Dear Reader,
I have a love-hate relationship with the concept of “transferable skills” for professors, postdocs, and other PhDs.
Well-meaning folks tell job seekers “you have amazing transferable skills that will connect you with great opportunities outside academia.” And this is true; it also lacks nuance. The truth is that having transferable skills is necessary but insufficient.
If you’re trying to figure out how you can connect what you’ve done in an academic career to roles in a different industry, here’s what I recommend:
First, start with your values. What’s important to you, in general, as a person in the world?
At this point you might as well get clear on your goals and priorities too, because those will provide important context for understanding your skills.
Second, determine your character strengths.
You can use the free assessment from the VIA Institute to do this. Feel free to do more tests (CliftonStrengths, Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, High5, etc.), especially if you like these sorts of things.* If you’re affiliated with a university or other large employer, check what else you have access to for free.
Third, make a list of your skills.
When you do this, you’ll wind up with a mix of job-specific skills such as
- formatting a manuscript according to specific journal requirements,
- developing learning outcomes for a undergraduate biology class,
- drafting NIH biosketches for grant applications,
and transferable skills, which are more broadly applicable:
- proofreading texts for grammar, style, and consistency,
- managing and coordinating projects involving multiple people,
- researching a topic and synthesizing information from multiple sources,
- mentoring and advising junior colleagues.
While job-specific skills are valuable in certain contexts, transferable skills can be adapted and applied in many different roles.
You’re not done yet!
Once you have a list of skills for yourself, connect them to your strengths and values. Why? Because if you don’t care about a skill, or don’t enjoy using it, there’s not much point pursuing roles where you’d have to employ (more than a little bit) or build on that skill!
So…
Fourth, privilege skills that matter to you, and not just the ones you happen to be really good at.
There was a great thread published recently on Twitter that demonstrated the difference between job-specific skills and transferable skills:
Roopika Risam, PhD
@roopikarisam
My tepid take on the academic writing debate: I thought most of mine was relatively accessible (peer reviewers sure thought it was too casual!) but then I spent the last year working on the skills to really write for public audiences with the input of my brilliant agent. +
12:11 PM • May 16, 2024
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Dr. Risam was already a successful academic writer in her discipline (job-specific skills), which meant she had the transferable skill of writing. When she then decided to write for a different audience, she needed time, support, and energy to develop new specific skills.
“The last year of my life was a HUGE lesson in humility as a writer,” she wrote in her thread.
Another writer might have abandoned the project, given the challenge. But this work mattered to her—it must have mattered for her to see it through.
My point? Transferable skills speak to your general competency, but they don’t take the place of developing specialized skills required to succeed in different professional contexts.
The good news? You can absolutely develop and come to excel at those skills if they connect to your strengths and values. (Make sure they do connect if you don’t want to hate your life.)
Also good news? Many employers know this! If you can demonstrate the relevance of your transferable skills to the problems they need solving, and tell stories about your experiences that showcase your strengths, you are well-positioned to get job offers for roles and in places where you’ll be valued and respected.
Let me know what you think of this!
* Some of these tests are scientifically questionable, but that’s okay! Do them to give yourself a different perspective on your values, strengths, and interests, knowing you can accept or reject any findings.
What’s Happening
- PhD Career Clarity Program members can attend this month’s live workshop, “Resume Basics: A Guide for PhDs Applying to Non-Academic Roles.” Friday, 21 June, starting at 12pm EDT. Details in the Community.
- Weekly co-working continues! These are free and you’re invited. Wednesdays at 10am EDT.
- I also host co-working sessions most mornings on Flow Club. Use my link when you sign up to get a free two-week trial: Get a guest pass to Flow Club.
Related Posts
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You have transferable skills, but there’s a catch
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“Much the same kind of work”
A short list of transferable skills →
👒
On all the hats you wear
Transferable skills for professors →
Cheers,
Jen
P.S. Want to explore working with me? Visit my Services page to learn about options, or reply to this email and let me know what you want my help with!
Jennifer Polk, PhD
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