Article by Autumn Siebold

Whether you could use help creating your professional brand, or you’re interested in connecting with companies and organizations interested in recruiting graduate students, there’s something for everyone at Georgia Tech’s Career, Research, and Innovation Development Conference (CRIDC). This year’s event will be held Jan. 27-28 in the Global Learning Center.

“We designed CRIDC’s panels and sessions to fill in gaps in grad students’ knowledge,” said Francisco Quintero Cortés, this year’s CRIDC chair, Graduate Student Government Association Vice President for Professional Development, and a Ph.D. student in Materials Science and Engineering. “Our graduate programs are excellent when it comes to teaching technical skills. But, to be successful in the next steps of our careers, we also need to build awareness in areas like mental health, inclusion, and social media.”

As Tech’s signature professional development opportunity for both on-campus and online graduate students, CRIDC offers panels, a Career Fair, a poster competition, and networking opportunities to connect students with professionals in research, industry, consulting and government, nonprofits, management, and entrepreneurship.

The first day of CRIDC will feature a variety of panels on topics ranging from strategies for international students trying to find jobs in the United States to balancing mental health and a successful career, and the poster competition. (Although registration is now closed for the competition, all students are invited to attend.)    

Day two of CRIDC will feature Tech’s graduate student-only career fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year’s fair will include employers such as Novelis, The Home Depot, and Savannah River National Laboratory.

“I went to the CRIDC career fair as a second-year Ph.D. student to begin identifying and networking with companies,” said Sarah Paluskiewicz, a Ph.D. student in Materials Science and Engineering. “I got the chance to talk with representatives in industries that I hadn’t even considered before. Within a few days, I was even contacted by a recruiter for a summer internship, which I later accepted.’

The event will close with a keynote address titled, Underrepresented Populations in STEM Careers: Why Is Progress So Slow?, and an awards ceremony and reception.

To register for sessions and/or the Career Fair (this is advised but not required), see the full schedule, and to read the panelist bios, visit grad.gatech.edu/cridc.