When I was pursuing my PhD, I applied for grants and fellowships. I secured a few, but they were relatively small. Over time, I realised that if I wanted to win more significant funding, I needed to drastically change my approach. This meant rethinking how I framed my applications—making it clear to reviewers why my project mattered, how their funding would contribute to its success, and why I was the right person to carry it out.

The same principle applies when transitioning from academia to industry: you must shift your mindset, adapt to new expectations, and grow in areas that are critical to success in the private sector or third-sector organisations. You don’t need to prove that you are a brilliant researcher—you need to demonstrate an understanding of industry contexts and show that you can thrive within them.

You are not going to do research by yourself anymore.

Key Areas to Grow In:

1. Understanding Industry and Project Context

Before diving into your new role, it’s crucial to understand the purpose and goals of the project you are working on. This might seem straightforward, but it’s often one of the most challenging aspects of the transition. Unlike academic research, which prioritises knowledge generation, industry projects are driven by business needs, product development, and customer impact.

Ask yourself:

What are the objectives of this project?
How does my research contribute to the broader goals of my team or company?
Will my findings be actionable and valuable to stakeholders?

If your insights aren’t useful to decision-makers, designers, or engineers, then the research might not be impactful. Adapting to this mindset shift is key.

2. Working Within Time Constraints

Time is one of the biggest differences between academia and industry. In research-driven academia, you may have months or even years to complete a research study. In industry, deadlines are much tighter.

Can you conduct research within a three-week deadline? Do you have time to do a full, in-depth analysis? Often, the answer is no. Budget and time limitations mean that you must balance rigor with efficiency.

For example, as a user researcher, I’ve had just three weeks to conduct qualitative research, with a maximum of 20 user interviews. From an academic perspective, this might seem inadequate, but in an industry setting, well-structured interviews and targeted questions can yield enough insights to make meaningful recommendations.

3. Identifying the Right Research Methods

Choosing the right approach for industry research requires critical thinking. Ask yourself:

Should I use qualitative or quantitative methods?
Who are the key people I need to gather insights from?
What prior research exists that I can leverage?
What are the constraints (time, budget, resources) for conducting this research?

In academia, research is often exploratory, but in industry, it must be directly applicable and aligned with business objectives.

4. Collaborating with Cross-Functional Teams

In industry, you won’t be working in isolation. You’ll collaborate with product managers, designers, engineers, marketers, and executives. Each of these stakeholders has different priorities and expectations from research.

For example, if you're working with designers, you need to understand:

Why user research is critical to their work.
What types of insights they need (e.g., personas, user journeys, usability findings).
How to present findings in a way that informs design decisions.

Your job is not just to conduct excellent research—it’s to ensure that your insights help your team create better products, services, or solutions.

Embracing Continuous Learning

As a PhD, you already have expertise in research, but transitioning to industry requires ongoing learning. Understanding industry trends, business needs, and stakeholder priorities is crucial. Fortunately, there are many resources available, including:

Online courses (e.g., Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, YouTube tutorials).
Industry-specific training (e.g., UX design, AI applications in research).
Networking and mentorship opportunities.

Taking the Right First Steps

When making the transition, I’d recommend you avoid applying for senior positions like Lead Researcher or Research Director right away—even if you have a PhD. Industry experience is different from academic experience, and it takes time to understand how research functions in a business setting.

In your first industry role, focus on:

Learning how research impacts product development.
Understanding the company’s priorities and decision-making processes.
Developing strong collaboration skills with cross-functional teams.

Over time, you’ll gain the industry knowledge and leadership experience needed to advance in your career. The key is to keep growing—not just in research skills, but in understanding how to make research valuable in an industry context.

Final Thoughts

Making the leap from academia to industry is challenging, but with the right approach, it’s also very rewarding. You are already an expert in research—now, focus on learning how to apply your expertise effectively in an industry setting. By embracing new ways of working, collaborating with diverse teams, and continuously learning, you’ll set yourself up for a fulfilling industry career.