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Aurora is an eLearning Platform with on-demand, self-paced learning modules that allow PhDs and Postdocs to explore career options and discover ways to apply the skills acquired through their education. You can access the modules in any order and if you decide to complete 7 core modules, you earn a certificate of completion.
More about Aurora
Aurora’s curated content consists of videos, and it provides information for students across disciplines in the Arts & Sciences. It was designed and built by PhDs - the Beyond the Professoriate team, as well as all of the contributors who deliver workshops and participate in career panels and interviews, are experts in their field who also successfully completed a PhD in the areas of Arts, Social Sciences, STEM, Business, and Education. If you’re curious about the skills you’ve acquired throughout your studies, potential non-academic careers, or strategies for applying and securing non-academic employment, Aurora is an invaluable resource.
Aurora benefits graduate students by:
- supporting career exploration.
- providing accessible, well-curated resources for busy graduate students.
- promoting engaged learning through reflective activities that encourage students to apply what they’ve learned.
- complementing existing on-campus graduate student career supports.
- offering recorded seminars, reflective prompts, and assessments that guide the student experience and foster user engagement.
You can bring your knowledge and PhD to many career fields. But don't just take our word for it—AURORA has interviews with over 170 PhDs. Listen to their stories and see for yourself.
Career Support
Career Centre Workshops, Appointments, and Services
Choosing your career path
Preparing for an Academic Career Path
Preparing for an Alternative Career Path
Learn more on Constructing Your Self Identity, Researching Possibilities, Recognizing Opportunities, Finding A 'Real Job'
Career Resources
Non-Academic Career Resources:
- ImaginePhD: a free, online career exploration and planning tool for PhD students and postdoctoral scholars in the humanities and social sciences.
- From PhD to Life: Transition Q&As
- Career Snapshots from Drug Discovery Careers archive
- From CV to Resume by Kim Thompson and Terren Ilana Wein, Chronicle of Higher Education.
- It's April, and I Still Don't Have a Job! The Panicked Scientist's Guide to Accelerated Job Searches by Peter Fiske, published in Science Next Wave
- Transferring Your Skills to a Non-Academic Setting by Margaret Newhouse
- Where to find information on Non-Academic Careers by Gabriela Montell from the Chronicle of Higher Education
- PhDs at Work
- Beyond the Professoriate
- Versatile PhD