UCLA has defined the Core Professional Skills that each graduate student should develop during their training and divided them into the categories below. When you explore the categories, you will see that some of these skills you may already have and some will come with experience in your lab or from your mentor. For the remaining skills, watch your inbox and the calendar of events for training opportunities. You can use this Worksheet from the Career Preparation Toolkit for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars to self-identify the core skills you need to develop during your training.
Professional Core Competencies
Career Path Preparation
Career Path Preparation
- Exploring Career Options
- Acquiring Career Experience
(project, work, or volunteer experience specific to a targeted career path) - Professional Etiquette
- Preparing Application Documents
- Networking
- Job and Internship Search
- Interviewing Skills
- Negotiation Skills
Communication Skills
Communication Skills
- Scholarly Writing
- Oral Presentation
- Communicating with Diverse Audiences
- Digital Literacy
(ability to find, evaluate, produce, and communicate clear information on various digital platforms) - Using Social Media to promote your research and/or career
Self-Assessment and Development
Self-Assessment and Development
- Wellness and Life Balance
- Assessing Knowledge, Values, and Interests
(to identify potential career paths) - Assessing Transferable Skills
(skills acquired during training applicable to different careers) - Financial Literacy
(managing personal finance, investing, budgets, retirement, tax plan) - Success and Socialization in your Program or Department
- Transitioning from Training to a Professional Career
Leadership, Project Management and Collaboration
Leadership, Project Management and Collaboration
- Entrepreneurship
- Grant Writing
- Budget Management
- Time Management
- Delegation
- Teamwork
- Collaboration
- Conflict Management
- Valuing and Promoting Diversity
Teaching and Mentorship
Teaching and Mentorship
- Pedagogical Methods and Teaching Philosophy
- Syllabus and Course Design
- Leading and Facilitating Active Learning
- Assessing Learning and Skill Development
- Advising and Role Modeling
- Assessing Effectiveness of Teaching or Mentoring Strategies
Scholarly Expertise and Integrity
Scholarly Expertise and Integrity
- Command of Disciplinary Knowledge/Scholarship
- Familiarity with Interdisciplinary Knowledge/Scholarship
- Command of Research Methods in Field and Adjoining Fields
- Collaborative Research
- Familiarity with Ethical Norms
- Civility in Scholarly Exchange and Pedagogy