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Students in the biomedical sciences and other STEM disciplines can use the skills, interests, and values assessments available through the free online myIDP tool hosted by Science Careers. Students in Chemistry and other physical sciences disciplines can take advantage of the ChemIDP tool available through the American Chemical Society. Finally, this skills and competencies checklist may be useful to students across disciplines.

Leverage the skills, interests, and values assessments offered in the free online ImaginePhD tool, developed by the Graduate Career Consortium. Students in Psychology may want to consult the American Psychological Association’s Resource for Individual Development Plans as well. Finally, this skills and competencies checklist may be useful to students across disciplines.

To assess my interests, use journaling or another reflection technique to keep track of the tasks I do each day and how much I enjoy each one.

Use the online Life Values Inventory to assess my values and actions. The tool and report are free and were developed by a past director of Duke CAPS as a resource for all students.

Take advantage of Duke Career Center’s online resources for Self Assessment, including a "Know Yourself" interactive PDF that helps students uncover what drives them and assess my values, skills, interests, and personality.

Use the free Keirsey Temperament Sorter II assessment report to gain insight into the values I might seek in a career.  If desired, debrief this assessment through an individual appointment with a Duke Career Center advisor; schedule an appointment in Handshake or take advantage of drop-in advising for a brief conversation.

Participate in events focusing on self-awareness; see The Graduate School's professional development calendar for upcoming offerings.

To build my understanding of my interests, skills, and values, I can schedule an individual advising appointment with Duke Career Center staff or meet with an advisor during drop-in hours.

Build community to successfully navigate the challenges of starting a Ph.D. program with the Peer Mentoring Fellows Program sponsored by Duke Interdisciplinary Studies. Consult Dr. Maria LaMonaca Wisdom for information on the next application cycle.

To better understand how to make the most of Duke given my interests and values, students in the humanities and interpretive social sciences can set up advising appointments with Dr. Maria LaMonaca Wisdom through Duke Interdisciplinary Studies.

Use campus resources such as Counseling and Psychological Services to help understand how to live in alignment with my values. CAPS offers self-help resources as well as ongoing services for students that include workshops, discussions, and group counseling in addition to individual appointments.  

Talk with faculty about my interests and skills and seek advice about career opportunities.

Talk with more advanced graduate students and postdocs in my department or program about career opportunities that fit with my knowledge, skills, and values.

Explore LinkedIn profiles of professionals who work in fields of interest, or see what kinds of career opportunities are available for professionals with my degree. For more information on how to use LinkedIn as a career research tool, consult the Duke Career Center’s video on leveraging LinkedIn as a complement to the Duke Alumni Network.

Connect with alumni to learn more about career opportunities that could be a good fit for me. I can find and reach out to alums using the Duke Alumni Network or pose a question and let the Ask a Blue Devil tool find an alum who can answer it. Drop-in advising appointments with the Duke Career Center team can help me develop a strategy for alumni outreach.

To better understand how to make the most of Duke given my interests and values, students in the humanities and interpretive social sciences can set up advising appointments with Dr. Maria LaMonaca Wisdom through Duke Interdisciplinary Studies.

Schedule an individual advising appointment with Duke Career Center staff or meet with an advisor during drop-in hours.

Explore the Versatile PhD CareerFinder tool. Reading the General Information about a career path provides a broad overview; Real-Life Examples illustrate individual career journeys. The Graduate School’s subscription provides free access to graduate students; authenticate as a Duke user my first time entering VersatilePhD to access the full range of Versatile PhD resources.

Begin a professional development reading list. I can find a good starting point with this blog post.

Use the myIDP assessment to explore connections between my knowledge and skills and possible career opportunities. While this tool is designed for the biomedical sciences, it may be of interest to other STEM disciplines. ChemIDP may also be of interest to those in Chemistry and other physical sciences disciplines.

Explore job families that align with my skills and interests in the free online ImaginePhD tool. If I’m in Psychology, I might also explore the APA’S Resource for Individual Development Plans.

Join the Duke postdoc listserv to learn more about the fellowships, job openings, and engagement opportunities open to me. All members of the Duke community may subscribe to the Duke postdoc list.