Career Preparation Timelines

(adapted from Georgia Institute of Technology timelines)

In a perfect world, you would begin preparing for your career when you enter graduate school or start your postdoc. So if you are just starting your program, here are timelines for approaching your job search. But don’t be discouraged if you are mid-way through your graduate studies, close to graduation, or almost finished with your postdoc. There is still time to put yourself in a competitive position by following these general steps.

There are four phases in your job search:

• self-assessment—assessing your skills, interests, values, and work style
• exploration—researching career interests, contacting people in careers that interest you, finding mentors, gaining experience through an internship or part-time job
• focusing—narrowing your choices and deciding which types of positions to apply for
• making an action plan—developing the best job search strategies, including preparing your resume and/or CV, writing cover letters, applying for jobs, networking, and preparing for interviews and presentations

Timelines vary depending on the length your program.