I recently transitioned from academia to industry. I was a Ph.D. student in particle astrophysics and now I am a senior consultant.

I am really enjoying being in industry and would like to address this question that I have been asked by Ph.D. students and postdocs:

What skills do I need to become a consultant?

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Let me respond not with a list of skills you need but THREE things you can do.

1. Realize that you already have the technical skills.

2. Don’t wait for permission.

3. Be a good communicator.

You have the technical skills.

Again, you HAVE the technical skills.

Do you believe it?

Do you believe in yourself?

You have to understand that you have really, really come a long way.

You have learned a lot during your Ph.D. and a hundred percent of it is useful.

Whatever the goals of academic research, it teaches you skills that ARE relevant to work done in industry.

I did not know this myself but I realize this now every day.

I use skills, knowledge, and experiences gained through my Ph.D. every day.

I don’t consider anything I have done in the past waste of time.

As PhDs, we are life-long learners.

Nothing excites me more than to learn new things and have the opportunity to contribute to meaningful work.

I get to do both in my job every day.

Don’t have a technical skill?

No problem. You can learn it.

In the meantime, you have so many already that you are a great fit to get started in a number of roles.

So, don’t worry about technical skills.

You are good in this department.

Do your research to figure out where you can apply yourself best with regard to your background.

I was able to find an opportunity that is a great fit with my background and personality.

You can do it too.

But how?

This brings me to the next point.

Don’t wait for permission.

Your advisor cannot help you become a consultant.

They also cannot stop you from becoming a consultant.

This is in YOUR hands.

Don’t wait for anyone to tell you that you can do it.

Don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot do it.

Don’t wait for permission.

You can do it. Period.

Give yourself permission to do things outside of school.

Network.

I don’t mean that you should suddenly know everyone and have this huge network overnight.

Start to build relationships and have meaningful connections.

This could be in the form of re-connecting with your old friends that you have forgotten due to graduate school.

Maybe it is time to be a good friend again.

I had become so focused on work in graduate school that I had trouble remembering who my friends were.

I barely ever saw them.

So, literally, get up and get outside of the lab.

Get some sunlight.

Go for a walk. Go to a friend’s house.

I was visiting my friend’s newborn puppies when I ended up networking and getting referred for my job.

Don’t think of networking as this really difficult and unnatural thing that you have to do.

Think of it as a normal thing.

Humans are social beings and need to help each other and talk to each other.

Networking does not mean you have to talk to everyone on the planet.

It only takes a few (or less) meaningful connections.

Networking means you DO have to be totally present and participating in high-quality discussions.

And, following up.

A high-quality discussion without some sort of follow-up is not productive.

So, follow up. Always.

Text, email, Google hangout, take your pick.

Networking brings me to the last actionable point.

Communicate.

If you are a good communicator, it greatly helps to distinguish you.

Can you hold a conversation with people?

If not, get practice.

Communication skills can get pretty rusty by never stepping outside of the lab.

So, prioritize either learning this skill or refreshing this skill by getting practice.

This goes hand in hand with giving yourself permission to pursue your own dreams and wishes.

Don’t get pressured into never leaving the lab.

Make time to:

⚫ Give talks
⚫ Practice explaining your work to people outside of your field
⚫ Have everyday conversations with people to stay on top of soft skills

Hint: be a good listener.

Actually and actively listen. Be present.

That will go a really long way.

Good communication is about engaging the other person.

This is why questions are your best friend.

Don’t hide or apologize for your inquisitiveness.

Instead, use it to your advantage to communicate.

Ask good questions!

During networking, during your interviews, asking relevant questions will:

⚫ demonstrate your interest
⚫ give you the chance to learn more
⚫ AND help you engage the other person

Questions are seriously the best so don’t shy away from asking them.

Speaking of which, what questions do you have for me?

Share them below!

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