Explore options and develop the skills you'll need to excel in diverse careers in industry, government, NGOs and more.

Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scholars: connect with applied experiences beyond academia through immersives while growing your business skills.

The current program runs September 2020 to June 2021. Applications for our 2021/22 program will open in the spring. 

Welcome

The business world is very different from the realm of academics in terms of timelines, teamwork, communication and culture. This program helps Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scholars in all disciplines—humanities, social sciences and STEM—differentiate themselves on the job market by supplementing academic accomplishments with innovation, communication, and leadership and business skills gained and applied outside the university setting. 

Leaders for the Future is a collaboration between the Internship and Career Center, GradPathways Institute and the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

In this nine-month program you will:

• Learn how to communicate with impact, with a focus on what academics say vs. what business hears
• Nexus work—a/k/a build your professional networks
• Become skilled at business writing and presentations
• Explore making the leap into a business or startup career
• Create a powerful resume
• Learn to ace job interviews
• Gain the confidence and strategies to successfully negotiate job offers

Virtual Information Session >

I did an internship at Siemens, working as a data scientist building a prediction model to understand how fossil fuel plants would generate electricity in the future. Working on a project end-to-end, I got to learn new tools and data science-related libraries, and applied the same to a rich dataset.

Snapshot: Your Year as a Fellow

To successfully complete the program, you must:

• Attend the opening reception and one-day introductory bootcamp
• Attend and participate in the full workshop series
• Attend a career fair
• Attend and participate in the UC Entrepreneurship Academy
• Complete an internship, job shadow, project management assignment or other immersive experience 
• Present at the Final Presentations and Closing Reception gathering

Eligibility and Requirements

Successful applicants are:

• A current UC Davis Ph.D. student or postdoctoral scholar (title codes 3252, 3253, 3254, 3255 or 3256) in any discipline.
• In an academic program or appointment for the duration of the Leaders for the Future program.
• Ph.D. candidates must be on active student status (not on filing fee status or PELP) during the program. Priority given to those who have completed qualifying exams by program start. (Next cohort: September 2021)

We give priority to applicants who articulate their intent to participate in an immersive experience.

Between my immersive experience in state government and talking to all sorts of different people through this program, I got a lot of communication experience and learned about other areas of research that I can take with me into a future in science communication and policy.

Required Activities

• Events
•  

  Event	Date/Time
  Opening Reception	Friday 05.15.20 5:30 – 7 p.m.
  Opening Gear Up	Monday 09.14.20 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  UC Entrepreneurship Academy	Monday – Friday, 10.05.20 - 10.09.20
  Workshop #1: Career Studio: Resumes + Career Fair Preparation	Wednesday 10.07.20 5 – 6 p.m.
  Workshop #2: Nexus Work: Intentional Network Building	To be rescheduled 5 – 7 p.m.
  Workshop #3: Career Studio – Interviewing / Mock Interviews	Monday 11.09.20 12 – 2 p.m.
  Workshop #4: Making the Leap – ​Panel + Dinner Discussion	Wednesday 12.02.20 5:30 – 8 p.m.
  Workshop #5: Career Studio – Topic TBD by Fellows	Wednesday 01.06.21 Noon – 2 p.m.
  Workshop #6: Business Writing and Presentations	Wednesday 01.20.21 5 – 7 p.m.
  Workshop #7: Communicating Impact	Wednesday 02.10.21 5 – 7 p.m.
  Workshop #8: Fellows’ Meeting + Pitching Like a Pro	March 2021 (TBD) 5 – 6 p.m. 6 – 8 p.m.
  Workshop #9: Career Studio – Topic TBD by Fellows	Wednesday 03.31.21 Noon – 2 p.m.
  Workshop #10: Final Presentation Preparation and Peer Feedback	Tuesday 04.20.21 5 – 7 p.m.
  Final Presentations + Closing Reception	Friday 04.23.21 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

• Career Fairs

• Event	Date / Time	Location
  Fall Internship and Career Fair	10.14.20 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.	Zoom
  Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scholars Internship and Career Fair	10.14.20 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.	Zoom
  Fall Internship and Career Fair – STEM	10.15.20 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.	Zoom
  Engineering and Tech Internship and Career Fair	01.26.21 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.	Zoom
  Winter Internship and Career Fair	February 2021 (TBD) 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.	Zoom
  Spring Internship and Career Fair	April 2021 (TBD) 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.	Zoom

How to Apply

• Applications for our 2021/22 cohort open in the spring
• Information for applications are TBD, check back in the spring.
  1. Complete the Application (TBD) | PDF version, which includes two short-answer essay questions and an uploaded cover letter, resume or CV.
  2. Recommendation Form (TBD)| PDF version and a letter of recommendation from a major professor or principal investigator.
  3. Group interview for select applicants.

Questions?

Please contact a Leaders for the Future program coordinator: 

• Sumiko Hong, Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (phone: 530.752.0235)
• Candace Crowley, Internship and Career Center
• David Blancha, GradPathways Institute for Professional Development