U of T ENGINEERING

Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education & Practice (ISTEP)

The OPTIONS Program

Opportunities for Professional Careers: Transitions, Industry Options, Networking, and Skills

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    About

    "I have a degree - what now?"

    The OPTIONS Program supports engineering graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in exploring diverse career options. It consists of the Cohort Program, Launch Your Career Plan and monthly workshops.

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    Launch Your Career Plan

    This event should be completed prior to the OPTIONS Cohort Program or Prospective Professors in Training (PPIT).

    Launch Your Career Plan supports graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to launch their career planning early in their studies.

    This event guides you to critically reflect on career opportunities including further graduate studies, academia, and industry, and equip you with strategies and tools to explore your unique career aspirations. You will leave this event with tailored resources to dive deeper into the specific career pathways that interest you.

    At this event, you will:

    • Learn about parallel planning for further graduate studies, academia, and industry careers
    • Use labour market data and networking tools to discover diverse academic and industry opportunities
    • Apply networking strategies to connect with alumni to learn from their time at U of T Engineering and their work experience
    • Create a plan to explore your specific career aspirations

    This event is open to all graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. We welcome participants who have a clear idea of their career trajectory as well as those who are deciding between continuing in academia or finding an industry position. It is highly recommended that all graduate students and postdoctoral fellows attend this event near the beginning of their studies.

    We offer a Launch Your Career Plan for: 1) MEng students; and 2) research graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

    Cohort Program

    The Cohort Program is an opportunity to take a deep dive into career management with a supportive community of like-minded graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Facilitated by faculty and professional development experts, the program provides an opportunity to clarify your interests and aspirations, develop job application materials, and explore career pathways. We offer three different Cohort Programs to address the specific needs of the U of T Engineering community.

    Launch Your Career Plan is recommended prior to applying to the cohort programs. However, applicants are welcome to still apply if they haven't completed Launch Your Career Plan.

    Monthly Workshops

    Monthly Workshops are open to all U of T engineering graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. These events provide an introduction to the school-to-work transition, tools to develop skills critical to the success of a professional, and a venue to network with engineering alumni and peers.

    Event Date Time (EDT) Location Registration
    Semiconductor Industry NightTues, Dec 26:00 – 7:30 PMGB202See link below
    Winter Welcome: Postdoc Coffee HourWeds, Jan 211:30 - 2:30 PM8th Floor Myhal Terraceuofteng.ca/npaw-coffee
    Incorporating REDI into Your Project with MITACSMon, Feb 2312:00 – 2:00 PMGB202 (Galbraith Building)uofteng.ca/redi
    Recordings of some past events can be found here

    Semiconductor Industry Night 

    Tues, Dec 2 I 6:00 – 7:30 PM I GB202  

     

    Explore the cutting edge of semiconductor innovation and the need for talent in this rapidly evolving field. This special evening brings together industry leaders and academic voices to spotlight opportunities, challenges, and the future of semiconductor workforce development.  

     

    Featured Speakers:  

    • Chris Ouslis, Industrial Technology Advisor (ITA) , Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), National Research Council's (NRC)  
    • Richard Fung, Founder, Six Semiconductor  
    • Karen Bozynski, Director of Partnerships, Canada's Semiconductor Council 
    • Danny Christidis, Senior Director of SoC Architecture, Solutions Engineering, and Toronto Site Director, Arm Canada Inc.

    Moderated by: Professor Wai Tung Ng, The Edward S. Rogers. Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering 

    Register in advance

    Winter Welcome: Postdoc Coffee Hour 

    Weds, Jan 21 I 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM I 8th Floor Myhal Terrace  

    • Celebrate National Postdoc Appreciation Week!    
    • Meet fellow PDF peers and learn more about how the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education & Practice supports you!   

    Come to the 8th Floor Myhal Terrace. We’ll have coffee, tea, and treats available for you to enjoy while meeting fellow PDF peers. This is a drop-in-style event, so feel free to come when you’re free and stay as long as you’d like.   

    Register in advance. 

    Incorporating REDI into Your Project with MITACS 

    Mon, Feb 23 I 12:00 – 2:00 PM I GB202 

    As a thought leader, prioritize equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation efforts. This session offers an opportunity to reflect on and develop strategies for implementing REDI into your project, initiating powerful first steps towards systemic and behavioral changes. Identify reconciliation, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) considerations for your project, discuss their incorporation into the project plan, and address these principles within the project team’s composition and methodology. 

    By the end of the session, you will be able to:  

    • Explain why reconciliation and equity, diversity, and inclusion are needed principles in professional and personal life 
    • Articulate the concepts behind reconciliation and EDI 
    • Recognize situations where increased reconciliation and EDI are needed 
    • Describe how you can play a role in improving reconciliation and EDI 
    • Recognize and implement ways to break down cultural barriers and foster a diverse, inclusive workplace 

    Participants will receive a certificate of completion from Mitacs after completing the two-hour workshop.   

    Register in advance. 

    "The OPTIONS Program provided a how-to guide on exploring next steps. I am more confident to reach out to individuals in different positions to learn about their career paths. I left the program with a better understanding and ability to market my skills and strengths gained throughout my education."

    (PhD, BME)

    "The OPTIONS Program helped me understand my skills from childhood to adulthood by realizing common patterns. It aided me to widen my career possibilities as opposed to the classic ‘industry vs academia’ approach."

    (PhD, ECE)

    "The OPTIONS program gave me the tools to reflect on my career story from different marketable perspectives. The course helped me to define, schedule, and practice clear and concise actions to create job opportunities aligned with my core values. The introspection was guided by instructors with different fields of expertise. This exposed me to more job possibilities and a better understanding of the path to follow as I transitioned from academia to industry."

    (Postdoctoral Fellow, CHE)

    "I was in the middle of my career exploration when I joined The OPTIONS Program. For me the program highlighted the possibilities outside of the more “well traveled” career paths and I felt empowered to explore these. Through the program I was able to recognize my skills and how they are of great value for my chosen direction in life."

    (Postdoctoral Fellow, AER)

    Program Contact

    grad.experience@engineering.utoronto.ca

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