1. Do not start your hiring process until you can see your new degree on your unofficial transcript. This is usually a few days to a week after graduation and final grades have been processed
2. When talking to your SF about hiring, ask about the minimum requirements for the billet that will be used to hire you. Ask that they make the position one where your new degree is the minimum requirement. Otherwise, they will use a previously earned degree to determine your qualifications and your pay. As an example, let's you earned a Master's degree while in the SMART program. If your SF hires you for a position whose minimum requirement is a BS, that's the degree that HR will look at FIRST and it will be used to set your starting pay. Your MS will be secondary and will be evaluated to determine if it fits the position into which you are being hired. If it does, you should get a pay bump. But, this is not what you want. YOu want a position for someone with a MS. This small thing may make a difference in grade and step
3.If you earned a PHD, make sure the position is a research position
Are there any other things that phase 2 people wish they knew while still in phase 1? Share it here.