Career and Program Information

The best source of information about the English Program at Western is, of course, the English Department Website. Nevertheless, here you will find a convenient collection of links related to completing your degree and going on the job market afterward.

Completing your Dissertation

Completing your dissertation is a daunting class. However, it can be done! Indeed, many have actually completed the task; the GES maintains a database of completed dissertations from which you can draw inspiration. Of course, if you are still having trouble, you might want to scan some useful web resources devoted to the task and writing in general. Student Development Servies also maintains a handy page of links that will provide encouragement or commiseration, depending on what you're looking for. Western is also home to a number of Research and Reading Groups that can provide support and feedback on your research.

Then again, if you are just looking for a quiet place to work, you may be interested in applying for study space in Weldon Library.

Professionalization

In the meantime, take advantage of Western's many professionalization resources that are available to you. The English Department maintains a page of career resources for people interested in academic and non-academic lives, post-grad school, and also runs a series of seminars and workshops related to graduate development and placement. For more information on this series, please contact Mary Helen McMurran.

There are numerous online resources to assist your academic job hunt as well; University Affairs, a magazine "for and about Canada's university community," often publishes articles dealing with professionalization and also maintains a database of jobs. The Chronicle of Higher Education, an American publication, pursues a similar mandate and likewise offers a job search engine that extends beyond Canadian borders as well as career news and advice.

If you are looking for opportunities to present your research, look no farther than UPenn's CFP Page, which publishes Calls for Papers for countless conferences and publications. You may also want to find an H-Net discussion list related to your field and engage with other scholars with similar interests.

UWO's Career Centre also offers a number of useful career resources, including workshops, a job search tool, job fairs, mock interview tools, and the Backpack 2 Briefcase series of events. Please visit their website for more information.