Speed Of Learning Is A Key Industry Skill

Join Isaiah as he explains why speed of learning is a key skill that all PhDs, no matter their background should leverage when planning their transition

Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode…

• First, Isaiah discusses why all PhDs have top of the line speed of learning skills
• Next, Isaiah reveals the lies that other candidates tell PhDs because they are scared of their ability to learn new things quickly
• Finally, Isaiah tells you how you should leverage your speed of learning to ensure you get into your target industry job

From This Week’s Show… 

All PhDs Excel At Speed Of Learning

When I was in academia, I always felt slower and less intelligent than those around me. I’m not sure why, but years later I realized that most PhDs felt like this.

As PhDs, we hold ourselves to an incredibly high standard and, when left unchecked, this high standard can result in impostor syndrome, analysis paralysis and intellectual defensiveness. The first step to overcoming this is to realize how valuable you and your PhD training are.

The most valuable skill you have is your ability to learn faster than any other group of people. This is because PhDs are rigorously taught how to learn. After all, the acronym “PhD” stands for a Doctor of Philosophy, and philosophy stands for knowledge and the ability to ascertain knowledge, which makes PhDs quite literally doctors of learning.

Your ability to learn quickly, especially on the job, is incredibly valuable to employers. It’s also exceptionally rare. Just watch the average job candidate try to learn a new software program or Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Then watch a PhD learn that same software program or SOP. The speed at which the PhD learns, as well as the autonomous nature of their learning, is unmatched.

The Lies Other Candidates Tell

Speed of learning is a competitive advantage that frightens other job candidates.

This fear is often expressed through misinformation like, “You’re overqualified if you have a PhD” or “PhDs are too academic to ever excel in business” or “You can’t get a job without industry experience.”

Don’t believe those lies. Feeling blind in terms of your industry transition, feeling stuck in academia with no idea how to change your circumstances, or feeling as though you are begging to get hired or begging to get promoted to your next industry position does not have to be your professional experience.

How You Can Leverage Your Speed Of Learning To Get Hired In Your Target Industry Position

As a PhD, you have the ability to learn everything you need to know about getting hired in industry. You also have the overall value necessary to be sought after by industry employers throughout your career.

The key is communicating this value and translating your quickly assimilated knowledge into action.

If you’re ready to start your transition into industry, you can apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists. Apply to book a Transition Call here.