Five superpowers that doctoral studies will develop in you
Doctoral studies offer the chance to become an expert in a narrow field while also developing the skills of making connections and the ability to process information, manage challenging projects, learn from criticism, and, at the same time, manage time efficiently.
At the Estonian Doctoral School’s Career Conference on 11 February, doctoral students from various fields of research discussed the opportunities offered by doctoral studies and how to overcome the obstacles they face along this path. At the panel discussion, thoughts were shared by Veeda Kala, a Junior Research Fellow in Musicology at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, Ragnar Kauril, an industry doctoral researcher at Enefit Power and Tallinn University of Technology, Mari-Anne Härma, doctoral student in Medicine at the University of Helsinki, and Kati Käpp, Junior Research Fellow in Linguistics, and Maarja Pajusalu, Junior Research Fellow of Health Informatics at the University of Tartu. The topics discussed reflect the value of doctoral studies in shaping the future skills of doctoral students.
1. Recognising problems and finding innovative solutions
Doctoral studies provide a good opportunity to delve into solving problems of interest, combine previous and create new knowledge. For example, Kati Käpp was motivated to start doctoral studies by the understanding she had gained during her earlier teaching career that more effective methods were needed to develop secondary school students’ writing skills. “I like that as a learner, I can choose how to reach new knowledge. Writing my latest research paper has been challenging, but I enjoy the aha moments when data and theory give new insights. People might obtain this skill much earlier,” Käpp said.
Maarja Pajusalu combines her interest in art and previous information technology education in her research to add value to health data through visualisation and make it easier generalisations for other researchers and decision-makers of different levels to create generalisations. She sees it as a good opportunity to combine her previous experience, create new knowledge and provide new value to society.
2. Information processing
A great advantage of doctoral studies is that they develop your information processing skills to understand the big picture. The higher you move on the management ladder, the more important the information processing skills become.
Also, the doctoral student’s critical reading skills develop significantly. The volume of literature analysed to generate new knowledge is greater than at any previous level of education. “The ability to work quickly through various types of scientific literature, to grasp the important with a critical eye and draw conclusions from it for everyday problem-solving is of great value in the job market,” said Mari-Anne Härma who, in parallel to her doctoral studies, works as Deputy Director General of the Health Board of Estonia.
3. Seeing criticism as a value
Criticism may be a driving force if you can use it in the right way. Constructive criticism from colleagues is a natural part of research when assessing a doctoral student during a progress review or reviewing an article. Veeda Kala admitted that it was very hard to accept feedback on her first research articles. However, when you learn to see it not as an attack but as constructive feedback that opens up other perspectives and aims to help improve the study, criticism can be seen as a great value that is useful in any field of life.
Maarja Pajusalu added that the annual progress review should be understood as the part of the doctoral studies when colleagues take time to support your development. “This is when colleagues and more experienced people benevolently give you feedback that helps you move forward and shouldn’t be taken as just criticism,” Pajusalu said.
4. Conscious career planning
Although a doctorate is not often required in the Estonian labour market outside the academic circles, it has a perceived value, especially if you dream of an international career. Ragnar Kauril, who is in an industry doctoral programme while working as a chemical technology engineer in the development team of Enefit Power, finds doctoral studies extremely valuable in developing skills essential for a top-level manager. After master’s studies in mining engineering, he wanted a challenge and applied for a job in the world’s largest mining companies. As the dream failed, he thought it might be easier for an engineer with a doctoral degree to stand out. Working as a financial analyst in Enefit Power, he finally decided to opt for a more sustainable path. He focused on chemical technology to find ways to reduce the carbon footprint of the refining industry. “If you want to be an expert in a field, you also need the interest and the will to prove yourself in research. My ambition is to become a top manager in a company, so I need both financial literacy and technical knowledge,” Kauril said to explain his career choices.
Mari-Anne Härma said that four years of work on a subject will most certainly prepare you to be a top-level expert. Besides that, however, developing as a person is very important: when you constantly talk about your research, for example, it teaches you how to express yourself clearly and stand up for yourself. When you notice management mistakes in a working group, you learn how to avoid them.
According to Maarja Pajusalu, research has provided valuable insights into leading teams of independent and, thus, quite headstrong people working in academia. She said that getting to know the team characteristics and making it work towards a common goal is a great leadership skill, and mastering it will prepare you for life outside the university.
5. Practising self-care through time management
It is common in doctoral studies to have several important topics running at the same time, so a doctoral student must have good time management skills. The panellists strongly advise against sacrificing sleep hours and private time or personal needs for work or duties. Adequate sleep, a healthy diet and physical activity to balance mental work are essential for effective performance of work. Among other things, doctoral students learn to set limits and express them clearly to cope with their numerous tasks.
See the photo gallery from the Career Conference
The Estonian Doctoral School is a joint project of all Estonian universities. The action “Cooperation between universities to promote doctoral studies” is co-funded by the European Union.
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04.03.2025
