Kay Kimball Gruder

Associate Director, Graduate Student & Postdoc Career Programs and Services | Pronouns: she/her/hers

In my role, I lead and manage career service and programming operations that center on the career development of graduate students (master’s and doctoral), international students (undergraduate and graduate), and postdoc fellows. I enjoy advocating for career needs in and beyond academic departments, supporting career diversity exploration, and contributing toward greater transparency in career outcomes. I frequently consult with faculty and departments that seek to integrate career milestones within degree programs and curricula, addressing barriers to career success. I also enjoy one-on-one career coaching appointments, providing an attentive space for individuals to pause, reflect, wonder, discover, design, and move forward toward career options and opportunities.

Bio

Hometown: Altamont, New York

Things I enjoy: Being in community with others, engaging in all sorts of outdoor pursuits (camping, skiing, hiking, gardening, etc.), learning about educational technology, family-time focused on cooking, games, and conversations about societal trends and issues, serving in community organizations, and traveling without a plan.

Advice to students:

Consider career exploration and preparation as a daily practice. This can include reading job postings to understand what employers seek, following the career journey of someone of interest to you, meeting new people, staying curious about career paths and outcomes, gaining skills not acquired in your degree program but essential to being a strong job candidate, and exploring and engaging in opportunities.

Think of career in the plural, as in “…my future careers…” With so many skills and competencies being transferable to different roles you are rarely limited to a single career!

Build bridges and networks to options and opportunities, be both intentional and open to the unexpected.

Recognize that there are usually many (right) approaches to reaching and REVISING your career goals and desired outcomes.

Remember that you are more than your degree!

Education

Lesley University, Cambridge, MA M. Ed. 

Favorite Project: An internship in the Office of Student Affairs at Boston College that focused on gathering and writing a report on strategic initiatives for the future of the institution

Bennington College, Bennington, VT B.A. Social Science and Music

Favorite Project: Senior thesis on the role of subliminal psychology/persuasion in advertising.

Previous Roles

  • Career Consultant – UConn Center for Career Development, Storrs, CT
  • Admissions Representative – New England Institute of Technology, East Greenwich, RI
  • Owner – Successful College Parenting (online platform)
  • Associate Director, Filene Center for Work & Learning, Wheaton College, Norton, MA

Contact

(860) 486-6927 Storrs, CT | kay.gruder@uconn.edu
Schedule an Appointment
Connect on LinkedIn

All Posts

When Employers Give Advice Students Listen!

Curious about what makes a job candidate stand out?

At Employer Insights on September 25, 2019, Lindsey Patruno and Ashley Martin, Senior Account Managers and Field Recruiters from Amica Mutual Insurance Company shared perspectives about strong job applicants, great interviews, …

By Kay Kimball Gruder
Kay Kimball Gruder Associate Director, Graduate Student & Postdoc Career Programs and Services | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Read more

Standing Out in Group Interviews

What Is A Group Interview?

A group interview is when an employer interviews several candidates, at the same time, in the same room. The interview might be set-up in any number of ways. Sometimes the format is a panel with …

By Kay Kimball Gruder
Kay Kimball Gruder Associate Director, Graduate Student & Postdoc Career Programs and Services | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Read more

Different Flavors of Academia

Graduate students may be undecided about going into academia after graduation or they might be outright adamant about not wanting an academic job. But not all academic positions are created equal, and they might be narrowing their job search too …

By Kay Kimball Gruder
Kay Kimball Gruder Associate Director, Graduate Student & Postdoc Career Programs and Services | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Read more

Should I Even Apply?

An opportunity catches your eye, but your inner critic comes up with a long list of reasons why you aren’t qualified. You wonder…

 “Am I qualified? Maybe I am? No, I’m probably not, but what if I apply anyway? What …

By Kay Kimball Gruder
Kay Kimball Gruder Associate Director, Graduate Student & Postdoc Career Programs and Services | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Read more

Staying Motivated – In Search of the Magic Wand

We have all felt immobilized at one time or another, lacking motivation and falling into listlessness. Sometimes the feeling is induced by fear of the unknown or failure. At other times it occurs when 10 priorities are wrestling for attention. …

By Kay Kimball Gruder
Kay Kimball Gruder Associate Director, Graduate Student & Postdoc Career Programs and Services | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Read more

REJECTION — Now what?

It is difficult to receive a verbal or written job application rejection, or no response at all, and then eagerly move forward with one’s job search. For many, it is also challenging to process the experience and retain a sense …

By Kay Kimball Gruder
Kay Kimball Gruder Associate Director, Graduate Student & Postdoc Career Programs and Services | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Read more

Do You Know Your VARK® Preferences?

Most individuals are curious to learn or confirm something about themselves and VARK provides you with just that opportunity to do so.  VARK is an acronym for Visual/Aural/Read & Write/Kinesthetic modalities. The VARK web site has questionnaires that provide insight …

By Kay Kimball Gruder
Kay Kimball Gruder Associate Director, Graduate Student & Postdoc Career Programs and Services | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Read more

Make An Opportunity Plan

When your Plan A derails or does not seem to be coming together, people will ask “What’s your back-up plan?” In that moment you glance to the side and already feel like you are about to embark on something less …

By Kay Kimball Gruder
Kay Kimball Gruder Associate Director, Graduate Student & Postdoc Career Programs and Services | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Read more

Take A Vacation: There is still time!

In the 1960’s my father wrote his doctoral dissertation on the art of leisure. He worked hard, both at his job and also volunteering in our community. He also knew how to create restorative time within his very demanding schedule …

By Kay Kimball Gruder
Kay Kimball Gruder Associate Director, Graduate Student & Postdoc Career Programs and Services | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Read more

Six Seconds

Six Seconds

In about the same amount of time that it takes to comfortably recite the English alphabet, a future employer will spend reviewing your résumé. Chances are that you spent hours crafting your document and it is discouraging to …

By Kay Kimball Gruder
Kay Kimball Gruder Associate Director, Graduate Student & Postdoc Career Programs and Services | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Read more