Thinking About Skills
Friday, February 27, 2026 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
- Virtual event
- Contact
- David Lafferty, david.lafferty@carleton.ca
This webinar for graduate students and postdocs focuses on understanding, naming, and communicating the skills developed through advanced research and training. Many graduates leave academia with strong capabilities but struggle to describe them in ways that resonate beyond academic settings. This session will explore which skills are genuinely transferable, how “hard” and “soft” skills function in professional environments, and why the ability to translate academic experience into broadly understood competencies is essential when pursuing non-academic careers in today’s job market.
Participants will learn practical strategies for assessing their current skill sets, identifying gaps, and thinking deliberately about which skills they may need to develop for specific career paths. Through guided reflection and discussion, attendees will leave better equipped to frame their experience confidently and to plan targeted professional development that aligns with their long-term goals.
All graduate students and postdocs are welcome. If you are a TA, this session counts toward voluntary paid training hours, provided that you are working as a TA in the term when the training takes place.
PLEASE REGISTER BELOW
Thinking About Skills (W2026)
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