In today’s academic world, many of us find ourselves overwhelmed by the sheer scope of our work. Yet, despite dedicating years to training, there’s a surprising gap in the foundational skills necessary for success. Imagine you’re training for a profession—let’s say as an electrician. But instead of spending your apprenticeship wiring homes, you spend it learning plumbing. Sounds absurd, right? Yet, this is how academic training often works. You might think a PhD prepares you for an academic career, but in reality, it doesn’t.
If you’ve ever felt like the academic system didn’t prepare you properly for the demands of the job, you're not alone. So, what can you do about it? Today, we’ll explore six critical areas every academic should be trained in, but often isn’t, and how you can start mastering them today.
1. The Consistent Writing Habit
Writing is the backbone of an academic career, yet so many of us struggle with it. The "boom and bust" cycle of writing—where you binge-write in intense spurts followed by burnout—doesn’t foster long-term success. Imagine if you wrote every day as easily as you show up to class. No drama, no anxiety, just consistency. Writing shouldn’t feel like a huge emotional hurdle each time you sit down; it should be a habit, a part of your routine. If you’re not there yet, it's time to build a reliable, sustainable writing habit. This is the bedrock of your academic career. Without it, everything else will feel unmanageable.
2. Creating Your Research Pipeline
In academia, you can’t afford to just react to the projects that come your way. You need to proactively construct your research pipeline. This means making thoughtful decisions about the projects you take on, based on clear criteria. Instead of waiting for opportunities to land on your desk, take control of your academic path. A well-defined pipeline allows you to focus on the work that aligns with your goals and career aspirations, rather than just scrambling from one task to the next.
3. Workload Management
Anyone who’s worked in academia knows that managing a heavy workload is a constant challenge. You’re understaffed, overworked, and there’s always more to do than there’s time for. But this isn’t something you can wish away. Effective workload management is a skill you need to develop. Without it, you risk burnout, stress, and feeling like you're always drowning in tasks. Start by creating systems for managing your time and responsibilities. This will allow you to work smarter, not harder, and maintain your well-being throughout the academic year.
4. Ideation Training
Do you struggle with constantly shifting ideas during your research process? If your project ideas keep changing and elongating the research phase, you might need ideation training. This skill isn’t something that most PhD programs teach, but it’s essential for swift execution. Solid ideation allows you to hone in on your topic and keep moving forward. Without this clarity, you risk wasting time in endless cycles of reading and research without actually advancing your project.
5. Mastering the Drafting Process
Writing a paper isn’t just about sitting down and spewing out words. It’s about having a system in place. Too many academics fall into the trap of drafting in a way that they learned as PhD students—jumping from one idea to the next without a clear, structured process. The solution? A staged drafting process with defined stages, from rough drafts to polished pieces. By breaking the writing process into clear stages, you can work more efficiently, and your output will improve as you move from concept to completed work.
6. Elevating the Quality of Your Work
It’s not just about quantity in academia; it’s about producing high-quality work that stands out. How do you take an initial idea and turn it into something publishable in top journals? Elevating the quality of your writing and research requires continuous refinement. It’s about pushing beyond the basic draft and truly refining your ideas. To be successful, you need to ensure that your writing not only communicates your ideas clearly but also engages deeply with your academic field.
Reflect and Act: Which of These Six Areas Will Move the Needle for You?
If you’re feeling frustrated with your academic progress, reflect on these six areas. Which one do you think would make the biggest difference in your work? Perhaps it’s building a consistent writing habit, or maybe it’s learning how to better manage your workload. No matter which area you choose, these are the foundations of an academic career that doesn’t just survive but thrives.
Let me know which of these areas resonates with you most. Is it something you wish you had learned during your academic training? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to share in the comments or reach out on social media. The journey to mastering these skills starts with identifying the right place to focus your energy—and if you want me to guide you through it, you can find this training using my S.C.R.I.B.E Framework, inside the Writer’s Collective.