The skills of PhD graduates from the employers' point of view

For a long time, the image of the Doctor and the PhD was that of a dusty laboratory where scientists worked, disconnected from the reality of the private sector. This did not necessarily affect future Doctors, who were, for the most part, planning a professional academic future. But times have changed. For PhD students and Doctors, prospects are evolving in line with the changing needs of society. The data from my previous survey (lien article) showed that around 40% of PhD students wish to embark on a career in the private sector. But what is the current vision of private sector recruiters regarding Doctors and their skills?

Following a survey, we were able to gather the opinions of 13 recruiters from various, evenly represented, business sectors. Half of the respondents had themselves already completed a PhD.

The first significant element, which is encouraging for Doctors, is that all respondents without exception have already hired at least one Doctor within the last 5 years. And 70% of them have even hired several over the last 5 years.

As far as skills are concerned, recruiters each have their own perception of the skills they would favor in a future employee. Some are looking for cross-functional skills, in particular autonomy, while others are mainly looking for in-depth scientific know-how and knowledge. Still others believe that no single skill should be given priority over others. More specifically, 60% of the respondents think that analytical skills, perseverance, rigor, the intellectual reflection required for a project or scientific monitoring were skills acquired during the PhD.

                Recruiters determine the suitability of the expected skills during the interview process by discussing the Doctor's scientific background in relation to the company's business activity to determine whether certain skills can be used for the position applied for. The recruiter may ask the candidate-Doctor for additional information to complete this recognition of skills in order to determine whether the Doctor will be readily available and communicate on his/her work with someone who is not an expert in his/her field.

However, there is a downside: recruiters are unanimous in stating that the PhD does not give PhD students the real ability to project themselves fully in the corporate world, and this is because they are often faced with a lack of knowledge of the system as well as a lack of ability to grasp financial issues and competitive mechanisms. These "shortcomings" can be explained by the fact that the majority of Doctors have never been confronted with the business world. By being aware of this "pitfall", each PhD student and recent PhD graduate can educate themselves and seek to better understand the private sector in order to effectively demonstrate to recruiters that they are capable of working in this world. Moreover, despite their opinion on this point, some recruiters are aware of the perfectibility and adaptability of Doctors and know that there will always be time for them to get to know this environment once they are working there. It is therefore not a point that will be a real obstacle to hiring.

                The recruiters who answered the survey also all agree that Doctors are an added value for their company for several reasons. In particular, because for each Doctor, the PhD was a 3-year professional experience during which he/she was able to acquire in-depth knowledge. In addition, they are creative and open-minded, and are able to report easily and synthetically on the results of their work. As the PhD involves a significant amount of work, it also gives recruiters confidence in the work capacity of Doctors. Some respondents also mention the fact that Doctors will bring a new perspective to the company due to their difference.

                This survey reveals a positive and encouraging opinion on the part of recruiters concerning Doctors and shows that they have their place in the private sector. For their part, Doctors will be able to prove to recruiters that they are capable of fully meeting their expectations and reassure them through a shared expectation within the company by considering their skills in parallel with an analysis of their interests for the company. All the chances are therefore on the Doctor's side!

What about you? How do you envision your career, post-PhD? Do you need advice? Do not hesitate to contact the PhD Career Center: phd-career-center@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr