Humanities students are trained to work independently, but no one succeeds alone. A smart graduate student—regardless of his or her career goals—should identify multiple informal advisers and potential mentors. Not all should be in your academic department, or even within academia.
And although many graduate students still dislike the term, networking is an essential skill in any field. The good news is that it gets easier (and more fun) with practice.
Where should you begin your search for mentors and a strong network? Right here on this website. Email Maria LaMonaca Wisdom for an advising conversation today.
“Friends of VH@Duke” coming soon!
VH@Duke is currently developing an online directory of both Duke alumni and advanced Ph.D. students who are interested in connecting with and mentoring graduate students in the humanities and interpretive social science. If you are a Duke Ph.D. student in year 4 and above and wish to participate, please contact Maria LaMonaca Wisdom.
In the meantime, check out these resources on mentoring and networking:
VH blogposts and other resources
- “Finding Your Way: Setting Yourself Up for Effective Menteeship.” by Edward Balleisen, Vice-Provost for Interdisciplinary Studies and faculty PI for Versatile Humanists.
- “Developing a Networking Habit.” by Maria LaMonaca Wisdom, Director of Advising and Engagement for the Humanities
- “Cultivating a Mentoring Network can Help Your Career Blossom,” Maria LaMonaca Wisdom
- “Networking for Human(ist)s” by Elizabeth Brakke (Ph.D. ’13 History), Director of Community Partnerships, Ohio, Venture for America
- Duke Graduate School’s toolkit: Cultivating a Culture of Mentoring
Online networks
- Duke Alumni Directory: Duke students, alumni, faculty and staff have exclusive access to this valuable searchable database, which includes an easy way for students to reach out to alumni who are interested in connecting.
- Duke Entertainment, Media and Arts Network (DEMAN)
- Duke University Alumni Network on LinkedIn
- Duke University Graduate School Group on LinkedIn
