Mon, Mar 2 | 6:00 PM
Infinite Careers — Amah Edoh: Founder of African Futures Lab
In-person, Ford Building (E19-202)

Thu, Mar 5 | 4:00 PM
Graduate Student Professional Development Resource Lounge
In-person, Rogers Building (7-103)

Tue, Mar 10 | 6:00 PM
International Development Career Social
In-person, MIT D-Lab (N51-265)

Tue, Mar 10 | 6:00 PM
Infinite Careers — Kali Benavides, Senior Analyst at National Grid
In-person, Ford Building (E19-202)

Wed, Mar 11 | 2:00 PM
Fulbright In-Person Information Session
In-person, Maclaurin Buildings (4-153)

Thu, Mar 12 | 4:00 PM
Graduate Student Professional Development Resource Lounge
In-person, Rogers Building (7-103)

Fri, Mar 13 | 1:00 PM
Physician Lunch & Learn with Dr. John Leung — Boston Specialist Clinic
In-person, Rogers Building (7-103)

Wed, Mar 18 | 1:00 PM
Explore Fulbright: Norway
In-person, Rogers Building (7-103)

Thu, Mar 19 | 4:00 PM
Graduate Student Professional Development Resource Lounge
In-person, Rogers Building (7-103)

Thu, Feb 12 | 2:00 PM
Fulbright Virtual Information Session (Virtual)

Wed, Feb 18 | 1:30 PM
Careers in Patent Law for PhDs & Postdocs
In-person, E19-202 (Ford Building)

Mon, Feb 23 | 12:00 PM
Physician Lunch & Learn with Dr. Lucy Shen
In-person, Rogers Building (7)

Mon, Feb 23 | 5:00 PM
Legal Career Options for STEM Students
In-person, Maclaurin Buildings (4)

Tue, Feb 24 | 6:00 PM
Infinite Careers: Francesca DeMeo — Research Scientist at MIT & CEO of NoStove, Inc.
In-person, location TBD

*not on flyer

Wed, Feb 25 | 1:00 PM
Explore Fulbright: Turkey (Türkiye)
In-person, Rogers Building (7)

Fri, Feb 27 | 10:00 AM
How to Succeed in Your Squiggly Career
In-person, Maclaurin Buildings (10)

Fri, Feb 27 | 2:00 PM
Coffee Chats with Alpha AI Engineering (For 1st & 2nd Years)
In-person

This CAPD event is open to MIT juniors, seniors, graduate students, and alumni.

Please indicate any accommodation needs by completing the following survey: https://airtable.com/shrfsjcovcoDIN0da

Note: Accommodation requests should be submitted one week in advance of an event. If accommodations are not possible due to the late timing of the request, a team member will reach out to you to discuss alternative resources and/or solutions.

Additionally, we have a unique opportunity for a small group to have lunch with Helen and Sarah from noon – 1pm for more personalized feedback and coaching (Sign up for the lunch)!

In these sessions, Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis will share practical tools for learning, growth, and navigating non-linear (“squiggly”) careers. Sessions include Learn like a lobster, focused on continuous, self-directed learning through challenge and change, and How to Succeed in your squiggly career, which explores key skills such as values, strengths, confidence, community, and career possibilities.

All attendees will receive a free copy of their new book, Learn Like a Lobster.

Attendees may RSVP for one or both workshops, with an additional opportunity for a small-group lunch and personalized coaching.

Helen and Sarah are the authors of the upcoming book Learn Like a Lobster, two Sunday Times bestsellers (The Squiggly Career and You Coach You), and hosts of the popular Squiggly Careers podcast. Their TEDx talk “The best career path isn’t always a straight line” has been watched by 2 million people and together they have worked with hundreds of organizations to develop the skills to succeed in today’s increasingly squiggly careers

Watch their TEDx talk below:

Session 1: Learn like a lobster

We used to go to work to learn to do the job, and now learning is the job.
In our ever-changing careers, we need a new way to learn that feels achievable for everybody, reflects our busy working reality, and feels motivating and useful to do. Enter the lobster….

Lobsters have three fascinating features that make them a brilliant role model for learning and growth:

1. Lobsters never stop growing.
   In this session, we’ll teach you how to use experiments, questions, and data so that you can learn as you go.
2. Lobsters grow the most in their hard moments, when they shed their shell and experience vulnerability.
   We all have shell-shedding moments, and we’ll help you turn these moments of feedback, failure, and challenge into opportunities for new learning.
3. Lobsters fuel their own growth by eating the shell they shed.
   We’ll share simple ways to lead your own learning and be resourceful with your development, so you can create learning rather than wait for it to come to you.

Because when you learn, you grow.

Session 2: How to succeed in your squiggly career.

Career ladders have been the default for development for far too long. But careers aren’t linear, and the world we’re working in is not as predictable as the ladder implies. Squiggly careers give people a new way to think about their development—one that reflects the reality of the world we work in and the individuality of the work we want to do.

There are five skills that help people succeed in their squiggly career. In this session, best-selling authors Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis will share how:

• Knowing your values—the things that motivate and drive you
• Working with your strengths—the things that give you energy and that you want to be known for
• Caging your confidence gremlins—the beliefs that hold you back
• Developing a community—the people you can learn from and grow with
• Exploring your possibilities—the ideas and options that expand your future choices

…can help you take ownership of your development and succeed in your career.

MIT students recently visited the MathWorks Lakeside Campus in Natick, MA, for a Women in Tech Trek—an event designed for those exploring careers in technology and engineering. The program introduced the Engineering Development Group (EDG), provided time to meet with MathWorks staff in a Q&A format, offered a tour of the workspace, and concluded with a hands-on MATLAB activity.

Takeaway 1: Explore to shape your career trajectory

The session opened with Engineering Manager Swetha Murali and a panel of women from across MathWorks, who described the varied routes that led them into technical roles. For the students—many still defining their professional direction—the visit reinforced the importance of learning, experimenting, and embracing growth.

Takeaway 2: Growth comes from tackling real-world challenges

Swetha spoke in depth about her journey, highlighting how EDG supported her growth from day one. She recalled her early years learning to code, noting, “I loved finding bugs, breaking that software, and then fixing that software.” Her guidance emphasized openness and persistence: be willing to learn, make mistakes, and keep going. She encouraged students to stay curious and engaged, adding that progress often begins with a single conversation—and that communication and a willingness to learn can open doors.

Students also heard from Ellie Stevens, MIT alum and Manager of EDG, who described how the program supports early-career hires through rotations, training, and a strong cohort model. After sharing her own path, she summed up her philosophy succinctly: “I am invested in people, and MathWorks is a very special place.”

Takeaway 3: Show up for opportunities that build momentum

Students toured the building and wrapped up the visit with a fast-paced software challenge where they used MATLAB to test ideas, troubleshoot, and refine their solutions—offering a clear view of how MathWorks tools support problem-solving in data science and engineering.

MathWorks and MIT have a longstanding partnership dating back to 1985, when MIT became the company’s first customer. For the students on the trek, it was easy to connect with the company’s hands-on and collaborative approach to engineering.

For Salma Bouzit ’27, Course 6, the trek was a chance to keep building momentum. “I knew MathWorks by name, but seeing how their engineers approach their career choices helped me imagine paths I might take,” she said. “I always try to challenge myself and build new skills, so this felt like an opportunity I certainly couldn’t miss.”

As students left the Natick Lakeside campus—where a new building is underway, reflecting the company’s continued growth—they carried a clearer sense of what people-focused, learning-driven engineering can look like in practice.

Opportunities to apply for the next round of certificate programs are approaching in the fall semester. Applications for the Grant Writing Training Certificate program open October 1 and close October 15. The Research Mentoring Certificate Program begins accepting applications on November 7 with a due date of November 25.

All MIT PhD students and postdocs are enthusiastically welcome to apply. For questions on the Research Mentoring Certificate please contact Elsie Otero, Assistant Director of Graduate Student Professional Development at eotero@mit.edu; for inquiries about the Grant Writing Training program, please email Amanda Cornwall, Associate Director of Graduate Student Professional Development at acorn5@mit.edu.