This session is conducted by Prof.Klimeck in which he illustrates the following points:
Prof.Klimeck keeps the points he wants to convey crisp and clear. He speaks in the right pace with optimal gaps between words and sentences. He uses his personal experiences in TI, NASA JPL along with working at Purdue to substantiate his statements.
The 20-80 rule for example where 20% of people do 80% of the work is something that I could relate to having part of industry for over 3 years.
In the lecture, he emphasized the importance of good communication skills in any career and provided tips on delivering engaging presentations. He covered various career options available after graduate school, including research, production, teaching, industry, and academia.
He elaborated on the pros and cons of working in research-driven and mission-driven labs, and the importance of proper leadership in research projects. He rightly avoids too much technical details to engage the audience and provides a roadmap for future research and real-world impact.
He stresses the importance of being a "multi-dimensional person" with demonstrated passion for the product in job interviews and hiring. Also he emphasizes to have a T shaped resume in which we have knowledge of a diverse background with in depth knowledge in a particular subject matter that enphasizes our tenacity and willingness to go deep into a topic if need be.
The best part of the lecture is how Prof. dons a Karategi to explain students how not to dress oneself for a situation. It provokes a reaction that will lead to the desired behavior or action.
Professor Klimeck's seminar on career choices after graduate school was an enriching and enlightening experience. His emphasis on the distinction between the roles of Bachelor, PhD, and industry professionals provided a comprehensive overview, urging attendees to understand the evolving nature of knowledge application at each stage. The addition of communications as a crucial element was a valuable insight, stressing the need for effective presentation skills, networking, and a compelling elevator pitch.
The presentation flow, beginning with motivation and intuition, transitioning into technical details, and concluding with a future vision, ensured a well-structured and engaging session. The inclusion of urgency vs. importance in task categorization was a practical tool for career planning.
The quad chart concept, coupled with discussions on independence of judgment, teamwork, and interpersonal skills, offered a holistic understanding of the skills required for success. Professor Klimeck's personal anecdotes from industry, research labs, and academia added real-world relevance, enhancing the seminar's credibility.
In conclusion, Professor Klimeck's seminar is a must-attend for graduate students seeking guidance in shaping their careers. The comprehensive coverage of career options, skill development, and real-world insights make it a valuable resource for informed decision-making. The engaging presentation style and practical advice ensure that attendees leave equipped with the tools needed for success in their chosen fields.
In this lecture, Gerhard Klimeck talks about the need to think about 5 and 10 year plans for your career and understand the fundamental differences between education and research. His view of the difference between BS, MS, and PhD provides a very valuable framework to decide between an advanced degree and industry. The part about how a PhD teaches you how to make new rules and methods and changes your perspective on life really resonated with me. I like that he emphasizes that outstanding communication skills are the missing item. I've known this fact for a long time and the fact that it's usually ignored in engineering classes is suboptimal. His advice to understand the audience is very appropriate. His outline for an engaging and inclusive presentation is hilarious and accurate. You need to have the right balance between motivation/relevance of the problem, intuition behind the solution, in-depth technical details, and future vision. He suggests working on things of high importance and low urgency because that allows us to take control of our life. The review of what 694 is and what is expected of us is a very nice review of the syllabus.
The seminar "your career choices after graduate school and the most neglected item in your career development" provides insight to the graduate school which is not only important to the current graduate student, anyone who is considering graduate school should also listen to this. From this seminar I learnt more about how does graduate school work and the differences between research institution, industry and teaching institution. I also learnt the important things that leads to success in graduate school. Although the seminar seems to be facing PhD students mainly, I think many aspects also apply to M.S. students like me. One important aspect that this seminar taught me is that I need to improve is communication skills, and collaboration with others. The seminar also went into details about how to give a presentation. It is important to take into account the audience of the presentation before preparing the presentation. This is a necessary step to do a good presentation however many students might neglect it. Overall, this seminar is quite useful for a student like me who just started grad school.
I can see that Dr. Gerhard made a lot of changes as well as kept some of the contents continuously until the year 2023. Some of the contents are heard in the class such as the abilities that graduate students would need to have other than perform well in the class (like what they are doing during undergraduates). For example, a student would need to understand the difference between education and research. For education, you would only need to learn what is taught to you and understand and use the knowledge well in the exam. But for the research, you would need to have the ability to propose a problem by yourself, give out the solution make the conclusion and give predicted future development. Also, it is very important to decide the order of issues based on the four-quadrant rule. For the recommendation letter part, it is important to have a wide connection and good communication with a board relationship as you might need to request recommendations from other professors than your boss. Even within the research group. communication skill is very important so that you can at least show your idea and abilities to others. Such a point is essential no matter whether you are at your PhD study process or you would need to apply for funding by yourself as an assistant professor. And finally, like always, Dr. Gerhard has a strict rule for the seminar's grading. It is very important when you need to face the work in the real world.
Also, some points are new to me. For example, I learned the comparison of being a professor in a research institution and in a teaching-based institution. And for most of time, you would not be able to change if you choose to be in a teaching-based institution. Also, it is new to me that all the abilities required in the class (most of them are also required nowadays) come from the fact of difference between learning and research.
Hearing Dr. Gerhard Klimeck's talk on "Your Career Choices after Graduate School" really changed how I see my path as a grad student. He pointed out that we're more than just students soaking up facts; we're actually creators of new knowledge. This made me look at my academic role in a whole new light, making me feel like I can genuinely contribute something special.
Also, he emphasizes that communication skills are more important than academic knowledge. It's not just about being smart; it's about effectively sharing your intelligence. I also agree with the need for a "T-shaped" skillset. When entering a new field, it is crucial to ensure that our knowledge is not only extensive but also comprehensive.
In short, Dr. Klimeck's lecture was inspiring. It gave me some much-needed direction on what to focus on as a grad student, helping me see the bigger picture of where I fit into the academic world and beyond.
This talk caught my attention since I want to know more about what kind of job I can get after I graduate with a Ph.D. level. Since Dr. Klimeck has formal experience in Industry, Research labs, and Academia, he is the speaker of this lecture. I would highly recommend this session.
The first helpful comment I learned from this lecture is that there are differences between undergraduate, master, and Ph.D. levels. Dr. Klimeck said that Ph.D. students are "knowledge creators" compared to undergraduate students, who can be defined as "knowledge absorbers." The master's program is more like a "transition state" since students can choose the "Thesis-Based" program to try to pursue a research career, the "Project-based" program to try to follow the industry career, or the "Course-Based" only.
As a current Ph.D. student, I learned from this lecture that depending on my interests, I must select a career path at the Ph.D. level. Also, Dr. Klimeck mentioned that communication skill is essential for the entire career, which is just limited to research, but also the industry, Academia, and so on.
Another crucial thing that Dr. Klimeck emphasized is that we need to develop an elevator pitch in the resume, just as he mentioned in the 69400 class. We also have to show the "T-shape" as long as we have broad and deep skills.
Professor Gerhard Klimeck's seminar discussion on career choices after graduate school was an invaluable resource for me as an international Master's student. The seminar highlighted the difference between traditional education and research, emphasizing the need to define and solve unique problems. Professor Klimeck's emphasis on effective communication skills for technical presentations was particularly helpful, as he provided a useful framework for structuring presentations and tailoring them to different audiences. The session also provided insights into various career options and the importance of developing skills such as independence of judgment, teamwork, communication, and administration. Furthermore, Professor Klimeck's practical advice on developing an elevator pitch, prioritizing tasks, and understanding the expectations of recruiters for the job market was eye-opening. His personal experiences working in industry, research labs, and academia added real-world relevance to the seminar. Overall, this seminar provided valuable insights and guidance for graduate students, equipping them with the tools and knowledge to make informed decisions about their career paths and succeed in their chosen fields. Professor Klimeck's straightforward explanation of concepts made the content easy to understand, and I highly recommend this seminar to any graduate student looking to navigate their career path successfully.
This presentation emphasizes the critical role that communication skills play in professional success, and Professor Klimeck provides a comprehensive overview of the various career options available to graduate students. He emphasizes that while technical expertise is essential for success in any field, it is communication skills that set successful professionals apart from their peers. The presentation is highly engaging, with clear and concise explanations of the importance of communication skills. He uses real-world examples to illustrate how effective communication can lead to better outcomes in various professional settings, from the workplace to networking and public speaking. Moreover, Professor Klimeck offers actionable advice to graduate students to enhance their communication skills. He provides tips on how to structure a presentation, what to spend your time on in a presentation, and also what specific items we need to work on such as our resumes and elevator pitches, and why they are important. His practical approach to the subject matter was highly appreciated. Overall, I enjoyed how well thought out the presentation was, along with all of the advice he scattered in throughout.
Professor Gerhard Klimeck lecture on ‘career choices after graduate school’ prepares students on what to expect in graduate school, and how the experiences will differ from the Master’s and undergraduate programs. He notes that PhD students are knowledge creators instead of knowledge consumers, as in the case of the lower level degrees.
The lecture informed me that I would need to select a career path at PhD level, depending on what interests me. The lecture also emphasized the importance of communication skills to succeed in PhD careers. The emphasis encouraged me to focus on developing my soft skills and look for mentors in prospective career fields, such as research, production, teaching, industry, and academia, to help me choose a career path that will complement my capabilities.
The session I found most crucial was where to find my first job and the principal aspects the recruiters would check. Most of the skills that will help me stand out require long to master; thus, the lecture opened my eyes on how to ensure I will have a successful career. For example, Kimeleck emphasized the need to develop an elevator pitch in the resume by highlighting one’s strength to prepare for unforeseen opportunities.
The par I liked most about the lecture is Professor Kimeleck’s straightforward explanation of concepts. He uses fluent English, with no filler words and stammering, which makes it easy to relate with the content he discusses. The PowerPoint presentation also allowed me to understand the lecture better. I highly recommend this lecture to new graduate students with little idea on the career path to pursue or the essential skills to build to improve their relevance in the competitive job market.
As part of the Professional Development Seminar Series, this session has lot of resemblance with Prof.Klimeck’s lectures in the ongoing Spring 2023 ECE 69400 Graduate seminar course. Like always, Prof.Klimeck does not beat around the bush and keeps the points he wants to convey crisp and clear. He speaks in the right pace with optimal gaps between words and sentences. He uses his personal experiences in industry, research labs, and academia to substantiate his statements. The The 20-80 rule for example where 20% of people do 80% of the work is something that I could relate to having part of industry for over 4 years.
In the lecture he emphasized the importance of good communication skills in any career, and provided tips on delivering engaging presentations. He covered various career options available after graduate school, including research, production, teaching, industry, and academia. He elaborated on the pros and cons of working in research-driven and mission-driven labs, and the importance of proper leadership in research projects. He rightly avoids too much technical details to engage the audience and provides a roadmap for future research and real-world impact. He covers the advantages and disadvantages of working in different fields and emphasizes the importance of keeping competitive. He stresses the importance of being a "multi-dimensional person" with demonstrated passion for the product in job interviews and hiring. His advice on personal connections and networking should not be disregarded.
The best part of the lecture is how Prof dons a Karategi to explain students how not to dress oneself for a situation. I have always been an admirer of such "reverse psychology" method of teaching. It is a strategy where one encourages someone to do the opposite of what they actually want them to do by presenting it as a forbidden or undesirable behavior. It provokes a reaction that will lead to the desired behavior or action.
As an international Master's student, I found Professor Gerhard Klimeck's seminar discussion to be a valuable resource in putting my thoughts into perspective. He highlighted the difference between traditional education and research, emphasizing the need to define and solve a problem that hasn't been solved before. He also emphasized the importance of selecting the right career path after grad school, whether it's in academia, industry, research, or teaching.
Another interesting aspect of Professor Klimeck's discussion was the emphasis on effective communication. He stressed the need to tailor technical presentations to different audiences, and provided a useful framework for structuring presentations. He also provided useful advice on how to prepare for unforeseen opportunities, including developing an elevator pitch that highlights your strengths.
Finally, Professor Klimeck provided valuable insights into prioritizing tasks and developing important life skills. He emphasized the need to prioritize important tasks over urgent ones, and the importance of developing skills such as independence of judgement, teamwork, communication, and administration. Overall, I found the seminar discussion to be an invaluable resource, and would recommend it to any new graduate student looking to chart their career path.
This seminar conducted by Dr. Gerhard Klimeck is an informative and engaging session that provides insights into choosing the right career path after graduate school. Dr. Klimeck's presentation style was unique and captivating, making it easy for me to retain the information shared.
One of the key takeaways from the session was the importance of good communication skills in achieving success in any career. Dr. Klimeck stressed the need for effective communication skills to convey complex ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences. He also provided tips on how to deliver engaging presentations that can hold the attention of a mixed audience.
The session also shed light on the various career options available after graduate school, including research, production, teaching, industry, and academia. Dr. Klimeck elaborated on the pros and cons of working in research-driven and mission-driven labs, and the need for proper leadership to ensure the success of any research project.
Overall, I found the seminar to be a valuable learning experience that will help me make informed decisions about my future career path. The lecture concluded with a reminder that clothing does send a message, and graduate students should avoid dressing too informally. I recommend this lecture to all Master's and Ph.D. students who join Purdue.
The presentation was an insightful and engaging talk that highlighted the importance of communication skills in any career path, regardless of whether one works in the industry, research labs, or academia. Professor drew from his personal experiences of working in Texas Instruments, NASA JPL, and Purdue University to illustrate his point. The talk was well-structured and the presenter's "recipe" for a strategically structured presentation was particularly useful. He emphasized that when giving a presentation, it is important to start by introducing the overall topic and explaining its relevance to the audience. This sets the stage for the rest of the presentation and ensures that everyone understands the context of the work being presented. The beautiful solutions have been achieved, without getting into technical details. This is important because it helps to engage the audience and show us the potential impact of the work being presented. The detailed technique part provides a deeper understanding of the work being presented and ensures that the presentation is not oversimplified or superficial. Last but not least he mentioned what needs to be done with the topic in the future. This is a crucial part of the presentation because it provides a roadmap for future research and ensures that the work presented has a real-world impact.
The presentation really captured my attention, and motivated me to think about my next steps. Even though, I am a PhD student and I intended to pursue academia, professor Gerhard helped me realize that there are other options outside of academia (like research development) that are just as interesting. I am really glad I watched this lecture as not a lot of courses are provided for PhD students that talk about the future of grad students in general and the options that they can take. I suggest for first year grad students to watch this lecture as soon as they can, because it really exposes the students to the choices they will have to make in the future.
A must watch lecture!
Prof.Klimmeck does a great job keeping the audience focused. The sides are very well organized. A couple of slides were very crowded. It was very informative to learn about Prof.Klimeck's career and his experiences. The emphasis on learning how to communicate was very insightful. Overall the lecture was very informative and useful learning about the career paths in Industries, Research and in the Government.
Some of the modules did not have audio. Kindly fix this issue.
An excellent lecture! The thing I like most is that professor Klimeck mentioned his experiences in industry, government laboratory and academia. It is always great to hear some advices from an experienced professor. Professor Kilmeck also put these experiences together and compared the advantages and disadvantages. By watching this, students can combine there personal situation and know what they truly want. I agree with that in most cases, 20% of the people do 80% of the work. In that case, how to keep competitive is really important. As a foreign graduate student, I am not going to the government laboratory, I think I want to work in the academia. Different from working in industry, in academia, you may want to do some innovation and discover something new. But in industry, stable means everything.
Overall, if you are at the crossroads of your life and you have no idea what you are going to do next, I would highly recommend this lecture and I'm sure that you will find what you want.
As an older student with 14 years of experience in various industries, Gerhard's advice cannot be understated. I have reviewed thousands of resumes and interviewed dozens of candidates and the "multi-dimensional person" idea is the number one differentiator between candidates. A 4.0 GPA was meaningless in any job I've had. In my work for a major automotive research company there was an unstated requirement that engineers be interested in cars. You must have a demonstrated passion for the product. They told me I was hired there because I was into auto racing and working on cars, and they looked for this in all potential candidates.
Gerhard says, "You want to work with someone you like." The people doing the hiring are not going to hire you and place you into a production bubble - they want a multi-dimensional person that is passionate and fun to work with.
The rest of his advice is solid and backed by experience in both industry and academia.
This is exactly the sort of presentation I wish I had received as an undergrad.
I loved how professor Klimeck started the presentation. The presentation opened my eye to look at my future career. After undergraduate, I wasn't sure what I want; I wanted to find a job and go from there. From this presentation I realized that I need to think about what I want to be in the next couple of years. I gained confidence on how to look and find something I want to do in my future, not what others see me. I really liked how professor Klimeck went in depth on comparing different type of jobs, it is very helpful. Especially the comparison of academia industry and the government funded research; this helps decide what I want to do long term.
To conclude, from this presentation, I learned some useful ways to plan my future. The speech really showed helpful tips on keeping attention and having impacts and looking for new stuff.
The lecture talked about the difference between a PhD and a master's degree, and made the statement that "one perspective does not necessarily apply to all. This is very important and we need to think about most issues from our own side.
As a follow-up, I liked how he talked about his previous experience at NASA and how he made a clear distinction between education and research. Education is different from research, and jobs are not limited to technical and research, but also include management positions. I couldn't agree more. As a student, I was often unsuccessful in recognizing this during my studies in school. Specifically, regarding academia, if someone wants to pursue research, it is very important to choose the right place. We need to have a clear idea of what we expect from our future job and carefully consider whether a position is right for us.
At the same time, we need to be clear about what employers expect from their workers. For example, if a university graduate is missing a lot of skills other than doing research, such as interpersonal communication skills and leadership skills. Then even if he is a very good researcher, it would not be a good choice for some employers to hire him.
I enjoyed this presentation, which is very necessary for students who are about to graduate from school. After finishing the student years and starting the phase of starting a career in a company, we need to fully understand the difference between these two phases.
Overall, it a very impressive presentation, Prof. Klimeck introduce different pros and cons of different types of jobs in different working scenarios. I am a 2nd year graduate student and I have looking for job for this semester. Because I don’t plan to get a PhD degree in close future and I’m not a US citizen, working in academia and government labs are not in my consideration. As for looking for a job in industry.
I very agree with the presenter that preparing the “unknown” critical items discussed can make a candidate much more competitive when looking for a job. Besides these limitations, the presenter figured out that “unknown” critical items of PhD graduates would really help me prepare for my career and find my first job. The training of abilities of teamwork, reporting, communicating, and independent judgement is included in many courses at Purdue in both undergraduate and graduate requirement. I tried to show these abilities to the employer when I build and update my resume and during interviews. When the interviewer let me introduce the projects in the resume. I can clearly introduce the project and show each team member’s contribution. Also, I explicitly prepare to introduce how we cooperate to overcome unexpected difficulty. This works very well and I get a good job finally.
The seminar was very helpful to me as I was not sure if I should do a PhD or jump into an industry after graduation. The seminar talked about the differences between research and education and talked about his personal aspect of the US educational system on a bachelor's degree, master's degree and PhD degree. These information will help me to decide what I want to do next. The seminar talked about how to prepare for the career which interested me the most as I did not have any knowledge about preparing for industry. There were 8 important items to prepare for the career and knowing how to prepare for the career will make me to keep remind those items and try to work on those items through out my master's degree. From this seminar, I learned that communication skills are critical and learned some guidelines or techniques to draw and not lose audience's attention while presenting.
This seminar is a really informative lecture. Personally, I enjoy research a lot, and this seminar gave me new insights into what I should do next. I was first impressed by the 1/3 1/3 1/6 1/6 rule for making academic presentations. The rule where I should spend 1/3 of the time engaging the audience, 1/3 to show the beautiful solution, 1/6 to show the technical details, and 1/6 to show the future, is something I will be using in the future, and shows what the priorities of the audiences are when listening to research presentations. This is something I would not have known without Prof Klimeck's input. Another thing that stuck to me was being "greater than one dimensional". As an engineer and research-avid person, I have always enjoyed the realm of science as a child. Even though I enjoy going outdoors and doing other things, I currently find more joy in the research labs. However I have come to the realization that doing research all day does not lead to better results. In fact, it is counter-productive. This was a fact that even my advisor has iterated, but it has not cemented in my mind until I have experienced it myself. Another thing that stuck with me and I could relate with the most was the "missing item" concept. That missing item is, of course, communication skills. Being understood by everyone is the single sentence that will stick with me for a long time. I have never been a good communicator, which I think is a common trait among engineers and graduate students. Prof Klimmek outlined that trying to use complex vocabulary to show how much knowledge we have is not as useful as "taking to my grandmother". I've learned that I can have a Nobel-prize worthy work, but if no one understands it then it is pointless. I would like to thank Prof Klimmek for inspiring me to spend my time better as a graduate student and improving on my presentation skills for the future. One downside of this presentation, ironically, is the presentation style of Prof Klimmek. I enjoyed the presentation, but it may be a bit too boring to listen to (the tone).
Professor Klimeck begins the presentation by emphasizing that graduate students are already considered successful. He points out that one should not make whimsical career choices and make informed choices about their careers. One can take three paths after grad school - industry, government, and academia. He starts of by giving us his own experience in industry research.The 80-20 rule is very true not only in industry by also in group projects. Labs funded by the government are the next area he discusses while giving his personal story. It is important to know that government funding plays a crucial role. An alternative path after grad school is to join academic institutions that can be divided into research and teaching institutions. He explains the advantages and disadvantages of working at a research institution like purdue. Teaching institutions are the other type of academic institutions. He advises that students who genuinely desire to research should think carefully because funding plays a key role in doing research.
One of the important skills that many are missing is communication. He clarifies that one should consider the audience and keep them in mind before delivering a talk or a presentation. He then throws some light on other forms of communications, such as resume writing and elevator pitches. His suggestions change the way I plan to look for roles in the industry. I think most of the advice and suggestions mentioned in the talk made sense to me.
‘Your Career Choices after Graduate School and The Most-Neglected Item in your Career Development: Communication Skills’ seminar by Professor Gerhard Klimeck was very well organised and informative. The speaker starts with the importance of understanding one’s strength and having long term plan, say 5-10 years. He, then, covers an overall difference between education and research and what kind of learning/understanding happens in undergraduate, graduate and PhD levels. He also talks about the different kinds of job opportunities such as industry, laboratory, and academia along with his own experience. It was very interesting to know how communication skills is often the missing item but how important it is. The idea of presenting or talking about oneself in just 60 seconds is not something that we would usually be prepared for. The key take away was how motivation, solution to the problem, technical details and future vision make up an engaging and inclusive presentation. It was very useful to know the right amount of time to spend on the above four aspects in any presentation. The speaker made it clear as to how too much of technical details could be overwhelming to the audience with an example towards the end of the seminar. It was also very useful to know that scientific and publication details are not the only aspects that should be focussed on in a reference letter but ability to make judgements, ability to work in a team, report results, communication, administration are very important. Also, quad chart usage is not something that many of us would know. The speaker concluded with the fact how dress code is important too.
First of all, that appearance really is a classic.
What I loved about this video is that it provided me with lots of good information on the different paths I could take after obtaining my degree. The pros and cons talked about in the video were really concise and straight to the point--from the perspective of us graduating students. Before watching this video, I thought I wanted to work in a government funded laboratory doing projects in areas of my interest, but now I believe maybe going into the industry would be better suited for myself.
Also, this video brought the importance of communication to my attention. I always knew that communicating with coworkers was crucial to getting work done, but I never thought about that when you achieve something in your field, people who are interested may not be people from your field. Therefore, having the ability to convey results to people without knowledge about what your are doing is just as important as having profound technical skills.
First of all, that appearance really is a classic.
What I loved about this video is that it provided me with lots of good information on the different paths I could take after obtaining my degree. The pros and cons talked about in the video were really concise and straight to the point--from the perspective of us graduating students. Before watching this video, I thought I wanted to work in a government funded laboratory doing projects in areas of my interest, but now I believe maybe going into the industry would be better suited for myself.
Also, this video brought the importance of communication to my attention. I always knew that communicating with coworkers was crucial to getting work done, but I never thought about that when you achieve something in your field, people who are interested may not be people from your field. Therefore, having the ability to convey results to people without knowledge about what your are doing is just as important as having profound technical skills.
To summarize in a sentence Gerhard outlined all the options available to a graduate student. Be it a research career, industry and academia. We get to choose among the options based on our interest/strengths. Each of them have its own pros and cons. Having worked in a startup early in my career, there were huge number of options to learn/explore. I spent several hours working on interesting problems that I couldn't take my mind off. But, the work life balance takes a toll on health. So, as a graduate student we need to choose and make the right decision.
The missing item/important skill that I often miss is communication & networking. After coming to graduate school, I see its importance more than ever. This skills plays a key role in landing that dream job, acing interviews, presenting research papers and technical presentations.
Next topic is on work and prioritizing importance over urgency. This helps in the long term as we need to focus on what is important for career and personal growth rather than spending all the time in doing urgent tasks. I have come across this in several career/success stories earlier as well.
Other skills to improve on are capability to work as a team, independence of judgement and interpersonal skills. This will either build or break one's career.
This presentation is an introductory session to ECE 694. My takeaways from this content is -
1) Importance of having a long term plan - 5/10 year plan after graduation. This perspective helps keep focus on the essential items that I need to work on & reason for being in graduate school.
2) As a graduate student, it is often difficult to choose a career suitable as there are a plethora of options. I personally feel quite overwhelmed .. So this is the chance to explore.
3) Understood the pros and cros of working in research, development, production and management from the Prof's perspective/experience.
4) Communication skills - is the key/missing item that we often neglect. This skills is about selling ideas/putting thoughts out in a meaningful way. This skill is of utmost importance as it plays an important part in networking, technical presentations and interviews.
5) Breaking down tasks into categories of High/Low - in terms of Importance and Urgency. Missing item - High importance but less urgent tasks not pursued.
The last part of the presentation is on the agenda of this class - working on resume and so on.
Before I go ahead with the review for this lecture, I would like to say something. This is the third seminar I am watching on Nanohub today for credit and it made me realise how much I am missing in-person interaction! The classroom environment and in-person interaction with various ECE faculty and guest speakers.
Prof Klimeck starts off by talking about how a PhD is different from an Bachelor's degree/ Master's degree. This is very essential as the perspective is entirely different and stakes are different as you change too by the end of grad school.
I found his experience at the government lab(NASA) and his perceptions about academia very intriguing. He talks about his personal experience at NASA and points out the jobs are not just limited to technical and research but also managerial positions. Again, he identifies that the 20-80 rule applies here as well. Then he goes on to talk about academia and points out that if someone wants to pursue research, choosing the right place for the same is very essential. And having such perseverance in academia is very essential.
The main take away from this talk is that identifying “the missing item”. One MUST have anywhere is Outstanding Communication Skills. Even if one can do really novel and excellent research without communication, it would not receive the due recognition. Prof. Klimeck points out that making an average person in the crowd is a very essential part of communication. He speaks about how a grad student would just think that PhD is just about research and publishing but there are many other things which matter for a future employer like interpersonal relationships and leadership qualities. As a first year PhD student, realising that there are at least 8 points in the list a potential employer and networking outside your lab group is very essential.
Overall, I find this lecture a little superfluous with the rest of the content already present on ECE694. My suggestion would be to make a condensed version of all such “Grad School 101” and make it a recommended watch for all for First year students.
I really appreciate the disclaimer Prof. Klimmeck gave at the beginning of the presentation that this is what worked for hum and may not apply to others.
The presentation describes a general direction for the steps and actions that should be taken or performed in grad school to have a fruitful experience and excel during the program. This piece of advise covers both academics and the general mindset that must be created to meet your goals. I appreciate the discussion of some of the inevitable problems most grad students will face during the course of their academic or research journey and while searching for jobs. The speaker also talk in brief about the various career building options a grad student has, which I found to be really interesting along with the discussion on what recruiters' look for in a potential candidates reference letter.
The presentation explicitly differentiates between education and research while also stressing upon another important issue referred to as the "missing item". Overall, I really enjoyed the presentation even though I'm at the end of my journey through grad school. I would recommend others to take this course or view this material at the start of their grad school stint.
The first part of this talk provides an overview of the roadmap for a graduate student. It takes the student on a journey to reflect on the range of options available to students after graduation so they can begin to think about how they want their career to take shape. The second part talks about the importance of communication and some more concrete information on time management then logistical information for the course.
I felt this introduction was more sound and impactful than the first lecture I had while taking the course in fall 2020. Perhaps it was solely the in-person feel, but I think it may have been the more compelling use of personal stories while you were presenting the career path overview. You seem much more involved in the lecture than you typically are for the WebEx-based instruction and it's more magnetic. I would have liked to hear more of the more personal, "inside" information on the career paths as many of these paths are so hypothetical to a new graduate student that it takes more to understand whether I'd enjoy it.
This lecture is the first of a series of lecture in career portfolio development. I believe the materials covered in these series mostly pertain to North American
industry and research community.
As an international graduate student, I found this course very informative about the hurdles that one might face doing research in graduate school or finding a job after graduation.
It is nearly impossible to specifically point out all problems one might encounter. Nevertheless, this course give a nice heads up for the possible issues that might rise up down the career development path.
This first lecture lists different items down the career development path which deserve one's attention and preparation accordingly.
In this lecture, Dr.Klimeck laid out the path for the progression of the ECE 694 course.
The lecture content was unique and the way it was described succeeded in capturing and maintaining my attention. More often than not seminars which describe the essential aspects of research and career turn out to be quite dull but Dr.Klimeck was able to deliver the content in a manner which sounded relevant to the life of a graduate student and would be able to relate to.
I was able to learn about the different types of academic institutions and career branches which I am sure will be useful for future decisions. In addition, the importance of good communication skills and the way it affects our careers was an important piece of advice and motivation to improve my communication skills. I think it would have been more helpful if some ways to improve my communication skills were also suggested but I think that would be a part of future lectures. The short emphasis on the aspects in which a graduate researcher is measured by the industry was an eye-opener.
Finally, the presentation was oriented in a way which matched the rules for presenting before a non-technical audience. Dividing the time up to explain the need for the research and what could be achieved by doing the research in order to capture the attention of the audience is an important aspect of any presentation. The example of the way in which a researcher presents his/her presentation was hilarious and at the same time embarrassing as it was reminiscent of the way in which I sometimes present my research. Lastly, I found the way of emphasizing the importance of attire for an occasion unique and effective.
To summarize I found the presentation very useful and hopefully I will be able to incorporate valuable suggestions in my future.
I forgot to write the comments in class for the first class. I am here to complete my comments.
First, Dr. Climeck's clothes are soool cooool. I never saw a professor wearing such fancy clothes for the first class. Students will definately remember him for the whole semester.
Second, in terms of difference between research and education, I totally agree with Dr. Climeck's opinion. Even more, I believe that research is more like a job. The aim of the reseach is to make some profit for the society. With a valid prjoect and a well-written paper, the whole academia and the industry would benifit from it.
However, different from real industries, researhing in a lab is more flexiable. Industries tolerate less failure. If you fail some projects, you will be definately punished because you make no profit to the industries. But, for adademia, you can have more chances for trying and failing. Failure is also a kind of contribution to the academia.
Education, in another sense, has a different aim. Eduacation is more like a service. You pay for the knowledge and the sevice from the colledge and professors. In the end, you can receive a certificate to prove your feedback. To students themselves, it is a kind of development and growth. The knowledge will finally benifit the students in the future work.
For the other part of the lecture, I am satiesfied too. The only thing I do not understand is the grade rule. I hope we can have more reviews for the resume and they can be extra bonus. Otherwise, as long as you attend all lectures and submit the resume, you can pass. That is not fair for those who very carefully deisgned the resume and review others.
In this lecture, Prof. Kilmeck talked about career choices after graduate school and the most-neglected item in career development.
I agree with Prof. Kilmeck that education and papers can not evaluate a student properly.There is missing items such as working efficiency. The next question is how we do our work. we can classify the work into 4:work with high urgency and high importance, work with high urgency and low importance, work with low urgency and low importance and work with low urgency and importance. We should focus more on work with high importance and low urgency in order to take control of the future.
How do I prepare for a career?Prof.Kilmeck gave me some answers.Among these items, I think the independence of judgement is the most important. As a phd student, I should have my own ideas not just follow instructions from advisor. Capability to work in a team is also necessary. Anybody need help from each other and no one can do research alone. Having good relations with advisor and lab-mate is helpful for research.What is the meaning of phd?I have had this question before I started phd. It is not just about academic courses, publications and a degree. It is a unique experience when I can prepare for the future career.
In the end, Prof. Kilmeck remind us that clothing does send a message. It is easy to dress too informal and I should avoid that.
Being an international student, it is not uncommon to get frazzled after the first few days as a Master’s student. Professor Gerhard Klimeck’s seminar discussion is just what I needed to put perspective into my thoughts. I have imbibed information on how to channel my ideas to pick out the right career path for me. This discussion also explores much of the PhD world that lets me assess if this would be a suitable line of study for me or not. I would like to reflect on some of the ideas that I take back from this discourse.
Professor Gerhard Klimeck outlines the differences between research and the education we have known all this while. The education we are all accustomed to involved being fed information from a textbook that was easily understandable, but we never stopped to think how all that knowledge was consolidated in the first place. Research is considerably different from this traditional idea of education. Research involves defining a problem that isn’t solved, to decipher whether the problem is worth solving and then actually solving it. A graduate student should also give thought to what kind of career would be suitable at the end of grad school-whether it is in research, production, teaching, in an industry government lab, or academia, to name a few.
Professor Klimeck reflects on his own career path. He talks about his central research lab in Texas Instruments and NASA Jet Propulsion labs. He outlines the pros and cons of working in these research labs. He tells us that Mission driven lavs may have nothing to do with the technical service and government funding may decide to scrap the entire project despite technological advancements. He outlines the pros and cons of research driven labs. Research driven labs offer more freedom however the research is more directed and the output is a paper. He also elaborates briefly on management in a National lab.
Here is the part that interested me the most. Professor Klimeck talks about how he came back to Purdue. He focuses his content on how Purdue is a research institution which implies that he has no boss. Ofcourse there are departmental heads but even so, there is huge freedom. He draws an analogy between a business and a research lab. Each research project has an idea, funding, students who work in the labs to achieve the goals which is a lot like a personalised business aimed at achieving a particular goal. Without proper leadership, this business dies.
Communication skills are key. We often need to present public presentations where the audience is mixed comprising peers, technical audience and other audience. The presentations may be in technical areas like VLSI design. For non technical audiences, the audience hardly understands what you are working on. On the other had in technical peer conferences, about 20-30 percent of people really understand the technical details of the presentation. So it all depends on how many people in the audience you want to connect with. Ideally a presentation should have:1/3rd motivation, 1/6th intuition, 1/6th technical details and 1/6th future vision.
The discussion also gave me an insight towards how I should edit my resume and how I should always keep a elevator speech ready that highlights my strengths in sixty seconds. Professor Klimeck talks from his experience when he says that he met all his prior bosses at least half a year before any employment opportunity opened up for him. He talks about preparing for situations we are almost never prepared for, for examples, if we meet a person at a conference or a ride back to the airport and if we only have a minute to get their attention, keeping an elevator speech ready is useful. Networking in general is useful.
Professor Klimeck also talks about prioritizing jobs in a queue. He helps visualise this using a graph that ranks tasks on the basis of whether it is urgent or important. He divides the available space into four quadrants. We often end up choosing from those four quadrants. We often prioritize urgent things over important things. He talks about how it may(in some scenarios) be prudent to choose an important job over an urgent task. He also talks about developing some important life skills. He talks about how we should have independence of judement, capability to work in a team, ability to repost results to the supervisor, ability to interact, administration, general contribution and long term potential. Interacting with juniors and guiding them is also an important skill to have.
I took ECE 694 in this semester and I think it is safe to say that the peer review exercises are extremely helpful to troubleshoot and improve my resume. Different peers have a different outlook on the resume, that helps me develop a better version every single time.
I would recommend every newly admitted graduate student to watch this video for an insightful understanding of what would be the right career/academic path for them.
1) Career choice: Prof. Gerhard Kilmeck with his unique mix of experience at all types of career choices, ie Idustry, Government Lab and Academia, helped us in understanding the various paths one can choose after a PhD. He helps us in understanding what kind of work we can expect in each of these paths. I specially liked that part where he draws-in from his own experience in explaining the ideas.
2) "Unkown" critical items of a reference letter: It is very beneficial to know these critical items early-on during the PhD. I am bound to use these slides as reminders during my PhD, because more than often we tend to forget these important details. The presentation does an excellent job in specifically listing out the items and what can be done to address them.
3) Presentation strategy: I have recently converted from Master's to a PhD, It was during the process of writing the paper and Thesis that I truly understood the importance of communication skills. I used to think that report writing is a process where we have to keep in mind that the ideas should be easily conveyed to the reader. However, I also realized that it is during the process of writing down your work that you can realize short-comings of your own work and thus get to improve your work. In hindsight I would have benefited from the presentation outline discussed by Professor, the strategy of showing the beautiful and intuitive solution up-front helps in grabbing the attention like no other. In fact I got a similar feedback from my exam committee.
Overall I found the presentation well organized, full of useful information and I would be coming back to it in the future.
This is a really informative lecture, even though I have listened to Prof. Klimeck’s speech before, I come back today to rewatch this talk again to review the points. I’m a master student, I find myself enjoy research since I’m in my college so the views are critical for me to make judicious decisions in the future.
The talk starts from the differences between education and research, and then Klimeck introduced his own experiences in research. The career path he has passed is thought-provoking for me. Basically, every job is not perfect, making it difficult to decide where you will go and what kind of work or research you will conduct. Klimeck shows us a lot of critical issues we will face in most kinds of research jobs and some development jobs, this is my favorite part in this talk and I’m glad to hear it at the beginning of my grad school. The 2/8 rule is explained in this talk, that 80% of the works are done by 20% of people, 80% of breakthroughs are made by 20% of people. Researchers have to think where can one achieve the most value of themselves. Never blindly choose any kind of jobs.
Communication is emphasized by a lot of people, I have kind of realized the importance of networking in my past time, but Klimeck pushed my understanding of communication to a clearer level, from daily scenario to important situations. We must keep this in mind and actively train our communication ability by any chances.
The lots of tips and rules for making the academic presentation, like 1/3, 1/3, 1/6, 1/6 rule and the use of charts impress me deeply. By the time I need to prepare for a presentation in the future, I will come back to watch this talk again.
Comparing to his impressive dressing, Prof. Klimeck’s tone sounded kind of monotonous. The typographic design of the PPT looked over-crowded. But the content he gave in this talk is so rich of information that the imperfection can be neglected.
As graduate students, we have become used to the undergraduate style of learning. That is, we follow a set of rules defined clearly and accepted as truth, receive some grade reflecting our performance, and leave with a degree if those grades were above some cut. Prof. Klimeck starts by explaining how this all changes during a PhD, where very few things are considered truth. There are no rules to follow, and no performance grades to expect. Progress comes down to you; it’s a message that is very relatable as someone who has been doing research for the past 2 years.
The talk presents students with different options to consider post-graduation; this slide I found especially helpful, where options are split between Industry, government labs, and academia. I see myself fitting into the research option under Industry, and I’m sure other students will find similar fits in other sections. The clear descriptions of the other areas are something I have not seen anywhere before. Development is a very generic word but seeing as it pertains to working on creating a product from a concept in a company setting is very helpful.
Prof. Klimeck’s description of academia was enlightening. I did not realize how difficult it is to run a successful research group as a professor. This job entails landing grants, finding talented students to turn ideas into papers, and using that work to land more grants to hire future students. According to Prof. Klimeck, this was the hardest job out of all the industry/research positions he has been in in his life.
The key item that ties all of these jobs together is outstanding communication. No matter how brilliant your idea may be, if it can’t leave your head, you may as well have never had it (-Klimeck, 2009).
Knowing what companies look for when it comes time to graduate with a PhD was also very interesting. Prof. Klimeck lists out different qualities they ask your advisor to comment on, including things like independence of judgement, capability to work in a team, ability to report results, and others. These are qualities that I know for sure I am not excelling at entirely today. That makes these goals that I will keep in mind going forward.
Quad charts seem like an effective way of presenting an idea in a single slide. Coincidentally, my Prof. also recommended this exact layout (Motivation/Objective, Approach, Results, Figure) for a presentation I had to make. It must be a widely accepted format!
Overall, this presentation had quite a bit of useful information that I would highly recommend other master’s students look into. Much of the information is presented from the perspective of a professor, a perspective we rarely are exposed to. I would say though that the introduction dragged on, and cutting the first 10 or 15 minutes from the presentation would have kept all the useful information in it, but reduced the time.
I did not have an opportunity to listen to Dr.Klimeck at the starting of the semester due to late registration for the ECE694. This presentation was mainly catered towards PhD students, which I really appreciate.
I really like how the speaker makes a distinction between tier 1 and tier 2 graduate schools in terms of research opportunities. I completed my Master's degree in a university which was not oriented towards research as much and I could truly notice the difference between universities after I started at Purdue.
The opportunities that students have once they graduate are very clearly explained. As a PhD student with no prior work experience, it was very informative to know about the opportunities and workspace operations with correlation to the speaker's personal experiences. The 80-20 rule was very interesting and seems to hold true across multiple domains in life when pondered upon.
I really liked the point discussed the difference between education and research where education is catered to help someone digest knowledge ignoring how that knowledge was gained or acquired. Whereas research is actually being able to work towards a relatively unclear goal creating knowledge and information on the way.
The point about PhD changing one and actually providing personal growth is something I really agree with. A masters degree has taught me that research not only trains one intellectually but trains one to emotionally and spiritually as well.
Importance of networking was also beautifully explained and set with the statement that "I knew my new boss half year before I got the job" this subtle statement speaks a lot about having contacts and maintaining and exploiting them to one's advantage.
The small rhetoric presentation that was given to simulate how students give uninteresting presentations was really relatable. Communicating one's thoughts effectively and precisely should be one very important aspect that everyone should try developing themselves in. One point that stuck with me is that if you are not able to communicate the good ideas in your mind effectively then its equivalent to not having them in the first place.
I hope to inculcate the 1/3, 1/3, 1/6 and 1/6 time split for presentations and also convey information clearly using Quad charts so that I never lose my audience as it is almost impossible to get back the attention of audience once lost.
As students, we never get to hear about or see the reference letters requested by our professors by industry or academia. The 8-points that were discussed are interesting and seem very logical things that one might expect from a prospective job applicant. I hope to build a good rapport with professors keeping in mind that they must know me well enough to give a strong recommendation considering all aspects.
The seminar talks about the career choice after the graduate school, how important the communication skill is and how do we do well in our resume. As a newly admitted master student, this is a great topic for me because it give me something to think about and make plans about my future career.
In the beginning of this seminar, the speaker talked about the difference between the bachelor degree and graduate degree. Then he moved on to talking about the different career choices like national lab, industry and academia. He not only give a brief illustration about what these paths are, but also he talks about pros and cons of each path. Up to this point, I have already gained some knowledge about what I want to choose in my future. Though this might change during my 2 year learning in the school, it is something to start with. Next, the speaker also talks about the important aspects of the graduate life: the communication. In our daily life, communication is very important for us to build personal relationships with each other, like to build friendship, to convince another person about your belief. Moreover, communication skill is essential for graduate student because we need to talks about our research in a seminar about our own publications; also, the communication skills come into play when we try to do well in an interview and even in a daily encounter with our potential future boss. Furthermore, the speaker also talked about how to do well in a technical presentation. We need to first catch the audience's attention by not using too much technical terms but just the right amount of specialty which attracts the audience and in the end provide our insights and convince audience and let them think us as genius. Last but not the least, the speaker starts to talk about how the ECE694 works and why resume is important. There is not much to learn concerning to the topic of this seminar from there.
To sum up, this is a great speech and it teach us about how important the communication skills are and how do we convince someone about our technical knowledge. In addition, the 3 different career paths in the future also give us to think about the make plans towards our post-graduate life. It is a well-organized speech.
The principle idea of the presentation is two-folds: firstly, to serve as a guide in making career decisions, secondly on how to coherently express oneself in order to be impactful.
Prof. Klimeck starts out with a brief overview of the career choices that a new graduate faces when he/she sets out. I liked how Prof. Klimeck drew on his experience in all three fields to educate the audience. I totally agree with his opinions on restricted leeway in corporate, having had some exposure to that. I liked how he talked about pursuing academia to have more control on research and not really needing to answer a lot of people. For the rest of the lecture, Prof Klimeck really tries to hammer down on the idea of good communication skills. He has been very convincing, and I agree that it is a major component wherever one is, be it academia or industry. He wants to apprise the audience that one has about 60s to make an impression and that one must fully make use of it. So, one must accordingly tailor a resume and an elevator pitch. If one has many ideas, however he/she is not able to convey those, its as good as having no ideas. This could lead to an unfulfilling life and may even result in the loss of job.
Overall, I really liked the presentation. However, the first half overlaps with another ppt by Dr Windl that I had a chance to see. I would like for the audience to take a look at that for a more detailed comparison. But I could not agree more about the importance of communication skills and how one must organize one’s thoughts into a resume/pitch/presentation to make the maximum impact.
The lecture was really informative and there were a few points which really stuck with me and I would like share at the start:
1. Write the rules as a PhD student.
2. The 20/80 rule where the 20% of people do 80% of the work.
3. Importance of communication and the 1/3, 1/3, 1/6 and 1/6 split for a presentation. It shall definitely be my template for presentations from here on.
About a month into my life as a graduate student, I am still feeling the triggers of transition with self-doubt creeping in at every nook and corner. This lecture goes some way in helping me understand the expectations from a graduate degree in a better way. Prof. Kilneck highlighted about how grad life is different from under grad level in terms of having step wise evolution, pre-defined methods of learning, etc at undergrad. I pretty much expected the same at grad-level and made the mistake of thinking to check the boxes to get a PhD degree. The lecture helped me realise my folly. But yes I do still have my doubts about the graduate degree and probably shall go through other lectures and/ or get in touch with Prof.
Regarding the career choices after grad life, it was good to know all the options available especially from someone who has chosen them. I had my notions of what I wanted, but the lecture sure did scare me but at least it gave me a picture of ground reality. Academics, Industry, Research: All have their fair share of pros and cons. To me personally, teaching is the motivation for grad studies. Prof. has pointed out what I can expect if I achieve my targets.
The part about communication skills was most interesting with many new ideas learnt. The use of quad charts, the time allocation for motivation, solution, technicalities and future ideas, etc. I shall definitely implement them in my presentations.
The part about resume and references was really good and helps me understand of how important it is to present one self and make a self-evaluation based on all parameters: like the 8 points for the reference.
The information about expectations from ECE 694 seminar also hit its spot and I can surely tell the course is going in right direction after attending it for about one and a half month. I have surely come a long way in looking at my resume as just another document to its actual worth.
General Idea: Professor Klimeck has focused how to we carefully make choices for our career by sharing his personal experience and important tips about CV.
Key ideas: He started the seminar with explaining that we should carefully choose our career choice and just not accept anything which comes to us. His talk focused on opportunities in government, academia and industry sectors. He also elaborated his experience in different sectors. Also, explains the importance of funding in Government sector. Academia could be a research oriented or teaching oriented career. He mentioned about how CV should be made specific to an organization or a job role. It is important to filter the elements which was most crucial and more applicable to the job role rather than listing down all the skill sets. We can also highlight the skills or topics we would want to display in the CV rather than projecting everything. Lastly, CV must be neatly presented and there should not be any spelling or grammatical errors.
Overall Feedback: I really liked the presentation specially the part in which he has shared his personal story. It gave insight of career choices could change over a period of time and how we should carefully analyze and select the appropriate career choice which suits us.
First I will summarize the talk in the following points:
Carrier development is long term process that start by putting 5 or 10 year plan, study hard, do research and also have life outside work.
The difference between education and research is that education is to learn how other people solved their problem. research is about defining your own problem (the missing part) and try to give ur own solution.
The next part of the talk is about different kinds of jobs in industry. 1) Research :90% doing research and 10%working on proposals and reporting. 2)development where u work very near to the product and being partially told what you do. 3) management where u do administrative work.
There are 2 kinds of government labs: 1) mission labs that do one time product. 2) Research driven lab that is far away from applications and more into science and theory.
Also academia have research institutes and teaching institutes that have different pros and cons.
Then the speaker focused on the importance of the good communication and reporting ur work in an effective way. The reporting skills are important for getting fund, promotions and recognition of the work . this is valid for industry and academia in general.
The speaker mentioned 3 kinds of communication: technical talk, public talk,resume and 60s speech in elevator.
The speaker also mentioned 1/3 motivation, 1/3 solution , 1/3 technical details, future vision as good presentation outline.
The speaker then talked about the important skills to be mentioned in reference letter : Scientific Capability , Ability to prepare publications and presentations ,Independence of Judgment , Capability to work in a team.Ability to report results to the supervisor ,Ability to interact / communicate with customers and Long term potential.
Finally, the talk has alot of important information that is based on real life personal experience of the speaker. The only problem is that talk is long.
This talk provides an excellent overview of the various aspects that go into moulding oneself into a well rounded graduate student and overall as an individual as well. Initially, Prof. Klimeck draws attention to the fact about how graduate school is different from undergraduate studies in terms of the expectations from a student. The distinction between Education (consumption of existing knowledge) and Research (generation of new knowledge) is discussed. Subsequently, on overview of the various job opportunities that is available to students after graduation is discussed. This broadly includes Industry, Government labs and Academia.
An interesting part of the presentation is when Prof. Klimeck reveals the “missing item”, which is “Outstanding Communication Skills”. The discussion on the importance of communication skills in the context of public presentation, resume and elevator speech was very useful. Moreover, the concrete example on how to structure a presentation proves to be an excellent starting point when preparing a new presentation.
The section of this talk that focuses on time management, which involves prioritizing tasks by placing them on a grid consisting of Urgency and Importance as the two axes is very interesting. This helps in reminding ourselves to dedicate more time to tasks that are important in the long term but may not necessarily be urgent at the moment.
Finally, the discussion on subtle aspects involving soft skills gives insight into how to conduct oneself in various situations, such as, while attending a job interview, while giving a talk etc.
I have viewed this video carefully. First of all, it is pretty worthy of viewing.
I am a Purdue graduate student. Professor. Klimeck points out many problems which I may face to in the future, how to find a job or how to stay in US, and makes me to think them ahead. Combining with his own experiences, he helps us to consider the pros and cons in research/development/management for working in industry/Government Lab/University respectively. A experience sharing by a professor is not common in the university, honestly speaking.
Besides, he emphasizes the critical and most-neglected point: Communication. He expresses that we need improve our communication skills: how to prepare a 60-sec elevator talk? How to prepare a presentation for a company interview? That is pretty helpful for me. I used to focus on how to get a good grade and write a paper instead of thinking this. I think it is not late to think them right now. I hope so.
Finally we imagine a scenario that if a company asks for a reference letter from professors, what will it want to know? From this scenario, Professor. Klimeck points out 7 items, such as communication ability with customers, etc. From this scenario, I can know better about how should I improve myself.
The speaker makes a good defination for bachelor, master and Phd. He also talks about working for industry, labs jobs or academia by providing his own experience. It gives us a chance to think about life after graduating. For my own circumstance, i am going to graduate in 2 months as a Master degree student and i decide to work in a autonomous car company as my career choice. Besides that, the speaker also mentions the importance of communication skill. I think it will play an essential role in my career life. Because one person cannot understand all the parts of a product. It must be a cooperative thing. So the communication between each person, each teams can decide the quality of product.
Being a first-year PhD student, I would say this lecture really makes me think how to do a qualified PhD student. Conducting the research experiments and publishing the results are not the only capabilities that I need to develop during the PhD study, learning how to present the results and deliver the information effectively to the audience is also quite important. As a presenter, we have to try our best to make people understand what we are doing and why we are doing this. Otherwise, people will get lost and they will not understand how important is the problem you are working on to solve. To make a good presentation, this lecture gave the time management method on how to cover the presentation topic using the limited time. Also, at the beginning of the lecture, it talked about what kind of career options are for students graduated from graduate school, like industry, academia and national labs, and then the differences between all of these jobs (pros and cons). It reminds me where I can go for my career after my graduation so that I can plan ahead for my future in the following 3-4 years at Purdue.
This presentation raises several interesting and useful points. It shows up the difference between bachelor, master and PhD. It also gives us a chance to have a thought of the life working for industry, labs or academia. Those are the thing we will never touch unless we finish our school. I love the part when professor is talking about the “missing part” - the communication skills. I was a “lone wolf” when I was working on my bachelor degree. It was tough to work out all the problem myself but it was still doable. When I started my research job, everything changed. It was impossible to solved out the thing by one’s own effort anymore. Actually, most of topics are interdisciplinary. You may have the knowledge to solve part of the project but the rest of them you should never seen before. This is why communication skills play a important role. With good communication skills, it helps you to explain your problem more efficient to the college or consultor so that you have more chance to solved the problem that you are facing.
Back to the presentation, Professor Klimeck gives a really good speech that he has deep understanding of his topic. The pace is well controlled. He also gives enough pause at the proper place to leave the time for the audience to sallow the thoughts.
The presentation gives you a general direction towards what one should do in grad school, not only in terms of academics but also in terms of what mind frame one must inculcate. It discusses some of the inevitable problems all grad students face, be it during their Ph.D. or while looking for jobs. It gives an inkling about the several options a grad student has, towards building their careers.
The information regarding what the recruiters' look for in a potential candidates reference letter is very useful. The presentation explicitly makes one understand the difference between education and research. Also, it stresses upon another important issue referred to as the "missing item".
The speaker's example of how people generally conduct a presentation and how one should actually do it was very amusing.
This talk focuses on a very important issue all graduate students face about the career choices after graduate school. Generally people think there is a lot of time to think about it but it has to be planned from the start of grad school especially if its masters students. The talk clearly differentiates between education and research. Also discusses about various options such as Government labs, industry and academia. The most important part explained in this talk is “communication”. It is truly the missing item. There are string consequences if one cannot communicate, right from idea generation to selling the idea.
Tips on presenting technical ideas in public presentations and also explaining outline of a good presentation is really useful which every field one belongs to. The task quadrant chart is an amazing idea to organise the to do tasks and we can actually keep up with the tasks when focussed on high importance, low urgent task. This is the take away point for me from this task.
Overall the presentation had a great flow from explaining various career paths, to preparing yourself with elevator pitches, explaining effective communication skills especially while organizing thoughts in a presentation. The speaker presented at a good pace while engaging the audience throughout.
This talk addresses the missing part in our academic path during graduate school which is communication skills and selling yourself. There are multiple parts inspired me in this talk.
First, stating the difference between Education in which you understand well-known concepts and Research in which you understand old stuff, define critical problem and solve it effectively. Also, mentioning the difference between Bachelor, Masters and Ph.D. in U.S. educational system from speaker's perspective was informative.
Second, the statement of "when you live through it, it is different" is exactly right and happened to me during many stages in my life. For example, having one of my family died, marriage and going through Ph.D. process matches this statement exactly.
Third, experience of speaker in different types of jobs and his way of comparison is effective. The most important lesson for me in that part is choosing appropriate place that answer the main question "What do you want to work after years?".
Next, the ratio of audience that will understand my research in conference and other stuffs and how to target the right number is good to know and learn. Moreover, "60 seconds elevator speech" is an effective method to sell yourself to famous people in your field.
Finally, the speaker presents the "Most important 8 items for career prepare" and focus on how graduate students doesn't pay attention to most of them. Examples of reference letter and "Speaking very fast to be genius" are effective.
In summary, the talk is very informative, organized , out of the box and creative in most of its parts.
I appreciated that Professor Klimeck added a “disclaimer” at the beginning of the presentation that this is what worked for him but that it is not the right solution for everyone.
As a student who is just beginning her Masters Thesis, I appreciated the segment of the lecture about differentiating between education and research. The Professor highlight the uniqueness of research in graduate school and the challenges of students’ mindsets as they transition from a “follower” position in undergrad to a “leader” position as a graduate student. Currently, I am going through the process of determining a research topic and reading papers about other solutions in the field to see what has already been done, so it was motivating to hear this talk, which reminded me that it is up to me to really do the work and define my own path for success.
It was really interesting to hear Professor Klimeck’s perspective of the different areas that one can enter into after graduation. He has a lot of experience in different professional roles, so I appreciated what he had to say and felt as if I could really trust what he was saying. He mentioned, for example, how politics have a direct effect on funding for certain labs, such as NASA’s JPL, depending on who is in office, and you have no control over it. I have done two internships in a division of a company that is government-facing, so this piece of information was especially interesting to me. It made me stop and think about whether I want to go into a role that is subject to that specific problem. Professor Klimeck also made me laugh because you can tell which areas of the professional world he likes best. For example, I am considering going into management one day, but he refers to it as “diaper changing” because everyone comes to you with their problems. His comments on the different roles he has worked in definitely show how he eventually ended up as a professor because it suites him best.
“20% of the people do 80%” of the work is something that I have experienced already in student organizations and team projects. It was disappointing to hear that this is the case for every aspect of the rest of my life, but it also inspired me to be a part of the 20%.
I was surprised to hear that the “most neglected item in your career development” is communication! Purdue has stressed the importance of communication to me since day 1 of my first-year engineering course many years ago, so it is not a new concept for me. Purdue really does strive to equip students with the tools they need to succeed, such as requiring them to take COM 114 and presenting projects in each of my design courses. I have had ample opportunity to create presentations, write reports, and present to an audience. I am thankful for these opportunities, which I believe have honed my skills. However, I realize that other graduate students might not have had the same experience at their undergraduate institutions, so I am glad that Professor Klimeck is stressing it now!
It was awesome to hear Professor Klimeck talk about teamwork as well. I liked that his definition of teamwork is taking pride in others’ success and that he encouraged older graduate students to help and mentor younger graduate students. As a first-year student, I especially appreciate this! And I look forward to returning the favor when I am older.
This seminar provides plenty of useful information about the different career paths available. It excellently describes the various career options in Industry, Government Laboratory and Academia along with pros and cons for each. The importance of having outstanding communication skills is highlighted very well. Professor Klimeck provides a really good outline of an engaging presentation. He then goes on to give an example of a bad presentation, full of technical jargon, which drives the point home.
The presentation has a lot of meaningful content and keeps the audience engaged. Professor Klimeck is a very confident speaker and provides nothing but valuable information.
This lecture invites you to think about your future. It tries to get some insight to graduate students about what should expect after graduation. It has a format similar to the seminar of National laboratories vs industry vs academia. It talks about industry vs academia vs research jobs by providing some personal experience. It introduces some pros and cons on the different types of jobs in an objective manner. The pros and cons and the main ideas are similar to the ones exposed on the lecture National laboratories vs industry vs academia although this lecture adds some concepts on communication skills (how you are presented to other co-workers, boss, etc) and some steps and ideas to communicate and present your ideas efficiently. It follows by presenting some skills that are important to get a job but are not explicitly taught during your phd.
This presentation is good overall and the slides help to follow the presentation. The lecturer speaks in a good pace and makes the lecture dynamic.
Since Master's program is relative short for accommodating to college life and at the same time investigating what kind of life that different choices would finally result in. It is hard to estimate the future. However, this presentation explicitly explains different choices would end up with what kind of working environment by introducing the speaker's personal experience. Also he illustrate how this course would help us in acknowledge how our career would be like or at least showing multiple possible plans after graduation. And he emphasis the importance of communication skills in job seeking as well as in career planning.
As for a speaker, his speaking is easy to follow and have reasonable pauses. I like his manner, specifically his gestures and movements, in this speech.
This lecture gives me valuable advice on my future plan. I was always thinking what to do and where to go after my graduation. Since my graduation from undergraduate, I chose computer engineering as my major and tried to find a job in a technology company. However, this is not my goal for my whole life. I like social science more than technology and wish to develop my career into a field that matters the whole nation. This lecture gives experience in research and company which provides me a lot of advice in my career path. Besides the style of jobs, the speaker also gives a crucial thinking about communication. I strongly concede that communication is an important skill for a person that wants to be successful. In most situation, communication decides the direction the things heading to. I'm going to begin my career in industry, so I will pay enough attention to my communication skills and try to express myself as clearly as possible.In all, the lecture gives me a chance to rethink about myself. I really learned a lot in this lecture.
Professor Klimeck starts off by explaining that graduate students are already considered “successful & smart.” I don’t think this is true anymore, but maybe it was true at his time of graduation. It is probably still true for the majority of graduate students. He makes this point because he goes on to say that we should carefully choose our career choices and not just take anything that comes at us. We have the ability to choose our own career path. He hints at the “missing item” that we need.
He identifies three major areas, industry, government, and academia. He starts of by giving us his own experience in industry research. I thought his 80-20 rule was interesting. It essentially says that there is an elite group of people, the 20%, that are driving 80% of the innovation and work. Government labs are the next area he discusses while giving his own personal story. In government, it is important to know that government funding plays a critical role in how much research is available to do. The final area is academia. Academic institutions can be divided into two categories, research institutions and teaching institutions. He explains how Purdue is a research institution and gives the pros and cons of working at a research institution. Teaching institutions are the other type of academic institutions. He gives advice that students who truly want to research should think carefully about going to one of these schools, as it may be difficult to get funding or qualified grad students to help you with the research.
He finally tells us that the missing item is communication skills. The first thing he points out is speaking to technical audiences is different than speaking to general audiences. He then goes on to speak about other forms of communications such as resume writing and elevator pitches. I thought one interesting note he made about himself is that he met all his bosses at least a half year before he got the job. This definitely changes the way I plan to look for jobs in the future.
Eventually the topic of finding the first job comes back. He proposes what would happen if someone from the job we are applying to were to ask our advisor about us. In the advisor’s response, he proposes 8 different items that need to be in the letter. All the items are on the topic of good communication skills and he stresses that we should have these items worked on before graduation. He then explains the purpose of ECE 694 and how it applies to everything he has talked about so far. At this point of the talk, he sort of deviates from the material and talks about the requirements of the class. Some of this may be outdated, so future watchers should be careful. But it is still interesting to hear the real reasons behind 694 and what we are expected to get out of us.
Professor Klimeck then gives his own short technical presentation. The topic is difficult to follow. He then explains that he did it on purpose to show an example of bad presentation. After that he talks about himself and gives us one final piece of advice: dressing appropriately matters.
Overall I thought most of what he said was helpful. Especially his own personal experiences. I feel that speakers should give more personal stories and experiences because they help more than just spouting off clichés we hear at every career preparation lecture. Professor Klimeck did a good job of avoiding this.
Thanks for the video I have the chance to make up the seminar which I missed at the beginning of the semester. Prof. Gerhard Klimeck gives me a chance to think of the future before I graduate from the school. From the experience of the Prof. Gerhard Klimeck, I think more pros and cons of the different kinds of jobs, I should make the decision based on my own will, what I want to be in the following years, and follow my heart, and prompts me to make a plan for the 5 years after I graduate. Also this speak let me know how important communication is, which is also the most interesting part of the seminar. A good communicator should give a proper motivation to his/ her audience, convince them that this speak is worth of attention. After that, using easy words to make the audience feel more relax and delight, giving the audiences most intuitive solution. Finally, presenting a few technical details and future vision, to win the trust of the audiences and build a good impression of yourself. A good communication skill will help me do much better on jobs or researches. This speak also reminds me that building a good network with my teachers will do really good for my future, because both industry and academic school put a high value on the reference of those people. This is a really useful and practical seminar, Thanks Prof. Gerhard Klimeck.
Although this seminar is mainly for a fresh graduate student, but as a student who is going to graduate soon, I was still impressed by Prof.Klimeck's presentation. The presentation provided a clear view of the career in industry, academia, and government research institutes. It directly shows the real things we will work on in different careers. This helps me re-concern about what type of career plan works better for me, what type of career I really want to achieve. I also enjoyed the part of how to do effective communication and presentation. The presenter gave clear examples to show us how our works can be better understood by the audiences. Besides, the comments on reference letter help me to think about how to set up self development goals not only for graduate study, but for future careers. It also brought me some ideas about how to build up my own resume based on those bullets.
Over all, a very good presentation, especially when I missed the first seminar in this semester.
The seminar is very useful for all students irrespective of their educational level. It addresses different work cultures in corporate and government research labs, academia and industry. For a graduate student like me, it is about time for me to think about where I want to work in future. I also agree with having a 5/10 years goal for myself and actively try to pursue it. Personally, I am very suitable for a research lab culture in industry. The lecture touches upon soft skills development which is very important to succeed in any of the above mentioned professions. The grad school is a great platform to improve your presentation and communication skills. Being a graduate student you need to face a situation where you need to explain your research, present semester work. The professor talked about the structure of a technical presentation inclusive of 1/3 time to engage the audience, 1/3 time to show beautiful solution, 1/6 time to technical details and 1/6 time to show the future vision. It is a very impressive design to keep audience engaged. Overall, working in any kind of environment requires you to be active, communicate effectively with your peers and dress to suit the occasion.
I think the lecture was very helpful from a high-level career guidance perspective. The differences between a BS, MS and PhD described in terms of rules and methods provides an excellent perspective. The techniques mentioned to conduct successful research as a graduate student is also very insightful. The difference between research institutions and teaching institutions is an important distinction that is made in this lecture that is often overlooked. For someone looking to go into industry after graduation, the different types of jobs available within industry (research, development, production and management) is a great tool to make an informed decision.
An addition that I think would make this lecture even more helpful would be an analysis of the advantages/disadvantages of getting a MBA after a MS degree versus continuing onto a PhD. A lot of graduate students pursuing their MS in an engineering field are often conflicted between continuing on to their PhD versus making a transition and getting a MBA. The "Urgency vs. Importance" graph is a fantastic visual representation of the challenges that almost all graduate students face on a daily basis. A little more time spent on this topic along with a few more real-life scenarios and their corresponding implications would help immensely.
Overall, this lecture provides a very good starting point along with the tools and techniques to plan out a student's career growth not just during graduate school but also afterwards.
I think this lecture is very helpful. It includes some important points I concern. It compares the differences between bachelor, master and PhD, education and research, which I have never thought before. The professor introduces what can we do after graduate, including industry, research, development, production, or management. He also told us his working experiences. And it reminds me of preparing resume and reference letter from now, not before graduate. I should communicate with professors more, give them impression on me. They cannot recommend students they don't know. Classifying problems by emergency and importance is also very helpful for our future. What to mention in my presentation, how to manage time of each parts are really useful.
This presentation truly cleared my thought about my future plan. When I was in undergraduate level, all I think is to find a job after graduation and make my own way to live. I have been confused about what to do since I started graduate study. After this presentation, I do have a better understanding in graduate level study and research. Research is the most important component in high level education, and this presentation made it very easy to understand.
Three different kind of research were listed and welly explained. Speaker speaking from experience made the differences between all kind of research and being an employee of a company.
Most importantly, this presentation reaffirms my confidence of finding something I want to do in the future. It also points our advantages and drawbacks as an well educated engineer. We do have the ability and the potential to choose our future, but communication skill is a problem for almost all of us.
Overall, I learned a lot from this presentation that is useful for my future planning and 2 years graduate study planning.
1. I get to know what it is like to do research in industry, in government labs and academia through Professor's real experience. That is a reference for me to choose what kind of job to do. But unluckily, there is no descriptions of US engineering work. I think lots of ECE Master graduates will choose to be an engineer or programmer these days.
2. It is shocking to realize that course education do have missing items that a competent graduate should learn. Communication Skill are essential for career development. We solve most of our problems in career and life by selling our ideas or selling ourselves. Future more, I learn some practical skills on how to do a presentation. (Motivate the audience (1/3 time), then present intuitive solution (1/3 time), give technical details but only a few (1/6 time), show your future vision and planning (1/6 time). As we can see most time (2/3) is spent to get the audience engaged and interested.
3. The contents of the request for a reference letter are a to-do-list for us to train ourselves. In addition to academic ability, we are required to have independent judgement, teamwork capability, presentation ability, administration skills etc.
This course is very helpful for new graduate students to think about future plan both in research and career development. A good preparation in PhD level is very important for future career after graduation. Among all those skills, communication skill is often neglected. A student needs to know how to connect with fellow researchers and future bosses effectively and efficiently. The rule of 1⁄3 motivation 1⁄3 intuitive solution 1⁄6 technical details 1⁄6 future vision provides a good guideline to form an attractive presentation.
I love this report because it tells me how I can improve my presentation skills. Actually, the technical details frequently occupied most of the time in my previous presentation. I devoted most of my time to explain my project. However, at last, the audiences often complained that they didn’t understand what I wanted to convey and the equations led them to confusion. From this report, I know that it is not advisable to list all the equations out because people will get bored. So in order to attract people’s attention, we should spend less time on the technical issues and present more beautiful and intuitive solutions, as mentioned in the report. I learnt a lot of useful presentation skills, which are absolutely helpful to improve my communication skills, from this report. This report also opens the gate to my PhD study life. PhD study is about creating knowledge instead of learning other people’s knowledge. So pursuing my PhD degree will be more challenging and I am ready for this change. Painful but rewarding. I have learnt a lot and thank you for this report.
I love this report because it tells me how I can improve my presentation skills. Actually, the technical details frequently occupied most of the time in my previous presentation. I devoted most of my time to explain my project. However, at last, the audiences often complained that they didn’t understand what I wanted to convey and the equations led them to confusion. From this report, I know that it is not advisable to list all the equations out because people will get bored. So in order to attract people’s attention, we should spend less time on the technical issues and present more beautiful and intuitive solutions, as mentioned in the report. I learnt a lot of useful presentation skills, which are absolutely helpful to improve my communication skills, from this report. This report also opens the gate to my PhD study life. PhD study is about creating knowledge instead of learning other people’s knowledge. So pursuing my PhD degree will be more challenging and I am ready for this change. Painful but rewarding. I have learnt a lot and thank you for this report.
This presentation is very useful for us to develop our career. It told us what researchers usually do in different institutions like company, government or university. This helps us choose the job that is suitable for us. And also we learnt the importance of communication with others and how to communicate. We should get the attention of the audience and convey the most important thing to them. We also learnt what skills that we should grasp during our graduate study, such as scientific ability, how to make presentation and cooperation, how to establish strong network. A successful resume will help us get a good job. We learnt what a good resume should be, that is to convey enough information in short time. This presentation helps me a lot about how to develop my career, how to communicate and make presentation. Thanks a lot!
This presentation speaks for itself, it keeps me interested and focused through. One of the most important messages that Professor wants to deliver is that tackling the difficult problems and conducting good research is not good enough, there are still other '6 aspects' to be evaluated. As a graduate student, in order to deliver those '6', the communication skills are so important, which including the presentation skill, the short conversation skill, the skill to understand the audience, and many more. It is very hard to require the audience to keep focus and think hard to understand the content. Learned from this presentation, I would think my presentation in the future could start from the point of view adaptively determined. Besides, the detailed review of different working environment and the listing of pros and cons really help me envision what role could I play there and whether I would like it or not. Time management introduced by Professor is also very helpful to me. In the end, I like this presentation, and would like to review it in the future. Thanks nanoHub for recording and distributing this great piece.
The video and the presentation have a important tips for the new graduate students. The most important things that I will keep in mind are:
1. A low percentage of the attendees to a presentation understand the technical details.
2. Use about 1/3 of your time to engage the audience.
Additionally, I think that the ability to speak in public has a tremendous Impact on our career. Therefore, other important challenge is to become a good public speaker.
This video is good for giving out concrete example of possible future career on the standing point of a PhD. The pro and cons of different job opportunities. However, it will also b useful if more can be illustrated on how to do a good research. Are there rules or a checklist a Phd student can have to succeed? For example, how to tackle a hard problem? How many seminars to attend to broaden our views? How to manage time to establish a good work-life balance.
If the speaker can give us more info of his PhD life, it will definitely be a plus !!!
I think the real appeal of this presentation is that it systematically goes through the most prominent career options that graduate students have after leaving school and breaks down the benefits and drawbacks of each option. Personally, I have always been unsure about what my long term goals should be and it was quite nice to receive some input regarding what I should expect from each option (although the advice was anecdotal, I still view it as credible).
Additionally, the emphasis on communication skills was a great element of this presentation because I don't think many students really think about that as much as they should. This demonstrates the importance of communication and I find that to be valuable.
The first part impressed me was about setting the goals for career. Before I watched this video, I only had a faint idea about working in the industry. But the presenter gave a detailed classification of jobs (research, development and production) with associating Pros and Cons, which was really helpful for me to pinpoint my job target. The presenter then emphasized the importance of communication, especially 60's elevator speech and being understood by whole audience. The importance of excellent communication skill was often overlooked by grad students. The presenter gave his own examples to illustrate how excellent communication skill helped him in getting new positions. Following that, he provided a guideline to give an engaging and inclusive presentation: 1/3 time to engage the audience, 1/3 time to teach the audience about your insights, 1/6 time to demonstrate your expertise and 1/6 time to show the future vision. He then give a demonstration on applying this technique. To me, the only thing I felt need to be added is that, in future vision part, the presenter did not specify potential application of the research, which can be very important to the general audience.
The most useful thing that I learned is the outline for an engaging and inclusive presentation. The 1/3,1/3, 1/6, 1/6 approach ensures that everything is covered in the presentation. It mitigates the problem of going over your presentation time. It helps you and your audience keep focused. The perspective of working in academia, industry, and government labs was very useful as well. The comparison and contrast between the three fields was very informative. I agree that communication skills (visual, oral, and written) is one of the most important and in most cases one of the most neglected topics. One more important point to be noted is that if you can't communicate well, then your work might turn out to be not as useful. Doing great work is important but being able to communicate it is equally important. Thank you for a great presentation.
There were a couple of points from the presentation that really stuck with me. The first was the point of being, “greater than one-dimensional.” For me this has always been important. I enjoy Electrical Engineering, but I also enjoy playing basketball and reading the works of Earnest Hemingway. Staying in the lab all day will not lead to better research. Instead it will lead to frustration and doubt. I valued the way the different opportunities were broken up. Presenting the pros and cons of Industry, Government Labs, and Academia allowed me to understand where it is I would like to end up after grad school. I had the opportunity to perform an internship at a government lab this summer. I performed work on InAs quantum dots at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. This is a place where I would like to work. But I also like the idea of working as a teacher at my undergraduate institution, Cal Poly Pomona. This is more of a teaching institution rather than being research driven. I enjoy the idea of teaching, but the idea of having to write grants and proposals along with teaching is not something I am interested in. The point that stuck with me the most was “The missing Item.” The skill of communication is pivotal to further success. I have always heard that, but I had not heard it put into such a concise manner. “You must be understood by the whole audience.” This idea will stay with me for a long time. I feel like my communication skills are not as good as they could be. These skills will be made better by practicing more, but also by implementing the presentation breakdown presented. I believe that as new graduate students we want to leave our mark and impress those that are more experienced than us. In doing so we want to speak in complicated jargon and show that we have a good understanding of the material. So when it is time to give a presentation we fill it with complex formulas and speak in complicated vocabulary. This is completely the incorrect approach! The information should be presented in such a way that, “I am talking to my grandmother.” From the whole presentation the main takeaway is having good communications skills. Working on these skills will mean being able to convey the results of work. You can have the most revolutionary invention, but if you cannot convey to your audience the importance of it or how you created it then it is useless. Listening to this presentation has made me want to work on both my presentation skills and on creating a better power point presentation. Another thing that the presentation made me do was write down my goals. I have come up with the following: • Attend grad school back home in California and obtain my PhD. • Help students in East Los Angeles attend college Establish an organization that will provide scholarships, tutoring, and mentoring. • Teach at my undergraduate institution, Cal Poly Pomona.
The first thing I learned from the seminar is about the description about different work pattern/styles in research lab, academia and industry. This is super interesting and useful to me since I am close to graduate and it is about time for me to think about where to go. Personally, after I viewed the lecture, I feel I like the research lab in industry more because I got the information that people can spend 90% of their time doing research. I will want to focus on something rather than dealing with people or fundings or some other weird things, while I do not care too much that I have to do something correlated with the industry problem. The second very useful point I learned from the lecture is about the presentation/resume/communication skills. After being a graduate student, I feel myself more and more difficult to be understood, which is common for a graduate student, I think or I hope. I used to blame audience for they can not understand me. Sometimes, I really hope they can be a little bit more patient. But the reality is that no one will be patient and it is MY responsibility to catch their interest. The structure that 1/3 time to engage the audience, 1/3 time to show beautiful solution, 1/6 time to technical details and 1/6 time to show the future vision is very impressive design. Moreover, the idea of “the 60 seconds rule to talk” reminds me to prepare a “60 seconds talk” for each of my previous research projects. And again, “the message from clothing” is another reminder that I need to find where my suit is before I leave the conference in early February.
I found this to be a very helpful outline of the career possibilities for a new graduate; it is bound to help during the “job search” phase of the degree. Additionally, the suggested outline of presentations to a broad audience is also very helpful, though I presume some modifications are appropriate if one knows the audience is more technical than less (i.e. as in a technical conference). Though I started to lose it a little on the tunneling diagrams, I found myself more readily able to appreciate the technical content regarding dealing with matrices of large systems.
I really enjoyed the recipe proposed for creating good presentations. As a grad student who also currently works in industry, I found the high level description of industry provided fairly accurate (especially the 80-20 principle). It was really nice to see some comparison of industry to academia and government funded research; this will help me decide what I want to do long term. I didn’t find the example technical slides too helpful. I know so little about the content that even with the engaging presentation style, I found it hard to follow. Overall, I found the seminar very helpful.
At the very beginning, your speech revealed a lot for me the difference among industry, government laboratory and Academia as well as the difference among bachelor, master and PhD students from your wise perspective. This part would help me pretty much on understanding myself, understanding what I would love to choose as my career. Furthermore, the key point you conveyed later, the missing item repeatedly occurring in your previous slides which also questioned me, is communication skills. Yes, communication skills, a sort of basic and apparently irrelevant thing, however makes a difference and defines one’s success in some degrees. In the past, I was always focusing on the technical level. I remember in the opening report of my undergraduate thesis I was told by my advisor that my presentation didn’t describe well what I was working on and it confused those whose major was not the same as mine. Too many jargon and not enough background in my presentation. Nevertheless, your speech really shows me a few helpful tips on keeping attention and having impacts. I think I would review this lecture when I prepare a presentation in the future.
As a beginning masters student, I found a lot of items helpful in this presentation: I really appreciated the in-depth comparison of the different job types. I also liked seeing the difference between research vs teaching institutions. In school you always hear that communication is the most important skill, but there is little follow-up or action associated with that statement. I enjoyed seeing a different view of how a technical presentation should be laid out. I felt that the example presentation could have been better selected (easier for ECE bachelors to understand) and that each part could have been identified. For example, “This was my transition from relevance to solution.” I also enjoyed the part on having impact, but I wanted more advice on how to be impactful. Finally, I liked that you suggested ‘sitting on presentations’ to pull out at a moments notice. This really hits home for me, as I have had many troubles in the past piking up where others have left off due to their lack of documentation. Presentations are a great way to provide this in an easy-to-understand way. I also liked the question/response regarding what to do if you find you are unprepared for a presentation; this might be a good item to include in future presentations.
a very important aspect of career that gets neglected in the pressure of publications/results. a concise summary of what essentially MBAs learn in 2 years. hope it becomes a must watch for every NCN student.
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Mainak Majumdar @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
This session is conducted by Prof.Klimeck in which he illustrates the following points:
Prof.Klimeck keeps the points he wants to convey crisp and clear. He speaks in the right pace with optimal gaps between words and sentences. He uses his personal experiences in TI, NASA JPL along with working at Purdue to substantiate his statements.
The 20-80 rule for example where 20% of people do 80% of the work is something that I could relate to having part of industry for over 3 years.
In the lecture, he emphasized the importance of good communication skills in any career and provided tips on delivering engaging presentations. He covered various career options available after graduate school, including research, production, teaching, industry, and academia.
He elaborated on the pros and cons of working in research-driven and mission-driven labs, and the importance of proper leadership in research projects. He rightly avoids too much technical details to engage the audience and provides a roadmap for future research and real-world impact.
He stresses the importance of being a "multi-dimensional person" with demonstrated passion for the product in job interviews and hiring. Also he emphasizes to have a T shaped resume in which we have knowledge of a diverse background with in depth knowledge in a particular subject matter that enphasizes our tenacity and willingness to go deep into a topic if need be.
The best part of the lecture is how Prof. dons a Karategi to explain students how not to dress oneself for a situation. It provokes a reaction that will lead to the desired behavior or action.
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Arghadip Das @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
Professor Klimeck's seminar on career choices after graduate school was an enriching and enlightening experience. His emphasis on the distinction between the roles of Bachelor, PhD, and industry professionals provided a comprehensive overview, urging attendees to understand the evolving nature of knowledge application at each stage. The addition of communications as a crucial element was a valuable insight, stressing the need for effective presentation skills, networking, and a compelling elevator pitch.
The presentation flow, beginning with motivation and intuition, transitioning into technical details, and concluding with a future vision, ensured a well-structured and engaging session. The inclusion of urgency vs. importance in task categorization was a practical tool for career planning.
The quad chart concept, coupled with discussions on independence of judgment, teamwork, and interpersonal skills, offered a holistic understanding of the skills required for success. Professor Klimeck's personal anecdotes from industry, research labs, and academia added real-world relevance, enhancing the seminar's credibility.
In conclusion, Professor Klimeck's seminar is a must-attend for graduate students seeking guidance in shaping their careers. The comprehensive coverage of career options, skill development, and real-world insights make it a valuable resource for informed decision-making. The engaging presentation style and practical advice ensure that attendees leave equipped with the tools needed for success in their chosen fields.
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Shivam Duhan @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
In this lecture, Gerhard Klimeck talks about the need to think about 5 and 10 year plans for your career and understand the fundamental differences between education and research. His view of the difference between BS, MS, and PhD provides a very valuable framework to decide between an advanced degree and industry. The part about how a PhD teaches you how to make new rules and methods and changes your perspective on life really resonated with me. I like that he emphasizes that outstanding communication skills are the missing item. I've known this fact for a long time and the fact that it's usually ignored in engineering classes is suboptimal. His advice to understand the audience is very appropriate. His outline for an engaging and inclusive presentation is hilarious and accurate. You need to have the right balance between motivation/relevance of the problem, intuition behind the solution, in-depth technical details, and future vision. He suggests working on things of high importance and low urgency because that allows us to take control of our life. The review of what 694 is and what is expected of us is a very nice review of the syllabus.
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Qingyuan Li @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
The seminar "your career choices after graduate school and the most neglected item in your career development" provides insight to the graduate school which is not only important to the current graduate student, anyone who is considering graduate school should also listen to this. From this seminar I learnt more about how does graduate school work and the differences between research institution, industry and teaching institution. I also learnt the important things that leads to success in graduate school. Although the seminar seems to be facing PhD students mainly, I think many aspects also apply to M.S. students like me. One important aspect that this seminar taught me is that I need to improve is communication skills, and collaboration with others. The seminar also went into details about how to give a presentation. It is important to take into account the audience of the presentation before preparing the presentation. This is a necessary step to do a good presentation however many students might neglect it. Overall, this seminar is quite useful for a student like me who just started grad school.
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Fanyang Cheng @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
I can see that Dr. Gerhard made a lot of changes as well as kept some of the contents continuously until the year 2023. Some of the contents are heard in the class such as the abilities that graduate students would need to have other than perform well in the class (like what they are doing during undergraduates). For example, a student would need to understand the difference between education and research. For education, you would only need to learn what is taught to you and understand and use the knowledge well in the exam. But for the research, you would need to have the ability to propose a problem by yourself, give out the solution make the conclusion and give predicted future development. Also, it is very important to decide the order of issues based on the four-quadrant rule. For the recommendation letter part, it is important to have a wide connection and good communication with a board relationship as you might need to request recommendations from other professors than your boss. Even within the research group. communication skill is very important so that you can at least show your idea and abilities to others. Such a point is essential no matter whether you are at your PhD study process or you would need to apply for funding by yourself as an assistant professor. And finally, like always, Dr. Gerhard has a strict rule for the seminar's grading. It is very important when you need to face the work in the real world.
Also, some points are new to me. For example, I learned the comparison of being a professor in a research institution and in a teaching-based institution. And for most of time, you would not be able to change if you choose to be in a teaching-based institution. Also, it is new to me that all the abilities required in the class (most of them are also required nowadays) come from the fact of difference between learning and research.
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Chih-yu Liao @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hearing Dr. Gerhard Klimeck's talk on "Your Career Choices after Graduate School" really changed how I see my path as a grad student. He pointed out that we're more than just students soaking up facts; we're actually creators of new knowledge. This made me look at my academic role in a whole new light, making me feel like I can genuinely contribute something special.
Also, he emphasizes that communication skills are more important than academic knowledge. It's not just about being smart; it's about effectively sharing your intelligence. I also agree with the need for a "T-shaped" skillset. When entering a new field, it is crucial to ensure that our knowledge is not only extensive but also comprehensive.
In short, Dr. Klimeck's lecture was inspiring. It gave me some much-needed direction on what to focus on as a grad student, helping me see the bigger picture of where I fit into the academic world and beyond.
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Sizhe Zhu @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
This talk caught my attention since I want to know more about what kind of job I can get after I graduate with a Ph.D. level. Since Dr. Klimeck has formal experience in Industry, Research labs, and Academia, he is the speaker of this lecture. I would highly recommend this session.
The first helpful comment I learned from this lecture is that there are differences between undergraduate, master, and Ph.D. levels. Dr. Klimeck said that Ph.D. students are "knowledge creators" compared to undergraduate students, who can be defined as "knowledge absorbers." The master's program is more like a "transition state" since students can choose the "Thesis-Based" program to try to pursue a research career, the "Project-based" program to try to follow the industry career, or the "Course-Based" only.
As a current Ph.D. student, I learned from this lecture that depending on my interests, I must select a career path at the Ph.D. level. Also, Dr. Klimeck mentioned that communication skill is essential for the entire career, which is just limited to research, but also the industry, Academia, and so on.
Another crucial thing that Dr. Klimeck emphasized is that we need to develop an elevator pitch in the resume, just as he mentioned in the 69400 class. We also have to show the "T-shape" as long as we have broad and deep skills.
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Rithu Thomas @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
Professor Gerhard Klimeck's seminar discussion on career choices after graduate school was an invaluable resource for me as an international Master's student. The seminar highlighted the difference between traditional education and research, emphasizing the need to define and solve unique problems. Professor Klimeck's emphasis on effective communication skills for technical presentations was particularly helpful, as he provided a useful framework for structuring presentations and tailoring them to different audiences. The session also provided insights into various career options and the importance of developing skills such as independence of judgment, teamwork, communication, and administration. Furthermore, Professor Klimeck's practical advice on developing an elevator pitch, prioritizing tasks, and understanding the expectations of recruiters for the job market was eye-opening. His personal experiences working in industry, research labs, and academia added real-world relevance to the seminar. Overall, this seminar provided valuable insights and guidance for graduate students, equipping them with the tools and knowledge to make informed decisions about their career paths and succeed in their chosen fields. Professor Klimeck's straightforward explanation of concepts made the content easy to understand, and I highly recommend this seminar to any graduate student looking to navigate their career path successfully.
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Pranav Kumar Anandarao @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
This presentation emphasizes the critical role that communication skills play in professional success, and Professor Klimeck provides a comprehensive overview of the various career options available to graduate students. He emphasizes that while technical expertise is essential for success in any field, it is communication skills that set successful professionals apart from their peers. The presentation is highly engaging, with clear and concise explanations of the importance of communication skills. He uses real-world examples to illustrate how effective communication can lead to better outcomes in various professional settings, from the workplace to networking and public speaking. Moreover, Professor Klimeck offers actionable advice to graduate students to enhance their communication skills. He provides tips on how to structure a presentation, what to spend your time on in a presentation, and also what specific items we need to work on such as our resumes and elevator pitches, and why they are important. His practical approach to the subject matter was highly appreciated. Overall, I enjoyed how well thought out the presentation was, along with all of the advice he scattered in throughout.
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Luay Alshawi @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
Professor Gerhard Klimeck lecture on ‘career choices after graduate school’ prepares students on what to expect in graduate school, and how the experiences will differ from the Master’s and undergraduate programs. He notes that PhD students are knowledge creators instead of knowledge consumers, as in the case of the lower level degrees.
The lecture informed me that I would need to select a career path at PhD level, depending on what interests me. The lecture also emphasized the importance of communication skills to succeed in PhD careers. The emphasis encouraged me to focus on developing my soft skills and look for mentors in prospective career fields, such as research, production, teaching, industry, and academia, to help me choose a career path that will complement my capabilities.
The session I found most crucial was where to find my first job and the principal aspects the recruiters would check. Most of the skills that will help me stand out require long to master; thus, the lecture opened my eyes on how to ensure I will have a successful career. For example, Kimeleck emphasized the need to develop an elevator pitch in the resume by highlighting one’s strength to prepare for unforeseen opportunities.
The par I liked most about the lecture is Professor Kimeleck’s straightforward explanation of concepts. He uses fluent English, with no filler words and stammering, which makes it easy to relate with the content he discusses. The PowerPoint presentation also allowed me to understand the lecture better. I highly recommend this lecture to new graduate students with little idea on the career path to pursue or the essential skills to build to improve their relevance in the competitive job market.
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Anonymous @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
As part of the Professional Development Seminar Series, this session has lot of resemblance with Prof.Klimeck’s lectures in the ongoing Spring 2023 ECE 69400 Graduate seminar course. Like always, Prof.Klimeck does not beat around the bush and keeps the points he wants to convey crisp and clear. He speaks in the right pace with optimal gaps between words and sentences. He uses his personal experiences in industry, research labs, and academia to substantiate his statements. The The 20-80 rule for example where 20% of people do 80% of the work is something that I could relate to having part of industry for over 4 years.
In the lecture he emphasized the importance of good communication skills in any career, and provided tips on delivering engaging presentations. He covered various career options available after graduate school, including research, production, teaching, industry, and academia. He elaborated on the pros and cons of working in research-driven and mission-driven labs, and the importance of proper leadership in research projects. He rightly avoids too much technical details to engage the audience and provides a roadmap for future research and real-world impact. He covers the advantages and disadvantages of working in different fields and emphasizes the importance of keeping competitive. He stresses the importance of being a "multi-dimensional person" with demonstrated passion for the product in job interviews and hiring. His advice on personal connections and networking should not be disregarded.
The best part of the lecture is how Prof dons a Karategi to explain students how not to dress oneself for a situation. I have always been an admirer of such "reverse psychology" method of teaching. It is a strategy where one encourages someone to do the opposite of what they actually want them to do by presenting it as a forbidden or undesirable behavior. It provokes a reaction that will lead to the desired behavior or action.
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Sarang Pramod @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
As an international Master's student, I found Professor Gerhard Klimeck's seminar discussion to be a valuable resource in putting my thoughts into perspective. He highlighted the difference between traditional education and research, emphasizing the need to define and solve a problem that hasn't been solved before. He also emphasized the importance of selecting the right career path after grad school, whether it's in academia, industry, research, or teaching.
Another interesting aspect of Professor Klimeck's discussion was the emphasis on effective communication. He stressed the need to tailor technical presentations to different audiences, and provided a useful framework for structuring presentations. He also provided useful advice on how to prepare for unforeseen opportunities, including developing an elevator pitch that highlights your strengths.
Finally, Professor Klimeck provided valuable insights into prioritizing tasks and developing important life skills. He emphasized the need to prioritize important tasks over urgent ones, and the importance of developing skills such as independence of judgement, teamwork, communication, and administration. Overall, I found the seminar discussion to be an invaluable resource, and would recommend it to any new graduate student looking to chart their career path.
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Atharva Rajendra Karpate @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
This seminar conducted by Dr. Gerhard Klimeck is an informative and engaging session that provides insights into choosing the right career path after graduate school. Dr. Klimeck's presentation style was unique and captivating, making it easy for me to retain the information shared.
One of the key takeaways from the session was the importance of good communication skills in achieving success in any career. Dr. Klimeck stressed the need for effective communication skills to convey complex ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences. He also provided tips on how to deliver engaging presentations that can hold the attention of a mixed audience.
The session also shed light on the various career options available after graduate school, including research, production, teaching, industry, and academia. Dr. Klimeck elaborated on the pros and cons of working in research-driven and mission-driven labs, and the need for proper leadership to ensure the success of any research project.
Overall, I found the seminar to be a valuable learning experience that will help me make informed decisions about my future career path. The lecture concluded with a reminder that clothing does send a message, and graduate students should avoid dressing too informally. I recommend this lecture to all Master's and Ph.D. students who join Purdue.
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Zhuoan Li @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
The presentation was an insightful and engaging talk that highlighted the importance of communication skills in any career path, regardless of whether one works in the industry, research labs, or academia. Professor drew from his personal experiences of working in Texas Instruments, NASA JPL, and Purdue University to illustrate his point. The talk was well-structured and the presenter's "recipe" for a strategically structured presentation was particularly useful. He emphasized that when giving a presentation, it is important to start by introducing the overall topic and explaining its relevance to the audience. This sets the stage for the rest of the presentation and ensures that everyone understands the context of the work being presented. The beautiful solutions have been achieved, without getting into technical details. This is important because it helps to engage the audience and show us the potential impact of the work being presented. The detailed technique part provides a deeper understanding of the work being presented and ensures that the presentation is not oversimplified or superficial. Last but not least he mentioned what needs to be done with the topic in the future. This is a crucial part of the presentation because it provides a roadmap for future research and ensures that the work presented has a real-world impact.
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Mohammed Metwaly @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
The presentation really captured my attention, and motivated me to think about my next steps. Even though, I am a PhD student and I intended to pursue academia, professor Gerhard helped me realize that there are other options outside of academia (like research development) that are just as interesting. I am really glad I watched this lecture as not a lot of courses are provided for PhD students that talk about the future of grad students in general and the options that they can take. I suggest for first year grad students to watch this lecture as soon as they can, because it really exposes the students to the choices they will have to make in the future.
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Aparna Karnik @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must watch lecture!
Prof.Klimmeck does a great job keeping the audience focused. The sides are very well organized. A couple of slides were very crowded. It was very informative to learn about Prof.Klimeck's career and his experiences. The emphasis on learning how to communicate was very insightful. Overall the lecture was very informative and useful learning about the career paths in Industries, Research and in the Government.
Some of the modules did not have audio. Kindly fix this issue.
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LEQING Xu @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent lecture! The thing I like most is that professor Klimeck mentioned his experiences in industry, government laboratory and academia. It is always great to hear some advices from an experienced professor. Professor Kilmeck also put these experiences together and compared the advantages and disadvantages. By watching this, students can combine there personal situation and know what they truly want. I agree with that in most cases, 20% of the people do 80% of the work. In that case, how to keep competitive is really important. As a foreign graduate student, I am not going to the government laboratory, I think I want to work in the academia. Different from working in industry, in academia, you may want to do some innovation and discover something new. But in industry, stable means everything.
Overall, if you are at the crossroads of your life and you have no idea what you are going to do next, I would highly recommend this lecture and I'm sure that you will find what you want.
By the way, I like professor Klimeck's clothes!
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Greg Eakins @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
As an older student with 14 years of experience in various industries, Gerhard's advice cannot be understated. I have reviewed thousands of resumes and interviewed dozens of candidates and the "multi-dimensional person" idea is the number one differentiator between candidates. A 4.0 GPA was meaningless in any job I've had. In my work for a major automotive research company there was an unstated requirement that engineers be interested in cars. You must have a demonstrated passion for the product. They told me I was hired there because I was into auto racing and working on cars, and they looked for this in all potential candidates.
Gerhard says, "You want to work with someone you like." The people doing the hiring are not going to hire you and place you into a production bubble - they want a multi-dimensional person that is passionate and fun to work with.
The rest of his advice is solid and backed by experience in both industry and academia.
This is exactly the sort of presentation I wish I had received as an undergrad.
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Ebtehal Alenezi @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
I loved how professor Klimeck started the presentation. The presentation opened my eye to look at my future career. After undergraduate, I wasn't sure what I want; I wanted to find a job and go from there. From this presentation I realized that I need to think about what I want to be in the next couple of years. I gained confidence on how to look and find something I want to do in my future, not what others see me. I really liked how professor Klimeck went in depth on comparing different type of jobs, it is very helpful. Especially the comparison of academia industry and the government funded research; this helps decide what I want to do long term.
To conclude, from this presentation, I learned some useful ways to plan my future. The speech really showed helpful tips on keeping attention and having impacts and looking for new stuff.
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Fangrui Qin @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
The lecture talked about the difference between a PhD and a master's degree, and made the statement that "one perspective does not necessarily apply to all. This is very important and we need to think about most issues from our own side.
As a follow-up, I liked how he talked about his previous experience at NASA and how he made a clear distinction between education and research. Education is different from research, and jobs are not limited to technical and research, but also include management positions. I couldn't agree more. As a student, I was often unsuccessful in recognizing this during my studies in school. Specifically, regarding academia, if someone wants to pursue research, it is very important to choose the right place. We need to have a clear idea of what we expect from our future job and carefully consider whether a position is right for us.
At the same time, we need to be clear about what employers expect from their workers. For example, if a university graduate is missing a lot of skills other than doing research, such as interpersonal communication skills and leadership skills. Then even if he is a very good researcher, it would not be a good choice for some employers to hire him.
I enjoyed this presentation, which is very necessary for students who are about to graduate from school. After finishing the student years and starting the phase of starting a career in a company, we need to fully understand the difference between these two phases.
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Yuefan Fu @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
Overall, it a very impressive presentation, Prof. Klimeck introduce different pros and cons of different types of jobs in different working scenarios. I am a 2nd year graduate student and I have looking for job for this semester. Because I don’t plan to get a PhD degree in close future and I’m not a US citizen, working in academia and government labs are not in my consideration. As for looking for a job in industry.
I very agree with the presenter that preparing the “unknown” critical items discussed can make a candidate much more competitive when looking for a job. Besides these limitations, the presenter figured out that “unknown” critical items of PhD graduates would really help me prepare for my career and find my first job. The training of abilities of teamwork, reporting, communicating, and independent judgement is included in many courses at Purdue in both undergraduate and graduate requirement. I tried to show these abilities to the employer when I build and update my resume and during interviews. When the interviewer let me introduce the projects in the resume. I can clearly introduce the project and show each team member’s contribution. Also, I explicitly prepare to introduce how we cooperate to overcome unexpected difficulty. This works very well and I get a good job finally.
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Kyeonghoon Son @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
The seminar was very helpful to me as I was not sure if I should do a PhD or jump into an industry after graduation. The seminar talked about the differences between research and education and talked about his personal aspect of the US educational system on a bachelor's degree, master's degree and PhD degree. These information will help me to decide what I want to do next. The seminar talked about how to prepare for the career which interested me the most as I did not have any knowledge about preparing for industry. There were 8 important items to prepare for the career and knowing how to prepare for the career will make me to keep remind those items and try to work on those items through out my master's degree. From this seminar, I learned that communication skills are critical and learned some guidelines or techniques to draw and not lose audience's attention while presenting.
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Folk Narongrit @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
This seminar is a really informative lecture. Personally, I enjoy research a lot, and this seminar gave me new insights into what I should do next. I was first impressed by the 1/3 1/3 1/6 1/6 rule for making academic presentations. The rule where I should spend 1/3 of the time engaging the audience, 1/3 to show the beautiful solution, 1/6 to show the technical details, and 1/6 to show the future, is something I will be using in the future, and shows what the priorities of the audiences are when listening to research presentations. This is something I would not have known without Prof Klimeck's input. Another thing that stuck to me was being "greater than one dimensional". As an engineer and research-avid person, I have always enjoyed the realm of science as a child. Even though I enjoy going outdoors and doing other things, I currently find more joy in the research labs. However I have come to the realization that doing research all day does not lead to better results. In fact, it is counter-productive. This was a fact that even my advisor has iterated, but it has not cemented in my mind until I have experienced it myself. Another thing that stuck with me and I could relate with the most was the "missing item" concept. That missing item is, of course, communication skills. Being understood by everyone is the single sentence that will stick with me for a long time. I have never been a good communicator, which I think is a common trait among engineers and graduate students. Prof Klimmek outlined that trying to use complex vocabulary to show how much knowledge we have is not as useful as "taking to my grandmother". I've learned that I can have a Nobel-prize worthy work, but if no one understands it then it is pointless. I would like to thank Prof Klimmek for inspiring me to spend my time better as a graduate student and improving on my presentation skills for the future. One downside of this presentation, ironically, is the presentation style of Prof Klimmek. I enjoyed the presentation, but it may be a bit too boring to listen to (the tone).
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Vishal Satyavinayak Purohit @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
Professor Klimeck begins the presentation by emphasizing that graduate students are already considered successful. He points out that one should not make whimsical career choices and make informed choices about their careers. One can take three paths after grad school - industry, government, and academia. He starts of by giving us his own experience in industry research.The 80-20 rule is very true not only in industry by also in group projects. Labs funded by the government are the next area he discusses while giving his personal story. It is important to know that government funding plays a crucial role. An alternative path after grad school is to join academic institutions that can be divided into research and teaching institutions. He explains the advantages and disadvantages of working at a research institution like purdue. Teaching institutions are the other type of academic institutions. He advises that students who genuinely desire to research should think carefully because funding plays a key role in doing research.
One of the important skills that many are missing is communication. He clarifies that one should consider the audience and keep them in mind before delivering a talk or a presentation. He then throws some light on other forms of communications, such as resume writing and elevator pitches. His suggestions change the way I plan to look for roles in the industry. I think most of the advice and suggestions mentioned in the talk made sense to me.
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Swaathi Shri Thiruvallore Thattai @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
‘Your Career Choices after Graduate School and The Most-Neglected Item in your Career Development: Communication Skills’ seminar by Professor Gerhard Klimeck was very well organised and informative. The speaker starts with the importance of understanding one’s strength and having long term plan, say 5-10 years. He, then, covers an overall difference between education and research and what kind of learning/understanding happens in undergraduate, graduate and PhD levels. He also talks about the different kinds of job opportunities such as industry, laboratory, and academia along with his own experience. It was very interesting to know how communication skills is often the missing item but how important it is. The idea of presenting or talking about oneself in just 60 seconds is not something that we would usually be prepared for. The key take away was how motivation, solution to the problem, technical details and future vision make up an engaging and inclusive presentation. It was very useful to know the right amount of time to spend on the above four aspects in any presentation. The speaker made it clear as to how too much of technical details could be overwhelming to the audience with an example towards the end of the seminar. It was also very useful to know that scientific and publication details are not the only aspects that should be focussed on in a reference letter but ability to make judgements, ability to work in a team, report results, communication, administration are very important. Also, quad chart usage is not something that many of us would know. The speaker concluded with the fact how dress code is important too.
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Zhixiang Wang @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
First of all, that appearance really is a classic.
What I loved about this video is that it provided me with lots of good information on the different paths I could take after obtaining my degree. The pros and cons talked about in the video were really concise and straight to the point--from the perspective of us graduating students. Before watching this video, I thought I wanted to work in a government funded laboratory doing projects in areas of my interest, but now I believe maybe going into the industry would be better suited for myself.
Also, this video brought the importance of communication to my attention. I always knew that communicating with coworkers was crucial to getting work done, but I never thought about that when you achieve something in your field, people who are interested may not be people from your field. Therefore, having the ability to convey results to people without knowledge about what your are doing is just as important as having profound technical skills.
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Zhixiang Wang @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
First of all, that appearance really is a classic.
What I loved about this video is that it provided me with lots of good information on the different paths I could take after obtaining my degree. The pros and cons talked about in the video were really concise and straight to the point--from the perspective of us graduating students. Before watching this video, I thought I wanted to work in a government funded laboratory doing projects in areas of my interest, but now I believe maybe going into the industry would be better suited for myself.
Also, this video brought the importance of communication to my attention. I always knew that communicating with coworkers was crucial to getting work done, but I never thought about that when you achieve something in your field, people who are interested may not be people from your field. Therefore, having the ability to convey results to people without knowledge about what your are doing is just as important as having profound technical skills.
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Akshay R Adiga @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
To summarize in a sentence Gerhard outlined all the options available to a graduate student. Be it a research career, industry and academia. We get to choose among the options based on our interest/strengths. Each of them have its own pros and cons. Having worked in a startup early in my career, there were huge number of options to learn/explore. I spent several hours working on interesting problems that I couldn't take my mind off. But, the work life balance takes a toll on health. So, as a graduate student we need to choose and make the right decision.
The missing item/important skill that I often miss is communication & networking. After coming to graduate school, I see its importance more than ever. This skills plays a key role in landing that dream job, acing interviews, presenting research papers and technical presentations.
Next topic is on work and prioritizing importance over urgency. This helps in the long term as we need to focus on what is important for career and personal growth rather than spending all the time in doing urgent tasks. I have come across this in several career/success stories earlier as well.
Other skills to improve on are capability to work as a team, independence of judgement and interpersonal skills. This will either build or break one's career.
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Harshita Pulu @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
This presentation is an introductory session to ECE 694. My takeaways from this content is -
1) Importance of having a long term plan - 5/10 year plan after graduation. This perspective helps keep focus on the essential items that I need to work on & reason for being in graduate school.
2) As a graduate student, it is often difficult to choose a career suitable as there are a plethora of options. I personally feel quite overwhelmed .. So this is the chance to explore.
3) Understood the pros and cros of working in research, development, production and management from the Prof's perspective/experience.
4) Communication skills - is the key/missing item that we often neglect. This skills is about selling ideas/putting thoughts out in a meaningful way. This skill is of utmost importance as it plays an important part in networking, technical presentations and interviews.
5) Breaking down tasks into categories of High/Low - in terms of Importance and Urgency. Missing item - High importance but less urgent tasks not pursued.
The last part of the presentation is on the agenda of this class - working on resume and so on.
Thanks !
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Akshita Ramya Kamsali @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
Before I go ahead with the review for this lecture, I would like to say something. This is the third seminar I am watching on Nanohub today for credit and it made me realise how much I am missing in-person interaction! The classroom environment and in-person interaction with various ECE faculty and guest speakers.
Prof Klimeck starts off by talking about how a PhD is different from an Bachelor's degree/ Master's degree. This is very essential as the perspective is entirely different and stakes are different as you change too by the end of grad school.
I found his experience at the government lab(NASA) and his perceptions about academia very intriguing. He talks about his personal experience at NASA and points out the jobs are not just limited to technical and research but also managerial positions. Again, he identifies that the 20-80 rule applies here as well. Then he goes on to talk about academia and points out that if someone wants to pursue research, choosing the right place for the same is very essential. And having such perseverance in academia is very essential.
The main take away from this talk is that identifying “the missing item”. One MUST have anywhere is Outstanding Communication Skills. Even if one can do really novel and excellent research without communication, it would not receive the due recognition. Prof. Klimeck points out that making an average person in the crowd is a very essential part of communication. He speaks about how a grad student would just think that PhD is just about research and publishing but there are many other things which matter for a future employer like interpersonal relationships and leadership qualities. As a first year PhD student, realising that there are at least 8 points in the list a potential employer and networking outside your lab group is very essential.
Overall, I find this lecture a little superfluous with the rest of the content already present on ECE694. My suggestion would be to make a condensed version of all such “Grad School 101” and make it a recommended watch for all for First year students.
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Shitij Tushar Avlani @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
I really appreciate the disclaimer Prof. Klimmeck gave at the beginning of the presentation that this is what worked for hum and may not apply to others.
The presentation describes a general direction for the steps and actions that should be taken or performed in grad school to have a fruitful experience and excel during the program. This piece of advise covers both academics and the general mindset that must be created to meet your goals. I appreciate the discussion of some of the inevitable problems most grad students will face during the course of their academic or research journey and while searching for jobs. The speaker also talk in brief about the various career building options a grad student has, which I found to be really interesting along with the discussion on what recruiters' look for in a potential candidates reference letter.
The presentation explicitly differentiates between education and research while also stressing upon another important issue referred to as the "missing item". Overall, I really enjoyed the presentation even though I'm at the end of my journey through grad school. I would recommend others to take this course or view this material at the start of their grad school stint.
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Andrew Benton @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
The first part of this talk provides an overview of the roadmap for a graduate student. It takes the student on a journey to reflect on the range of options available to students after graduation so they can begin to think about how they want their career to take shape. The second part talks about the importance of communication and some more concrete information on time management then logistical information for the course.
I felt this introduction was more sound and impactful than the first lecture I had while taking the course in fall 2020. Perhaps it was solely the in-person feel, but I think it may have been the more compelling use of personal stories while you were presenting the career path overview. You seem much more involved in the lecture than you typically are for the WebEx-based instruction and it's more magnetic. I would have liked to hear more of the more personal, "inside" information on the career paths as many of these paths are so hypothetical to a new graduate student that it takes more to understand whether I'd enjoy it.
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Hamidreza Lotfalizadeh @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
This lecture is the first of a series of lecture in career portfolio development. I believe the materials covered in these series mostly pertain to North American
industry and research community.
As an international graduate student, I found this course very informative about the hurdles that one might face doing research in graduate school or finding a job after graduation.
It is nearly impossible to specifically point out all problems one might encounter. Nevertheless, this course give a nice heads up for the possible issues that might rise up down the career development path.
This first lecture lists different items down the career development path which deserve one's attention and preparation accordingly.
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Akhil Prasad @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
In this lecture, Dr.Klimeck laid out the path for the progression of the ECE 694 course.
The lecture content was unique and the way it was described succeeded in capturing and maintaining my attention. More often than not seminars which describe the essential aspects of research and career turn out to be quite dull but Dr.Klimeck was able to deliver the content in a manner which sounded relevant to the life of a graduate student and would be able to relate to.
I was able to learn about the different types of academic institutions and career branches which I am sure will be useful for future decisions. In addition, the importance of good communication skills and the way it affects our careers was an important piece of advice and motivation to improve my communication skills. I think it would have been more helpful if some ways to improve my communication skills were also suggested but I think that would be a part of future lectures. The short emphasis on the aspects in which a graduate researcher is measured by the industry was an eye-opener.
Finally, the presentation was oriented in a way which matched the rules for presenting before a non-technical audience. Dividing the time up to explain the need for the research and what could be achieved by doing the research in order to capture the attention of the audience is an important aspect of any presentation. The example of the way in which a researcher presents his/her presentation was hilarious and at the same time embarrassing as it was reminiscent of the way in which I sometimes present my research. Lastly, I found the way of emphasizing the importance of attire for an occasion unique and effective.
To summarize I found the presentation very useful and hopefully I will be able to incorporate valuable suggestions in my future.
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Weicheng Wang @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
I forgot to write the comments in class for the first class. I am here to complete my comments.
First, Dr. Climeck's clothes are soool cooool. I never saw a professor wearing such fancy clothes for the first class. Students will definately remember him for the whole semester.
Second, in terms of difference between research and education, I totally agree with Dr. Climeck's opinion. Even more, I believe that research is more like a job. The aim of the reseach is to make some profit for the society. With a valid prjoect and a well-written paper, the whole academia and the industry would benifit from it.
However, different from real industries, researhing in a lab is more flexiable. Industries tolerate less failure. If you fail some projects, you will be definately punished because you make no profit to the industries. But, for adademia, you can have more chances for trying and failing. Failure is also a kind of contribution to the academia.
Education, in another sense, has a different aim. Eduacation is more like a service. You pay for the knowledge and the sevice from the colledge and professors. In the end, you can receive a certificate to prove your feedback. To students themselves, it is a kind of development and growth. The knowledge will finally benifit the students in the future work.
For the other part of the lecture, I am satiesfied too. The only thing I do not understand is the grade rule. I hope we can have more reviews for the resume and they can be extra bonus. Otherwise, as long as you attend all lectures and submit the resume, you can pass. That is not fair for those who very carefully deisgned the resume and review others.
Thanks
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Chunguang Wang @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
In this lecture, Prof. Kilmeck talked about career choices after graduate school and the most-neglected item in career development.
I agree with Prof. Kilmeck that education and papers can not evaluate a student properly.There is missing items such as working efficiency. The next question is how we do our work. we can classify the work into 4:work with high urgency and high importance, work with high urgency and low importance, work with low urgency and low importance and work with low urgency and importance. We should focus more on work with high importance and low urgency in order to take control of the future.
How do I prepare for a career?Prof.Kilmeck gave me some answers.Among these items, I think the independence of judgement is the most important. As a phd student, I should have my own ideas not just follow instructions from advisor. Capability to work in a team is also necessary. Anybody need help from each other and no one can do research alone. Having good relations with advisor and lab-mate is helpful for research.What is the meaning of phd?I have had this question before I started phd. It is not just about academic courses, publications and a degree. It is a unique experience when I can prepare for the future career.
In the end, Prof. Kilmeck remind us that clothing does send a message. It is easy to dress too informal and I should avoid that.
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Shreya Ghosh @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
Being an international student, it is not uncommon to get frazzled after the first few days as a Master’s student. Professor Gerhard Klimeck’s seminar discussion is just what I needed to put perspective into my thoughts. I have imbibed information on how to channel my ideas to pick out the right career path for me. This discussion also explores much of the PhD world that lets me assess if this would be a suitable line of study for me or not. I would like to reflect on some of the ideas that I take back from this discourse.
Professor Gerhard Klimeck outlines the differences between research and the education we have known all this while. The education we are all accustomed to involved being fed information from a textbook that was easily understandable, but we never stopped to think how all that knowledge was consolidated in the first place. Research is considerably different from this traditional idea of education. Research involves defining a problem that isn’t solved, to decipher whether the problem is worth solving and then actually solving it. A graduate student should also give thought to what kind of career would be suitable at the end of grad school-whether it is in research, production, teaching, in an industry government lab, or academia, to name a few.
Professor Klimeck reflects on his own career path. He talks about his central research lab in Texas Instruments and NASA Jet Propulsion labs. He outlines the pros and cons of working in these research labs. He tells us that Mission driven lavs may have nothing to do with the technical service and government funding may decide to scrap the entire project despite technological advancements. He outlines the pros and cons of research driven labs. Research driven labs offer more freedom however the research is more directed and the output is a paper. He also elaborates briefly on management in a National lab.
Here is the part that interested me the most. Professor Klimeck talks about how he came back to Purdue. He focuses his content on how Purdue is a research institution which implies that he has no boss. Ofcourse there are departmental heads but even so, there is huge freedom. He draws an analogy between a business and a research lab. Each research project has an idea, funding, students who work in the labs to achieve the goals which is a lot like a personalised business aimed at achieving a particular goal. Without proper leadership, this business dies.
Communication skills are key. We often need to present public presentations where the audience is mixed comprising peers, technical audience and other audience. The presentations may be in technical areas like VLSI design. For non technical audiences, the audience hardly understands what you are working on. On the other had in technical peer conferences, about 20-30 percent of people really understand the technical details of the presentation. So it all depends on how many people in the audience you want to connect with. Ideally a presentation should have:1/3rd motivation, 1/6th intuition, 1/6th technical details and 1/6th future vision.
The discussion also gave me an insight towards how I should edit my resume and how I should always keep a elevator speech ready that highlights my strengths in sixty seconds. Professor Klimeck talks from his experience when he says that he met all his prior bosses at least half a year before any employment opportunity opened up for him. He talks about preparing for situations we are almost never prepared for, for examples, if we meet a person at a conference or a ride back to the airport and if we only have a minute to get their attention, keeping an elevator speech ready is useful. Networking in general is useful.
Professor Klimeck also talks about prioritizing jobs in a queue. He helps visualise this using a graph that ranks tasks on the basis of whether it is urgent or important. He divides the available space into four quadrants. We often end up choosing from those four quadrants. We often prioritize urgent things over important things. He talks about how it may(in some scenarios) be prudent to choose an important job over an urgent task. He also talks about developing some important life skills. He talks about how we should have independence of judement, capability to work in a team, ability to repost results to the supervisor, ability to interact, administration, general contribution and long term potential. Interacting with juniors and guiding them is also an important skill to have.
I took ECE 694 in this semester and I think it is safe to say that the peer review exercises are extremely helpful to troubleshoot and improve my resume. Different peers have a different outlook on the resume, that helps me develop a better version every single time.
I would recommend every newly admitted graduate student to watch this video for an insightful understanding of what would be the right career/academic path for them.
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Rahul Deshmukh @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
Name: Rahul Deshmukh
Key topics that I liked in the presentation:
1) Career choice: Prof. Gerhard Kilmeck with his unique mix of experience at all types of career choices, ie Idustry, Government Lab and Academia, helped us in understanding the various paths one can choose after a PhD. He helps us in understanding what kind of work we can expect in each of these paths. I specially liked that part where he draws-in from his own experience in explaining the ideas.
2) "Unkown" critical items of a reference letter: It is very beneficial to know these critical items early-on during the PhD. I am bound to use these slides as reminders during my PhD, because more than often we tend to forget these important details. The presentation does an excellent job in specifically listing out the items and what can be done to address them.
3) Presentation strategy: I have recently converted from Master's to a PhD, It was during the process of writing the paper and Thesis that I truly understood the importance of communication skills. I used to think that report writing is a process where we have to keep in mind that the ideas should be easily conveyed to the reader. However, I also realized that it is during the process of writing down your work that you can realize short-comings of your own work and thus get to improve your work. In hindsight I would have benefited from the presentation outline discussed by Professor, the strategy of showing the beautiful and intuitive solution up-front helps in grabbing the attention like no other. In fact I got a similar feedback from my exam committee.
Overall I found the presentation well organized, full of useful information and I would be coming back to it in the future.
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Xingguang Zhang @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a really informative lecture, even though I have listened to Prof. Klimeck’s speech before, I come back today to rewatch this talk again to review the points. I’m a master student, I find myself enjoy research since I’m in my college so the views are critical for me to make judicious decisions in the future.
The talk starts from the differences between education and research, and then Klimeck introduced his own experiences in research. The career path he has passed is thought-provoking for me. Basically, every job is not perfect, making it difficult to decide where you will go and what kind of work or research you will conduct. Klimeck shows us a lot of critical issues we will face in most kinds of research jobs and some development jobs, this is my favorite part in this talk and I’m glad to hear it at the beginning of my grad school. The 2/8 rule is explained in this talk, that 80% of the works are done by 20% of people, 80% of breakthroughs are made by 20% of people. Researchers have to think where can one achieve the most value of themselves. Never blindly choose any kind of jobs.
Communication is emphasized by a lot of people, I have kind of realized the importance of networking in my past time, but Klimeck pushed my understanding of communication to a clearer level, from daily scenario to important situations. We must keep this in mind and actively train our communication ability by any chances.
The lots of tips and rules for making the academic presentation, like 1/3, 1/3, 1/6, 1/6 rule and the use of charts impress me deeply. By the time I need to prepare for a presentation in the future, I will come back to watch this talk again.
Comparing to his impressive dressing, Prof. Klimeck’s tone sounded kind of monotonous. The typographic design of the PPT looked over-crowded. But the content he gave in this talk is so rich of information that the imperfection can be neglected.
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Lakshmi Anirudh Ghantasala @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
As graduate students, we have become used to the undergraduate style of learning. That is, we follow a set of rules defined clearly and accepted as truth, receive some grade reflecting our performance, and leave with a degree if those grades were above some cut. Prof. Klimeck starts by explaining how this all changes during a PhD, where very few things are considered truth. There are no rules to follow, and no performance grades to expect. Progress comes down to you; it’s a message that is very relatable as someone who has been doing research for the past 2 years.
The talk presents students with different options to consider post-graduation; this slide I found especially helpful, where options are split between Industry, government labs, and academia. I see myself fitting into the research option under Industry, and I’m sure other students will find similar fits in other sections. The clear descriptions of the other areas are something I have not seen anywhere before. Development is a very generic word but seeing as it pertains to working on creating a product from a concept in a company setting is very helpful.
Prof. Klimeck’s description of academia was enlightening. I did not realize how difficult it is to run a successful research group as a professor. This job entails landing grants, finding talented students to turn ideas into papers, and using that work to land more grants to hire future students. According to Prof. Klimeck, this was the hardest job out of all the industry/research positions he has been in in his life.
The key item that ties all of these jobs together is outstanding communication. No matter how brilliant your idea may be, if it can’t leave your head, you may as well have never had it (-Klimeck, 2009).
Knowing what companies look for when it comes time to graduate with a PhD was also very interesting. Prof. Klimeck lists out different qualities they ask your advisor to comment on, including things like independence of judgement, capability to work in a team, ability to report results, and others. These are qualities that I know for sure I am not excelling at entirely today. That makes these goals that I will keep in mind going forward.
Quad charts seem like an effective way of presenting an idea in a single slide. Coincidentally, my Prof. also recommended this exact layout (Motivation/Objective, Approach, Results, Figure) for a presentation I had to make. It must be a widely accepted format!
Overall, this presentation had quite a bit of useful information that I would highly recommend other master’s students look into. Much of the information is presented from the perspective of a professor, a perspective we rarely are exposed to. I would say though that the introduction dragged on, and cutting the first 10 or 15 minutes from the presentation would have kept all the useful information in it, but reduced the time.
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Sree Charan Gundabolu @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
I did not have an opportunity to listen to Dr.Klimeck at the starting of the semester due to late registration for the ECE694. This presentation was mainly catered towards PhD students, which I really appreciate.
I really like how the speaker makes a distinction between tier 1 and tier 2 graduate schools in terms of research opportunities. I completed my Master's degree in a university which was not oriented towards research as much and I could truly notice the difference between universities after I started at Purdue.
The opportunities that students have once they graduate are very clearly explained. As a PhD student with no prior work experience, it was very informative to know about the opportunities and workspace operations with correlation to the speaker's personal experiences. The 80-20 rule was very interesting and seems to hold true across multiple domains in life when pondered upon.
I really liked the point discussed the difference between education and research where education is catered to help someone digest knowledge ignoring how that knowledge was gained or acquired. Whereas research is actually being able to work towards a relatively unclear goal creating knowledge and information on the way.
The point about PhD changing one and actually providing personal growth is something I really agree with. A masters degree has taught me that research not only trains one intellectually but trains one to emotionally and spiritually as well.
Importance of networking was also beautifully explained and set with the statement that "I knew my new boss half year before I got the job" this subtle statement speaks a lot about having contacts and maintaining and exploiting them to one's advantage.
The small rhetoric presentation that was given to simulate how students give uninteresting presentations was really relatable. Communicating one's thoughts effectively and precisely should be one very important aspect that everyone should try developing themselves in. One point that stuck with me is that if you are not able to communicate the good ideas in your mind effectively then its equivalent to not having them in the first place.
I hope to inculcate the 1/3, 1/3, 1/6 and 1/6 time split for presentations and also convey information clearly using Quad charts so that I never lose my audience as it is almost impossible to get back the attention of audience once lost.
As students, we never get to hear about or see the reference letters requested by our professors by industry or academia. The 8-points that were discussed are interesting and seem very logical things that one might expect from a prospective job applicant. I hope to build a good rapport with professors keeping in mind that they must know me well enough to give a strong recommendation considering all aspects.
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Chengyi Xu @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
The seminar talks about the career choice after the graduate school, how important the communication skill is and how do we do well in our resume. As a newly admitted master student, this is a great topic for me because it give me something to think about and make plans about my future career.
In the beginning of this seminar, the speaker talked about the difference between the bachelor degree and graduate degree. Then he moved on to talking about the different career choices like national lab, industry and academia. He not only give a brief illustration about what these paths are, but also he talks about pros and cons of each path. Up to this point, I have already gained some knowledge about what I want to choose in my future. Though this might change during my 2 year learning in the school, it is something to start with. Next, the speaker also talks about the important aspects of the graduate life: the communication. In our daily life, communication is very important for us to build personal relationships with each other, like to build friendship, to convince another person about your belief. Moreover, communication skill is essential for graduate student because we need to talks about our research in a seminar about our own publications; also, the communication skills come into play when we try to do well in an interview and even in a daily encounter with our potential future boss. Furthermore, the speaker also talked about how to do well in a technical presentation. We need to first catch the audience's attention by not using too much technical terms but just the right amount of specialty which attracts the audience and in the end provide our insights and convince audience and let them think us as genius. Last but not the least, the speaker starts to talk about how the ECE694 works and why resume is important. There is not much to learn concerning to the topic of this seminar from there.
To sum up, this is a great speech and it teach us about how important the communication skills are and how do we convince someone about our technical knowledge. In addition, the 3 different career paths in the future also give us to think about the make plans towards our post-graduate life. It is a well-organized speech.
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Keshav Raheja @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
The principle idea of the presentation is two-folds: firstly, to serve as a guide in making career decisions, secondly on how to coherently express oneself in order to be impactful.
Prof. Klimeck starts out with a brief overview of the career choices that a new graduate faces when he/she sets out. I liked how Prof. Klimeck drew on his experience in all three fields to educate the audience. I totally agree with his opinions on restricted leeway in corporate, having had some exposure to that. I liked how he talked about pursuing academia to have more control on research and not really needing to answer a lot of people. For the rest of the lecture, Prof Klimeck really tries to hammer down on the idea of good communication skills. He has been very convincing, and I agree that it is a major component wherever one is, be it academia or industry. He wants to apprise the audience that one has about 60s to make an impression and that one must fully make use of it. So, one must accordingly tailor a resume and an elevator pitch. If one has many ideas, however he/she is not able to convey those, its as good as having no ideas. This could lead to an unfulfilling life and may even result in the loss of job.
Overall, I really liked the presentation. However, the first half overlaps with another ppt by Dr Windl that I had a chance to see. I would like for the audience to take a look at that for a more detailed comparison. But I could not agree more about the importance of communication skills and how one must organize one’s thoughts into a resume/pitch/presentation to make the maximum impact.
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Chandan Bothra @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
The lecture was really informative and there were a few points which really stuck with me and I would like share at the start:
1. Write the rules as a PhD student.
2. The 20/80 rule where the 20% of people do 80% of the work.
3. Importance of communication and the 1/3, 1/3, 1/6 and 1/6 split for a presentation. It shall definitely be my template for presentations from here on.
About a month into my life as a graduate student, I am still feeling the triggers of transition with self-doubt creeping in at every nook and corner. This lecture goes some way in helping me understand the expectations from a graduate degree in a better way. Prof. Kilneck highlighted about how grad life is different from under grad level in terms of having step wise evolution, pre-defined methods of learning, etc at undergrad. I pretty much expected the same at grad-level and made the mistake of thinking to check the boxes to get a PhD degree. The lecture helped me realise my folly. But yes I do still have my doubts about the graduate degree and probably shall go through other lectures and/ or get in touch with Prof.
Regarding the career choices after grad life, it was good to know all the options available especially from someone who has chosen them. I had my notions of what I wanted, but the lecture sure did scare me but at least it gave me a picture of ground reality. Academics, Industry, Research: All have their fair share of pros and cons. To me personally, teaching is the motivation for grad studies. Prof. has pointed out what I can expect if I achieve my targets.
The part about communication skills was most interesting with many new ideas learnt. The use of quad charts, the time allocation for motivation, solution, technicalities and future ideas, etc. I shall definitely implement them in my presentations.
The part about resume and references was really good and helps me understand of how important it is to present one self and make a self-evaluation based on all parameters: like the 8 points for the reference.
The information about expectations from ECE 694 seminar also hit its spot and I can surely tell the course is going in right direction after attending it for about one and a half month. I have surely come a long way in looking at my resume as just another document to its actual worth.
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Divya Shrivastava @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
General Idea: Professor Klimeck has focused how to we carefully make choices for our career by sharing his personal experience and important tips about CV.
Key ideas: He started the seminar with explaining that we should carefully choose our career choice and just not accept anything which comes to us. His talk focused on opportunities in government, academia and industry sectors. He also elaborated his experience in different sectors. Also, explains the importance of funding in Government sector. Academia could be a research oriented or teaching oriented career. He mentioned about how CV should be made specific to an organization or a job role. It is important to filter the elements which was most crucial and more applicable to the job role rather than listing down all the skill sets. We can also highlight the skills or topics we would want to display in the CV rather than projecting everything. Lastly, CV must be neatly presented and there should not be any spelling or grammatical errors.
Overall Feedback: I really liked the presentation specially the part in which he has shared his personal story. It gave insight of career choices could change over a period of time and how we should carefully analyze and select the appropriate career choice which suits us.
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robert andrawis @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
First I will summarize the talk in the following points:
Carrier development is long term process that start by putting 5 or 10 year plan, study hard, do research and also have life outside work.
The difference between education and research is that education is to learn how other people solved their problem. research is about defining your own problem (the missing part) and try to give ur own solution.
The next part of the talk is about different kinds of jobs in industry. 1) Research :90% doing research and 10%working on proposals and reporting. 2)development where u work very near to the product and being partially told what you do. 3) management where u do administrative work.
There are 2 kinds of government labs: 1) mission labs that do one time product. 2) Research driven lab that is far away from applications and more into science and theory.
Also academia have research institutes and teaching institutes that have different pros and cons.
Then the speaker focused on the importance of the good communication and reporting ur work in an effective way. The reporting skills are important for getting fund, promotions and recognition of the work . this is valid for industry and academia in general.
The speaker mentioned 3 kinds of communication: technical talk, public talk,resume and 60s speech in elevator.
The speaker also mentioned 1/3 motivation, 1/3 solution , 1/3 technical details, future vision as good presentation outline.
The speaker then talked about the important skills to be mentioned in reference letter : Scientific Capability , Ability to prepare publications and presentations ,Independence of Judgment , Capability to work in a team.Ability to report results to the supervisor ,Ability to interact / communicate with customers and Long term potential.
Finally, the talk has alot of important information that is based on real life personal experience of the speaker. The only problem is that talk is long.
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Naman Nandan @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
This talk provides an excellent overview of the various aspects that go into moulding oneself into a well rounded graduate student and overall as an individual as well. Initially, Prof. Klimeck draws attention to the fact about how graduate school is different from undergraduate studies in terms of the expectations from a student. The distinction between Education (consumption of existing knowledge) and Research (generation of new knowledge) is discussed. Subsequently, on overview of the various job opportunities that is available to students after graduation is discussed. This broadly includes Industry, Government labs and Academia.
An interesting part of the presentation is when Prof. Klimeck reveals the “missing item”, which is “Outstanding Communication Skills”. The discussion on the importance of communication skills in the context of public presentation, resume and elevator speech was very useful. Moreover, the concrete example on how to structure a presentation proves to be an excellent starting point when preparing a new presentation.
The section of this talk that focuses on time management, which involves prioritizing tasks by placing them on a grid consisting of Urgency and Importance as the two axes is very interesting. This helps in reminding ourselves to dedicate more time to tasks that are important in the long term but may not necessarily be urgent at the moment.
Finally, the discussion on subtle aspects involving soft skills gives insight into how to conduct oneself in various situations, such as, while attending a job interview, while giving a talk etc.
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Dingjie Liu @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
I have viewed this video carefully. First of all, it is pretty worthy of viewing.
I am a Purdue graduate student. Professor. Klimeck points out many problems which I may face to in the future, how to find a job or how to stay in US, and makes me to think them ahead. Combining with his own experiences, he helps us to consider the pros and cons in research/development/management for working in industry/Government Lab/University respectively. A experience sharing by a professor is not common in the university, honestly speaking.
Besides, he emphasizes the critical and most-neglected point: Communication. He expresses that we need improve our communication skills: how to prepare a 60-sec elevator talk? How to prepare a presentation for a company interview? That is pretty helpful for me. I used to focus on how to get a good grade and write a paper instead of thinking this. I think it is not late to think them right now. I hope so.
Finally we imagine a scenario that if a company asks for a reference letter from professors, what will it want to know? From this scenario, Professor. Klimeck points out 7 items, such as communication ability with customers, etc. From this scenario, I can know better about how should I improve myself.
Thank you!
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Zijian Zhu @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
Name: Zijian Zhu
Purdue ID: 0025178030
The speaker makes a good defination for bachelor, master and Phd. He also talks about working for industry, labs jobs or academia by providing his own experience. It gives us a chance to think about life after graduating. For my own circumstance, i am going to graduate in 2 months as a Master degree student and i decide to work in a autonomous car company as my career choice. Besides that, the speaker also mentions the importance of communication skill. I think it will play an essential role in my career life. Because one person cannot understand all the parts of a product. It must be a cooperative thing. So the communication between each person, each teams can decide the quality of product.
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Xiaodong Jiang @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
Being a first-year PhD student, I would say this lecture really makes me think how to do a qualified PhD student. Conducting the research experiments and publishing the results are not the only capabilities that I need to develop during the PhD study, learning how to present the results and deliver the information effectively to the audience is also quite important. As a presenter, we have to try our best to make people understand what we are doing and why we are doing this. Otherwise, people will get lost and they will not understand how important is the problem you are working on to solve. To make a good presentation, this lecture gave the time management method on how to cover the presentation topic using the limited time. Also, at the beginning of the lecture, it talked about what kind of career options are for students graduated from graduate school, like industry, academia and national labs, and then the differences between all of these jobs (pros and cons). It reminds me where I can go for my career after my graduation so that I can plan ahead for my future in the following 3-4 years at Purdue.
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Yuhang Zhu @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
This presentation raises several interesting and useful points. It shows up the difference between bachelor, master and PhD. It also gives us a chance to have a thought of the life working for industry, labs or academia. Those are the thing we will never touch unless we finish our school. I love the part when professor is talking about the “missing part” - the communication skills. I was a “lone wolf” when I was working on my bachelor degree. It was tough to work out all the problem myself but it was still doable. When I started my research job, everything changed. It was impossible to solved out the thing by one’s own effort anymore. Actually, most of topics are interdisciplinary. You may have the knowledge to solve part of the project but the rest of them you should never seen before. This is why communication skills play a important role. With good communication skills, it helps you to explain your problem more efficient to the college or consultor so that you have more chance to solved the problem that you are facing.
Back to the presentation, Professor Klimeck gives a really good speech that he has deep understanding of his topic. The pace is well controlled. He also gives enough pause at the proper place to leave the time for the audience to sallow the thoughts.
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Parikha Mehrotra @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
The presentation gives you a general direction towards what one should do in grad school, not only in terms of academics but also in terms of what mind frame one must inculcate. It discusses some of the inevitable problems all grad students face, be it during their Ph.D. or while looking for jobs. It gives an inkling about the several options a grad student has, towards building their careers.
The information regarding what the recruiters' look for in a potential candidates reference letter is very useful. The presentation explicitly makes one understand the difference between education and research. Also, it stresses upon another important issue referred to as the "missing item".
The speaker's example of how people generally conduct a presentation and how one should actually do it was very amusing.
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Pushyami Rachapudi @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
This talk focuses on a very important issue all graduate students face about the career choices after graduate school. Generally people think there is a lot of time to think about it but it has to be planned from the start of grad school especially if its masters students. The talk clearly differentiates between education and research. Also discusses about various options such as Government labs, industry and academia. The most important part explained in this talk is “communication”. It is truly the missing item. There are string consequences if one cannot communicate, right from idea generation to selling the idea.
Tips on presenting technical ideas in public presentations and also explaining outline of a good presentation is really useful which every field one belongs to. The task quadrant chart is an amazing idea to organise the to do tasks and we can actually keep up with the tasks when focussed on high importance, low urgent task. This is the take away point for me from this task.
Overall the presentation had a great flow from explaining various career paths, to preparing yourself with elevator pitches, explaining effective communication skills especially while organizing thoughts in a presentation. The speaker presented at a good pace while engaging the audience throughout.
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Mustafa Abdallah @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
This talk addresses the missing part in our academic path during graduate school which is communication skills and selling yourself. There are multiple parts inspired me in this talk.
First, stating the difference between Education in which you understand well-known concepts and Research in which you understand old stuff, define critical problem and solve it effectively. Also, mentioning the difference between Bachelor, Masters and Ph.D. in U.S. educational system from speaker's perspective was informative.
Second, the statement of "when you live through it, it is different" is exactly right and happened to me during many stages in my life. For example, having one of my family died, marriage and going through Ph.D. process matches this statement exactly.
Third, experience of speaker in different types of jobs and his way of comparison is effective. The most important lesson for me in that part is choosing appropriate place that answer the main question "What do you want to work after years?".
Next, the ratio of audience that will understand my research in conference and other stuffs and how to target the right number is good to know and learn. Moreover, "60 seconds elevator speech" is an effective method to sell yourself to famous people in your field.
Finally, the speaker presents the "Most important 8 items for career prepare" and focus on how graduate students doesn't pay attention to most of them. Examples of reference letter and "Speaking very fast to be genius" are effective.
In summary, the talk is very informative, organized , out of the box and creative in most of its parts.
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Emily Bartusiak @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
I appreciated that Professor Klimeck added a “disclaimer” at the beginning of the presentation that this is what worked for him but that it is not the right solution for everyone.
As a student who is just beginning her Masters Thesis, I appreciated the segment of the lecture about differentiating between education and research. The Professor highlight the uniqueness of research in graduate school and the challenges of students’ mindsets as they transition from a “follower” position in undergrad to a “leader” position as a graduate student. Currently, I am going through the process of determining a research topic and reading papers about other solutions in the field to see what has already been done, so it was motivating to hear this talk, which reminded me that it is up to me to really do the work and define my own path for success.
It was really interesting to hear Professor Klimeck’s perspective of the different areas that one can enter into after graduation. He has a lot of experience in different professional roles, so I appreciated what he had to say and felt as if I could really trust what he was saying. He mentioned, for example, how politics have a direct effect on funding for certain labs, such as NASA’s JPL, depending on who is in office, and you have no control over it. I have done two internships in a division of a company that is government-facing, so this piece of information was especially interesting to me. It made me stop and think about whether I want to go into a role that is subject to that specific problem. Professor Klimeck also made me laugh because you can tell which areas of the professional world he likes best. For example, I am considering going into management one day, but he refers to it as “diaper changing” because everyone comes to you with their problems. His comments on the different roles he has worked in definitely show how he eventually ended up as a professor because it suites him best.
“20% of the people do 80%” of the work is something that I have experienced already in student organizations and team projects. It was disappointing to hear that this is the case for every aspect of the rest of my life, but it also inspired me to be a part of the 20%.
I was surprised to hear that the “most neglected item in your career development” is communication! Purdue has stressed the importance of communication to me since day 1 of my first-year engineering course many years ago, so it is not a new concept for me. Purdue really does strive to equip students with the tools they need to succeed, such as requiring them to take COM 114 and presenting projects in each of my design courses. I have had ample opportunity to create presentations, write reports, and present to an audience. I am thankful for these opportunities, which I believe have honed my skills. However, I realize that other graduate students might not have had the same experience at their undergraduate institutions, so I am glad that Professor Klimeck is stressing it now!
It was awesome to hear Professor Klimeck talk about teamwork as well. I liked that his definition of teamwork is taking pride in others’ success and that he encouraged older graduate students to help and mentor younger graduate students. As a first-year student, I especially appreciate this! And I look forward to returning the favor when I am older.
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Nikhil Sunil Chhabria @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
This seminar provides plenty of useful information about the different career paths available. It excellently describes the various career options in Industry, Government Laboratory and Academia along with pros and cons for each. The importance of having outstanding communication skills is highlighted very well. Professor Klimeck provides a really good outline of an engaging presentation. He then goes on to give an example of a bad presentation, full of technical jargon, which drives the point home.
The presentation has a lot of meaningful content and keeps the audience engaged. Professor Klimeck is a very confident speaker and provides nothing but valuable information.
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Daniel Mas Montserrat @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
This lecture invites you to think about your future. It tries to get some insight to graduate students about what should expect after graduation. It has a format similar to the seminar of National laboratories vs industry vs academia. It talks about industry vs academia vs research jobs by providing some personal experience. It introduces some pros and cons on the different types of jobs in an objective manner. The pros and cons and the main ideas are similar to the ones exposed on the lecture National laboratories vs industry vs academia although this lecture adds some concepts on communication skills (how you are presented to other co-workers, boss, etc) and some steps and ideas to communicate and present your ideas efficiently. It follows by presenting some skills that are important to get a job but are not explicitly taught during your phd.
This presentation is good overall and the slides help to follow the presentation. The lecturer speaks in a good pace and makes the lecture dynamic.
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Yang Yan @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
Since Master's program is relative short for accommodating to college life and at the same time investigating what kind of life that different choices would finally result in. It is hard to estimate the future. However, this presentation explicitly explains different choices would end up with what kind of working environment by introducing the speaker's personal experience. Also he illustrate how this course would help us in acknowledge how our career would be like or at least showing multiple possible plans after graduation. And he emphasis the importance of communication skills in job seeking as well as in career planning.
As for a speaker, his speaking is easy to follow and have reasonable pauses. I like his manner, specifically his gestures and movements, in this speech.
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Jialiang Yu @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
This lecture gives me valuable advice on my future plan. I was always thinking what to do and where to go after my graduation. Since my graduation from undergraduate, I chose computer engineering as my major and tried to find a job in a technology company. However, this is not my goal for my whole life. I like social science more than technology and wish to develop my career into a field that matters the whole nation. This lecture gives experience in research and company which provides me a lot of advice in my career path. Besides the style of jobs, the speaker also gives a crucial thinking about communication. I strongly concede that communication is an important skill for a person that wants to be successful. In most situation, communication decides the direction the things heading to. I'm going to begin my career in industry, so I will pay enough attention to my communication skills and try to express myself as clearly as possible.In all, the lecture gives me a chance to rethink about myself. I really learned a lot in this lecture.
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Tyler Dean Rodriguez @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
Professor Klimeck starts off by explaining that graduate students are already considered “successful & smart.” I don’t think this is true anymore, but maybe it was true at his time of graduation. It is probably still true for the majority of graduate students. He makes this point because he goes on to say that we should carefully choose our career choices and not just take anything that comes at us. We have the ability to choose our own career path. He hints at the “missing item” that we need.
He identifies three major areas, industry, government, and academia. He starts of by giving us his own experience in industry research. I thought his 80-20 rule was interesting. It essentially says that there is an elite group of people, the 20%, that are driving 80% of the innovation and work. Government labs are the next area he discusses while giving his own personal story. In government, it is important to know that government funding plays a critical role in how much research is available to do. The final area is academia. Academic institutions can be divided into two categories, research institutions and teaching institutions. He explains how Purdue is a research institution and gives the pros and cons of working at a research institution. Teaching institutions are the other type of academic institutions. He gives advice that students who truly want to research should think carefully about going to one of these schools, as it may be difficult to get funding or qualified grad students to help you with the research.
He finally tells us that the missing item is communication skills. The first thing he points out is speaking to technical audiences is different than speaking to general audiences. He then goes on to speak about other forms of communications such as resume writing and elevator pitches. I thought one interesting note he made about himself is that he met all his bosses at least a half year before he got the job. This definitely changes the way I plan to look for jobs in the future.
Eventually the topic of finding the first job comes back. He proposes what would happen if someone from the job we are applying to were to ask our advisor about us. In the advisor’s response, he proposes 8 different items that need to be in the letter. All the items are on the topic of good communication skills and he stresses that we should have these items worked on before graduation. He then explains the purpose of ECE 694 and how it applies to everything he has talked about so far. At this point of the talk, he sort of deviates from the material and talks about the requirements of the class. Some of this may be outdated, so future watchers should be careful. But it is still interesting to hear the real reasons behind 694 and what we are expected to get out of us.
Professor Klimeck then gives his own short technical presentation. The topic is difficult to follow. He then explains that he did it on purpose to show an example of bad presentation. After that he talks about himself and gives us one final piece of advice: dressing appropriately matters.
Overall I thought most of what he said was helpful. Especially his own personal experiences. I feel that speakers should give more personal stories and experiences because they help more than just spouting off clichés we hear at every career preparation lecture. Professor Klimeck did a good job of avoiding this.
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Qixin Deng @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thanks for the video I have the chance to make up the seminar which I missed at the beginning of the semester. Prof. Gerhard Klimeck gives me a chance to think of the future before I graduate from the school. From the experience of the Prof. Gerhard Klimeck, I think more pros and cons of the different kinds of jobs, I should make the decision based on my own will, what I want to be in the following years, and follow my heart, and prompts me to make a plan for the 5 years after I graduate. Also this speak let me know how important communication is, which is also the most interesting part of the seminar. A good communicator should give a proper motivation to his/ her audience, convince them that this speak is worth of attention. After that, using easy words to make the audience feel more relax and delight, giving the audiences most intuitive solution. Finally, presenting a few technical details and future vision, to win the trust of the audiences and build a good impression of yourself. A good communication skill will help me do much better on jobs or researches. This speak also reminds me that building a good network with my teachers will do really good for my future, because both industry and academic school put a high value on the reference of those people. This is a really useful and practical seminar, Thanks Prof. Gerhard Klimeck.
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Weifeng Xiong @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
Although this seminar is mainly for a fresh graduate student, but as a student who is going to graduate soon, I was still impressed by Prof.Klimeck's presentation. The presentation provided a clear view of the career in industry, academia, and government research institutes. It directly shows the real things we will work on in different careers. This helps me re-concern about what type of career plan works better for me, what type of career I really want to achieve. I also enjoyed the part of how to do effective communication and presentation. The presenter gave clear examples to show us how our works can be better understood by the audiences. Besides, the comments on reference letter help me to think about how to set up self development goals not only for graduate study, but for future careers. It also brought me some ideas about how to build up my own resume based on those bullets.
Over all, a very good presentation, especially when I missed the first seminar in this semester.
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Rasika Kalwit @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
The seminar is very useful for all students irrespective of their educational level. It addresses different work cultures in corporate and government research labs, academia and industry. For a graduate student like me, it is about time for me to think about where I want to work in future. I also agree with having a 5/10 years goal for myself and actively try to pursue it. Personally, I am very suitable for a research lab culture in industry. The lecture touches upon soft skills development which is very important to succeed in any of the above mentioned professions. The grad school is a great platform to improve your presentation and communication skills. Being a graduate student you need to face a situation where you need to explain your research, present semester work. The professor talked about the structure of a technical presentation inclusive of 1/3 time to engage the audience, 1/3 time to show beautiful solution, 1/6 time to technical details and 1/6 time to show the future vision. It is a very impressive design to keep audience engaged. Overall, working in any kind of environment requires you to be active, communicate effectively with your peers and dress to suit the occasion.
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Anamitra Bose @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
I think the lecture was very helpful from a high-level career guidance perspective. The differences between a BS, MS and PhD described in terms of rules and methods provides an excellent perspective. The techniques mentioned to conduct successful research as a graduate student is also very insightful. The difference between research institutions and teaching institutions is an important distinction that is made in this lecture that is often overlooked. For someone looking to go into industry after graduation, the different types of jobs available within industry (research, development, production and management) is a great tool to make an informed decision.
An addition that I think would make this lecture even more helpful would be an analysis of the advantages/disadvantages of getting a MBA after a MS degree versus continuing onto a PhD. A lot of graduate students pursuing their MS in an engineering field are often conflicted between continuing on to their PhD versus making a transition and getting a MBA. The "Urgency vs. Importance" graph is a fantastic visual representation of the challenges that almost all graduate students face on a daily basis. A little more time spent on this topic along with a few more real-life scenarios and their corresponding implications would help immensely.
Overall, this lecture provides a very good starting point along with the tools and techniques to plan out a student's career growth not just during graduate school but also afterwards.
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Minghang Li @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
I think this lecture is very helpful. It includes some important points I concern. It compares the differences between bachelor, master and PhD, education and research, which I have never thought before. The professor introduces what can we do after graduate, including industry, research, development, production, or management. He also told us his working experiences. And it reminds me of preparing resume and reference letter from now, not before graduate. I should communicate with professors more, give them impression on me. They cannot recommend students they don't know. Classifying problems by emergency and importance is also very helpful for our future. What to mention in my presentation, how to manage time of each parts are really useful.
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yinglai wang @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
This presentation truly cleared my thought about my future plan. When I was in undergraduate level, all I think is to find a job after graduation and make my own way to live. I have been confused about what to do since I started graduate study. After this presentation, I do have a better understanding in graduate level study and research. Research is the most important component in high level education, and this presentation made it very easy to understand.
Three different kind of research were listed and welly explained. Speaker speaking from experience made the differences between all kind of research and being an employee of a company.
Most importantly, this presentation reaffirms my confidence of finding something I want to do in the future. It also points our advantages and drawbacks as an well educated engineer. We do have the ability and the potential to choose our future, but communication skill is a problem for almost all of us.
Overall, I learned a lot from this presentation that is useful for my future planning and 2 years graduate study planning.
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Guangtong Shen @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
I benefit three aspects from this presentation.
1. I get to know what it is like to do research in industry, in government labs and academia through Professor's real experience. That is a reference for me to choose what kind of job to do. But unluckily, there is no descriptions of US engineering work. I think lots of ECE Master graduates will choose to be an engineer or programmer these days.
2. It is shocking to realize that course education do have missing items that a competent graduate should learn. Communication Skill are essential for career development. We solve most of our problems in career and life by selling our ideas or selling ourselves. Future more, I learn some practical skills on how to do a presentation. (Motivate the audience (1/3 time), then present intuitive solution (1/3 time), give technical details but only a few (1/6 time), show your future vision and planning (1/6 time). As we can see most time (2/3) is spent to get the audience engaged and interested.
3. The contents of the request for a reference letter are a to-do-list for us to train ourselves. In addition to academic ability, we are required to have independent judgement, teamwork capability, presentation ability, administration skills etc.
All the above are helpful for my career planning.
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Xinchen Guo @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
This course is very helpful for new graduate students to think about future plan both in research and career development. A good preparation in PhD level is very important for future career after graduation. Among all those skills, communication skill is often neglected. A student needs to know how to connect with fellow researchers and future bosses effectively and efficiently. The rule of 1⁄3 motivation 1⁄3 intuitive solution 1⁄6 technical details 1⁄6 future vision provides a good guideline to form an attractive presentation.
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Li Xue @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love this report because it tells me how I can improve my presentation skills. Actually, the technical details frequently occupied most of the time in my previous presentation. I devoted most of my time to explain my project. However, at last, the audiences often complained that they didn’t understand what I wanted to convey and the equations led them to confusion. From this report, I know that it is not advisable to list all the equations out because people will get bored. So in order to attract people’s attention, we should spend less time on the technical issues and present more beautiful and intuitive solutions, as mentioned in the report. I learnt a lot of useful presentation skills, which are absolutely helpful to improve my communication skills, from this report. This report also opens the gate to my PhD study life. PhD study is about creating knowledge instead of learning other people’s knowledge. So pursuing my PhD degree will be more challenging and I am ready for this change. Painful but rewarding. I have learnt a lot and thank you for this report.
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Li Xue @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love this report because it tells me how I can improve my presentation skills. Actually, the technical details frequently occupied most of the time in my previous presentation. I devoted most of my time to explain my project. However, at last, the audiences often complained that they didn’t understand what I wanted to convey and the equations led them to confusion. From this report, I know that it is not advisable to list all the equations out because people will get bored. So in order to attract people’s attention, we should spend less time on the technical issues and present more beautiful and intuitive solutions, as mentioned in the report. I learnt a lot of useful presentation skills, which are absolutely helpful to improve my communication skills, from this report. This report also opens the gate to my PhD study life. PhD study is about creating knowledge instead of learning other people’s knowledge. So pursuing my PhD degree will be more challenging and I am ready for this change. Painful but rewarding. I have learnt a lot and thank you for this report.
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Hao Tian @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
This presentation is very useful for us to develop our career. It told us what researchers usually do in different institutions like company, government or university. This helps us choose the job that is suitable for us. And also we learnt the importance of communication with others and how to communicate. We should get the attention of the audience and convey the most important thing to them. We also learnt what skills that we should grasp during our graduate study, such as scientific ability, how to make presentation and cooperation, how to establish strong network. A successful resume will help us get a good job. We learnt what a good resume should be, that is to convey enough information in short time. This presentation helps me a lot about how to develop my career, how to communicate and make presentation. Thanks a lot!
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Bangda Zhou @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
This presentation speaks for itself, it keeps me interested and focused through. One of the most important messages that Professor wants to deliver is that tackling the difficult problems and conducting good research is not good enough, there are still other '6 aspects' to be evaluated. As a graduate student, in order to deliver those '6', the communication skills are so important, which including the presentation skill, the short conversation skill, the skill to understand the audience, and many more. It is very hard to require the audience to keep focus and think hard to understand the content. Learned from this presentation, I would think my presentation in the future could start from the point of view adaptively determined. Besides, the detailed review of different working environment and the listing of pros and cons really help me envision what role could I play there and whether I would like it or not. Time management introduced by Professor is also very helpful to me. In the end, I like this presentation, and would like to review it in the future. Thanks nanoHub for recording and distributing this great piece.
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Gustavo A Valencia @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
The video and the presentation have a important tips for the new graduate students. The most important things that I will keep in mind are:
1. A low percentage of the attendees to a presentation understand the technical details.
2. Use about 1/3 of your time to engage the audience.
Additionally, I think that the ability to speak in public has a tremendous Impact on our career. Therefore, other important challenge is to become a good public speaker.
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Kuang-Chung Wang @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
This video is good for giving out concrete example of possible future career on the standing point of a PhD. The pro and cons of different job opportunities. However, it will also b useful if more can be illustrated on how to do a good research. Are there rules or a checklist a Phd student can have to succeed? For example, how to tackle a hard problem? How many seminars to attend to broaden our views? How to manage time to establish a good work-life balance.
If the speaker can give us more info of his PhD life, it will definitely be a plus !!!
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Brian Vaughn @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
I think the real appeal of this presentation is that it systematically goes through the most prominent career options that graduate students have after leaving school and breaks down the benefits and drawbacks of each option. Personally, I have always been unsure about what my long term goals should be and it was quite nice to receive some input regarding what I should expect from each option (although the advice was anecdotal, I still view it as credible).
Additionally, the emphasis on communication skills was a great element of this presentation because I don't think many students really think about that as much as they should. This demonstrates the importance of communication and I find that to be valuable.
Overall, very useful presentation.
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Ci @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
The first part impressed me was about setting the goals for career. Before I watched this video, I only had a faint idea about working in the industry. But the presenter gave a detailed classification of jobs (research, development and production) with associating Pros and Cons, which was really helpful for me to pinpoint my job target. The presenter then emphasized the importance of communication, especially 60's elevator speech and being understood by whole audience. The importance of excellent communication skill was often overlooked by grad students. The presenter gave his own examples to illustrate how excellent communication skill helped him in getting new positions. Following that, he provided a guideline to give an engaging and inclusive presentation: 1/3 time to engage the audience, 1/3 time to teach the audience about your insights, 1/6 time to demonstrate your expertise and 1/6 time to show the future vision. He then give a demonstration on applying this technique. To me, the only thing I felt need to be added is that, in future vision part, the presenter did not specify potential application of the research, which can be very important to the general audience.
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Vinayak @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most useful thing that I learned is the outline for an engaging and inclusive presentation. The 1/3,1/3, 1/6, 1/6 approach ensures that everything is covered in the presentation. It mitigates the problem of going over your presentation time. It helps you and your audience keep focused. The perspective of working in academia, industry, and government labs was very useful as well. The comparison and contrast between the three fields was very informative. I agree that communication skills (visual, oral, and written) is one of the most important and in most cases one of the most neglected topics. One more important point to be noted is that if you can't communicate well, then your work might turn out to be not as useful. Doing great work is important but being able to communicate it is equally important. Thank you for a great presentation.
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Oscar Eric Sandoval @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
There were a couple of points from the presentation that really stuck with me. The first was the point of being, “greater than one-dimensional.” For me this has always been important. I enjoy Electrical Engineering, but I also enjoy playing basketball and reading the works of Earnest Hemingway. Staying in the lab all day will not lead to better research. Instead it will lead to frustration and doubt. I valued the way the different opportunities were broken up. Presenting the pros and cons of Industry, Government Labs, and Academia allowed me to understand where it is I would like to end up after grad school. I had the opportunity to perform an internship at a government lab this summer. I performed work on InAs quantum dots at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. This is a place where I would like to work. But I also like the idea of working as a teacher at my undergraduate institution, Cal Poly Pomona. This is more of a teaching institution rather than being research driven. I enjoy the idea of teaching, but the idea of having to write grants and proposals along with teaching is not something I am interested in. The point that stuck with me the most was “The missing Item.” The skill of communication is pivotal to further success. I have always heard that, but I had not heard it put into such a concise manner. “You must be understood by the whole audience.” This idea will stay with me for a long time. I feel like my communication skills are not as good as they could be. These skills will be made better by practicing more, but also by implementing the presentation breakdown presented. I believe that as new graduate students we want to leave our mark and impress those that are more experienced than us. In doing so we want to speak in complicated jargon and show that we have a good understanding of the material. So when it is time to give a presentation we fill it with complex formulas and speak in complicated vocabulary. This is completely the incorrect approach! The information should be presented in such a way that, “I am talking to my grandmother.” From the whole presentation the main takeaway is having good communications skills. Working on these skills will mean being able to convey the results of work. You can have the most revolutionary invention, but if you cannot convey to your audience the importance of it or how you created it then it is useless. Listening to this presentation has made me want to work on both my presentation skills and on creating a better power point presentation. Another thing that the presentation made me do was write down my goals. I have come up with the following: • Attend grad school back home in California and obtain my PhD. • Help students in East Los Angeles attend college Establish an organization that will provide scholarships, tutoring, and mentoring. • Teach at my undergraduate institution, Cal Poly Pomona.
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Yandong Guo @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
The first thing I learned from the seminar is about the description about different work pattern/styles in research lab, academia and industry. This is super interesting and useful to me since I am close to graduate and it is about time for me to think about where to go. Personally, after I viewed the lecture, I feel I like the research lab in industry more because I got the information that people can spend 90% of their time doing research. I will want to focus on something rather than dealing with people or fundings or some other weird things, while I do not care too much that I have to do something correlated with the industry problem. The second very useful point I learned from the lecture is about the presentation/resume/communication skills. After being a graduate student, I feel myself more and more difficult to be understood, which is common for a graduate student, I think or I hope. I used to blame audience for they can not understand me. Sometimes, I really hope they can be a little bit more patient. But the reality is that no one will be patient and it is MY responsibility to catch their interest. The structure that 1/3 time to engage the audience, 1/3 time to show beautiful solution, 1/6 time to technical details and 1/6 time to show the future vision is very impressive design. Moreover, the idea of “the 60 seconds rule to talk” reminds me to prepare a “60 seconds talk” for each of my previous research projects. And again, “the message from clothing” is another reminder that I need to find where my suit is before I leave the conference in early February.
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Omar Laldin @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
I found this to be a very helpful outline of the career possibilities for a new graduate; it is bound to help during the “job search” phase of the degree. Additionally, the suggested outline of presentations to a broad audience is also very helpful, though I presume some modifications are appropriate if one knows the audience is more technical than less (i.e. as in a technical conference). Though I started to lose it a little on the tunneling diagrams, I found myself more readily able to appreciate the technical content regarding dealing with matrices of large systems.
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Andrew C Marcum @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed the recipe proposed for creating good presentations. As a grad student who also currently works in industry, I found the high level description of industry provided fairly accurate (especially the 80-20 principle). It was really nice to see some comparison of industry to academia and government funded research; this will help me decide what I want to do long term. I didn’t find the example technical slides too helpful. I know so little about the content that even with the engaging presentation style, I found it hard to follow. Overall, I found the seminar very helpful.
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Wuyang Yu @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
At the very beginning, your speech revealed a lot for me the difference among industry, government laboratory and Academia as well as the difference among bachelor, master and PhD students from your wise perspective. This part would help me pretty much on understanding myself, understanding what I would love to choose as my career. Furthermore, the key point you conveyed later, the missing item repeatedly occurring in your previous slides which also questioned me, is communication skills. Yes, communication skills, a sort of basic and apparently irrelevant thing, however makes a difference and defines one’s success in some degrees. In the past, I was always focusing on the technical level. I remember in the opening report of my undergraduate thesis I was told by my advisor that my presentation didn’t describe well what I was working on and it confused those whose major was not the same as mine. Too many jargon and not enough background in my presentation. Nevertheless, your speech really shows me a few helpful tips on keeping attention and having impacts. I think I would review this lecture when I prepare a presentation in the future.
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Brandon Blaine Gardner @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
As a beginning masters student, I found a lot of items helpful in this presentation: I really appreciated the in-depth comparison of the different job types. I also liked seeing the difference between research vs teaching institutions. In school you always hear that communication is the most important skill, but there is little follow-up or action associated with that statement. I enjoyed seeing a different view of how a technical presentation should be laid out. I felt that the example presentation could have been better selected (easier for ECE bachelors to understand) and that each part could have been identified. For example, “This was my transition from relevance to solution.” I also enjoyed the part on having impact, but I wanted more advice on how to be impactful. Finally, I liked that you suggested ‘sitting on presentations’ to pull out at a moments notice. This really hits home for me, as I have had many troubles in the past piking up where others have left off due to their lack of documentation. Presentations are a great way to provide this in an easy-to-understand way. I also liked the question/response regarding what to do if you find you are unprepared for a presentation; this might be a good item to include in future presentations.
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Anonymous @ on
5.0 out of 5 stars
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Samiran Ganguly @ on
4.0 out of 5 stars
a very important aspect of career that gets neglected in the pressure of publications/results. a concise summary of what essentially MBAs learn in 2 years. hope it becomes a must watch for every NCN student.
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