Earlier this week, GAAC held our first Administrative-only Meet and Confer (M&C) session. Aside from two GAAC representatives, attendees included the Dean of the CNMS, the Dean of the Graduate School, and Department Chairs from the Physics, Math, Biology, and Chemistry departments. During this session, we addressed several critical issues identified as priorities from CNMS GA’s through our recent survey. These topics include:

1. Advisor-GA Relationships

2. GA Stipends and Mandatory Fees

3. GA Contract and Workload Concerns 

4. Transit and Parking Issues

For more information on the specific topics discussed, please see the attached slides. 

I am pleased to report that the majority of attendees provided favorable responses to each of these issues. Particularly noteworthy was the support received for the implementation of mandatory mentor training sessions for faculty and establishing accountability measures for GA exploitation issues. 

Looking ahead, GAAC remains committed to advocating for the establishment of proper systems and procedures within the Graduate School to address these concerns, as agreed upon during the M&C discussion. 

We are looking forward to continuing these productive discussions in the upcoming M&C discussions for the COEIT and CAHSS.

We're almost halfway through the semester. Do you know what you're doing career-wise? 

If you're still trying to figure that out, informational interviews are a helpful way to learn more about your options and gain valuable insights for the job hunt. You'll be the one driving the conversation and asking questions, so it's important to know what you’re seeking and having a solid list of questions ready.

Here are some examples of questions you can ask:

• What led you to your current job role? 
• What's a typical workday for you?
• What skills are important for this role? 
• What advice do you have for finding a job in this field?
• Are there other professionals you would recommend I speak to?

Do your homework on the company and professional you're speaking to as well. You want to make sure that the questions you have planned are relevant to the position AND give you what you need. You also need to make sure you have a good idea of what your strengths and weaknesses are so you could make an informed decision about the career field. 

For the interview itself, keep the conversation open and ask follow-up questions as needed. Make sure that both you and the professional are comfortable, and that you have enough questions to fill the time allotted, typically about 20 minutes max. 

Then, once you complete the informational interview (and send a thank you email!) you'll need to think about the responses and what you’ve learned. Did the interview provide a job option you think you'd like? Do you need to up-level your skills in any way? Are the challenges doable for you? Try to do about three informational interviews for each career field you're exploring. At the end of each one, simply ask, “Is there anyone else you’d recommend I speak to about this?” 

By taking the time to prepare informational interviews, you’ll have what you need to make your next job market moves. And if you want an opportunity to meet working professionals in real-time, sign up for the DCSA Virtual Information Session on March 13th from 5-6 PM.