UCD Careers Network

Sixty-minute, confidential one-to-one sessions can be booked with Tara Hughes (Career and Skills Consultant for Graduate Researchers). They normally take place in the Careers Network offices beside the James Joyce Library or online via Zoom. Tara can also visit specific Schools or buildings on request.

Topics covered often include:

• formulating a career plan
• identifying your values and career priorities
• networking advice
• planning and organising the job search
• decision-making along the way and negotiating salary/offers
• application feedback and advice (CV and cover letters or application forms)
• mock interviews (Interview360 on MyCareer is very useful for online video interview practice).

Thirty-minute follow-up appointments are also available.

Topics covered normally include:

• application feedback and advice (CV and cover letters or application forms)
• review and advice on LinkedIn profile
• interview preparation.

Book through (opens in a new window)MyCareer or email (opens in a new window)Careers@ucd.ie with any issues or questions.

Throughout the year, UCD Careers Network offers a range of specific career workshops that are open to all graduate researchers. Of course, as students of UCD, you may also attend any of the wider UCD Careers Network workshops that are available to all students.

Our graduate researcher careers workshops are advertised in advance and can be viewed and booked on (opens in a new window)MyCareer. Face-to-face and online workshops are available.

Topics covered include:

• career planning
• job search strategy
• developing your pitch
• transferable skills identification and articulation
• crafting a CV/application/cover letter
• interviewing
• peer networking.

Workshop resources can be found on Brightspace – students can self-enrol in the open module ‘Career Workshop Series’, found in the Explore tab.

Tara is often invited to individual Schools/research centres and institutes, and can be contacted directly to create a bespoke session. Sessions can be tailored to fit the available time and often include topics such as graduate outcomes, market data and insights, career planning, job search, academic careers and faculty insights, and peer networking. For further information, email Tara at(opens in a new window) tara.hughes@ucd.ie.

Employer engagement takes place through a variety of channels, including:

• annual Early Career Researcher Company Networking Event (see video) for postdocs and late stage graduate researchers
• bespoke alumni panels
• recorded content on MyCareer of previous alumni panels and Fireside Fridays, covering a wide range of sectors and roles
• updates in our bi-monthly e-bulletin informed by the Careers Network team and the Employer Engagement Manager.

The wider Careers Network team also deliver a wide range of careers events that graduate researchers can attend, including:

• alumni panels organised by College/School
• annual recruitment fairs in Belfield and Blackrock
• ‘Career Essentials’ workshops
• Employer-led skills workshops
• mentor programme.

To read more about our employer engagement activities and to read the latest Employer Brochure, please visit UCD Careers Network Employer webpages.

The Graduate Researcher Careers e-bulletin is issued every two weeks by email. This bulletin includes a selection of current vacancies that the team feel may be relevant, a listing of relevant UCD and external training and development events, funding opportunities, any recent labour market information and other useful resources.

If you are a UCD graduate researcher and are not receiving the e-bulletin, please email (opens in a new window)careers@ucd.ie.

You may also wish to subscribe to the (opens in a new window)UCD Careers Network LinkedIn newsletter, which is written for all students but may contain relevant information for graduate researchers.

My Career is an online platform, available 24/7, which covers a wide range of resources, from tools such as CV360 to Graduate Outcome information to eLearning to the UCD Careers Network jobs board.

You will find (opens in a new window)MyCareer on the UCD Connect main page and it can be accessed at any time.

The most popular links for graduate researchers include:

• jobs board
• CV360 and Interview360 (we recommend that you check your CV with UCD Careers, your supervisor or someone in your network before submitting)
• eLearning
• career assessments (MBTI-style and more)
• research careers across sectors (by UCD College).

Alumni engagement consists of a range of varied events. Many but not all are recorded and available on (opens in a new window)MyCareer (these can be accessed by selecting the 'Career Options by College' icon).

Events include our annual Employer Networking Event (normally held in May), alumni panel sessions and previously Fireside Fridays. Fireside Fridays are a series of career chats with graduate research alumni, covering career journeys, useful employability skills acquired during graduate research, and tips for current students.

The chats run for 20 minutes and are followed by a Q&A, with guest speakers from a range of sectors.

For information about upcoming events, or to view recordings of previous sessions, visit the dedicated Fireside Fridays webpage.