Beyond Graduate School and Beyond the Professoriate, Your Career Resource

Looking for an edge in landing full-time employment? The Beyond Graduate School and Beyond the Professoriate career development platforms are helping UM graduate students turn uncertainty into opportunity. Beyond Graduate School supports master’s students by helping them translate academic experience into the job market, while Beyond the Professoriate serves doctoral students, helping them navigate both academic and non-academic career paths. These professional development platforms offer tailored resources, career guidance, and step-by-step tools to help graduate students explore their options, build a strategic job search, and plan their next steps.

A sampling of graduate students who frequent the platform shared their experience and takeaways from Beyond Graduate School and Beyond the Professoriate.

One user is Elom Doe, who is an international graduate student originally from Ghana, West Africa. Doe, who is earning her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences with an emphasis in Pharmaceutics, praised the platform for outlining steps in the career pathway. “I appreciate that the platform provides a clear, structured roadmap for career planning. It simplifies a process that can feel overwhelming and tailors its guidance specifically for graduate students, like me,” she said. Her purpose for using the platform is mainly to explore her career options. “I’ve used the platform to explore nonacademic career paths and to learn how to present my academic experience to potential employers. Often, [Ph.D. students] focus solely on the research work they conduct during their program and fail to translate other skills and values they may have acquired in the process when communicating during their job search. I wanted to understand better what my options were besides academia, and the career exploration modules helped me identify several new options I hadn’t considered before,” she explained.

Another user, Laney Nute, a Missouri native earning a Ph.D. in Biological Science, also emphasized the platform’s utility for career exploration, especially options outside the academy. She explained, “It provides guidance on non-academic careers post-graduate school. It outlines a path for me to follow which I would not have been aware of otherwise.”

Both Doe and Nute recognized the platform’s value in informing their approach to networking. Doe shared, “The platform has helped me build a stronger professional network by showing me how to approach and connect with people in my field. It gave me the confidence and strategies to conduct informational interviews, which has expanded my understanding of different career paths and helped me form valuable professional relationships.” Nute leveraged the platform’s videos in the non-academic job search section to identify specific individuals working in her desired fields. “This has helped me network, make connections, and figure out what job opportunities exist. I have also been able to ask people in the field about salary expectations and to share advice, and both have helped make me feel more confident in my job search. I am not from a family with doctoral degrees, and my academic advisor can only assist me so much with non-academic careers, so this has provided guidance that I wouldn't have had otherwise,” said Nute. She highlighted how the Beyond webinars improved her networking abilities, “I have attended some of the webinars the platform has hosted, which have been helpful, especially in this non-conventional job market we are currently going into. I have also made several new connections with people in my desired field as a result of using this platform.”

Both Doe and Nut found the platform helpful in clarifying the goals. Doe said, “The courses have helped me see how the research, project management, and communication skills I’ve developed during my Ph.D. can apply in other settings. They’ve also helped me build confidence about networking and interviewing, which are essential for my professional growth.”  She believes that using Beyond Graduate School/Beyond the Professoriate has helped her be more thoughtful about her professional opportunities. “The most rewarding part has been becoming more conscious and intentional about my job search. The platform has helped me see the importance of building a network, seeking mentors, and conducting informational interviews, as well as planning how to communicate the transferable skills and values I’ve gained during my Ph.D. It has also helped me realize that employers look for skills rather than just the degree itself, and that there are many options beyond academia,” she explained. Nute shared that the platform helped with organization, explaining, “The videos provide a general timeline to follow and have helped me stay focused on my job search while still writing up my dissertation.” She also felt that using the platform motivated her. She stated, “They host webinars around critical and current needs, many of which I have attended. This is the exact resource I have been looking for, and it has been the push I need to do scary networking and put myself out there. I never would have sent cold emails and messages to people without this platform.” 

Both Nute and Doe had advice for other graduate students. Nute encouraged other students to explore and use the platform. She explained she tells other graduate students about it because she wants them to use the platform too. “I am just extremely grateful [to] the University for adding this platform to the resources available for current graduate students. I know that it has the potential to change lives, and it has already helped me so much,” expressed Nute. Doe highlighted how the platform offers events and activities for student users. “There are live webinars, workshops, and panel discussions throughout the year. I’ve attended some of these webinars and workshops, and I find them really valuable. They feature professionals who have made the transition from graduate school into diverse careers.” She also shared how easily graduate peers can access and use the platform. “Other graduate students at the University of Mississippi can access the platform through the university’s subscription. You may log in with your UM email and explore the modules a little at a time. Attending one of the live webinars is also a great way to get started.”

 As a graduate student and the author of this feature, I examined the platform as part of my research for this article. As our interviewees mentioned above, the platform offers a plethora of resources for navigating career paths and the job market, both topics that can be overwhelming for students. It also provides guidance on finding and landing jobs and internships, as well as interview tips, LinkedIn tutorials, and networking opportunities. The platform gives students who are starting from scratch in their career search the tools and knowledge to not only begin but also progress through the process.

Both the Beyond Graduate School and Beyond Professoriate platforms offer a wide variety of sessions and programs designed to support both master’s and doctoral students as they explore their next career steps. Recent master’s workshops covered topics such as navigating career fairs with confidence, mistakes you might be making on LinkedIn, and understanding why recruiters may overlook certain applications. Doctoral students were offered valuable sessions like determining whether a faculty role is the right fit, exploring an industry career path, and managing the challenges of being over- or underqualified.

Most recently, the platform has created new video lessons to help master’s students navigate when and how to utilize AI effectively. AI has become a major factor in the job search process, with many students relying on it to create resumes that make them stand out, when in reality, AI might make a candidate sound like every other applicant. Beyond Graduate School recognized this need and developed resources and tools to educate students on how to use AI strategically, making sure it enhances applications rather than making them generic.

Beyond Graduate School and Beyond Professoriate can potentially alleviate pressure on graduate students who are worried or stressed about their post-graduation plans. Without the platform, many students, like myself, would not have access to these tools or be able to apply them in professional settings to support career growth. It is easy for any graduate student to participate in the platform. Each week, access to the platform and upcoming events are advertised in the G School Journal. Another option is to simply search for the platform’s website online. Then, select ‘The University of Mississippi’ and sign in using your UM credentials. Once logged in, there is a tab at the top labeled ‘How to use this platform’ that shows newcomers how to navigate the resources to their full potential.

The University of Mississippi Graduate School began offering the Beyond Graduate School and Beyond the Professoriate platforms in January of 2025 and has renewed its contract for the next calendar year. The necessary funds were generously provided by the Office of the Provost. We are thrilled to provide this valuable resource to our graduate student population and encourage everyone to make the most of the opportunities offered through the platform.