Moc 5: Professional Development

Professional Development Skills to Help You Soar!

The Moc 5 professional development program at UTC’s Graduate School is built on five focus areas that cultivate the skills and competencies of well-rounded professionals. The Graduate School collaborates with various campus partners to offer opportunities and resources for students to strengthen skills that advance their academic, professional, and personal lives – to help them thrive and soar!

Professionalism 

Cultivating one’s professional identity involves recognizing and upholding high standards of conduct within an individual’s respective discipline. Professionals are expected to conduct themselves in a responsible and conscientious manner. Activities related to this focus area aim to:

1. Foster integrity and outline ethical decision-making processes
2. Describe codes of conduct and responses to inappropriate conduct in the workplace
3. Identify sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and sexual violence in a variety of settings, as well as discuss prevention mechanisms

Career Preparation & Advancement

Graduate students come from diverse backgrounds and vary regarding their life/work experiences. Thus, examining one’s personal interests, skills, and career options is important to securing meaningful career placements. Activities related to this focus area aim to:

1. Explore potential career opportunities and paths
2. Develop and strengthen graduate students’ professional skillsets
3. Prepare graduate students for entry into the job market
4. Create and/or refine graduate students’ resumes and/or curriculum vitaes (CV

Writing & Communication

The ability to effectively communicate complex ideas across diverse audiences is a valuable skill in any field. Strong oral and written communication is likely to set an applicant apart from other job candidates. Activities related to this focus area aim to:

1. Improve graduate students’ writing skills across contexts (e.g., academic versus non-academic writing)
2. Empower graduate students to respond effectively to critique and criticism of their work
3. Advance graduate students’ interpersonal communication and people skills

Personal Success & Well-Being 

One’s physical and mental well-being are vital aspects of maintaining a healthy work/life balance. Resilience and self-awareness enable individuals to lead productive, worthwhile professional and personal lives. Activities related to this core area aim to:

1. Build and nurture a supportive environment for graduate students
2. Develop coping skills and resiliency strategies
3. Encourage the practice of self-care and effective time management

Leadership & Mentorship

It takes time and experience to foster successful leadership strategies that enable individuals to elevate their professional trajectory. Activities related to this core area aim to:

1. Explore leadership styles and identify graduate students’ personal leadership styles
2. Support effective mentor/mentee relationships
3. Promote effective collaborations across diverse groups and settings