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Writing a PhD in your second language: 7 reasons you’re doing great and 5 ways to do even better

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Writing a PhD in your second language: 7 reasons you’re doing great and 5 ways to do even better

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Students who don't speak English as their first language are often very worried about writing an 80-100,000 word thesis. And many supervisors are also worried about the writing of their ESL PhD candidates.

But in the literature, we contest the 'deficit' model-the idea that because English isn't your first language you must be less likely to succeed. You're actually doing great. In fact, international students pass at the same rate as local students and often complete more swiftly. So the data says you will do absolutely fine!
If you are worried about your English, you find writing your PhD in a second language hard, or you have been criticised for you language by a supervisor, this post is for you.
The advice that follows is collated from the kinds of things I find myself saying over and over again, in coaching sessions, in writing circles, in emails, and in the breaks at Shut Up and Write. You are not alone, and you can definitely succeed!

1. Number one, most important: Stop worrying. When we read your work, it's generally really good.

2. To get into a PhD program in an English-speaking country, you have to have demonstrated you already have a really high level of English. We set this hurdle, because we believe it is the level you need to succeed in your degree. You've proven you meet the criteria-so you meet the criteria. (Go you!)

3. Writing a PhD is hard. You need to learn a whole slew of high-level, complex writing skills. Your native English-speaking peers also have to learn these new skills-and they will be finding it hard too.

4. You might not be using language correctly, or not understand a term fully, because you are still coming to understand the complex ideas that word stands in for. The problem isn't that you don't have good enough English for 'actor network theory', 'relativity' or 'translocalism'-but that these terms represent contested, unclear, difficult or developing fields of knowledge.

5. Unclear, error-prone or bad writing is frequently due to a lack of structure, or a sign that you still don't understand the concepts and data yet. The problem is often not one of fluency, but of research progress. (This is why early years writing is often very weak-it inevitably will be weaker because the project needs another 3 years of work to be properly developed!)

6. Blaming the language barrier is easy. Correcting grammar and spelling is easy. Helping people with structure, developing new concepts, or understanding theory is hard. Supervisors who don't have expertise with developing writers often default to commenting on things they know how to fix.

7. All in all, if you are finding it hard to write a PhD in English, you are doing it right-you are learning, engaging with issues, and developing new skills to be able to write a book-length, original, scholarly work!

Okay, so a lucky 7 of reasons why you're doing great and don't need to worry so much about writing a PhD in a second language.
****

That doesn't mean there aren't some strategies that are particularly helpful to ESL PhD candidates. Below I list 5 of the techniques that candidates tell me are useful to them.

First: What are your most common errors? (They are probably small!)
Typically in writing and speaking, we see that most of the trouble is due to one or two small errors that happen frequently. Common examples are subject-verb agreements, or using 'the'. The issue with your writing probably isn't 'everything', it is likely to be about 5 small things.

Make a list of the things.

Before you hand in a draft, do a read through just for that error. ('Do all my verbs agree? Let me look up the rule online or in my old ESL textbook again. Okay, start at line one'). This will involve going over your writing more than once, but each read through will be fast.

As you spend time on it, and practice getting it right, you will build good habits, so you will slowly write less error-prone text.

It's similar in speaking: 'r' sounds, 'th' sounds and 'p/b' sounds are common issues. Just practicing those sounds, and listening to native speakers to copy the noises they make, will improve how well people understand your English beyond all recognition.

Second: Improve your academic English in 10 minutes a week.
Spend 10 minutes every week reading a well-written book, article or thesis in your discipline for style, vocabulary and structure (rather than content or ideas).

How do they introduce their argument? What words do they use to signpost, or make judgements? Are their sentences long or short? How do they show when they disagree? What goes in the introduction?

Build up an idea of what is normal. You are expected to write using the same words and forms-so borrow their vocabulary and phrases! (This is not plagiarism.)

Third: Practice writing regularly.
If your PhD doesn't give a lot of writing opportunities before your third year, find other ways to keep up your writing skills.

Start a blog, find a pen pal in your field at a conference and write to them each week, keep a reflective journal as you research.

Join the editorial board of an academic journal, write for your student newspaper.

Keep writing, otherwise you may notice your skills go backwards.

Fourth: Write your drafts mostly in English, but if you get stuck on a word put it down in your first language.
(If you've ever listened to bilingual people talk, you'll hear them do this in conversation all the time.)

I asked a lot of students and they said it was terrible to try to write in their first language and translate it into English-it was so much work and so much is untranslatable or difficult to render into an English academic prose style.

Instead, writing in a polyglot style for your first draft allows you to make progress on your thesis, and then can go through and translate all the individual words in one go.

Don't spend too long looking for the best word. A clear, simple word is good. A close enough word is a good enough start. As you develop as a writer, or using feedback from your supervisor, you can make other word choices later if you need to.

No-one is writing perfect academic texts-we're all compromising and doing our best and struggling and being just good enough a lot of the time. You aren't held to a higher standard because English isn't your first language!

Fifth and finally: Long sentences, fancy words and jargon don't make you 'sound academic'.
If scholars use those techniques, we are using them because they help us explain our thinking better. Many excellent academic writers are proud of their clear, concise texts.

You will 'sound academic' when you describe academic thoughts:
a strong argument, critical analysis, deep insight, expert judgment.

***
There you go. 7 reasons you're doing great and 5 ways to be even greater. You're awesome-now go and write with (more) confidence!
***
This post is influenced by my experience with doctoral candidates writing in English as a second or further language. I do not teach English as a second or further language, or English for Academic Purposes. I do teach doctoral writing, and I do have almost 2 decades experience in the area.
I am using ESL as a catch all term, even though I know this term has significant draw backs. I sometimes draw on data about international students even though many international students speak English as a first language, and many 'local' students may speak another language as their mother tongue-but we have better data about fee-types than about family background. I'm doing this because people know what ESL means, when they may be unfamiliar with other terms, and that this is a term often used by the students who talk to me about this issue, the exact people I'm hoping will stumble on this post via Google search or social media recommendation. I also feel this term clearly excludes people for whom reading and writing in English is fluent and effortless, even if they speak another language at home.

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Writing a PhD in your second language: 7 reasons you're doing great and 5 ways to do even better

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Students who don't speak English as their first language are often very worried about writing an 80-100,000 word thesis. And many supervisors are also worried about the writing of their ESL PhD candidates. But in the literature, we contest the 'deficit' model-the idea that because English isn't your first language you must be less likely...

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Watch video recordings of our latest sessions, seminars and lectures.

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Hello. Let me tell you about my favorite movie, novel, and atmosphere of my favorite place. through the sound of a Winter Whale I hope you enjoy, comfort and rest. Thank you. 🐋❤️ - 안녕하세요. 좋아하는 영화나 소설, 그리고 좋아했던 그곳의 분위기를 들려드릴게요. 윈터웨일이 들려드리는 소리를 통해 편안함을, 그리고 휴식을 누리셨으면 해요.

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Newcastle University Students' Union, home to over 28,000 students, offers a wide range of services that provide exciting activities, great representation and fun social, volunteering and welfare opportunities to really get excited about.

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Close to half of PhD students are contemplating leaving their studies in the next six months. We need to talk about quitting with kindness and empathy - and some people just need to stop being assholes.

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Close to half of PhD students are contemplating leaving their studies in the next six months. We need to talk about quitting with kindness and empathy - and some people just need to stop being assholes.

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Many professionals decide to do a doctorate and keep working. @Jon Rainford did just this and he is keen to talk more about this largely forgotten group, and share experiences and ideas. Our tweetchat is on #VirtualNotViral 9 am BST, 6pm AEST.

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Resources related to academic writing.

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If you need to report Covid-19 symptoms, are looking for support or require urgent help please click on the relevant action button below If you need to report Covid-19 symptoms, are looking for support or require urgent help please click on the relevant action button below

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If you are an international student you are in unfamiliar surroundings and are a potential target to people who may want to take advantage. The British Council have a publication called ' Safety First - A Personal Safety Guide for International Students' that provides useful information. (https://www.nusu.co.uk/pageassets/support/sac/health/Personal-Saferty-Guides-British-Council-125-for-125-inc-delivery.pdf)

Possibly one of the more challenging aspects of coming to study in a different country is the cultural differences. This can be a dramatic shock to some students and can affect you significantly. This will ease with time but if you find this too much to bear then please seek help.

Newcastle-based Students only London-based Students only

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergencies on campus and if worried about your own safety or a fellow student (including physical and mental health concerns). Tel: + 44 (0) 191 208 6817. www.ncl.ac.uk/estates/services/security

Free app for all students and staff that connects directly to the University security team when in need of help while on campus - if feeling threatened, a victim of assault or robbery or in need of first aid or other assistance. www.safezoneapp.com

PC Mick Miller, Neighbourhood Beat Manager, who offers regular drop-in sessions in King's Gate and in the Students' Union during term-time. https://www.ncl.ac.uk/estates/about/teams/facilities/security/cbm.htm

Newcastle University London Student Wellbeing: visit the site here. Student Wellbeing provides information, advice and guidance on a wide range of student support issues to enable all students to maximise their potential whilst at university.

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If you are an international student you are in unfamiliar surroundings and are a potential target to people who may want to take advantage. The British Council have a publication called ' Safety First - A Personal Safety Guide for International Students' that provides useful information.

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Free online course 'Career Management for Early Career Academic Researchers'

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Discover the skills you need as an academic, explore career options and reflect on your career with this online course for early career academic researchers.

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Vitae - leading world class professional and career development of researchers. Subscribe to our website to access a wealth of information for researchers and those involved in professional development of researchers.http://www.vitae.ac.uk

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Transferable skills for early career researchers

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Transferable skills for early career researchers

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http://eurodoc.net/skills-report-2018.pdf

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We know we can't solve all your troubles, but we can give you tools to help.

Whether you're after everyday tips, sounds to relax your mind, strategies to cope with parenting right now or films to get you talking, we're here for you.

And if you think you could benefit from extra advice, visit BBC Action Line for mental health organisations offering information and support.

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BBC - Headroom - Your Mental Health Toolkit

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We know we can't solve all your troubles, but we can give you tools to help.

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Twitter thread of tips for advanced use of Word for writing and structuring complex documents

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Twitter thread of tips for advanced use of Word for writing and structuring complex documents

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In light of recent debates for the utility of Microsoft Word for scientific writing, I realized many are unaware of its useful features, as I once was. I decided to write a thread of tips for advanced use of Word for writing and structuring complex documents. Here it comes 1/n https://t.co/T93Eli37tC

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In light of recent debates for the utility of Microsoft Word for scientific writing, I realized many are unaware of its useful features, as I once was. I decided to write a thread of tips for advanced use of Word for writing and structuring complex documents. Here it comes 1/n https://t.co/T93Eli37tC

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@venpopov @IvanVoroninPhD 🤩🤗🙏 This piece of advice is seriously going to improve my life.

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In light of recent debates for the utility of Microsoft Word for scientific writing, I realized many are unaware of its useful features, as I once was. I decided to write a thread of tips for advanced use of Word for writing and structuring complex documents. Here it comes 1/n https://t.co/T93Eli37tC
— Ven Popov (@venpopov) May 21, 2020

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In light of recent debates for the utility of Microsoft Word for scientific writing, I realized many are unaware of its useful features, as I once was. I decided to write a thread of tips for advanced use of Word for writing and structuring complex documents. Here it comes 1/n https://t.co/T93Eli37tC

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@venpopov @IvanVoroninPhD 🤩🤗🙏 This piece of advice is seriously going to improve my life.

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In light of recent debates for the utility of Microsoft Word for scientific writing, I realized many are unaware of its useful features, as I once was. I decided to write a thread of tips for advanced use of Word for writing and structuring complex documents. Here it comes 1/n https://t.co/T93Eli37tC

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In light of recent debates for the utility of Microsoft Word for scientific writing, I realized many are unaware of its useful features, as I once was. I decided to write a thread of tips for advanced use of Word for writing and structuring complex documents. Here it comes 1/n https://t.co/T93Eli37tC

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@venpopov @IvanVoroninPhD 🤩🤗🙏 This piece of advice is seriously going to improve my life.

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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The trials and tribulations of writing in your second language: how can you make it easier?

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The trials and tribulations of writing in your second language: how can you make it easier?

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In this post Lise Leitner shares some strategies for writing in your second language, while writing in a second language!
--------------------------------------

Writing can be hard on the best of days. But when you're writing in your second language, feelings of doubt and inadequacy can be extra soul-crushing on bad writing days. So, what can you do to make things easier? Here are a few tips and tricks that have always been helpful for me.

Finding a good proof-reader whose native language is the one that you are writing in can really help you finetune your writing. Not only will you have the opportunity to go over your draft together and correct any vocabulary or grammar mistakes, you'll also have the chance to get some great feedback to gauge whether the point you're trying to make in your piece is coming across to potential readers. If not, hopefully you'll have enough feedback to edit your piece further and write an even better second draft!

If you can't find a proof-reader to work with, joining a writing group is a great way to get some feedback on your writing, too. If you're physically based on campus, chances are there are plenty of writing groups and activities to join on campus that will help you connect with other writers (like our very own SUAW sessions!). And if you're a student, there may also be specialist services you can call on to help you with academic English, grammar or proof-reading. At La Trobe, for example, The Learning Hub offers specialist support for graduate researchers who want to refine their written texts.
2. Write first, worry later

This is always easier said than done. However, one of the most efficient ways for me to silence my non-native inner critic is to just start writing. If you make sure you put the right measures in place to go over your writing with a fine-tooth comb at a later stage - like when you sit down with your proof reader after finishing your first draft for example - it's easier to let those worries go when you first start writing. Your readers won't see your first drafts anyhow, so don't worry about getting the perfect sentences down right away! What's most important is giving yourself the space to organise your thoughts and ideas first in whatever language you want, without judgement.

When I'm wrapping my head around the central ideas I'm trying to articulate through my writing, I often think in two languages at the same time. This mostly results in my brain spitting out notes and first drafts that feel like garbled, clunky ramblings at best. It took me a while to recognise that for me, this was just another part of my writing process and didn't necessarily reflect on my writing abilities. While others might draw their ideas out on a whiteboard, or have voice memos to work from, I prepare weird notes in a mixture of Dutch and English - and that's OK! Just because you're writing in another language doesn't mean you don't know what you're doing. You can trust yourself, and your writing process
4. Technology is your friend

Apps like GrammarCheck, Scrivener, or even Word's spellcheck can be a huge help in lessening the feelings of inadequacy when you're writing. If you're worried your grammar might not be up to scratch, these apps will correct any small grammar or formatting mistakes on the go, which in turn gives you less stuff to worry about once you finish a draft. It's a win-win!

While the tips listed above can't offer a magic cure for your worries or anxieties, I hope they can help you create a writing environment where you can write without feeling too self-conscious. After all, there are plenty of exophonic writers who have written extraordinary novels in their second or third language, and if they can do it, so can we! Happy writing!

Lise Leitner is a tech enthusiast and the Senior Research Communications Advisor at La Trobe's Graduate Research School.

Lise maintains and produces content for several of the School's digital channels, including the website, social media and newsletters.

When not working at La Trobe, Lise is writing stories or obsessing over the latest release videogames. Lise tweets from @lisekarel.

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The trials and tribulations of writing in your second language: how can you make it easier? (Lise Leitner)

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In this post Lise Leitner shares some strategies for writing in your second language, while writing in a second language! -------------------------------------- Writing can be hard on the best of days. But when you're writing in your second language, feelings of doubt and inadequacy can be extra soul-crushing on bad writing days.

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Writing Science: What Makes Scientific Writing Hard and How to Make It Easier

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Writing Science: What Makes Scientific Writing Hard and How to Make It Easier

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Insert your title and/or abstract here:

(or, click here to search using keywords)

Welcome to Jane

Have you recently written a paper, but you're not sure to which journal you should submit it? Or maybe you want to find relevant articles to cite in your paper? Or are you an editor, and do you need to find reviewers for a particular paper? Jane can help!

Just enter the title and/or abstract of the paper in the box, and click on 'Find journals', 'Find authors' or 'Find Articles'. Jane will then compare your document to millions of documents in PubMed to find the best matching journals, authors or articles.

Keyword search

Instead of using a title or abstract, you can also search using a keyword search, similar to popular web search engines. Click here to search using keywords.

Beware of predatory journals

JANE relies on the data in PubMed, which can contain papers from predatory journals, and therefore these journals can appear in JANE's results. To help identify high-quality journals, JANE now tags journals that are currently indexed in MEDLINE, and open access journals approved by the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
Additional information about Jane

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Insert your title and/or abstract here: (or, click here to search using keywords) Have you recently written a paper, but you're not sure to which journal you should submit it? Or maybe you want to find relevant articles to cite in your paper?

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Categories: Data Collection, Online Research, Other, Research, Research Design

In the first quarter of 2021 we explored design steps, starting with a January focus on Finding the Question. We learned more about the design stage in February by focusing on Choosing Methodology and Methods. The March focus was on Designing an Ethical Study. In the second quarter our focus will move from the design stage to the data collection stage. Our focus for April is on Collecting Data from & with Participants.

I am a visual communicator. If you've read any of my books you have noticed that I create lots of visual models in an effort to explain complex and abstract ideas. As a graduate student at Cornell University I had the good fortune to study with Joe Novak, who championed the concept map. The difference between a concept map and other kinds of visual maps is the emphasis on depicting and labeling the relationships between concepts. This approach resonated with me, and Novak's classic book, Learning How to Learn, is still on my bookshelf! (See The Theory Underlying Concept Maps and How to Construct and Use Them, which includes a download of the free Cmap tools.)

A challenge for researchers is that we need to not only design studies, we also must be able to explain our rationale to others. Is the design coherent? Is the purpose evident? These are two questions reviewers want to answer when they are trying to decide whether to approve or fund a proposal. Can you show and tell them how the pieces of your design fit, and why they make sense? Maybe a concept map can help?

This month we are focusing on research with participants. We need to be able to inform them in a meaningful way about what we want to do and why, and what role we would like them to take. This explanation should be in clear, jargon-free terms. The clearer we are about the study, the easier it will be to share essential points with others. Maybe a concept map can help?

Map Your Research Design

An underlying principle for the approaches described in is the need for alignment of research purpose, theories, methods and methodologies in the effort to create new knowledge. Such alignment is not unique to online research, however, a clear depiction of the design can strengthen the rationale for using online methods.

Four inter-related facets of research designed are simply defined as:

Epistemology refers to the study of the nature of knowledge, beliefs about knowledge, or the study of how knowledge is justified;

Theory refers to an explanation that is internally consistent, supportive of other theories, and gives new insights. Qualitative studies may be structured using theoretical frameworks, used to explore and build on existing theories, or to develop theory. Quantitative studies may be designed to test theories.

Methodology refers to the study of, and justification for the methods used to conduct the research.

Method refers to the practical steps used to conduct the study. Interviews or observations, surveys or questionnaires are data collection methods.

This visual map shows relationships of these components in a research design. You can see at-a-glance how the pieces fit together.

A research design concept map illustrates important relationships, not only what, but why each decision fits with the overall approach. This exercise is helpful, when you are trying to decide what methods to use with participants, and how their contributions will help you build new knowledge about the research problem. Use this handout to map your study, or download the free Cmap software and make your own!

Use this code, MSPACE20, for a 20% discount when you order the book from SAGE Publishing.

Relevant MethodSpace Posts

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MethodSpace is a multidimensional online network for the community of researchers, from students to professors, engaged in research methods. Sponsored by SAGE Publishing, a leading publisher of books and journals in research methods, the site is created for students and researchers to network and share research, resources and debates.

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Be the solution: how to really articulate your PhD (and other) skills to employers

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Be the solution: how to really articulate your PhD (and other) skills to employers

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'Change your perspective from "how can I beat the odds and win the tenure-track jackpot prize?" to "how can I be the solution to a department's hiring problem?"'
- Dr Loleen Berdahl & Dr Jonathan Malloy

Be the solution...

There's nothing like friends sending you photos of their home-baked halloumi and mint focaccia to make you feel inadequate. But, having been peer-pressured ( I mean... inspired) into more home cooking during lockdown, I decided to invest in a hand blender for all my soup- and sauce-making needs.

Never did I think this wholesome pursuit would be such a minefield. No sooner could I say 'purée' than I was overwhelmed by lists of 1000W power ratings, 20 speed settings, 0.5-0.8l capacity... it was like another language to me. Then in stepped one product ad, telling me that their sleek, white offering changes from mixer to chopper in one easy click, saving me time, workload and kitchen space. SOLD.

The offending, aforementioned hand blender

In some ways, these blender descriptions reminded me of some PhD researchers' job applications. Academia persistently encourages us to judge our value on our subject-specific knowledge and skills and our outputs: theses; papers; articles. So, when it comes to trying to impress an employer with our credentials, we often emphasise this knowledge and these outputs (or feel inadequate due to our apparent lack of such outputs) to try to make our case.

There are two risks here. In academic job applications (for example, for a Research Fellow position), going into detail about the technical ins-and-outs of your PhD may reflect what you're most proud of, but it often doesn't clearly indicate to the hiring supervisor how that PhD experience will help you to make their project a success. For jobs in other sectors, the risk is even higher. It is likely that employers in different sectors will have different value systems to academia, so telling them lots of things about our academic interests and outputs is unlikely to resonate or impress.

That's where the blenders, and Berdahl & Malloy's quote above (from their book Work Your Career, 2018) come in. Ultimately, in the chosen quote, Berdahl & Malloy take us back to Marketing 101: the difference between features and benefits. Whilst features are objective facts about a product or service (the 100W, 20-speed, 0.8l-capacity what-do-you-call-it in the blender ads), benefits are what give people a reason to invest in that product or service by explaining how it will help them to achieve what they want to achieve. The snappy description in the ad that I went for translated the features of the product (which meant little to me) into benefits... and I went for it.

This act of translation is what Berdahl & Malloy mean by transforming your job applications into evidence and arguments that you can solve the employer's 'hiring problem.' What's useful (almost empowering, I'd argue) about their approach is that it takes emphasis away from feeling like you need to hit every single criterion in a person specification. Instead, they suggest focusing on building a case that you can do what the employer needs you to do, even if some of your experience and evidence for this comes from a slightly different place to some of the other applicants.

They're saying that every job that comes up does because the employer has a set of hiring needs: a set of things they need doing or problems they need solving. Your goal in applications and interviews is to present yourself as the solution to these needs or problems. Even in academic jobs, not all positions are equal. Depending on who's paying your salary and how a department is pressed, the 'need' may be someone who can teach specific modules or diversify the department's current teaching portfolio. In other cases, the 'need' may be for someone who is going to submit 4* publications for REF or increase industry collaborations in their department. Tapping into the 'need,' in each case, is crucial.

Let's turn briefly to what this might look like in practice. I read a lot of cover letters and supporting statements that sound a lot like this:
My research is focused primarily on electrical power systems simulation, energy optimisation and power electronics. I have a strong interest in the integration of low-carbon electrified transportation and power systems. I have participated in a development challenge with the Institute of Mechanical Engineers to develop and demonstrate a hydrogen fuel cell locomotive.
In other words, paragraphs that tell me features rather than benefits. I probably already know these things from this person's CV: there's no argument here as to how they can do what the employer needs them to do in the advertised job.

With a bit of work, we can turn this into something like the following:
I am impressed by the strength of railway and power system research at X University, and believe my research would contribute well to the existing strengths and aims of X department. For example, my research in transportation electrification and integrated low-carbon energy systems will help to develop novel topics in low-carbon transportation such as Y, which will feed into the department's aims to expand rail research into the area of climate change.
In this version, we're directly addressing how our interests and experiences will help the department to achieve one of the goals that they're trying to meet by employing someone in this role: one of the reasons this job has come up.

You've probably already figured out the catch here: that to do this effectively, you need to know as much as you can about the employer's needs or problems in order to 'sell' yourself as the solution to those needs and problems. This therefore seems to leave you with two options:

1. Focus your job search on applying for positions where you know what the job is about, either through past experience or people you know

2. Get to know what jobs you are drawn to are really about, by talking to people who do them and starting to integrate yourself into their professional communities

Regarding point 2, I recently heard Christopher L. Caterine, interviewed by Chris Cornthwaite, describe this process as akin to anthropological research: a process of understanding the language of your potential audience, how they think and what they value, so that you can present yourself in a way that 'speaks' to this and addresses their values and needs.

In many cases this sounds easier said than done, especially if you're feeling the pressure to apply for anything and everything to get off your parents' sofa or to contribute to your family's upkeep. Ideally, it would mean putting the research in before you start applying. But even if you're at the pointy end of needing a job, Berdahl and Malloy's quote made me think: what if doing some of this leg-work research could actually save you time in the long run, rather than it 'wasting' time that could be spent applying for more jobs? You could put all your time into sending out more and more applications, but as the saying attributed to everyone from Einstein to Henry Ford to Mark Twain goes, 'If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got.' And if what you've got is a heap of automated rejection emails, then maybe it's time to switch things up.

Berdahl & Malloy suggest starting simply with the job description and the organisation's or department's website: have they set out a strategic plan, or talked about their wider goals at all? Google '[organisation name] strategic plan' if you can't find it, and think about how the role you're going for supports their wider objectives. All stuff you can do in your pyjamas. If you have more time though, take it off the page. Start with people you know: do they, or anyone they know, work in the area(s) you're looking at? Then take it wider: platforms like Smart Tribe are designed to connect people in academia and industry. You can specify the type of person you want to connect with, and get a certain number of 'introductions' for free. For wider coverage, there's always LinkedIn. Ask questions to get an idea of how their roles fit into the bigger picture of their company or organisation, and the targets they are responsible for meeting.

The good news here is that we're talking about a research process, and you're a researcher. Trust your ability to close read, analyse and draw conclusions. Your research skills are applicable to the process of job hunting. As Berdahl and Malloy sum up: 'do whatever work you can to assess the hiring department's needs. Research is your thing, after all' (2018: 187).

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Be the solution: how to really articulate your PhD (and other) skills to employers

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'Change your perspective from "how can I beat the odds and win the tenure-track jackpot prize?" to "how can I be the solution to a department's hiring problem?"' - Dr Loleen Berdahl & Dr Jonathan Malloy Be the solution... There's nothing like friends sending you photos of their home-baked halloumi and mint focaccia to make...

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Genevieve Shanahan: PhD Project & Knowledge Management

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Genevieve Shanahan: PhD Project & Knowledge Management

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PhD Tips Update: Project and Knowledge Management - https://medium.com/@GenShanahan/phd-tips-update-project-and-knowledge-management-577eac7d6445

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Read writing from Genevieve Shanahan on Medium. Organisation Studies PhD candidate, Grenoble Ecole de Management; interested in critical perspectives on tech, post-capitalism, post-work society, basic income.

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