| MAXIMIZE YOUR RESEARCH IMPACT | - Identify a research question that meets a gap in the field (read lots! - the Engineering & Computer Science Library is a great resource)
- Formulate your research objectives
- Identify a project plan and specific milestones to guide your project completion
- Learn how to design, conduct, optimize, and troubleshoot an experiment
- Develop strategies to communicate effectively with your supervisor/team to support your needs
- Consider completing TEP5500: Research Methods and Project Execution and using this online resource
- Review SGS and your department's websites to learn about scholarships and awards
| - Master core technical methods required for your project experiments
- Transition from collecting preliminary data to creating publication-quality data
- Establish a peer network to gain feedback on your research (not just in your own lab!)
- Refine your research question and don’t be afraid to walk away from a bad idea
- Develop the critical thinking skills to assess your own and others’ research
- Co-author a paper to understand the publishing process
- Present your research orally at conferences and meetings with industry partners or collaborators to master research storytelling
- Mentor an undergraduate research student
| - Aim to publish your research in a journal
- Present at an international conference to get exposure to your research field. Apply for SGS and your department's conference grants.
- Select an external examiner who will potentially increase the impact of your work
- Understand what research question is next
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SELF-ASSESS
- How does my proposed research approach differ from what has been done before and why is it more likely to be successful?
- How generalizable is my research question and solution?
| SELF-ASSESS
- How can I refine my plan into manageable chunks that still have broad implications?
- How can I design my experiments for the best chance of success?
- How confident am I in my data and what does it mean?
| SELF-ASSESS
- How can I best communicate the key ideas behind my findings?
- How can my findings be taken to the next level (practice, commercialization, further studies, etc.)?
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| DEVELOP YOUR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS | - Develop a plan to achieve your professional development goals
- Create a system to manage your time
| - Intentionally develop professional skills to achieve goals set in Year 1
- Complement your discipline-specific knowledge with the ELITE Emphasis in entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, and technology
- Grow your professional skills at the Centre for Graduate Professional Development: uoft.me/CGPD
- Improve your communication skills at the Graduate Centre for Academic Communication: uoft.me/GCAC
- Inspire your leadership potential at the Troost Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering (Troost ILead): ilead.engineering.utoronto.ca
- Customize your degree by completing a Technical Emphasis in sustainable energy, robotics, and more
| - Establish examples of impact to highlight your professional skills
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SELF-ASSESS
- What are my professional skill strengths? What skills do I want to grow?
- What skills are most valuable to my degree and career interests? How can I develop or practice these skills?
| SELF-ASSESS
- How far have I come in my professional development?
- How do my professional skills and activities align with my strengths and personal qualities?
- What experiences have enabled me to effectively develop my skills and confidence?
| SELF-ASSESS
- What experiences from graduate school and beyond highlight my professional skills?
- How can I utilize my professional skills to further my impact and transition in my career?
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| CONNECT WITH YOUR PEERS AND MENTORS | | - Consider taking on a leadership role in a student association
- Consider mentoring a first-year student
- Continue to cultivate your relationships with your mentors
| - Establish mechanisms to remain connected to your peers post-graduation
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SELF-ASSESS
- What skills and experiences do I want to gain?
- What student associations align with my interests?
- What do I need from a mentor? How can I grow my network to find this?
| SELF-ASSESS
- What impact do I want to have in my community?
| SELF-ASSESS
- What skills and experiences did I gain? How can I utilize them to further my impact and transition in my career?
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| BUILD YOUR PROFESSIONAL NETWORK | - Create an email signature
- Create a LinkedIn and Engineering CONNECT profile (uoftengineeringconnect.ca). Get feedback on your profile from peers and mentors.
- Practice your personal introduction
- Conduct an informational interview with someone working in a field of interest. Find people using LinkedIn, Engineering CONNECT, and Ten Thousand Coffees (uoft.me/tenthousandcoffees).
| | - Listen for job opportunities in your network
- Facilitate connections between new students and your established network
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SELF-ASSESS
- Who can I connect with to gather relevant information about potential careers and/or further studies?
- What do I want to learn from networking?
| SELF-ASSESS
- What am I learning about potential careers and/or further studies?
- What careers and/or further studies interest me the most and why?
| SELF-ASSESS
- How can I leverage my network to transition from graduate school to my next opportunity?
- How will I continue to network when I am no longer a student?
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| LAUNCH YOUR CAREER PLAN | - Develop your career management skills with engineering students by attending OPTIONS Complementary Events: uoft.me/optionsprogram
- Further build your career management skills at university-wide workshops with the Centre for Graduate Professional Development: uoft.me/CGPD
- Attend a workshop or book a 1-on-1 appointment with Career Exploration & Education to discuss your career exploration and job search plan: careers.utoronto.ca
- Explore U of T Engineering alumni career trajectories on Engineering CONNECT (uoftengineeringconnect.ca)
| | - Refine your resume and cover letter
- Practice your interview skills
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SELF-ASSESS
- What career management skills do I need to grow?
- What transferable skills from my degree are valuable to my career interests?
| SELF-ASSESS
- Who can I share my career aspirations and application material with for feedback and guidance?
| SELF-ASSESS
- Who can I share my career aspirations and application material with for feedback and guidance?
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