Part 5: Unconventional ways to apply to graduate school

Hello friends!

It’s been a very busy past couple of weeks - and I finally have a little time to write this blog post (currently while watching Peaky Blinders). I just moved up to Saskatoon, Canada to start grad school! My previous posts have been dedicated to the grad school application process - finding schools and reaching out to professors. Hopefully, those have been of help if you’re applying this round. 

For the 5th blog post of the series, I wanted to quickly disclose some ways in which you can also apply to graduate school that don’t include researching professors. In fact, one of these ways is how I got my position here at the University of Saskatchewan. 

1. Twitter. Now, I will say, twitter has been decreasing in the science community ever since Twitter became X…believe me, I don’t get it either.  In all honesty, I still believe that a Twitter is a good account to have - especially if you want to expand your connections. It’s a great way for you to share your research, and also see what your fellow scientists are doing. Anyway, here’s an example of something I saw while scrolling through Twitter a few days ago. Mark Hauber was a professor I had chatted with at a conference (and he worked at a University close to me) and he reposted this advertisement for a Ph.D. from a professor I do not know. 

Without having to go through a vet a whole list of professionals, you can see easily on Twitter who may or may not have openings! It’s just another way for professors to spread their reach. The best way to make this worth your time is to follow professionals in your field.

2. The Texas A&M Job Board. There’s a high probability that every person that is interested in wildlife knows about this job board. If you didn’t know about it, its a place where interested parties can post job openings from volunteer positions, to internships, to post-docs. And, they might post MS/Ph.D. assistantships (which is another word for a Ph.D. position). Here’s one that I just found today. This job board is a great way to see positions because you can clearly see the salary and a detailed description of the research position. 

There might be more ways in which you can apply for a graduate position, but these are two that I’ve seen prove successful. I found my Ph.D. position through the job board, and I know multiple other people in my lab who found their position through Twitter. It doesn’t hurt to be unconventional! 

As I keep getting settled up in Saskatoon, keep your eyes open for the 6th and final post of the series! Right in time for the beginning of school.

Have a wonderful Saturday,