Top Tips For… Being An Enterprising Researcher

The top tips in this issue are written by Dr Robert Phillips, a lecturer at the Manchester Enterprise Centre.

An enterprising researcher is someone who can spot opportunities, works effectively with people from a variety of backgrounds, understands the impact of their research in a wider commercial and social context, is flexible to changing demands and is able to use their specialist skills in new situations in whatever career they enter. Top tips for becoming an enterprising researcher are:

1. Network. Enterprising people are great at making connections. This includes not only looking for potential collaborators and jobs, but also informational networking such as finding people a few steps ahead of you in their career who can explain how they reached their current position and how you can reach that goal. LinkedIn is a useful networking tool, but is no substitute for face to face contact.

2. Develop your transferable skills. These will help you apply your specialist knowledge in new situations. Not being able to do this is the key criticism industry has of employing researchers. Understand what you are good at and learn to communicate that to others.

3. Plan ahead. Try to prepare for your next career position now. You will then be able to show an employer that you have a sustained interest, rather than coming to the end of a project and are looking for anything you can get.

4. Make the most of the University’s resources. Many things the University subscribes to are free for us to use but are very expensive in the outside world. For example, any training you want to do is free here but is a thriving and expensive business once you leave. Courses exist here at Manchester from finance, starting a business or applying for grants to more specialised skills.

5. Move out of your comfort zone to be more interdisciplinary. Many fascinating collaborations have been tried such as biology with art, and geography with computer science. Grant bodies and employers will be impressed if you can manage to collaborate across different subject areas. Indeed, many grants now insist on it.

6. Make the most of opportunities to get involved. For example, write a review article, help file that patent, review journal papers, or try communicating your research to the general public. If you’re interested in starting a business then why not enter the University’s Venture Further competition?

The Manchester Enterprise Centre is based within Manchester Business School and is helping the University achieve its vision to be ‘an innovative institution that values and encourages the transfer of knowledge and technology to influence and advance economic development regionally, nationally and internationally.’  For information, opportunities and further study visit their website.

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