Hosted by Imagine Learning
This summer, we will be featuring blog posts written by PhD students who participated in Career Services’ Career Exploration Initiative (CEI), a program that helps doctoral candidates explore their career interests through networking opportunities with advanced degree professionals. Click here to learn more about CEI.
Before participating in CEI, I had spent most of my time working in research and academic settings and had relatively little knowledge about industry careers or workplace cultures. Although I had been interested in education technology and other research-related industry roles, I often wondered whether my skills would translate and what kinds of positions I would be qualified to pursue. Working with Dr. Bromberg became a critical “0-to-1” experience for me in beginning to answer those questions.
Dr. Bromberg was extremely knowledgeable about both academic and industry careers, and he was also empathetic, generous, and respectful of my own thinking and goals. We met every two to three weeks. Our conversations began with learning more about his current work, his company, and different roles and responsibilities across offices. We then shifted toward discussing what kinds of roles I might be a good fit for, especially in areas such as UX research, product management, and education technology.
Rather than discussing transferable skills only in the abstract, we decided to work on a mock job application. This made the process much more concrete: by focusing on a real job description, I could practice translating my academic experiences into language that would make sense to industry employers. One especially valuable exercise was when Dr. Bromberg role-played how different employers might review my resume. He walked me through how people in different offices or roles might interpret the same academic experience, what they might see as evidence of fit, and where they might still have questions. This helped me understand that translating PhD experience is not just about changing wording; it is also about anticipating how employers evaluate evidence, impact, and relevance.
One of the most valuable lessons I learned was how to describe my experiences in terms of context, action, and impact. Instead of simply listing research, teaching, or project-management tasks, I learned to explain the problem or constraint, what I did, and what outcome resulted. This helped me realize that I have more relevant skills than I initially thought, while also giving me a clearer sense of both my strengths and the gaps I might want to fill if I pursue these roles in the future.
Building on this experience, I plan to keep updating my resume alongside my academic CV, using language that communicates the broader value of my research, data analysis, project management, and communication experiences. I also hope to continue networking, learning more about UX and PM-related roles, and seeking voluntary opportunities to gain relevant experience.
For PhD students considering CEI, I would say that it is absolutely worth the time if you are able to engage with the process fully. Career exploration can feel abstract and overwhelming, especially when you are deeply immersed in doctoral work. CEI provides structure, mentorship, and a supportive space to reflect on your skills and future possibilities. For me, it made non-faculty career paths feel much more concrete, feasible, and exciting.
