I love learning about other students’ PhD experiences, especially those with different research background than mine. The skills, work environment, and challenges vary depending on the nature of their research. It is fascinating to see how it varies and yet some foundational skills you bring as researchers remain very similar in most research-based roles.
Often when I have these conversations, I hear students be very specific talking about their own research and techniques however unsure in recognizing their strengths outside of that expertise. In other words, many students underestimate their worth when asked what they can bring to the role outside of their research expertise in a particular area.
I struggle with this problem too. I have to remind myself to not sell myself short and that there is so much value we can bring to a role as a virtue of such rigorous PhD training that we receive. PhD takes so much time, commitment, and energy that I often wonder that once I complete my PhD, what would I gain out of it other than the specific research area knowledge?
My research focus is understanding the complexity of childhood obesity in simple words. But, other than this, am I gaining anything else? Am I worth being hired? If I lose interest in this research area or want to try something new, am I equipped with the right skillset?
As I navigate the job market myself and draw from my personal experiences, I thought of sharing what I have learned with you all. Whether your future interests lie in academia or industry, I am going to help you recognize 5 valuable transferable skills that you can add to your resume regardless of your research focus.
For those reading the term “transferable skills” for the first time, let me quickly explain what it means.
Transferable skills are the skills you can “transfer” or “apply” even outside your research expertise and get paid for it. Some skills are very specific to a particular type of research while others are transferable and more fluid. For example, conducting western blots is a very specific basic science technique. While it brings high value to the role, it is not transferable to a company that offers data-driven solutions for their clients.
Not to indicate that conducting western blot is not useful. In fact, it sets you apart from other candidates who may not be familiar with the technique. However, just like different ingredients in different proportions come together to make a delicious dish, you also need to bring a mix of non-transferable and transferable skills to stand out as an exceptional candidate.
Ok. Let’s uncover the skills, one at a time.
Critical thinking
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Understanding scientific concepts require imagination and critical thinking. This is a crucial skill not just during your PhD but even for your long-term career as a researcher. During the rigorous 4-6 years of our programs, we are trained to think critically. We lose the ability to answer a question without any context.
This is because we are trained to form conclusions only when there is sufficient evidence supporting the claim. Many times, this can be perceived as a weakness but in research-based roles, this is without a doubt, a strength. The amazing part is critical thinking can be applied in any job sector and while others may have to work towards building this skill, YOU have already BUILT it during your PhD. This is the skill to brag about in your interviews.
As PhD students, this may seem like stating an obvious fact or even a little exaggerated. But as you explore the jobs and talk to other professionals, you will quickly realize that it is a much needed skill. To a point where critical thinking is often stated under “required skills” section of several research-based jobs. If it was that obvious, it would not be stated explicitly.
Also, if everyone could do it, why would they care to mention it as a required skill?
Leadership
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Personally, if I have to state one skill that I will be forever thankful for to take from my PhD is leadership. This skill is highly transferable in a wide range of job opportunities. Regardless of whether you are a basic science, clinical, social science, or public health student, you will have at least one or two opportunities to improve your leaderships skills. Make sure you don’t miss out on those. Here are some practical examples.
Psychology/behavioral/social/public health students – training and mentoring graduate students on collecting data, handling large datasets, and analyzing it
Basic/clinical/biomedical science students – training or supervising some graduate students on a specific technique they want to learn or you need help with.
Other examples – advisors often rely on PhD students in their lab to take the lead and be the first point of assistance for other lab members. Other than actual techniques, leadership opportunities can come in the form of providing feedback on their manuscript draft or award application. Maybe you help them address a conflict with the advisor or a peer in the lab. Maybe they feel lost and you help them figure out what career step is right for them. These are all examples of leadership and mentoring moments.
No matter how impactful the research or efficient the technique, if you don’t know how to talk to your colleagues, have mutual respect and understanding, and the ability to work in a team, the research and amazing skills are of little use. At least in my opinion.
If your advisor is an effective leader, they will be able to guide and support you. If they are not, this is your chance to take the cue and improve your leadership and mentoring skills so when you become leaders and mentors, your students feel supported, heard, well-trained, and inspired.
Just some food for thought.
Read more on how you can make your advisor’s life easier.
Communicating science and public speaking
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This is a skill that is overlooked by many PhD students. We read articles, conduct our own research, develop a prospectus, pass the candidacy exam, defend, and graduate with a PhD. At each step of this process, communicating science is a constant.
For students interested in pursuing academic careers, this skill is valuable. Working in academia requires delivering presentations, pitching your research to your committee, presenting at conferences, or writing grants for organizations to secure funding. These are all examples of different streams through which we communicate science.
Surprisingly, this is true for a lot of industry-based roles too. As consultants, data analysts, communication specialists, and numerous other roles, communicating and interpreting data is a MUST. Not everyone understands numbers. But, most people can understand graphics such as reports, summaries, infographics, presentations, charts, graphs, etc. To prepare these materials for the lay audience or interdisciplinary teams, advanced level of communication skills and critical thinking is a must. As aspiring PhDs, you have this already.
This is another very important skill to brag about in your cover letter, especially if you intend to have an academic career or non-academic research-based roles after your PhD.
Let me emphasize this even more by topping it with another bonus skill that you will gain from your PhD – public speaking. I read somewhere that between death and standing in front of the audience, people are more scared to do the latter. Shocking, isn’t it?
It also gives you some perspective on how important this skill is. For some students, public speaking comes naturally while for others like myself, we have to acquire it. Whatever the case maybe, public speaking remains a part of academic positions. Might as well hone it while you can.
When you explore jobs, this is another skill often listed under “required skills” section explicitly. For a reason. Remember, not everyone can do it. Sure, everyone can talk. But, YOU as trained PhDs can COMMUNICATE your message and your science effectively. See the difference?
Perseverance
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Perseverance is defined as doing something despite obstacles and failures. It means not giving up easily until you achieve success. Whatever success may mean to you, as it is subjective.
Our intellectual and emotional limits are pushed to a great extent during PhD. We persevere through all of it. Whether this is dealing with personal life battles or struggling with the academic expectations.
We get unlimited chances to practice perseverance. Here are some real-life situations. You are writing a manuscript and for some reason, you have a creative block. You are stuck on one paragraph or section for weeks. But, you persevere through it. Eventually you move forward. That is perseverance.
Another example, you conduct a lab experiment more than 20 times. Still didn’t get the desired results. You improve your technique. Maybe you try a different approach. Maybe you seek help. No matter how you address it, you persevere through the process.
For those of you who are international students like myself, we go through our own set of challenges and persevere through them. So, this is a skill of high value and importance to say the least.
Now, when you think about your day-to-day work, you will recognize so many situations where you persevere regularly. This is a fantastic skill that we learn through our PhD and it makes us stronger candidates for competitive jobs. Be sure to confidently say that you are perseverant and give personal examples of how you persevered through specific situations. I will remember to do the same, too.
To sum up..
Apart from the transferable skills I highlighted in this blog, there are more field-specific strengths that you may already have and yet to recognize. But, I hope I did a decent job at giving you a kickstart at observing your journey closely and extracting the value out of your PhD.
Some other skills worth mentioning are- teamwork, ability to work independently (often explicitly listed under ‘required skills’ of job advertisements), scientific writing, accountability and time management, and mindset of growth over competition. Maybe I will dive deep into these on public demand.
So make sure you leave a comment if you’d like part 2. If you feel shy, just let me know by filling out this quick feedback form or DM me on Instagram.
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Featured photo for this blog- Photo by Sabina Sturzu on Unsplash