I. Networking is essential; we'll guide you through it. 

This week, your focus is to start familiarizing yourself with the tools you will be working with over the next eight weeks. You'll want to start building a résumé, of course; but it's just as important to prepare yourself to start networking.

Why? Well, our experience shows that only 35% of GSICE students who do internships find them by applying to formal internship programs or to a specific internship job posting. The other 65% of GSICE internships are self-initiated – in other words, students are able to "create their own" internships by networking with professionals in their field of interest. "Networking" can sound intimidating, but don't worry – we'll be guiding you through the process step by step over the next several weeks. 

(Go further: Learn more about finding an internship by watching the iBiology video "Internships for Grad Students and Postdocs.")

II. It's okay to be unsure about your career goals.

You might also be wondering how to prepare for applications if you aren't 100% sure what career path you want to pursue. If this sounds like you, you're not alone! A 2018 study on GSICE program outcomes found that only 22% of the program's participants described themselves as "very confident in [their] career choice" at the start of the program. However, 61% were very confident at the end of the program.

What changed? It turns out that trying out a career path leads to greater career confidence, even if you discover that the career path you tried isn't the one for you. As Herminia Ibarra, author of Working Identity, puts it: "The only way we learn is by doing something different... the process of learning requires doing different things." We'll include some optional activities each week for you to complete if you're still exploring multiple career paths. 

(Go further: Listen to an interview with Ibarra in the Harvard Business Review.) 

III. The goal is progress, not perfection.

We hope you enjoy beginning to build your professional profile with the assignments below. Remember that these are all first drafts, which we'll continue to revise in the weeks ahead, so they do not need to be perfect at this stage. Just getting started is plenty for this week!

(Go further: Want feedback on your materials, or a sounding board for your career exploration journey? You can make an appointment with the OCPD.)

1. Think about what kinds of opportunities you're aiming for, and what criteria an opportunity will need to meet. Estimated completion time: 1-2 hours. 

Start by identifying one or two types of opportunities you'd like to search for. As we mentioned in the lesson above, it's okay if you're not 100% sure whether these fields are the ones you want to end up in – that's what you're trying to find out! You can also read the OCPD’s page on ways to get experience and note any options that sound interesting to you. Next, download our Opportunity Comparison Matrix and read the instructions and example. Think of what criteria will be important to you in choosing an opportunity.

2. Write a first draft of your “quick pitch." Estimated completion time: 30 minutes,

Imagine you’re at a networking event or interview and someone says, “Tell me about yourself.” How do you respond? Draft a 3-4 sentence “quick professional pitch” about yourself. We will work on refining your draft in Week #2, so you only need to create a first draft (i.e., it does not need to be perfect!).

3. Create your LinkedIn and UCSF Connect profiles and send five connection requests. Estimated completion time: 30-60 minutes.

LinkedIn and UCSF Connect are powerful networking tools. Create a profile on each. Check your privacy settings! Be sure they're set the way you want them. Add a photo, your education, and your relevant employment history. You may also wish to refer to the “LinkedIn Reference Guide to Building Your Profile” for examples of each section. Connect to at least five people you know (friends/colleagues/family members). 

4. (Optional) Fill out or update your “MyIDP” or “ImaginePhD”

We recommend that you use one of these tools to learn about yourself and your career options in more depth. This will be especially useful if you are still determining what career path is the best fit for you.

• Complete skills, interests, and values assessments
• Explore job families and read related resources
• Set skills development and career advancement goals

5. (Optional) Talk to a career counselor

The OCPD offers 30-minute career counseling appointments to help you figure out the career path(s) in which you want to seek experience. 

All done with step 1? Congratulations! Whether you completed all the assignments or just a few, we want to celebrate you! Register your achievement by taking the Completion Survey.

I. Networking isn’t as hard as you think. Start with your inner circle and build outward.  

This week is all about getting ready to network. In this video, we explain some of the theory behind networking, and why sites like LinkedIn and UCSF Connect are so useful:

Activity: It helps to build clarity about why you’re networking. Spend some time reflecting on your professional goals by completing this worksheet.

II. Your “professional brand” should reflect your strengths and values, not just your expertise.

When we say you should have a “professional brand,” we mean that it’s helpful to have a consistent message about the strengths you want to be known for. (View the slides from Naledi Saul’s presentation “Professional Branding as a PhD” for more details.) This message should include both your expertise (the skills and experience you bring to the table) and also the personal values or qualities you want to highlight (for instance, describing yourself as forward-thinking; committed to mentorship; constantly collaborating; or engaging and accessible).

Activity: Free-write one paragraph in response to this prompt: “What do you want to be known for, professionally? What do you want colleagues to say when they talk about you?”

III. Be intentional about how you’re presenting yourself, and where.  

There are many different places where your professional profile already “lives,” whether you realize it or not. Some of these might be mandatory (for instance, you might be required to have a profile on your lab’s website, or attend a particular conference) while others are optional (Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Scholar). Think about what profiles you already have, and how you could update them to communicate a consistent message about your strengths and values. (View the slides from our 2024 "Professional Profile Lunch and Learn" for more information.)

Activity: Take a look at your existing profiles. What will you add or change? What’s one platform you’ll consider joining?

1. Update your résumé to reflect your professional brand. Estimated completion time: 1 hour.

Using the information from this week’s lesson, update your résumé to reflect your professional brand. Add/modify your summary statement, tailor your relevant employment history to your professional brand, and review your résumé for visual appeal and easy reading. Aim to keep your résumé within 2 printed pages.

2. Refine your “quick pitch” to reflect your professional brand. Estimated completion time: 1 hour.

Revise your 3-4-sentence pitch that reflects your professional brand. Make sure that your pitch includes your strengths, values, and other professional qualities, in addition to your areas of expertise.

3. Update your LinkedIn and UCSF Connect profiles to reflect your professional brand. Estimated completion time: 30 minutes.

Update your LinkedIn and UCSF Connect profiles to reflect your professional brand. Add/modify your background photo, add/modify your headline and summary, and upload any supporting materials to your profiles. Tailor your relevant employment history. Pay special attention to the headline, as this is one of the most “searchable” parts of your profile; consider a headline that is more descriptive than “PhD student” or “Postdoctoral Scholar” (for instance, a recruiter is more likely to be searching for an “epidemiologist,” or even just “scientist” or “researcher,” than “PhD student”).

4. Make a list of ten interesting second- and third-order LinkedIn connections. Estimated completion time: 30 minutes.

Start with one of your first-order connections – someone you’re already “friends” with – and then click “See Connections.” Start a list of ten people who might be interesting to talk to: they might work at a company you’re interested in, or have a professional background similar to yours.  

5. (Optional) Reflect on your core values.

If you’re having a hard time coming up with qualities you want to emphasize in your professional profile, consider taking a values assessment at MyIDP or ImaginePhD. Use your assessment results to think about how you have demonstrated these core values in your professional life. Think about how you could make your professional profile more reflective of two of these values.   

All done with step 2? Congratulations, you're rocking it! Whether you completed all the assignments or just a few, we invite you to register your achievement by taking the Completion Survey.

I. It’s time to reach out to your second-degree connections on LinkedIn! It doesn’t need to be stressful; there’s a simple formula to follow.

Last week, you learned why it’s important to contact your second-degree connections as part of your job search. But what should you say (and what should you avoid saying), when you’re reaching out to someone you don’t know? We break it down for you this week. You can also view the slides from our 2024 workshop if you prefer. 

Optional activity: Send an invitation to connect to one of your second-degree connections on LinkedIn – right now! There are instructions in the video; it should only take you eight minutes.

II. Before you apply to jobs or internships, make sure you have a résumé, and not a C.V.

Once you’ve started networking, job opportunities may start coming your way. Do you have your résumé ready? You probably have a C.V. – but a résumé for a non-academic role is actually quite different. View this video by Bill Lindstaedt, Assistant Vice Chancellor at UCSF, to learn how long a résumé should be, why you need a profile section, and more:

Optional activity: The OCPD has sample résumés for an industry scientist, a bioinformaticist, a consultant, and a business position. Choose the one that aligns most closely with your career goals, and compare it to your current résumé draft. What differences do you see? We also have a sample resume for internships. (Consider the names of each section; the orders in which the sections appear; the overall length of the document; the formatting; the way graduate research positions are described; etc.)

III. Your résumé should be carefully tailored to each job you apply for. Analyze each job description to show exactly why you’re a good fit. 

You may have heard that your résumé needs to be “tailored” to specific jobs; what does that mean? It means that you need to read the job description carefully, and ensure that your résumé demonstrates the skills and qualifications listed in the ad, using the same keywords. This is why we’re asking you to choose a specific job description to work with over the next few weeks (see Assignments below).

Optional activity: Read an OCPD example of how to analyze a job description and prepare a tailored résumé.

1. Find a job description for a specific experiential opportunity (or type of opportunity) you’d like to focus on for future class assignments. Estimated completion time: 45-60 minutes.

In future class assignments, we’ll be asking you to focus on a specific job description for an opportunity in a specific career path. This could mean actually applying for a job or internship, or simply choosing a sample job description for the type of job you think you might want to apply for. (If you don’t have a specific job in mind, just find one that looks interesting to focus on for the purpose of these assignments.)

Please write one reflective paragraph describing which opportunity you want to focus on and why. Copy the job description you’ve selected into a Word document and save it.

2. Format and tailor your resume to an experiential opportunity of interest to you. Estimated completion time: 45-60 minutes.

Using the strategies discussed in the video, tailor your resume for one specific experiential opportunity that you seek.

3. Send at least one invitation to connect with professional(s) linked to an experiential opportunity of interest to you. Estimated completion time: 30 minutes.

Identify at least one professional who is connected to an experiential opportunity that interests you. Request to connect with this person (via LinkedIn/UCSF Connect/email, etc.). For the purposes of this assignment, do not worry if you cannot identify the perfect person; you can still practice the skill of leveraging and expanding your professional network with this assignment. Just pick someone it might be interesting for you to speak with. Consider starting with UCSF Connect or the UCSF alumni on LinkedIn.

4. (Optional) Browse sample job descriptions on OCPD’s Every Month pages. If you don’t have a specific job or career path in mind yet, it’s fine to just choose one that looks interesting to focus on for the purpose of these assignments. Try browsing each of OCPD’s Every Month pages on career paths such as Industry, Data Science, and Consulting for sample job descriptions.

5. (Optional) Attend a career counseling session. Estimated completion time: 50 minutes.

If you’re having trouble finding a job description that interests you, or if you’d like to have an expert review your résumé draft, this is a great time to make an appointment with an OCPD career counselor.

All done with step 3? Bravo! Whether you completed all the assignments or just a few, please take five minutes to register your achievement by taking the Completion Survey.

I. The question “Tell me about yourself” may not mean what you think it does. Be sure to pivot back to why you’re a good fit for the job.

Often, an interview will start with some variation of the question, “Tell me about yourself.” While this might seem like an invitation to recite your biography, the best answers to this question give a concise summary of your relevant skills and background, and then pivot back to why you’re a good fit for the job.

See examples of this and other answers to common interview questions in this video by Bill Lindstaedt:

Optional further reading: Browse OCPD’s list of common questions that Ph.D.-level candidates are asked in industry interviews.   

II. Prepare for behavioral interview questions using the “STAR” (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method.

It is very common for interviews to include a number of “behavioral questions” – that is, questions that assume your past behavior is the best predictor of your future behavior. The goal of such questions is to assess your interpersonal skills and team fit.

To respond well to these questions, you’ll want to prepare several specific stories about moments when you successfully exhibited leadership, cooperated with others, juggled multiple tasks, or overcame a significant challenge. Each story should describe the Situation, your Task, the Actions you took, and the Result of your actions (STAR).

Optional further reading: OCPD has tips about preparing for a virtual interview.

III. It’s normal to be nervous – practice and preparation can help.

Once you’ve booked your interview, it’s normal to start feeling some nerves. Fortunately, successful interviewing is a learned skill, so there’s no need to wing it; you can use the time before your interview to practice and prepare. Here are steps you can take that will ensure you’re as prepared as you can possibly be:

• Practice with others: Introductions, handshakes, eye contact, and your questions for them
• Prepare responses and practice for “opening/agenda-setting” questions
• Prepare responses for 5-10 behavioral questions using the STAR framework
• Try to learn about your future boss’s priorities for the position, and any challenges your future team is working on

Optional further reading: Learn about how to follow up with an employer after the interview. (Hint: it involves a thank-you note!)

1. Draft an answer to the interview question “Tell me about yourself.” Estimated completion time: 20 minutes.

Be sure your answer includes the “pivot” back to why you’re a good fit for the job. Practice it aloud, timing yourself, and see how long your answer is. Can you pare it down to about one minute?

2. Draft at least two answers to behavioral questions using the “STAR” format. Estimated completion time: 45 minutes.

Write out a “STAR” answer to these questions:

• “Tell me about a time you had to manage competing priorities effectively.”
• “Tell me about a tough group you had to get cooperation from. What was the issue and how did you go about obtaining buy-in?”

Then, review your answers: how could the story more clearly demonstrate the behavior you are illustrating? How could each section (Situation, Task, Action, Result) be improved?

3. Record yourself practicing two of your answers, and then watch the recording and note a few ways you can improve. Estimated completion time: 45 minutes.

You can use StandOut, our online video mock interviewing tool, to practice answering questions and see how you present on camera. Enter your UCSF email to log in, and then go to the “Practice” tab to see sample questions or choose your own interview questions. (Of course, you can also record yourself using your own phone or camera.)

4. (Optional) Attend a career counseling session. Estimated completion time: 50 minutes.

Want to practice your interview skills in person? This is a great time to make an appointment with an OCPD career counselor.

All done with step 4? Congratulations, you're halfway done with the Virtual GSICE course! Whether you completed all the assignments or just a few, we invite you to register your achievement by taking the Completion Survey.

I. Once you’ve received the offer, it’s time to prioritize and consider your leverage.  

After you receive an offer, it’s time to sit down (maybe with an OCPD career counselor) and identify things you’d like to negotiate. Write out your items as bullet points and then prioritize them.

Wondering what’s negotiable, what your negotiation should sound like, or what counts as leverage? Watch this iBiology video by Bill Lindstaedt to find out:

Go further: Need some backup? You can always make an appointment at OCPD for advice about negotiating an offer.

II. Navigating the gender pay gap can be hard. Negotiation is an opportunity to learn about the values of your future company and manager.  

Salaries are generally offered based on pre-determined brackets set by companies’ benchmarking surveys. OCPD has found it is common for trainee negotiators to successfully increase their starting salary by 3-7% through negotiation.

That said, the gender pay gap is real, and women sometimes feel like they’re walking a tightrope during the negotiation process. If you’re concerned about whether you’re valuing yourself highly enough, check with a couple of knowledgeable people working in the same industry before you negotiate, so that you know what is a fair range for your new position. You might also want to pay attention to the way your future manager and company engage during negotiation; do you feel they’re being equitable, transparent, and responsive?

Go further: Read more from OCPD Director Naledi Saul about negotiation and the gender pay gap.

III. Remember to express appreciation and optimism.   

It is very effective to approach negotiation as an exercise in collaborative problem-solving. Throughout the negotiation, remember to be positive, enthusiastic, and encouraging. Be sure to express appreciation for the effort it will take for the hiring manager to look into the points you raised.

1. Review this draft offer letter and decide how you would negotiate. Estimated completion time: 30 minutes.

Read this sample offer letter (for a scientist job in industry). We’ve identified several points in the offer letter that would be reasonable to negotiate. Decide which of these, if any, you might want to negotiate, what you would want to ask for, and whether each point would be a “nice to have” or a “must-have.”

2. Write out a draft negotiation “script”. Estimated completion time: 30 minutes.

Referring to Bill Lindstaedt’s video above, write out a script of what you would say, if you were going to negotiate for the points in assignment #1. Remember to begin by setting the agenda, and end by expressing appreciation.  

3. Practice your negotiation script with a friend. Estimated completion time: 30 minutes.

There’s really no substitute for practicing your negotiation skills in person, so find a friend who’s willing to act as the employer, and try out your negotiation script to see how it feels to say it aloud. Then practice again, until it starts to feel less scary, and maybe even a bit natural.

4. (Optional) Attend a career counseling session. Estimated completion time: 50 minutes.

Want to practice your negotiating skills in person? This is a great time to make an appointment with an OCPD career counselor.

All done with step 5? Amazing! Whether you completed all the assignments or just a few, we invite you to register your achievement by taking the Completion Survey.

I. Set SMART goals for your internship

So you’ve smashed your interview out of the park, received an internship offer, and now you’re ready to start – hooray! As your first day approaches, don’t lose sight of the fact that the internship itself is one stepping-stone toward your larger career goals. This week’s lesson suggests steps you can take to intentionally make the most out of your internship experience.

Planning concrete steps to take before, during, and after your internship is a big part of setting yourself up for success. Research shows that the goals you set for yourself will be more impactful (and more achievable) if they are “SMART” – that is, Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic, and Time-Bound.

Go further: Read examples of SMART goals a UCSF student might set before, during, and after their internship in data science.  

II. Establish a positive relationship with your manager  

Most of us want our great work to speak for itself. But at a new job, taking steps to establish effective two-way communication with your manager is the best way to ensure that your contributions will be recognized.

This is why your top priority, when you begin, should be to learn how your supervisor sets expectations, trains, and give kudos or corrective feedback. Once you’ve grasped your manager’s communication preferences, you can then work on securing an “early win” – that is, an accomplishment that meets (or exceeds!) your supervisor’s expectations. This helps to create a positive first impression, which will serve you well in the months to come.

Go further: Review the slides from OCPD Director Naledi Saul’s presentation on “The First 90 Days.”

III. Manage organizational politics with the “DIM” framework

As you settle into your new workplace, the organization’s internal politics will probably start to become clear. For instance, you might find that you are experiencing two different sets of expectations for your work, from two different groups or individuals within the organization. This is very normal!

One useful strategy to apply in such situations is the “DIM” framework: Define the issues (What are the concerns, needs, or dynamics impacting each individual involved?), Identify options (What are some possible solutions to each of the concerns you’ve identified?), and Make a move (Decide on a course of action, using your own definition of a “good outcome”).

Go further: Review the slides from OCPD Director Naledi Saul’s presentation on “Navigating Organizational Politics Everywhere” to see how DIM can be applied in a specific sample scenario.

1. Set goals for your internship. Estimated completion time: 30 minutes.

It’s your turn! Whether you’re starting an internship right now, or just envisioning yourself doing so down the road, write out some SMART goals you’d like to accomplish before, during, and after your internship using our goal-setting handout.

2. How will you demonstrate your values on the job? Estimated completion time: 30 minutes.

Choose three of your core work values (not sure what those are? Take the Values Assessment on MyIDP). For each value, brainstorm a few concrete actions you can perform that will demonstrate that value at work.

For instance, if “Teamwork” is one of your values, some actions that you could take to demonstrate that value at work include: Learning people’s names; showing interest in what they are working on; recognizing achievement; and offering to help when you can.

3. Identify your mentors for workplace politics questions. Estimated completion time: 15 minutes.

It’s helpful to have some trusted allies to whom you can reach out with questions about organizational dynamics in your new workplace. Brainstorm a list of 3-5 mentors you could contact, if such a situation were to arise. These might range from a trusted peer with work experience, to an OCPD career counselor, to a UCSF alum with whom you’ve previously had an informational interview.

Next to each person’s name, write down what kind of support they could best provide. (Emotional support? Concrete suggestions for action? Context about whether the situation is common? Etc.)

4. (Optional) Attend a career counseling session. Estimated completion time: 50 minutes.

You can always make an appointment with an OCPD career counselor if you’d like to discuss your internship goals, or any challenges you encounter while on the job.

All done with step 6? Fantastic, you made it! Whether you completed all the assignments or just a few, we invite you to register your achievement by taking the Completion Survey.