We want our talented colleagues to pursue a path for professional growth and advancement at UM as part of a fulfilling career. The best person to determine what opportunities you want and would be best suited for is YOU!  

As you look toward future career opportunities, we encourage you to thoughtfully consider and plan your professional goals and proactively seek out the professional development opportunities you need to achieve those goals.

Consider attending sessions in our monthly Career Development Series as well as creating an Individual Development Plan.

Spring 2024 Career Development Series

Top Ten Tips for an Excellent LinkedIn Profile  

Wednesday, January 31, 2-3 p.m., via Zoom  

LinkedIn provides a great opportunity to connect with UM alums and colleagues, keep up with the latest trends in your field, and maintain a record of your accomplishments and experience. This session will focus on how to set up or improve your current LinkedIn profile, as well as ways to utilize your profile as you network and connect with others. Cheryl Minnick, Career Success Director, College of Humanities & Sciences; and Nikki Marlowe, Career Coach, Missoula College, will lead participants through their top tips on how you can best optimize your profile.  

Creating a Community of Practice   

Wednesday, February 7, 10-11 a.m., Education 241  

Communities of Practice gather people with a common interest to learn from and share with each other. While our work can sometimes feel disconnected from others on campus, these communities can help by emphasizing relationship and network building. Participants will learn how to establish, enhance, or join a Community of Practice at UM. This workshop will identify what makes a successful community of practice and help you get started.  

Finding a Mentor  

Wednesday, March 6, 10-11 a.m., UC 225

The benefits of mentorship are evident, yet the path to finding a mentor may be unfamiliar or unclear. In this session, learn the essentials of fostering a successful mentor/mentee relationship, the distinction between a mentor and a sponsor (and why you want both), suggestions for how to identify and approach potential mentors, and how to contribute meaningfully to a successful mentor/mentee dynamic.  

Taking Advantage of our Employee Tuition Waiver

Wednesday, April 3, 10-11 a.m., via Zoom  

One of the great benefits of working at UM is the opportunity to advance your career and professional goals by continuing your education. Permanent employees working at least .75 FTE may have tuition waived and only pay fees to take eligible UM courses. This session will go over the process for using the employee tuition waiver, considerations when pursuing a degree or coursework in addition to your work, and lessons learned by current employees who navigated this process. For more information, review the faculty/staff tuition waiver website and the dependent tuition waiver website.

Networking and Relationship Building  

Wednesday, May 1, 10-11 a.m., Branch Center (2nd floor, UC)  

Building relationships and establishing goodwill with colleagues is an important aspect of career planning and growth. Networking might not be in everyone’s comfort zone, but the importance of relationships in getting things done remains fundamental. Join us for this coffee break to meet up with campus colleagues and make professional connections.

Fall 2024 Career Development Series

The Career Development Series will continue to take place the first Wednesday of each month in the fall semester. It will include sessions such as: Salary Negotiation, Individual Career Development Planning, Advancing your Career at UM, Salary Negotiation, and Networking & Relationship Building. More details coming soon.