Preparing for the Fall semester

This Fall I will be teaching no less than 3 multiple day masterclasses for PhD candidates at the Erasmus Graduate School for Social Sciences and Humanities. This challenge takes me to all stages of a PhD project. The first course is for beginning PhD candidates:

How to Survive your PhD. It contains a lot of practical information and basic skills training to ensure a successful start of the PhD project. I am particularly excited about this course because I expect participants to be well equipped after this masterclass to recognize the first communication struggles and motivational dips when they occur and to be able to deal with them effectively.

The second master class elaborates on a very specific topic that I touch only lightly in the first one: presenting and networking. It is not just a matter of learning how to present your research. You present yourself along with it. Making yourself and your work visible is key, not only for your perspectives within academia, but also for your wider career beyond your PhD. This masterclass contains a ton of useful tips and tricks. It is especially valuable because participants get to practice their presentation and networking skills extensively and in a safe environment. Feedback will be insightful, I promise.

The 3 masterclasses are part of an extended educational program from the Graduate School. The last course I am involved with is intended for PhD candidates who are approaching the end of their projects: Employability; Looking Ahead Beyond Your PhD. This masterclass helps final stage PhD candidates reflect on the next step in their career. Facts and figures provide a realistic view of the career landscape after the PhD, both inside and outside academia. Participants actively work on their research proposals and job applications while reflecting on their career identity and career capital. I love this course already for the connection it enables with participants and for the recognition of human struggles in others despite the difference of their life and career choices.