Career planning as a graduate student
Graduate school itself is a stage of your career. Being a graduate student introduces you to a particular sector of work, academia, with associated norms, values, and expectations.
At the end of your graduate program, you may choose to continue to work in that sector through continuing your studies, beginning a postdoc, or applying for academic jobs. Or, you may decide to bring your knowledge and skills to a different sector, such as a for-profit industry, government, healthcare, and more.
Most graduate students will consider more than one career option over the course of their degree, and many students will find their career paths influenced by a variety of factors, such as family responsibilities, desired living location, preferred income, and labour market trends.
As a graduate student, your most valuable career development resources are curiosity, flexibility, and an open mind.
Career learning and development
The UBC Career Centre is a hub of career development expertise, programs, initiatives, and resources integrated within the full range of students’ academic, co-curricular, and extra-curricular experiences. The Centre works in partnership with faculties to support students in becoming career-ready graduates.
All graduate students in any discipline and stage of their program can access career advising and development services through the Centre, including for up to one year after graduating UBC.
Getting started
As you think about your career, you may wish to consider the following:
- Skills: What you know how to do and are good at
- Interests: The type of work you like to do, the questions you want to answer, and the problems you want to solve
- Values: What you care about and how you want to show up in the world
There are many ways to assess and reflect on these areas. Browse key resources for graduate students in the Additional Resources section below.
Advising appointments
Current UBC graduate students and recent alumni within one year of graduation can access individual advising appointments in person or online via Zoom.
Topics for these conversations include, but are not limited to:
- Career options or exploration
- Job search
- Networking
- Interviews
- Resume or academic Curriculum Vitaes
Highlighting your experience
The following video tutorials are specifically designed for students who want to showcase their research and academic experiences in ways that capture the attention of employers within and beyond the University.
Academic projects
This video focuses on how you can use your experience with an academic project to highlight key skills that employers are looking for.
Community-based experiential learning
This video provides guidance on how you can showcase the experience you gained through experiential learning projects.
Additional Resources
- UBC Graduate Game Plan
Read through a wide range of strategies for graduate students to achieve academic and career related goals. - My IDP self-assessment
Access an integrated goal-setting tool for graduate STEM students, covering both academic and non-academic career paths. - Imagine PhD
Use the self-assessment and goal-setting tool for social sciences and humanities students, featuring career paths, annotated job postings, and job simulation activities. - Intersect Job Simulations
Complete job simulations to identify careers of interest and use the provided resources to explore your next steps.
- UBC PhD Outcomes (pdf)
Published in 2017 using data from 2005 to 2013, this report explores career paths of UBC PhD graduates, including sector distribution, sample job titles, and satisfaction reports. - O-Net database of occupations
Explore a U.S.-based database with detailed information on thousands of occupations, including required skills and qualifications. - Resumes and cover letters
Showcase your skills and experiences with tips and guidance on writing your resume and cover letter. - Curricula Vitae
Practice strategies and examples for creating your academic Curriculum Vitae (CV), tailored to research, teaching, and scholarly opportunities. - University Affairs
Read a variety of articles on higher education in Canada, including career advice and tips for graduate students. - Chronicle of Higher Education
Browse a range of articles addressing current challenges and debates within higher education. - Inside Higher Education
Find articles and advice for graduate students working or planning to work in higher education.
Read interviews of individuals with PhDs discussing their career transitions after the PhD.
Find opportunities for graduate students to gain experience and expand their networks at UBC:
- UBC Work Learn
The Work Learn program offers paid, part-time, on campus work opportunities for current students. - MITACS
Access funded internships, postdoc opportunities, and professional development training across different disciplines. - UBC Sustainability Scholars Program
Join the paid internship program matching UBC graduate students with on- and off-campus sustainability partners. - UBC Public Scholars Initiative
Get funding for community-connected research, available to UBC PhDs. - UBC Arts PhD Co-op
Complete a co-op term as part of your PhD in select Arts disciplines. - UBC Graduate Pathways to Success
Attend non-credit workshops, seminars, and other activities to support your professional development.
Career stories
Watch these videos featuring UBC alumni as they reflect on how their graduate education has shaped their career paths and professional growth.
Peter Wrinch was focused on a career in academia throughout his studies in Russian History.
He is currently the Principal of Uncommon Partners, helping organizations work on their purpose, and was formerly the CEO of Hollyhock, a not-for-profit educational institute dedicated to lifelong learning and cultural transformation through courses, conferences, and community.
Marwan Hassan is a Professor at UBC. He gives insight into choosing a career in academia and methods of achieving a job.
Veronique Hadade has a Masters in both Mechanical Engineering and Management.
She is currently the VP of Products and Solutions at PhotoSat and has held four positions at MDA Space.
Leslie Ng supplemented her undergraduate studies in Chemical Engineering with an MBA.
She has worked with the City of Vancouver for over 13 years and is presently a Senior Sustainability Specialist.
Kathryn Hayashi is the CEO at TRIUMF Innovations Inc., with a career spanning a variety of industries from music to biotechnology.
Harish Vasudevan holds a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences from UBC.
Deciding that academia wasn’t for him, he is now an Associate Director of Program Management and Leadership with Ovid Therapeutics and was formerly the Senior Project Manager at Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc.
Connect with the Career Centre
Whether you’re seeking job search support or exploring career options, the Career Centre is here to help.
Book an advising appointment or attend events and workshops organized throughout the year.