Meet Dara Wilson-Grant

Career Coach. Counselor. Workshop Facilitator.

I’m Dara—a career coach and counselor with over two decades of experience helping graduate students and postdocs navigate academic life and career transitions with clarity and confidence.

I’ve worked with thousands of scholars across disciplines—STEM, humanities, and social sciences—to help them:

Set Goals

Explore Career Options

Build practical plans for what’s next

My Background

I’m a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and Certified Salary Negotiation Specialist (CSNS). I hold a Master’s in Counseling from Fordham University.

Currently, I serve as the Director of Career and Professional Development in the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at UNC-Chapel Hill, where I support postdocs in every stage of their career journey.

What I Believe

You already have the tools—you just need a roadmap and guidance to use them.

I understand the challenges of:

Career indecision

Difficult mentoring dynamics

The pressure to have it all figured out

Whether you’re exploring life beyond the tenure track or preparing to step into your first faculty appointment, my role is to meet you where you are and guide you forward.

Over the past 15+ years, I’ve led interactive workshops and career development programs at:

Universities

Research institutions

National conferences

My sessions are known for being:

Practical

Motivational

Directly tailored to the real challenges scholars face

Topics include:

Clarifying career direction

Building professional networks

Negotiating job offers

Redefining professional identity

Over the past 15+ years, I’ve led interactive workshops and career development programs at:

Universities

Research institutions

National conferences

My sessions are known for being:

Practical

Motivational

Directly tailored to the real challenges scholars face

Topics include:

Clarifying career direction

Building professional networks

Negotiating job offers

Redefining professional identity

Let’s Connect

If you’re curious about coaching or interested in bringing a workshop to your campus, I’d love to hear from you.

What Colleagues & Clients Say

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“Thank you for bringing human compassion into that space, Dara.”

Susan Rogowski
North Carolina State University
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“I highly recommend Dara as a career consultant… Her workshops feel individualized—even in a group.”

Dr. Diane Klotz
Sanford Burnham Prebys
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“Dara is a favorite of Duke postdocs… Her workshops are among our most popular offerings.”

Molly Starback
Duke University