Since 2009, ATTW has held a Graduate Student Career Workshop to help graduate students understand the job market.

Richard Johnson-Sheehan, who is a Professor at Purdue University, started the whole thing, and I’ve been fortunate enough to help him out from the start. And, I have to say it’s always been one of the highlights of the year for me. Why? Because it’s a great chance for faculty and grad students alike to get know one another. I love finding out what new topics are being explored and getting to know the “next generation.” There are a number of students from the first workshop that I talk to regularly. One can never have too many people in your network!

Students will get a handout we’ve prepared that gives an overview to the job market specific to TPC, and they will have the perfect opportunity—a captive audience really—to ask questions about the job market or to ask questions about programs and faculty life.

Past participants, student and faculty both, have reported one of the highlights of the event is getting to know faculty and programs that are different from their own doctoral institutions. Over 65% of programs in technical and professional communication (TPC) are not at doctoral level schools so to give students the chance to find out what life is like at different kinds of schools is paramount to their success.

Practical Specifics

When is the event?

4:00 pm on April 6.

How do you participate?

Email me lisa.meloncon@uc.edu and let me know you want to participate.

What will happen during the session?

There’s a reason that we call this workshop, Speed Dating. It’s because you’ll start with someone and talk for about 5-7 minutes and then you’ll move on to the next person. There’s no need to prepare. It’s an informal conversation where students can ask questions about the faculty member’s program and also tell them a little bit about the type of research that you’re doing. That way during the session, everyone will have talked to a number of people.

What if I have questions?

Just let me know and I’ll answer them or find someone that can.