What is Ask an Expert? 

Ask an Expert is a series of short videos that address important topics around academic and professional development for graduate students. Each video is made by a UMN expert for a UMN graduate student! 

Stay updated and subscribe to the Ask an Expert YouTube and Kaltura channels! 

The benefits of multiple mentors during graduate school

Featuring Dr. Scott Lanyon, Vice Provost & Dean of Graduate Education, and Dr. Noro Andriamanalina, Director of Academic & Professional Development. Watch video here if you can't access YouTube.

After this video, you'll be able to: 

  • Understand that your advisor is important, but finding mentors who can relate to your identity and interdisplinary career interests is critical.
  • See how having multiple mentors can give you multiple perspectives.
  • Learn about an Individual Development Plan (IDP), which will help you and your mentors identify areas where you need to grow.

 Writing is the Core Work of Your Field 

Featuring Dan Emory (Writing Across the Curriculum). Watch video here if you can't access YouTube. 

After this video, you'll understand that: 

SETTING UP A RESEARCH AND WRITING PRACTICE: Citation Management and Publishing 

 Featuring Shanda Hunt (UMN Libraries). Watch video here if you can't access YouTube.

After this video, you'll understand: 

  • Citation managers function as an notation and organizational tool that assists you with a bibliography for any work or assignment, from a short paper to your thesis or dissertation.
  • Make use of the Center for Writing for every phase of your research and writing.
  • Familiarize yourself with the publishing landscape, methods, and paths in your own field.
  • Consider sharing your work in the University Digital Conservancy.
  • Meet with a subject librarian to get help with your research and publishing options.

Research Methods: What Do You Want to Pay Attention To? 

 Featuring subject librarian Cody Hennesy (UMN Libraries). Watch video here if you can't access YouTube.

After this video, you'll be able to: 

What are Transferable Skills? 

Featuring Sharolyn Kawakami-Shulz, PhD and Jenna Hicks PhD (Medical School Office of Professional Development), and doctoral candidate Chelsea Cervantes de Blois. Watch video here if you can't access YouTube. 

After this video, you'll remember: 

  • Transferable Skills are applicable across a wide variety of sectors, careers, and position types.
  • As a graduate student, you are already developing transferable skills; it should be your goal to apply them outside your current environment.
  • On resume or in an interview, It is important to provide relevant and specific examples that demonstrate your skills.
  • Speak the cultural language of the person or field in which you're communicating.
  • Add transferable skills goals to your Individual Development Plan (IDP).

Networking for Introverts

Featuring Maggie Kubak, Senior Career Counselor. Watch video here if you can't access YouTube.   

After this video, you'll be able to understand that: 

  • Networking is the act of making contact and exchanging information with other people, groups, and institutions to develop mutually beneficial relationships. 
  • It is important to prepare and adapt for the setting (1:1 coffee or networking event at a conference), audience (peer or authority in the field), objective (to gather information or collect job search leads)
  • Introverts' preference for 1:1 v. group interactions makes informational interviewing a great networking option for you. Likewise, introvert preference to think and write before speaking results in being well-prepared for scheduled networking conversations. Work with your strengths!
  • As you prepare for networking events and conversations, look over LinkedIn and Twitter accounts to get a better understanding of individuals and trends in your career area. 

The Non-Academic Job Search

Featuring Mackenzie Sullivan, CLA Director of Graduate Student Career Services.  Watch video here if you can't access YouTube. 

After this video, you'll understand: 

  • The pandemic has given a lot of people a chance to reflect and ask what it is they really want and explore opportunities outside of traditional faculty roles.
  • Career exploration is its own form of research: use career exploration tools that are available to you.
  • Find your career office!

Meet a Subject Librarian 

Featuring Kat Nelsen, UMN Libraries Subject Librarian. Watch video here if you can't access YouTube. 

After this video, you'll understand: 

  • The importance of getting to know and developing a relationship with your own subject librarian (It is easy! And helpful!).
  • To get into a routine and schedule weekly time for reading and writing.
  • To set up alerts, email or folders to make it as easy as possible to collect and to keep track of topics you are interested but don’t have time to research now (these will be useful in the future).
  • To acknowledge the steps and challenges on your graduate school journey and having patience with the process (and that you don't have to know everything right now).