Teams can produce amazing results. If you are working by yourself, you have only one way of thinking. In a group – you can feed from each other’s ideas and build on each other’s knowledge and experience. But working in a team is not always easy, especially when members have very different interests, personalities, and motivations. In today’s global market teams are here to stay, so the demand for effective team leaders is increasing exponentially. Worry not, you will be prepared! This week’s blog post aims to provide you with practical tools and strategies that will allow you to lead your team to success in any situation.
Read moreAt least once a year, GradProSkills, in collaboration with Concordia Libraries, the Student Success Centre and Health Services, organize Thesis Boost — a 3-day writing retreat for graduate students in the mid to late stage of writing their thesis. In this week's blog post, Lara Khattab, a Concordia PhD student in Political Science and a past Thesis Boost participant, will share with you four reasons why you might want to attend the event this summer.
Read moreYou have just received a job offer. It is a great position, but the salary seems a bit low. “I am not going to mention anything,” you tell yourself. “If I try to negotiate, I might make a bad impression. What if they rescind the offer? I am going to accept it anyway.” Does this situation sound familiar? If your answer is yes, worry not. This week’s blog post will equip you with handy strategies for negotiating your job offers like a pro.
Read moreWith many tasks and little time, the idea of taking a break may sound ludicrous. Yet, letting your mind recuperate during times of increased cognitive activity is exactly what you need to do to stay happy and productive. For this week’s blog post, we have collected a number of ideas to help you take truly rejuvenating breaks.
Read moreHave you ever spent what felt like hours crafting the perfect detailed and comprehensive email, only to receive a brief and unhelpful response? Have you ever felt drained by long and unproductive email exchanges? Emails are one of the most common forms of communication within the academia and beyond, but they are not safe from pitfalls. In today’s blog post, we will discuss five useful strategies for mastering the etiquette of drafting a professional email, as highlighted in our workshop Professional Writing: Emails, Executive Summaries and Briefing Notes.
Read moreIs a healthier diet one of your New Year’s resolutions? Are you searching for a way to eat nutritious and tasty food on a budget? Look no further! We have a great solution for you – start growing your own sprouts. In this week’s blog post, we will guide you through the process of starting your own mini sprouts garden – an endeavors that will boost not only your mental and physical health, but also your finances.
Read moreGraphic design can be found everywhere around us – from print-based materials to digital publications, from tiny flyers to entire websites. Even your thesis is an example of graphic design at use. But what do these different materials have in common? They all use images and text to convey a particular message to a particular audience. In other words, they communicate information visually. Yet, not all designs are created equal. Some get the message across in a swift and compelling way, while others fail to do so. This week’s blog post will equip you with six simple ways of communicating your visual messages more effectively.
Read moreWith the vacation days coming to an end, another busy semester starts for the graduate student community. Assignments, classes, and work-related responsibilities will soon begin to pile up, and juggling them all might become overwhelming. Yet, the stress is not inevitable! Adopting the right productivity strategies early in the year will ensure that you can easily, quickly, and effectively tackle all graduate school challenges coming your way. Below are our 7 tips for a more successful and productive semester!
Read moreWith the fall semester coming to an end, assignment deadlines are already knocking on the door. How are you going to finish everything on time? “I have a plan,” you might say. “I am just going to drink more coffee, stock up on frozen food, sleep less, and put a hold on my social life until the end of semester.” Well, that might not be such a great idea. As discussed in our most recent blog post, an unhealthy diet and the lack of sleep and social support will most likely harm your mental well-being, and ultimately your academic performance. So how could you best tackle those pressing deadlines? Well, today’s blog post will equip you with four strategies for writing your papers more efficiently that will not harm your mental health.
Read moreAs the end of the semester rapidly approaches, stress levels are ramping up within the graduate student community. With pressing deadlines and a multitude of responsibilities, it is understandable to feel a little anxious and overwhelmed. Yet, if those feelings are starting to diminish your quality of life, maybe your mental health needs a little boost. Don’t worry! For today’s blog post, we consulted Concordia Health Services’ health promotion specialist – Gaby Szabo – to provide you with five simple, scientifically-proven strategies to improve your psychological well-being!
Read moreAre you a TA hoping to inspire your students to learn about an important topic or an executive striving for increased team productivity? In both cases, knowing how to motivate people towards achievement is a skill that can boost your success as a leader. In today’s blog post, we will discuss the ins and outs of motivation – what it is, how to instill it, and most importantly – how to ensure it leads to the desired outcome. Are you ready to learn the secrets of inspiring people?
Read moreGraduate research often requires you to perform long and repetitive tasks on a computer. You spend hours renaming and resizing images, looking for specific text across multiple Word documents, or updating data in lengthy Excel spreadsheets. In some cases, you can speed up the process with a formula or a button, but more often than not – you go through a lot of clicking, scrolling, copying, and pasting to get the job done. Have you ever wondered if there is a faster way? In this week’s blog post, we will discuss how knowing basic computer programming can minimize the time and energy you spend on repetitive tasks, freeing your schedule for more meaningful activities.
Read moreThis Fall, GradProSkills has partnered with the John Molson School of Business to offer a series of workshops on various fundamental business concepts such as understanding a budget or financial statement, hiring an employee, and understanding client needs. The best part? The workshops are designed for students from any discipline. The first workshop from the series – GPLD152: Marketing Management Essentials – took place last week and offered the attending graduate students a number of valuable tips for creating effective marketing strategies.
Read moreWhich one is the more effective leader? Is it the one who is strict and firm, or the one who is more flexible in his or her opinions and approaches? The answer to this question was one of the many important topics discussed in Foundations of Leadership – the first workshop of the new GradProSkills Leadership Series.
Read moreWhether you are taking your first steps as a graduate student, or returning for a final year of exciting academic endeavors, GradProSkills has you covered with a variety of workshops. But how do you choose the workshops best suited for your academic, professional, and personal goals?
Read moreWhether they’re launching their own businesses or looking to launch themselves into an alt-ac career, an increasing number of students are going...
Read moreHow to create a budget, rein in your spending and consume smarter.
Read more
Teams can produce amazing results. If you are working by yourself, you have only one way of thinking. In a group – you can feed from each other’s ideas and build on each other’s knowledge and experience. But working in a team is not always easy, especially when members have very different interests, personalities, and motivations. In today’s global market teams are here to stay, so the demand for effective team leaders is increasing exponentially. Worry not, you will be prepared! This week’s blog post aims to provide you with practical tools and strategies that will allow you to lead your team to success in any situation. Read more
At least once a year, GradProSkills, in collaboration with Concordia Libraries, the Student Success Centre and Health Services, organize Thesis Boost — a 3-day writing retreat for graduate students in the mid to late stage of writing their thesis. In this week's blog post, Lara Khattab, a Concordia PhD student in Political Science and a past Thesis Boost participant, will share with you four reasons why you might want to attend the event this summer. Read more
You have just received a job offer. It is a great position, but the salary seems a bit low. “I am not going to mention anything,” you tell yourself. “If I try to negotiate, I might make a bad impression. What if they rescind the offer? I am going to accept it anyway.” Does this situation sound familiar? If your answer is yes, worry not. This week’s blog post will equip you with handy strategies for negotiating your job offers like a pro. Read more
With many tasks and little time, the idea of taking a break may sound ludicrous. Yet, letting your mind recuperate during times of increased cognitive activity is exactly what you need to do to stay happy and productive. For this week’s blog post, we have collected a number of ideas to help you take truly rejuvenating breaks. Read more
Have you ever spent what felt like hours crafting the perfect detailed and comprehensive email, only to receive a brief and unhelpful response? Have you ever felt drained by long and unproductive email exchanges? Emails are one of the most common forms of communication within the academia and beyond, but they are not safe from pitfalls. In today’s blog post, we will discuss five useful strategies for mastering the etiquette of drafting a professional email, as highlighted in our workshop Professional Writing: Emails, Executive Summaries and Briefing Notes. Read more
Is a healthier diet one of your New Year’s resolutions? Are you searching for a way to eat nutritious and tasty food on a budget? Look no further! We have a great solution for you – start growing your own sprouts. In this week’s blog post, we will guide you through the process of starting your own mini sprouts garden – an endeavors that will boost not only your mental and physical health, but also your finances. Read more
Graphic design can be found everywhere around us – from print-based materials to digital publications, from tiny flyers to entire websites. Even your thesis is an example of graphic design at use. But what do these different materials have in common? They all use images and text to convey a particular message to a particular audience. In other words, they communicate information visually. Yet, not all designs are created equal. Some get the message across in a swift and compelling way, while others fail to do so. This week’s blog post will equip you with six simple ways of communicating your visual messages more effectively. Read more
With the vacation days coming to an end, another busy semester starts for the graduate student community. Assignments, classes, and work-related responsibilities will soon begin to pile up, and juggling them all might become overwhelming. Yet, the stress is not inevitable! Adopting the right productivity strategies early in the year will ensure that you can easily, quickly, and effectively tackle all graduate school challenges coming your way. Below are our 7 tips for a more successful and productive semester! Read more
With the fall semester coming to an end, assignment deadlines are already knocking on the door. How are you going to finish everything on time? “I have a plan,” you might say. “I am just going to drink more coffee, stock up on frozen food, sleep less, and put a hold on my social life until the end of semester.” Well, that might not be such a great idea. As discussed in our most recent blog post, an unhealthy diet and the lack of sleep and social support will most likely harm your mental well-being, and ultimately your academic performance. So how could you best tackle those pressing deadlines? Well, today’s blog post will equip you with four strategies for writing your papers more efficiently that will not harm your mental health. Read more
As the end of the semester rapidly approaches, stress levels are ramping up within the graduate student community. With pressing deadlines and a multitude of responsibilities, it is understandable to feel a little anxious and overwhelmed. Yet, if those feelings are starting to diminish your quality of life, maybe your mental health needs a little boost. Don’t worry! For today’s blog post, we consulted Concordia Health Services’ health promotion specialist – Gaby Szabo – to provide you with five simple, scientifically-proven strategies to improve your psychological well-being! Read more
Are you a TA hoping to inspire your students to learn about an important topic or an executive striving for increased team productivity? In both cases, knowing how to motivate people towards achievement is a skill that can boost your success as a leader. In today’s blog post, we will discuss the ins and outs of motivation – what it is, how to instill it, and most importantly – how to ensure it leads to the desired outcome. Are you ready to learn the secrets of inspiring people? Read more
Graduate research often requires you to perform long and repetitive tasks on a computer. You spend hours renaming and resizing images, looking for specific text across multiple Word documents, or updating data in lengthy Excel spreadsheets. In some cases, you can speed up the process with a formula or a button, but more often than not – you go through a lot of clicking, scrolling, copying, and pasting to get the job done. Have you ever wondered if there is a faster way? In this week’s blog post, we will discuss how knowing basic computer programming can minimize the time and energy you spend on repetitive tasks, freeing your schedule for more meaningful activities. Read more
This Fall, GradProSkills has partnered with the John Molson School of Business to offer a series of workshops on various fundamental business concepts such as understanding a budget or financial statement, hiring an employee, and understanding client needs. The best part? The workshops are designed for students from any discipline. The first workshop from the series – GPLD152: Marketing Management Essentials – took place last week and offered the attending graduate students a number of valuable tips for creating effective marketing strategies. Read more
Which one is the more effective leader? Is it the one who is strict and firm, or the one who is more flexible in his or her opinions and approaches? The answer to this question was one of the many important topics discussed in Foundations of Leadership – the first workshop of the new GradProSkills Leadership Series. Read more
Whether you are taking your first steps as a graduate student, or returning for a final year of exciting academic endeavors, GradProSkills has you covered with a variety of workshops. But how do you choose the workshops best suited for your academic, professional, and personal goals? Read more
Whether they’re launching their own businesses or looking to launch themselves into an alt-ac career, an increasing number of students are going... Read more
How to create a budget, rein in your spending and consume smarter. Read more
