How to Translate Academic Skills into Industry Language for your Industry CV

PhDs often face the challenge of conveying their extensive skill set in a way that resonates with industry employers. The transition from academia to industry requires not just a shift in environment but also a transformation in how you present your expertise. Here's how you can effectively translate your academic skills into industry language to make your qualifications clear and eye-catching to potential employers

UNDERSTAND THE INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Industry employers are much less interested in a list of the things you did than how you applied your skills to create impact. Before they hire you, they need to have a reasonable believe that you have specific competencies and experiences that can contribute directly to their business objectives. So the first step in translating your academic skills is understanding the language and priorities of the industry you're trying to enter.

USE INDUSTRY-RELATED KEYWORDS 

Research your target industry to identify commonly used language and nomenclature. Thread those keywords through your resume in how you describe your skills and experience, rather than dumping a list of keywords in your skills section.

CREATE A SKILLS INVENTORY

Make a comprehensive list of your academic skills and experiences. Then, for each item, consider how it can be practically applied in an industry context. Here's a simple framework to help with this translation:

Data and Analysis: Companies use data to help them identify insights that can guide decision making and propel growth and achievement of business objectives. Consider how your research expanded perspectives, fostered change, or drove new initiatives in the academic or scientific community.

Communication: This is important for building relationships with team members, influencing decision making, sharing information to get to specific business results. Consider how your communication skills both written and verbal have been used to influence others' thinking, the direction, or outcomes of your work.

Collaboration and Teamwork: In business, the collective success is more important than any single contribution. Consider how your contributions combined with those of your research project team to amplify the outcome or result.

HIGHLIGHT TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS

When crafting your resume, focus on transferable skills that are highly valued in industry roles. Transferable skills can include things like:

Critical Thinking: Your ability to assess situations, identify problems, and design effective solutions.

Time Management: Balancing multiple projects, meeting deadlines, and prioritizing tasks.

Leadership: Supervising research assistants or leading academic committees can be translated to team management

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

In your resume and cover letter, explicitly connect your academic experiences to industry applications. Demonstrate your understanding of the industry's challenges and how your background and skills equip you to address them. So, instead of describing your academic experience:

Led a research project examining the effects of X on Y, resulting in a published paper in a peer-reviewed journal

Translate it for an industry audience, so they don't have to connect the dots:

Managed a comprehensive research project analyzing the impact of X on Y, delivering actionable insights in an industry publication with total readership of Z

Your resume is an opportunity to educate non-academics about the value a PhD can bring to industry. You'll typically have 60 seconds to make an impression, use them wisely.

Angela Priest

Angela is the co-founder and COO of Alma.Me. She has 20 years of experience as an industry hiring manager and has reviewed 1000s of resumes throughout her career. As an operations executive, she has built hiring processes, managed hiring teams, and trained hiring managers to build high performing teams.