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Concordia University Concordia celebrates 50 years!

School of Graduate Studies

School of Graduate Studies

PhD Career Connect

Participate as a studentParticipate as a mentor

PhD Career Connect equips PhD candidates, recent graduates and postdocs with tools and connections to explore and secure meaningful employment across diverse career paths. Every Spring, this innovative program brings together students, mentors and employers through workshops, consulting challenges, panel discussions and networking opportunities.

PhD Career Connect 2025

The fourth iteration of PhD Career Connect will begin on March 11, 2025, and will end with a networking event on June 2, providing students, employers and mentors an opportunity to connect and exchange.    

Registration is closed for students, however, if you are an employer or mentor who wishes to be involved with PhD Career Connect, please contact our program coordinator.

A recording of the virtual information session can be found in the student guide.

If you would like to join the waitlist for PhD Career Connect 2026, please complete the registration form in the student guide.

Student guide | Mentor guide

The model

PhD Career Connect selects a multidisciplinary cohort of 60 PhD candidates, recent graduates and postdocs to complete the program’s two stages:

  1. 12 weeks of self-directed and instructor-led workshops to enhance their professional and job readiness skills.

  2. A one-day networking event where students have the opportunity to meet mentors and employers to learn about diverse careers outside of academia and showcase their doctoral skills.

PhD Career Connect was modelled after the award-winning graduate training program titled Accelerate to Industry (A2I) which originated from North Carolina State University.

Program objectives

Explore careers

Inform PhDs of their diverse career possibilities, moving beyond the traditional academic career path

Professional development

Further enhance PhDs' professional and job readiness skills

Showcase skills and network

Create an opportunity for PhDs to demonstrate their professional and job readiness skills to prospective employers through consulting challenge analyses and networking

Raise awareness

Raise employer and student awareness regarding the diverse skills and expertise developed during a PhD education

Testimonials

Azfar Adib, PhD Career Connect Participant 2023

“I participated in PhD Career Connect 2023, a highly enriching program. The workshop content was well-crafted to prepare PhD graduates with diverse skills. The networking event with employers and mentors was outstanding, offering us a firsthand opportunity to learn about practical aspects of career preparedness. This program is an excellent offering from Concordia for PhD students.”

Lucas Cober, PhD Career Connect Participant 2023

“The workshops that came before the event, though, are so, so valuable, and are the real reason why I recommend this program to anyone who is thinking of taking their PhD out of academia... all the speakers and organizers of this program are very dedicated to demystifying it for us, and their passion is what really makes PhD Career Connect special.”

F M Anim Hossain, PhD candidate in signal processing and deep learning, June 2022

“I had one of the most memorable weeks of my life during the PhD Career Connect "intensive week" event… PhD students, candidates and graduates from different disciplines teamed up for a case study competition. We had the opportunity to showcase our analytical, problem-solving, accelerated learning and presentation skills to experts and get valuable feedback from them. As an introvert, I was reluctant to participate, but I'm glad I put myself out there. The experience and feedback I acquired during the whole program helped me to grow and I am certain it will benefit me in my long-term career.”

Thomas Vignalou, Adoc Talent Management, June 2022

“This program has a great future for sure. It's a great initiative and many PhDs would love to have this at their university.”

Participant, June 2024

“Today was the last day of the PhD Career Connect course offered by GradProSkills and what a transformative journey it has been!...This course has allowed me to recenter the skills I have as a researcher, a storyteller and a social change strategist, helping me find the words to name what I know I can offer, and infusing my sails with confidence and a fantastic dose of team building power.”

Anthony Maturo, June 2024

“One of the highlights was participating in a case study competition on Les Fermes Lufa / Lufa Farms, organized by Innovatank - The World Case Committee. I am deeply grateful for their support and the insights they provided. Additionally, the lessons and advice shared by professional advisors at Concordia University were invaluable and have left a lasting impact.”

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