Research staff have a unique set of skills to offer an employer. Our experience suggest that research staff can struggle to translate their specialist experience to employers outside academia.

We recommend you create a 'skills portfolio' to map what you offer and build a library of evidence you can use in applications, CVs or interviews.

The PFDC can support you to identify and articulate your skills, as well as discuss how you can develop new skills.

Translating your skills

As a researcher you are highly skilled, yet it might be hard to translate those research skills into a business or non-academic setting. We have created a Skills analysis document with some examples of how you can translate your skills for you to reflect on. Don’t forget to add your own experience with evidence using the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to your own skills portfolio.

Getting experience to become more employable

If you are making a career change, you may find you don't have all the skills or experience required for the role you want.

If you can find ways to gain these experiences and skills, it will help your CV and application be more competitive. It will also give you an opportunity before you leave your current post to work out which jobs will best suit you.

Think about how you could introduce new tasks or responsibilities to your current role, so that you are developing new skills and evidence for your CV. You could become the social media or communications officer for your research group to get to grips with new technologies or web design. If you need financial expertise in a new role, volunteer to do the costing for a funding application or manage a budget in the research group.

Both the PFDC and the wider College offer skills training to help you develop transferable skills and enable you to better articulate what you do (e.g. project management or public engagement). Look at what the PFDC and Imperial have to offer:

• PFDC courses and workshops
• Organisational Development and Inclusion
• Teaching development
• Public Engagement
• Media and News