrads had the chance to talk in small groups with a variety of grad students from across the college on specific aspects of professional development. Sessions included Leslie Nguyen (SMEA) talking about Non-Academic Career Paths, Alyssa Sargent (BIOL) discussing Applying to Grad School, Andrea Richter-Sanchez (SMEA) giving advice on Cover Letters, Job Resources, and Alternate Career Options, and Madeleine Strait (BIOL) providing tips on Talking to Professors. Each of the individual groups were able to go in-depth on their topic, whether it involved discussing specific aspects of cold emailing, stories about working on climate science in the field, or FAQs about the dreaded grad school application, many of which are detailed here by Alyssa. Undergrads were able to mingle freely across any topic that interested them, and no one left without learning something valuable about how to better work towards a professional career in climate science. Moreover, no one left with an empty belly, as pizza was provided as a parting gift!
By the end, however, this event had accomplished more than just providing important advice. It further established the connections between young climate scientists, whether they are undergrad or graduate students, a goal the UCo has always committed itself to. In fact, through the regular Grad Student Coffee Hours ongoing throughout Spring Quarter in Weeks 4, 6, and 8 (building off the Grad Student Lunches in Wi23), this work will continue to be accomplished, helping establish UW as a truly edifying climate science community. If you haven’t yet, please come join us!
Special thanks to all of the speakers, as well as the UCo planning team: Graduates Leslie Nguyen, Emma Heitmann, Rachel Zable, Aina Hori, Jacob Davis, Madeleine Strait and undergraduates Annabel Wade and Medha Kumar.
Written by Isaac Olson