2024 Annual Conference - Save the Date


SAVE THE DATE!

The 2024 Graduate Career Consortium Annual Conference will take place in June in Philadelphia, PA.   
The GCC annual conference always provides an opportunity for members to build communities of support and stay on the cutting edge of the field of career and professional development. At this year’s conference, we also want to encourage members to celebrate the impact of their work on the populations you serve, on your colleagues, and on your own professional growth and identity. As the conference theme suggests, when you “Love the work you do; Innovate the work you love”, there are numerous opportunities to share new ideas, form new collaboration, and gain new skills and knowledge that will energize you.

Our Theme for 2024: Love the work you do; Innovate the work you love!

This optimistic and empowering conference will highlight the importance of celebrating the numerous positive impacts our work has on the lives of graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and campus stakeholders. It will also be an opportunity to showcase and discuss innovative programs, resources, campus relationships, and data collection approaches that effectively meet the evolving needs of graduate students and postdocs within academia. As the birthplace of new ideas, and famed for being the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia provides the perfect venue for GCC members to lean into their joy as they share successes, accomplishments, and new ideas with our community of practice. Join us for an enriching experience that will reignite your passion, enhance your skills, and effectively position you for the next roles in your own professional and career path as you innovate your own narratives, identity, and brand. 
 
We will be excited to showcase presentations that span the diverse spectrum of the work performed by GCC members, and especially topics that focus on using data effectively, impactful relationship building, and next-generation programming and advising approaches.  
 
  • Harnessing data: We recognize the significance of data collection, analysis, visualization, and utilization in developing programming and advising approaches that meet the evolving needs of students and postdocs. We are eager to see how our community has embraced and integrated new AI tools to support the work we do, and how these might define our future efforts.
     
  • Cultivating meaningful relationships with campus stakeholders: When resources are limited, the importance of collaboration, networking, and fostering connections within your academic community, and with employers beyond, becomes paramount. The richness and strength of these relationships can be empowering, and can have life-long impacts on those we work with. We are excited to hear about best practices that establish and enhance these connections, and where you find joy in cultivating these. 
     
  • Innovating for graduate student and postdoc success: The changing face of academia will lead to unique challenges facing graduate students and postdocs over the coming years. It is imperative that we can stay on the cutting edge of our profession to play a role in addressing these. This conference will provide a great opportunity for GCC members to showcase groundbreaking programs and yet-to-be-tested, cutting-edge ideas and initiatives that respond to emerging trends in the field. Philadelphia is the perfect location to highlight revolutionary approaches that will drive our work forward.  
 
Our working environments have changed over the last few years, and everyone faces real challenges in the work that they do. However, as we reflect on the nature of this work, there is always an opportunity to highlight what energizes and motivates us within our diverse roles, and to use this as a foundation for our own career next steps.

Conference Registration 
Conference registration will launch in March 2024. We will be sharing all of the details on how you can register at this time.
 
Pre-Conference Workshop for New Professionals
As in previous years, we will be hosting a pre-conference workshop for new professionals. This full-day workshop is designed for conference registrants who are new to career development or to working specifically with graduate students or postdoctoral scholars. Participants will learn about best practices for the field, hear perspectives from experienced members, and build a community together. In past years, attendees have reported that this workshop helped them meet new colleagues, situate themselves in the field, and feel ready to build their career going forward. You will be able to register for this workshop when conference registration opens in February 2024.
 
Exploring Philadelphia
When the conference registration opens in March, we will highlight some of the attractions in and around the Philadelphia area that you can explore either pre- and post-conference. Whether you are excited by sporting events, museums, food, or music, or just want to visit some of the local universities, we hope that you will take this opportunity to enjoy everything that Philadelphia has to offer.