Reynolds Center hosts A2i Negotiation Workshop

On Oct. 2, the Thomas L. Reynolds Center for Graduate Life and Learning hosted an interactive professional development session, “A2i: Negotiation in the Professional World,” designed to equip graduate students with essential strategies for navigating job offers and accelerating their career trajectories.

The session focused on negotiation, particularly for navigating career offers and advancement. In this interactive workshop, graduate students learned practical strategies for approaching professional negotiations with confidence. The workshop was hosted by Shane Williams, managing director and head of the capital markets and commercial lending practice at Bridge2Partners and chair of the advisory board for the UNC Charlotte School of Data Science. With over 25 years of leadership experience in investment banking and management consulting, Williams gave graduate students an in-depth look at how to evaluate and negotiate job offers. He emphasized the importance of effectively communicating their value and considering factors beyond salary, such as benefits, flexibility, professional development opportunities and other elements of a compensation package.

This workshop session is one of many key events in the ongoing Accelerate to Industry (A2i) series, a program committed to connecting UNC Charlotte graduate students directly with real-world corporate leadership. It also counted toward the Niner Career Challenge. Created by the North Carolina State University Graduate School, the A2i program helps graduate students and postdoctoral scholars transition to industry careers by providing clear career development and workforce readiness.

The center continues its mission to support graduate academic success and career readiness with upcoming programming, “Job Hunting with Intention: Finding a Culture That Fits,” on Nov. 5 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. It will be facilitated by Becca Schusler, director of wellness at Atlantic Packaging. For details and registration, visit the Reynolds Center event portal.