It has been over a year since I finished my doctoral students in Communications at the University of Tennessee.  My first year as an assistant professor at the University of Louisville has been great – the faculty/staff are very helpful and supportive, students are great, and the environment of UofL is very positive and proactive.

I am still helping out current PhD students either in research or serving on their dissertation committees – and there are some things I think all PhD students are supposed to walk away from when they earn their degree and are able to put those nice three letters after their name.  However, there are some things I believe PhD students are not learning in their programs and they should be.  Several students have come up to me this year with a range of questions about how to be more productive with their time to how to create a conference poster and other insights related to the job market.

So, this has inspired me to come up with five things PhD students are not learning in their programs and some tips on how to become a student of the profession:

  • Writing  / Answering a call for proposals for a book chapter:  Many programs focus on how to write a letter to the editor of an academic journal or responses to reviewers of a manuscript submission.  However, what about the process of a book chapter?  This was a new experience for me this year.  I do have a couple of book chapters out – but I was second author.  There are many steps researchers have to take for a book chapter – writing a book chapter proposal, having a book chapter submitted by a specific time, writing letters to publishers / third parties about getting their permission to use their images, edits and revisions, etc.

    Karen’s Tip:  Come up with a proposal for a book chapter either right after your comps or before your dissertation.  It can be an in-depth literature review of your area and specialization, a meta-analysis, or a study you want to expand on for a book (ex. case study).  Look for calls for book chapter proposals from the main conference websites (usually divisions have this posted online or through the listserv).

  • Expanding research interests beyond academic journals:  We hear a lot of times in academia we have to establish our reputation within our field – which is true – but what about ways to expand our expertise and reputation to other professional fields?  PhD students need to be active in professional organizations like PRSA, IABC, and others to give them the skills in communicating/sharing their insights about their work in other areas.

    Karen’s Tip:  Look at your research and think about what is the “so what” factor – what would practitioners really want to know about your research?  Who would be a key audience that would be interested in this?  What about the most appropriate venue to share this research with?  Trade publications, popular press, and even professional conferences are good places to share your research and insights with.  Start consulting with small businesses and agencies as well as network with prominent professionals in the area you are interested in online through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.

  • Managing online reputation:  I am amazed with how many PhD students are not maintaing a professional blog.  We ask our students to do this, but why don’t we practice what we preach as well?  Maintaining a blog will not only practice your writing skills, but it will also be a platform for you to use on the job market as well as a foundation for your online reputation.  Universities, like other employers, will do a search for you online when you are a job applicant and interviewing for a potential job.

    Karen’s Tip:  Start a personal blog immediately.  Think about what separates yourself from other PhD students in your area as well as the specializations within your field you want to pursue in consulting, research, and teaching.  Start writing a couple posts a week and be effective when tagging your key posts for certain key words related to your topics.  Actively monitor your blog for traffic purposes and see what are your most popular posts.

  • Mentoring: I have seen this in my own experience as well as talking with some of my friends in other PhD programs – there seems to be two types of camps when it comes to mentoring in doctoral programs: Survival of the Fittest and the Yacht Cruise.  Students who fit the first category have to learn on their own what they need to do to succeed – reaching out for contacts and collaborators on projects, working hard to achieve goals, and the other perception is one where the student is guided through the program like being on a yacht cruise – always getting tagged on research projects, getting opportunities above others, and having the “helicopter” treatment each step of the way.

    Karen’s Tip:  It may be hard to work on your own and surviving in the PhD program, but this will make your first year as an assistant professor MUCH easier.  No one is going to be holding your hand through the process or hand you research projects and add your name just because. You have to earn your place in academia, and the earlier you can realize this and work hard towards establishing your presence in the field on your own, the better.

  • Stepping away from the shadows from Grad School Past:  Grad school and your doctoral degree is a stepping stone for you to launch your career in academia and the professional world.  It allows you to enter the world as an emerging scholar who is ready to take on the research challenges and opportunities facing the field.  However, while you may always have a strong connection with your program, there is a time where you have to move on and establish your own presence.

    Karen’s Tip:  Branch out and work with others on research projects not only in your field, but outside as well.  I have worked with researchers in Information Sciences, Health and Weather Communications, Social Marketing, Psychology, and Systems Engineering – which are all outside of PR.  It is good to have a range of people you work with on your presentations and publications – since this is what people will notice when you are going up for tenure as well as how they perceive you as a researcher and scholar.  Reach out to others at conferences with ideas for research projects or even through social media.

BONUS:  Another tip I would strongly recommend for PhD students today is to get online teaching experience. This is becoming an expectation for positions across the nation, and this would be another skill you can highlight for potential job notices and opportunities.  This was just one thing I noticed last year when I was on the job market, so it is good to start looking at the possible opportunities here as well.

In summary, many doctoral students have the foundations they need to conduct research studies, teach effectively in the classroom, and become a force in the profession.  These are just a few tips I have for you all who are either entering a doctoral program or are currently in one.  There is always time to look at each of these points and think about them.  We are in a tough job market right now for academics – and the more you can do now to prepare and distinguish yourself from the rest of the PhD students, the better!

Hope you all are having a great day.

Best Wishes,

Karen