15 Years of WDIGFY: Connect, Inspire and Empower

Grab a cup of coffee and start to network.  

Dean Lynn Cooley will open the conference at 9:00 with words of welcome.

Plenary Session: Pursuing Unconventional Career Paths and Exploring New Career Horizons After Your Graduate Degree  

Wondering about options after grad school that may not follow the typical career path of your degree program? Exploring a career path that is different from your degree? Considering emerging fields of artificial intelligence (AI), data science or emerging technologies? Trying to decide between academia, non-academic research institutions, non-profits, corporate settings or other areas?  In this session you'll hear the insights of seasoned researchers, professionals, and recent postdocs who have navigated diverse career landscapes.  They'll help you explore the tradeoffs between academia, non-academic research institutions, corporate settings, non-profits and exploring new fields. 

A quick caffeine boost, and continue making connections

Join a discussion with industry professionals and alumni in the corporate world who have successfully leveraged their graduate school training to enter corporate life.  Learn about effective networking and job search strategies, mastering interviews, and adapting to corporate culture.  Also learn how to understand and present the value of the knowledge and skills you have acquired in your specific field of study to market yourself most effectively to corporate employers. 

This session is designed to provide you with practical advice and strategies from alumni in academic (including administration), non-academic research institutions, government and non-profits.  Learn how to map the path early on from your chosen field of graduate study to the job you would like to have through internships, choice of subject matter to focus on for your dissertation, early networking and more.   

organized by Friends of Yale in Industry

Wrap up your day with lunch, and making the final connections.