Unfortunately, almost all universities have their PhD curriculum revolving around the thesis work but one question that often comes in my mind is that is a PhD only all about the thesis? In the long and often stretched journey, should we not be picking up those skills that we may need in the career ahead. Knowing that I not authority in this, I would still like to take the liberty here to recommend some important components that should be a part of the PhD journey so that one is better prepared to deal with the challenges that lie ahead.
- Attend a lot of seminars and faculty meet: being social, building up networks is important for career growth and researchers do the opposite mostly. They are the turtles in their shell busy in writing their thesis as that is all they feel the need to be doing. Whether you are interested or not, I think a PhD curriculum should make it mandatory to attend seminars and meets for scholars to the maximum.
- Technical skills up gradation: The universities do offer workshops and courses for research scholars but often they are not mandatory so scholars shy away from taking them up and prefer to rather be engrossed in winding up the thesis.it should be rather a compulsion to attend these workshops and hone up your technical skills as they are amazingly helpful in the career life ahead.
- Go beyond the research spectrum: I would highly recommend that scholars go beyond the research zone and look to enrich their skills that would dealing with other aspects of professional life. After all your PhD is all about a getting a bright career ahead so why should it not develop your entire personality. Do not stay too busy just writing your PhD but grab those opportunities that would develop your professional ability and that would reflect with the add on you have in your CV from where the recruiters actually do your real assessment.
Remember always that prospective employers have expectations of things that go far beyond your PhD. In fact they may be not keenly interested in the topic of your thesis but look for more practical skills in your personality that could be used on job so while you are in your PhD, keep your thesis aside for a while and look for opportunities that develop your skills and grab them like never before.