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PhD students often come to me with concerns they don't have skills for jobs outside of academia. You *absolutely* do. So here's a non-extensive (STEM-oriented) thread of some of them to remind you why you are highly employable 
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#AcademicChatter #phdchat
: 1/#AcademicChatter #phdchat
Project management 
- every day you manage a huge research project. Yes you have help and guidance, but a lot of that guidance is driven by you - particularly as you reach the end of your PhD. This means you have the tools to manage other projects too. 2/
- every day you manage a huge research project. Yes you have help and guidance, but a lot of that guidance is driven by you - particularly as you reach the end of your PhD. This means you have the tools to manage other projects too. 2/
Resource allocation 
- Throughout your PhD you might order chemicals/samples. You will have a budget and have to consider this when purchasing. You liaise with senior staff for approval of purchases, thus you start to understand financial management of projects. 3/
- Throughout your PhD you might order chemicals/samples. You will have a budget and have to consider this when purchasing. You liaise with senior staff for approval of purchases, thus you start to understand financial management of projects. 3/
Supervision 
- Throughout your PhD program you will likely co-supervise new PhD students, or undergraduate research projects. During this time you are learning valuable people management skills. 4/
- Throughout your PhD program you will likely co-supervise new PhD students, or undergraduate research projects. During this time you are learning valuable people management skills. 4/
Critical thinking 
- You are learning every day to critically assess and evaluate data and research directions. This enables you to make quick decisions about project next steps which is vital for industry and beyond. 5/
- You are learning every day to critically assess and evaluate data and research directions. This enables you to make quick decisions about project next steps which is vital for industry and beyond. 5/
Subject matter expert 
- Throughout the PhD program, you (yes you) are becoming a world leading expert in your subject area. By the end of your PhD you are likely the world's leading expert in your niche area. 6/
- Throughout the PhD program, you (yes you) are becoming a world leading expert in your subject area. By the end of your PhD you are likely the world's leading expert in your niche area. 6/
Collaborative working 
- You have developed a range of skills working with a team of people. This can even be "international collaborative research programs" which sounds fancy on your CV, because it is! 7/
- You have developed a range of skills working with a team of people. This can even be "international collaborative research programs" which sounds fancy on your CV, because it is! 7/
Working with stakeholders 
- if you have industrial input, or input from other groups you work with a range of stakeholders. This means you have had to learn how to communicate your work effectively to different people with different levels of understanding/backgrounds 8/
- if you have industrial input, or input from other groups you work with a range of stakeholders. This means you have had to learn how to communicate your work effectively to different people with different levels of understanding/backgrounds 8/
Ability to learn (and quickly) 
- Perhaps one of the most important, you've proven you can learn quickly. You may not find the "most best fitting" job for you, BUT you can research rapidly and ultimately become an expert in a new area as you've learned all the skills to do so 9/
- Perhaps one of the most important, you've proven you can learn quickly. You may not find the "most best fitting" job for you, BUT you can research rapidly and ultimately become an expert in a new area as you've learned all the skills to do so 9/
These are just some of the skills you have, which you may not have thought about before. It's important to note how diverse your skillsets are. And if you are sat there thinking "no I don't" I promise you it's impostor syndrome! What other skills do you think PhD students have?
