Professional Skills
At UCSC, we have identified nine categories of Professional Skills to help you gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities to equip you for success in graduate school and beyond. These Professional Skills are interrelated and transferable, no matter your degree, discipline, or career goals. With the exception of the Graduate Student Professional Communication and Graduate Student Leadership Certificate Programs, professional development events are open to both graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.
On this page
- Career Exploration & Preparation
- Entrepreneurship
- Leadership & Management
- Networking
- Personal Development & Well-Being
- Professional Ethics
- Research & Data Analysis
- Teaching & Mentorship
- Writing & Communication
Career Exploration & Preparation
Graduate training provides pathways to diverse careers. Learn about possible professional directions and develop skills, experiences, and materials to support you on your professional journey.
Career Exploration & Preparation: Resources
Center for Adaptive Optics Professional Development Program
Chicano Latino Professional Associations Webpage
Curriculum Vitae (CV) Writing Video Module in Canvas Professional Development Course
External Internship Fund-Matching Program
Graduate Student Success Program
Human-Computer Interaction Mentor Coalition
Initiative for Maximizing Student
Institute for Scientist and Engineer Educators
LinkedIn Video Module in Canvas Professional Development Course
M.S. Applied Economics and Finance Professional Development Webpage
National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD)
National Postdoctoral Association
Next Gen Scholars in Applied Math
Office of African, Black, and Caribbean (ABC) Student Success
The Humanities Institute PhD+ Workshops
Entrepreneurship
From starting an independent research or writing project to launching a nonprofit or commercial venture, it is important to know how to define the scope and timeline of a project, set realistic budgets, promote your goals, and cultivate supporters.
Entrepreneurship: Resources
Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development (CIED)
Leadership & Management
Taking initiative, leading others, organizing and managing projects, and setting goals, are important skills that transfer across many professional, civic, and personal areas.
Leadership & Management: Resources
African American Resource and Cultural Center: African American Mentorship Program
American Indian Resource Center
CARE Training and Education for Instructors
Center for Adaptive Optics Professional Development Program
Chicanx Latinx Resource Center: Student Leadership Institute
Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program
Graduate Student Association Leadership
Graduate Student Commons Governance
Institute for Scientist and Engineer Educators
Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD)
National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD)
National Postdoctoral Association
Science and Justice Training Program
Teaching and Learning Center Programs
Teaching as an Ethical Practice
UCSC Postdocs Association (USPA)
Networking
Taking initiative, leading others, organizing and managing projects, and setting goals, are important skills that transfer across many professional, civic, and personal areas.
Networking: Resources
Doctoral Summer Bridge Program
Human-Computer Interaction Mentor Coalition
Institute for Scientist and Engineer Educators
LinkedIn Group UCSC Division of Graduate Studies Network
LinkedIn Group UCSC Postdoctoral Scholars Network
LinkedIn Video Module in Canvas Professional Development Course
M.S. Applied Economics and Finance Professional Development Webpage
National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD)
National Postdoctoral Association
Next Gen Scholars in Applied Math
Personal Development & Well-Being
Professional development grows out of personal development and well-being. Skills to improve personal growth and well-being include establishing a healthy work-life balance, dealing with imposter phenomenon, resolving conflict with empathy, and taking care of oneself mentally, physically, and financially.
Personal Development & Well-Being: Resources
Campus Advocacy Resources and Education (CARE)
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Professional Ethics
Professional success encompasses not just specialized knowledge and technical skills, but also personal qualities such as ethics, integrity, accountability, and respect.
Professional Ethics: Resources
CARE Training and Education for Instructors
Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Scholarly Communication
National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD)
National Postdoctoral Association
Office of the Ombuds: For Graduate Students
Research & Data Analysis
Mastery of methods and data analysis and the ability to work across multiple fields are fundamental components of research, critical inquiry, and scholarly communication.
Research & Data Analysis: Resources
Center for Digital Scholarship
Graduate Dean’s Research Travel Grant
Graduate Student Success Program
Industry Alliances and Technology Commercialization (IATC) Office
Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD)
Institute for Scientist and Engineer Educators
Library Faculty and Graduate Services
Library Research Consultations
Library Start Your Research Guide
Library Zotero (Managing Resource Citations)
National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD)
National Postdoctoral Association
Next Gen Scholars in Applied Math
Teaching & Mentorship
Teaching and mentoring are important parts of your graduate training and provide opportunities to develop skills that are applicable to many career paths, such as synthesizing and presenting information clearly and persuasively, providing feedback, advising, and managing groups.
Teaching & Mentorship: Resources
CARE Training and Education for Instructors
Center for Adaptive Optics Professional Development Program
Course Design and Delivery Certificate
Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program (DICP)
Doctoral Summer Bridge Program
Graduate Student Commons Peer Mentorship Program
Graduate Student Success Program
Institute for Scientist and Engineer Educators
National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD)
Teaching as an Ethical Practice
UCSC Postdocs Association (USPA)
University Library Center for Digital Scholarship
University Library Faculty and Graduate Services
Writing & Communication
Presenting information effectively and persuasively in written, oral, digital, and other formats is an important skill for every stage of your career.
Writing & Communication: Resources
Academic Job Market Success Website
Curriculum Vitae (CV) Writing Video Module in Canvas Professional Development Course
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Scholarly Communication
Library Center for Digital Scholarship
Library Faculty and Graduate Services
Library Start Your Research Guide
Library Zotero (Managing Resource Citations)
LinkedIn Video Module in Canvas Professional Development Course
Slide Design Principles Video Module in Canvas Professional Development Course
Univerity of California Press FirstGen Author Program
VOCES Graduate Student Writing Center
Writing Psychology Video Module in Canvas Professional Development Course
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