April 9, 2012

Congrats, new grads: It's back-to-school time

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Whenever we get two days in a row of perfect sunny weather in early spring, as we just did this weekend, I think back more than 20 years ago when I was just finishing up with college, studying for my last finals and feeling the rush of knowing that, for the first time since my toddling days, I wouldn't have to go back to a classroom the next fall -- or any other season.

Of course, this was in 1989, when the economy was on a roll and print journalism still seemed like a steady, long-term career path. Back then, a job search seemed like a minor irritant that might take up a couple of weeks before I landed something. For kids today, who gaze out from the cocoon of their classrooms and see little more than career fair lines, unanswered applications and unrealistic expectations from prospective employers about job skills, another few years of school might seem like a more attractive choice than doing the standard backpacking tour of Europe until the summer-job money runs out.

And it's not just for 20-somethings, either. Faced with job descriptions that require ever more specialized skills and training, many older job seekers who've been in the workforce for years are considering a return to grad school to keep up with the changing demands of their professions. According to figures released by the University of Washington's Graduate School, enrollment for graduate degrees was up by 12.7 percent in 2010 compared with the previous year.

If you've been thinking about going back to school to help boost your hirability but don't know how to go about it, the UW Graduate School is offering workshops this summer to provide tips on how to apply to any grad school, not just UW's programs. Over the course of two weekends, enrollees will learn how to decide which program best fits their needs and will be guided through the sometimes-difficult application process.

Called Grad School Boot Camp, the workshop will be held in two phases this summer (June 30-July 1 and July 28-29) at the Communications Building on campus. There, such notable instructors as Gerald J. Baldasty, dean of the UW Graduate School, as well as associate deans James Antony and Rebecca Aanerud, will help you identify the perfect graduate program and school for you.

During the course, enrollees will focus on such topics as:

• Writing the all-important personal statement on the application; learn what you can write to make you stand out from the crowd
• How to gain the experience you need to bolster your application
• How to network with strangers to forge lasting professional relationships
• Getting quality recommendations and how to ask someone to write on your behalf

The Boot Camp is a non-credit, condensed version of the Grad School's two-credit course available to UW students each quarter. In this case, however, the workshop is open for anyone who can pay the $475 course fee; participants do not need to be UW students to enroll.

The enrollment limit is 50 students per workshop, and there are specific reading and homework assignments that must be met before classes begin, so it's better to be an early bird and register now. For more information about the workshops, visit the Boot Camp page.

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.

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