Engage with industry

Industry engagement is increasingly important to future careers of HDR students, whether or not they intend to work in academia. Employers from all sectors report that researchers who apply for jobs have difficulty articulating the skills they have gained during their research degrees from the research itself (Edge & Munro, 2015; McGagh et al., 2016; Nous Group & Australian Technology Network of Universities, 2017). At the same time, demand for transferable skills like digital literacy and critical thinking has grown over recent years (Foundation for Young Australians, 2016) and employers are also reporting difficulties in finding employees that deliver the skills they need (Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency, 2012).

To be career-ready you will need to demonstrate that you have, and can put into practice, transferable skills such as:

Project management
Problem solving
Collaboration
Communication
Teamwork
Digital literacy
Critical thinking
Leadership - and many more

This section provides guidance on engaging with industry during your research degree, and on strategies to expand your networks and develop your skills so that you can be industry-ready when you graduate.

Training and workshops

Each semester, QUT's Graduate Research Education and Development (GRE+D) team host a number of events designed to help you engage with industry and innovation. All are specifically for HDR students and workshops are available in a number of modes, including online. Topics range from transdisciplinarity to entrepreneurship. Information about workshops and events is sent regularly to your student inbox in the GRE+D email alert.

e-Grad School is a virtual graduate school providing flexible, moderated, online modules to research students and is free to all QUT HDRs. Modules to help you engage with industry and innovation include research commercialisation, entrepreneurship, and public policy. Run over five weeks, these and other modules give you the chance to network with peers from universities around Australia while building your industry-engagement skills. Successful participants receive a certificate of completion. Like GRE+D training and events, information and registration for e-Grad School modules will appear in the GRE+D email alerts, delivered to your student inbox.

Working with a mentor

Mentors can be incredibly helpful in introducing you to professional life, new research practices, and expanding your network. They also help break down barriers between academia and industry and can help you develop skills such as communication and leadership. Mentoring can take different forms, from informal chats with an experienced and trusted professional, to a formal arrangement such as those organised through IMNIS Engage industry mentoring | ATSE. GRE+D email alerts promote networking opportunities at QUT as they arise.

QUT Internships

With a QUT internship you can put your skills to work on an industry funded project. You'll collaborate with an industry and an academic mentor to develop a three-month project, which is separate to your thesis research. Internships are open to both MPhil and PhD students, and domestic and international candidates. Find out more or email hdr.intern@qut.edu.au.

Industry engagement events

Each year, QUT runs a range of events designed to introduce HDR students to industry projects and partners. The regular GRE+D email alert will keep you informed about upcoming events.

Engage with industry

Training and workshops

Working with a mentor

QUT Internships

Industry engagement events

Further reading