The HDR Experience and Employability Project

The HDR Experience and Employability Project is an initiative of a consortium of eight Queensland universities and was co-funded with the support of the Queensland Government’s International Education and Training Partnership Fund. The project focused on enhancing the leadership and professional capabilities of HDR candidates and has produced a series of employability guides inspired by 60 HDR ambassadors who attended a conference in June 2018. These guides cover a range of topics aimed at supporting and developing higher degree by research (HDR) candidates to plan for their future careers

HDR Guide to Employability

Explores issues relating to employability such as the impact of global trends on the world of work and the key employability skills to consider now and for the future.

Guide to the HDR Job Market

Focuses on the HDR job market and how you can best position yourself for your future career.

HDR Skills Guide: assessing and developing your skills

Guides you through the process of recognising the qualities and skills you have obtained, and identifying skills that may require further development.

HDR Guide to Professional Branding

Explores the concept of professional branding including strategies, common mistakes, and the pros and cons of a range of digital platforms.

HDR Guide to Networking

Provides practical networking guidance and strategies for developing and maintaining professional relationships.

HDR Guide to Demonstrating Employability

Explores how you can strategically articulate and highlight your skills, capabilities and experiences to demonstrate your employability to potential employers.

HDR Career-Buddy Guide

Provides practical guidance for building a career-buddy relationship and explores how these mutually beneficial connections can enhance your employability.

Project outcomes

Participants and organisers describe the project and conference

About the project

The HDR Experience and Employability Project is an initiative of a consortium of eight Queensland universities and was co-funded with the support of the Queensland Government’s International Education and Training Partnership Fund, managed by Study Queensland within Trade and Investment Queensland. The project focused on enhancing the leadership and professional capabilities of Queensland HDR candidates.

Key project objectives:

  • Assist HDR candidates to develop their employability skills
  • Create a network of international HDR ambassadors
  • Build cultural competency and global citizenship capabilities in HDR candidates.

The project aimed to achieve these objectives by:

  • Delivering an employability themed conference for 60 international HDR candidates representing 8 Queensland universities
  • Delivering a range of online leadership, career, and professional development resources
  • Piloting an HDR career-buddy initiative;
  • Developing a leadership network of HDR ambassadors.

Although the project is targeted towards the 3,000+ international HDR candidates in Queensland, the resources developed will be shared with all HDR candidates in Australia.

Griffith Graduate Research School

Contact GGRS for enquiries relating to HDR admission, candidature , scholarships, orientation or workshops.

Office hours

  • Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 4.30 pm

Future students

Current Griffith students and staff