CME 299: Engineering Your Career Path — Career Readiness Workshops for ICME & STATS Graduate Students

In today's competitive economy, developing professional skills is essential for thriving in graduate school and beyond. This six-week workshop series brings together career experts, recruiters, hiring managers, Stanford alumni, and fellow students to share practical advice and strategies for navigating your career.

Workshops cover networking, navigating the hiring process, using AI in your job search, presenting with impact, and salary and position negotiation and more. Each session offers practical tools and insights you can apply to your career development and professional journey.

• Bonus Workshop | Fall Recruiting Primer: Resume & Interview Prep with Career Ed Experts + Tips from ICME Alum Mihir Karkare* — Sept 18 (F)
  Gear up for fall recruiting and career fair season by strengthening your resume and interview skills. Hear firsthand career advice from recent ICME alumnus Mihir Karkare on preparing for the job search. 
  Learn more.
  
  *This workshop is not required for CME 299, but is strongly recommended to help you prepare for fall recruiting. 
   
• Get the Inside Scoop on Hiring Success — Sept 22 (T)
  Hear directly from recruiters, Stanford alumni, and fellow students about how to stand out throughout the hiring process, from building a strong resume to navigating traditional and technical interviews.
   
• Strategic Networking — Sept 29  (T) 
  Featured Guests:
  Sherice Torres, Director of MBA Career Advising and Education at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business
   

• How to Stand Out in the Age of AI: Three Key Techniques — Oct 6 (T)
  Job searching in the age of AI can feel overwhelming. Should you use AI? How can you use it effectively? And how do you make sure your application still feels authentic and stands out? The good news: you don’t need to master every AI tool or follow every new trend. You’ll leave with three key techniques you can apply immediately to your resume, networking, and job search.  Using a Pareto Principle approach, we’ll focus on the things that actually matter:       

  • Get Past the ATS: Understand how employers screen applications and how to use AI strategically to strengthen your resume and application without simply copying a job description.
  • Build the Right Referrals: Not all referrals are equally valuable. Learn how to identify the right people to connect with and how to build relationships that can actually help move your application forward.
  • Go Beyond the Gatekeepers: Don’t rely solely on recruiters to get your foot in the door. Learn how to identify and connect with people who are closer to the teams, projects, and hiring decisions you’re targeting.

  Featured Guest: 
  Jeremy Schifeling, Career Coach, The Job Insiders and Lecturer at the Stanford GSB
   

• Pitch Perfect: Present with Impact — Oct 13 (T)
  Students will develop and enhance their presentation skills, focusing on techniques for delivering clear, engaging, and impactful presentations.
  
  Featured Guest: 
  Thomas Freedland, PhD, Lecturer in Stanford’s Oral Communication Program, teaching courses including CTL 219: Public Speaking for Graduate Students and CTL 177: The Performance of Power
   
• Workshop TBD — Oct 20 (T)
   
• Mastering Salary and Position Negotiation Strategies — Oct 27 (T)
  Students will explore best practices for negotiating job salary and conditions, focusing on achieving fair terms while maintaining positive relationships with future employers. The workshop includes interactive discussions and partner practice sessions.
  
  Featured Guest:
  Jessica Notini, JD, Lecturer at the Stanford Law School and VPGE 

Questions? Please contact Tanya Schornack, Program Manager of Affiliates & Career Services, ICME at tschorna@stanford.edu.