UK Graduate Student Congress Presents Virtual ‘Life After Graduate School’ Conference

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 2, 2021) — The Graduate Student Congress (GSC) at the University of Kentucky is hosting this year’s "Life After Graduate School” (LAGS) Conference virtually March 8-12. 

The purpose of the LAGS Conference is to help graduate and professional students learn about the skills they may need to acquire to land a job in their field of choice, especially if that position is outside of academia. The GSC understands that the academic job market is strained right now, but there are vast opportunities available for graduate and professional students, if they just know where to look. 

“Leaving a world full of comfort and entering the unpredictable hallows of professional life can be a daunting experience, so we are bringing a unique set of speakers to talk about the resources available to graduate and professional students in various fields,” said Parul Suri, co-chair of the GSC’s Professional Development and Networking Committee. “Also, the idea of getting a job only in one's field of specialization has turned out to be archaic in today’s world and this will be discussed by our speakers.” 

Graduate and professional students who attend this conference will have the opportunity to figure out some of the different kinds of future career opportunities available to them, as well as how to position themselves for success in a career or job outside of their area of specialization. By the end of the conference, attendees should be able to better navigate the job market after graduation, whether they pursue positions inside or outside academia. 

General themes for each day of the conference are as follows:

  • Monday, March 8: General Career Advice & Careers in the Biomedical Engineering Industry;
  • Tuesday, March 9: Careers in Science Policy & English/Humanities;
  • Wednesday, March 10: Faculty Positions in Academia & Chemistry;
  • Thursday, March 11: Postdoc Positions in Academia & Careers in Product Management; and
  • Friday, March 12: Careers in Entrepreneurship & Data Science/Management.

Any graduate and professional students at UK who are interested in attending one or more these sessions should fill out this registration form. The GSC will also be livestreaming these events on Facebook (@ukygsc). More information will be posted to the GSC’s website as it becomes available. 

The Graduate Student Congress is a governing body for graduate and professional students and postdoctoral scholars at the University of Kentucky. The mission of the GSC is to unify and represent graduate and professional students and postdoctoral scholars at UK in matters affecting their quality of life, and to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration and professional development through seminars, forums, outreach programming, advocacy, and community enhancement.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.