The OPTIONS Program
The OPTIONS Program is an initiative to support all engineering graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in exploring diverse career options.
Learn more here: http://uoft.me/optionsprogram
Program Details
Date: Thursday January 27 and Friday January 28
Time: 1:00 – 3:15 pm and 1:00 – 4:00 pm ET
Location: Online
Launch Your Career Plan is a new initiative by the Vice Dean, Graduate Studies to support graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to launch their career planning early in their studies. This event will guide you to critically reflect on career opportunities for research-based students and fellows (including further graduate studies, academia, and industry), and equip you with strategies and tools to explore your unique career aspirations. You will leave this event with tailored resources to dive deeper into the specific career pathways that interest you.
At this event, you will:
- Learn about parallel planning for further graduate studies, academia, and industry careers
- Use labour market data and networking tools to discover diverse academic and industry opportunities
- Listen to a panel of alumni who have completed further graduate studies, are working in industry, or obtained a professorship
- Create a plan to explore your specific career aspirations
This event is open to all MASc students, PhD students, and postdoctoral fellows. We welcome participants who have a clear idea of their career trajectory as well as those who are deciding between continuing in academia or finding an industry position. It is highly recommended that all research-based graduate students and postdoctoral fellows attend this event near the beginning of their studies.
This event should be completed before the OPTIONS Cohort Program or Prospective Professors in Training (PPIT).
Schedule
| Day | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday January 27 | 1:00 – 2:30 pm | Part I: The Labour Market and You |
| Thursday January 27 | 2:45 – 3:15 pm | Part II: Build Your Professional Network |
| Friday January 28 | 1:00 – 2:25 pm | Part III: Explore Diverse Career Pathways |
| Friday January 28 | 2:45 – 4:00 pm | Part IV: Launch Your Career Plan |
Participant Expectations and Technological Requirements
Launch Your Career Plan is an interactive session (not a traditional lecture or webinar). You will be required to actively engage in activities and small group conversations using your personal computer’s audio and, if possible, video. The ideal learning environment is a quiet space that is free of distractions. We ask that you turn off (or silence) email and any computer/phone notifications.