Work Ethic: The Overlooked Asset.

Over the course of their PhD programs, PhD candidates develop a broad range of specialistic professional skills, from laboratory work, through statistics and programming, to a broad range of general research skills needed for their career path.

When applying for jobs, they use to put these skills on top of their resume. It makes perfect sense as specialistic skills are required in many jobs.

And sure, “Python programming,” “technical writing,” or “Western blotting” could land us jobs. But, these are skills that many intelligent young people with Bachelor’s degrees or even high school education could learn from their superiors and mentors at work within a few months if they put enough effort into the job.

One important yet underrated aspect of the PhD journey to get a doctoral degree is the “PhD creed” that you develop in the process of professional development which you might not even realize! And, it can actually become a game changer for your career. 

You just cannot build work ethic, and integrity, and learn independent thinking within just a few months, or even a few years. You need to grow into these qualities slowly over time, like a tree. It is not your technical skills but your PhD Creed that is your real asset!

White-Collars Jobs Move Online.

In recent years, the professional world shifted towards online work to a large extent. As of 2022, 16% of all companies are already fully remote. This process of moving online started even before the pandemic, but now, it has accelerated. And, remote jobs require a range of skills that are not as essential as the “traditional,” stationary jobs.

Namely, these new, fully remote jobs require focus, self-discipline and the ability to unplug after work, the ability to perform deep work, the ability to work alone, and even better abilities to communicate than stationary jobs (as you often cannot detect emotions from face or voice, and the overall number of available channels of communication is lower than in stationary jobs).

At the same time, more and more companies decide to launch international, fully remote teams. 85% of managers believe teams fully composed of remote workers will soon become the new norm.

Most Professionals Enjoy The Opportunity To Choose For Remote Work.

As it turns out, most professionals enjoy the possibility to work remotely, pointing to a better work-life balance as the most important benefit. They also evaluate employers who give them this opportunity higher than those who don’t allow for remote work. 

Since 2017, companies offering the option to work remotely were noting the decreasing number of resignations. 74% of all employees declare that remote work would make them less likely to leave the company, and 69% of Millenials would be willing to give away part of their working benefits in an exchange for more flexibility in working place.

…But Are Professionals of Today Prepared For Remote Work?

But, is society ready for this new trend? Unfortunately, it seems that most professionals are not fully prepared for the new, fully remote professional world as well as professional development. 

According to the extensive survey by the American Psychiatric Association (2021), remote work has brought new challenges with respect to mental health (btw, you can also find some tips on how to better handle working from home in our article: “Working From Home: Tips and Tricks” or in the best-selling book “Remote Office Not Required“).

Since the beginning of the pandemic and the massive shift towards remote work, 93% of all countries have seen disruption to their mental health services. The top three difficulties reported by remote workers are the necessity to unplug after work (22%), the feeling of loneliness (19%), and an increased level of difficulty in communication and collaboration (17%). 

Moreover, remote workers often do not assimilate with the company culture as well as stationary workers. Firstly, they are trusted to a lesser extent than stationary workers. 54% of IT professionals consider remote workers to pose a greater cybersecurity risk than traditional workers.

Secondly, according to Gallup, remote workers also tend to feel less connected with their employers and are 16% less likely to be willing to get involved in the decision-making process than employees working at the office.