Dr. Sundar Christopher ATS 782-01sundar@nsstc.uah.edu

Navigating Graduate School and Beyond:Sow Well Now To Reap Big Later

Sowing (S.W.O.T.)

Dr. Sundar Christophersundar@nsstc.uah.edu

Assess S.W.O.T. Elements• Strengths• Weaknesses• Opportunities• Threats

Dr. Sundar Christophersundar@nsstc.uah.edu

Why S.W.O.T?• Maximize strengths• Minimize and overcome weaknesses• Identify opportunities• Mitigate threats• Reevaluate periodically.

Dr. Sundar Christophersundar@nsstc.uah.edu

Strengths and Weaknesses• Work on weaknesses as well as strengths

• Computer programming• Communication

• Readjust until you overcome weaknesses

Dr. Sundar Christophersundar@nsstc.uah.edu

Benefits of programming course• Acquire solid programming skills• Boost confidence• Tackle programming problems• Develop analytical skills

Dr. Sundar Christophersundar@nsstc.uah.edu

Have a clear understanding of career objectives and the skills required

• Many people are poorly informed about their careers and advancement opportunities.

• Careers are becoming self-managed• E-tools are available to help put the student in the

driver’s seat

Dr. Sundar Christophersundar@nsstc.uah.edu

Assess career development plan• Where do I want to be? • Where am I now? • How am I going to get there?

Dr. Sundar Christophersundar@nsstc.uah.edu

Where do I want to be? • List short and long-term career goals• Determine what kind of career progression you

expect to follow (linear, expert, spiral, transitory)• Establish what you are looking for in an initial

post-graduation job

Dr. Sundar Christophersundar@nsstc.uah.edu

Determine your career progression• Linear – Movement up an organizational

hierarchy (traditional)• Expert – Devotion to an occupation and building

knowledge and skill• Spiral – Lifelong progressions of periodic moves

across related disciplines and specialties• Transitory – Progression of frequent moves across

unrelated fields (untraditional)

Dr. Sundar Christophersundar@nsstc.uah.edu

Where do you want to be? • List short and long term career goals• Determine career progression (linear, expert,

spiral, transitory)• Decide what you want in initial post-graduation

job

Dr. Sundar Christophersundar@nsstc.uah.edu

Where are you now? • List your strengths• List your weaknesses and how you can

overcome them• List opportunities available to you• List threats (those things outside your control

that may keep you from succeeding)

Dr. Sundar Christophersundar@nsstc.uah.edu

How are you going to reach your goal? • Outline a course of action taking into account

the threats you face• Focus on one or two areas you want to develop.

• Consider ways to leverage your strengths• Consider ways to overcome your weaknesses

• List specific action steps you need to take

Dr. Sundar Christophersundar@nsstc.uah.edu

Food for thought• Is SWOT really necessary? • How could it be detrimental to your career to

work only on strengths and ignore weaknesses?• How does your “ideal world” career differ from

your “real world” career? • What are some threats in graduate school? How

are these different from those after graduation?

Dr. Sundar Christophersundar@nsstc.uah.edu

Avoid the resume• Do well enough in graduate school so that the

resume/CV is only a placeholder or formality• Employers should be looking for you…not the

other way around• Establish a strong communication and

publication record

Dr. Sundar Christophersundar@nsstc.uah.edu

Elements of attractive CV/Resume• Good publication record• Proposal writing experience• Proven communication skills• Teaching experience• Service history

Dr. Sundar Christophersundar@nsstc.uah.edu

Bottom Line: • Know where you want to work. • Determine what that future job entails.• Build those assets in graduate school. • Sow well now to reap big later!