One of the things that I find interesting is that there are still certain stereotypes or perceptions for certain professions or activities. Whether it is athletics or academics or even in the professional atmosphere, these stereotypes have always been present and accounted for. The rule of thumb always should be never judge a book by its cover – and that goes with PhD students and professors for that opinion. During the PhD program and even in my new role as an Assistant Professor – these perceptions are still present.
The traditional mold of what people assume of a person with a PhD is focused on just only being about theory and research. However, I would argue that there are several friends and colleagues of mine that have a balance between theory and practice. They are able to translate the research and theories to how they will be strategically applied and presented in various campaigns in the real world. In addition, one thing I do believe that is missing in some of the graduate and doctoral programs is an emphasis on creativity. While it is key to look at what has been done previously with research – but what about new ideas and perspectives? Does this line of research have “it?” Creativity needs to be encouraged and practiced within the classroom and in research.
However, what are some skills we need to let the fellow PhD students know about before they enter the current job market? Here is a good article that shares this perspective with undergraduate students, but I would like to highlight some other skills and points to keep in mind for translating your graduate and doctoral studies into the current PR landscape in academia:
- Being able to apply theory to real problems and issues: It is key to be aware of your theoretical perspective and framework in approaching research – but how will this help businesses in their communication practices? What are some other trends we need to be aware of and how we go about solving this problem? These are some issues we need to be able to address.
- Don’t be afraid of breaking the mold: Most PhDs traditionally have come in the same cookie cutter shape – however, there always needs to be some variety in the mix as well. Whether you are coming from a professional program or you are known online as being a blogger – everyone has a unique perspective to share within the academic community as well as in their research. How can we advance as a field without these different perspectives to PR?
- Networking is important, but not everything: It is key to make sure you are networking and establishing professional relationships – however, there is a time and place where you have to do your own research and establish your name in the field. There is a point where you have to step up to the plate and initiate research ideas and mentor future scholars as well.
- Branch out to other fields and collaborate: Work with other PhDs in other fields working studying the same issue – look at their literature to see how this all comes together from both a theory and applied perspective. Interdisciplinary research teams are going to be key for advancing the research in the future. This also applies to other journals, conferences, and networking opportunities.
- Ideas can be stolen, but not your brain: One thing that I have noticed in being in academia is the risk of having research ideas stolen or having your work presented without acknowledgement of your contribution. This happens and ideas may be taken away from you – but what happens when people are approached with the questions asking what they are working on next? This is the key – ideas can be taken away but your brain will always be in your possession. You will always have the advantage of making sure to connect the dots with your research lines and study extensions.
- Serve as a mentor for academic community: We talk about how we need to give more to our clients in our campaigns and go above in their expectations – so why is this not emphasized in academia? We are all in the same community and working on research and teaching – so why don’t we share our insights and resources with each other more often?
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