Advance Your Career and Teaching Skills
Committed to supporting our students’ academic and professional pursuits, The University of Alabama Graduate School hosts GradACTS, a compilation of workshops, training, speakers and resources to best prepare you for your career.
Through GradACTS, we also connect you to internship and project management opportunities that complement your coursework and fuel your engagement, equipping you with experience that sets you above your peers.
View our events portal, where we host workshops, seminars, conferences, cultural events and grants.
Student Success Resources
Publisher-in-Residence Program
Learn tips and techniques from publishing industry veteran, George Thompson. Meet with Mr. Thompson, discuss your work and find your path to publishing articles and books.
Resources for Graduate Teaching Assistants
Designed for new Graduate Teaching Assistants, this workshop develops the necessary skills to manage an upper-level classroom.
Thesis & Dissertation Writing Camp
Held in May, this three-week (12-day) seminar grants dissertation writers an opportunity to make progress on their projects and improve their writing with a network of fellow researchers. Prospective participants must complete an application in the spring semester.
Crimson Odyssey
Crimson Odyssey supports the personal and professional success of all graduate students through a comprehensive curriculum focused on establishing a culture of mentorship based on mentoring and mentee competencies that transcend disciplines.
Career-Launching Resources
On Campus
Guidance for selecting a major, planning a career, developing job-search strategies and more.
Improve public speaking, presentation and oral communication skills.
Provides feedback on any kind of writing, whether it is personal, professional or academic.
External Resources
Beyond the Professoriate’s Career Training Platform is an online professional development tool where postdocs and graduate students can explore career options and learn job search strategies. Through two programs of study (Academic Careers and Professional Careers), students are empowered to make informed decisions about their career path and learn successful job search strategies from other PhDs. To log in simply visit Beyond Prof’s Career Training Platform, select “University of Alabama”, and enter your institutional login information.
VMock is a platform that utilizes data science based on employers’ input to provide instant feedback on your resume and/or elevator pitch/interview responses. VMock is available to you 24-7.
What can you do in VMock?
- Build your resume.
- Use the SMART Resume Editor to build your resume using a template in the platform.
- Upload your current resume (pdf required) and receive tailored feedback in three categories: impact, presentation, and competencies. You will receive a score but focus more on the detailed feedback and use the SMART Editor to make changes. You have 10 opportunities per year to upload or rescore your resume.
2. Practice interviewing and get immediate feedback for improving.
- Choose from a selection of interview questions and record your responses. Receive feedback on content, diction, and non-verbal communication.
To begin go to www.vmock.com/ua and choose the account type, “Students/Alumni” to register with your crimson.ua.edu address. You will begin on the Student Dashboard where you will choose Resume or Elevator Pitch (interviewing) from the left menu. In the resume section choose Create New or Upload Resume.
The University of Alabama has a membership subscription to NCFDD, providing faculty access to resources. NCFDD provides on-demand access to the mentoring, tools, and support needed to be successful in the University setting NCFDD focuses on four key areas that help achieve scholarly writing and research productivity while maintaining a healthy life on and off campus.
To access NCFDD complete the following steps:
- Click here to access NCFDD
- Select “The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa” from the drop-down menu
- Select “Activate my Membership”
- Complete the registration form using your campus email address
- Proceed to your campus email to find a confirmation email and click “Activate Account” in the email.
myIDP is a free unique, web-based career-planning tool tailored to meet the needs of Ph.D. students
and postdocs in the sciences. myIDP provides:
- Exercises to help you examine your skills, interests, and values
- A list of 20 scientific career paths with a prediction of which ones best fit your skills and interests
- A tool for setting strategic goals for the coming year, with optional reminders to keep you on
track - Articles and resources to guide you through the process
ImaginePhD is a free online career exploration and planning tool for Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scholars in the humanities and social sciences. Humanities and social sciences Ph.D. students and their mentors have long recognized the need for more resources to help bridge the knowledge gap between doctoral education and the realm of career possibilities.
ImaginePhD is designed to meet this need by allowing users to:
- Assess their career-related skills, interests, and values
- Explore careers paths appropriate to their disciplines
- Create self-defined goals
- Map out the next steps for career and professional development success