Navigating Graduate School and Beyond

Preface vii

1. Introduction 1

2. Sowing 7

Cast a Vision 7

Do a SWOT 10

Avoid the Resume 14

3. Your Advisor and You 19

What Your Advisor Expects From You 19

Manage Your Advisor 22

4. Skills 29

Work Ethics for a Graduate Student 29

Take Initiative: Becoming a Resource Center 32

Take Ownership 35

Work Hard and Smart 37

Be Whole 42

5. Organize 47

Now Is the Time 47

Manage Your Time 49

Beat the Stress 53

Don't Get Weary 56

6. Writing 61

Ditch the Dissertation 61

Write a Paper 65

7. Proposals 75

Why Write a Proposal 75

Budgets 80

The Actual Proposal 85

Top Ten Dos for Proposal Writing 92

Proposal Review Process 93

Proposal Evaluation 97

8. Communicating 101

Learn to Talk 101

Conferences 107

9. Teams 115

Pick Your Team 115

Become a Team Player 118

10. Jobs 125

Danger of Not Finishing 125

Staying on 126

Postdoc 129

Get a Job 130

Job Interview 139

11. Career Exercises 147

Job Hunting and CV Exercises 147

Proposal Writing Exercises 147

12. Concluding Thoughts: The Final Word 149

Index 153