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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Welcome: Postdoc Coffee Hour | Weds, Jan 21 | 1:30 - 2:30 PM | 8th Floor Myhal Terrace | uofteng.ca/npaw-coffee |
| Incorporating REDI into Your Project with MITACS | Mon, Feb 23 | 12:00 – 2:00 PM | GB202 (Galbraith Building) | uofteng.ca/redi |
| Using AI in Job Search & Career Exploration | Weds, June 17 | 12:00 - 2:00 PM | GB202 | See link below |
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.
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.
Using AI in Job Search & Career Exploration
Weds, June 17 I 12:00 – 2:00 PM I GB202
Curious about how AI can support your career questions? Whether you’re exploring career paths, writing a resume or preparing for interviews, this hands-on workshop will demonstrate how to use AI tools to support you. Participants will leave with prompts and strategies and an understanding of how to use AI effectively and responsibly in their job search and career exploration.
NOTE: It is recommended that you bring your own device (e.g., laptop, tablet, or phone) to use for activities during the session.
About the Facilitator: Jonathan is a Career Educator from Career Exploration & Education. He has been involved in the Options program since its inception as a member of the working group and as a facilitator of sessions in the cohorts and complementary events. He has held a number of other staff positions at the University of Toronto, including Associate Director of Graduate Professional Development in FASE, Manager of Graduate Program Completion and Postdoctoral Services at SGS, Institutional Strategic Initiatives Officer in VPRI, and Professional and Graduate Skills Specialist at UTM. Jonathan earned a PhD in the history of science and technology and has published on defence research and science policy in Cold War Canada, and more recently on career and professional development initiatives for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.