Undergraduate students in almost all disciplines experience curricula dominated by the technical foundations, but lacking many of the "soft" topics that the students will need in order to be fully prepared to practice professionally after graduation. Professional Development and Career Planning: Guidance for STEM Careers provides the information that will enable readers to develop a more complete education and ready them for the workplace. It helps readers recognize the importance of topics such as mentoring, actively engaging in professional society activities, communication skills, innovation in the workplace, ethics, becoming knowledgeable about various aspects of professional life, and more. Each chapter of the book provides the necessary definitions, hypothetical but relevant case studies, methods and practices that can be used to identify relevant professional weaknesses, and ways to overcome each of them. This book serves as an ideal reference for any undergraduate student in the STEM field.

Helps readers understand the importance of career fundamentals such as conducting research, developing important professional attitudes, and becoming knowledgeable about aspects of professional life that are not an integral part of the technical component of any curriculum. Identifies methods of developing career plans, improving self-confidence, and ensuring that internships provide valuable professional experiences. Provides information about the use of alternative methods of thinking to achieve success in problem solving, with special emphasis on optimistic thinking and imaginative-based methods of thinking for solving multi-dimensional problems.