Pitt Alumni Connecting with Trainees, or PACT, is a way for Pitt doctoral and postdoctoral alumni to engage with current graduate students and postdoctoral trainees from the University of Pittsburgh's Schools of the Health Sciences. Through this program, the OACD provides opportunities for you, alumni who are out there succeeding in a diversity of career paths, to get involved, lead by example, and help guide our trainees to even greater accomplishments!
How can you have a direct impact on the success of our health science trainees?
Be a resource!
Panthers Across the Globe!
Sign up to participate in the Panthers Across the Globe program! You are the expert in any number of ways, whether it's having successfully made the transition from academia into your chosen career path or having moved from Pittsburgh to a new location. We will always contact you first before connecting you with a trainee. Ways you can contribute include but are not limited to:
- Informational interviews, which are an excellent way to provide trainees with a brief look into your work life and for them to get questions answered about your career.
- Flash mentoring, which is a way to help trainees with specific questions such as how to optimize their resume for a job target.
- Simply meeting virtually to share your experience living in a city that a trainee is considering moving to can help with the decision-making process.
- Be that friendly face for a trainee who has committed to a new job in a strange, new city, by virtually welcoming them.
- Volunteer to take part in OACD programming.
- What is an Informational Interview?
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Informational interviews, or informal, question-and-answer style conversations with professionals, are an excellent way for trainees to learn more about jobs and career paths they are interested in. It is part of the research process as they consider where they want to go with their careers and is not the same as a job interview. During the informational interview, they will gather information that will help them determine whether the role or particular company is a good fit. This 15-30 minute conversation is an opportunity for them to ask you questions that help them understand aspects of the job that are most important to them.
- Watch informational interviews with Pitt doctoral alumni! UPPDA executive board members interview PhD alumni as part of the OACD's Career Conversations series to demonstrate how to conduct informational interviews
- What is Flash Mentoring?
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Flash mentoring, unlike a traditional mentoring relationship, is a brief and focused meeting with an alumnus with more experience, with the goal of achieving targeted guidance and support. Topics for a flash mentoring session include:
- Career transition steps
- Upskilling: what tools are needed to make the next step
- Career goals
- Work/life balance
- CV review and feedback
- Learn about a career
- Knowledge sharing
- Help navigating change
- Learn about the company
- Resume review
University of Pittsburgh Doctoral and Postdoctoral Network
Join the University of Pittsburgh Doctoral and Postdoctoral Network, our community at LinkedIn, and connect with over 1000 health sciences trainees, doctoral alumni, and former postdoctoral researchers!
Pitt Commons
Join Pitt Commons, where you can be a mentor, provide advice, connect with a peer, or all of the above! Engage with the Pitt community through an effective portal that has a multitude of mechanisms for you to help others succeed.
Email the OACD if you have any questions.