Exploring beyond her PhD: Building Skills and Confidence Through DInC
Working on consultancy projects for both a national organisation and an entrepreneurial start-up, doctoral researcher Yajie Hu developed valuable business, teamwork and communication skills while gaining insight into consultancy and exploring further career possibilities beyond academia.
Yajie Hu
PhD Discipline:
Arts and wellbeing, exploring how creative activities can impact wellbeing, with a particular focus on jewellery making and wearing.
Research Stage:
At the time of the programme, Yajie was awaiting the outcome of her viva at the time of the programme.
Organisations Worked with Through DInC:
UK Sport, Howard-Brumlich Events
Motivations for Joining the Programme
Yajie joined the Doctoral Innovation Consultants (DInC) programme to explore how businesses operate, gain experience working with organisations and develop skills that would support her future career ambitions.
Having run her own jewellery business on Etsy since 2016, she was particularly interested in learning more about business development and entrepreneurship. Alongside this, she saw the programme as an opportunity to strengthen her networking skills and connect with people from different industries and disciplines.
Working as a Doctoral Innovation Consultant
Working with external clients exposed Yajie to the realities of consultancy, including balancing client expectations, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and adapting to changing project priorities.
During the programme, Yajie worked on two distinct consultancy projects. One involved supporting a small entrepreneurial business, while the other focused on a project with a national organisation. Intentionally selecting organisations that differed in size and sector allowed her to gain experience of diverse working environments and challenge herself beyond her existing knowledge and expertise.
One project required the team to refine its original scope after recognising that time constraints would prevent all planned objectives from being achieved. Through open communication with the client, the team prioritised delivering the most valuable outcomes, ensuring the client remained satisfied with the result.
Key Learning Moments and Skills Developed
The programme enabled Yajie to develop confidence in presenting and communicating ideas to clients.
Regular project updates, client presentations and the final showcase strengthened her public speaking skills and improved her ability to communicate recommendations clearly to professional audiences. Alongside this, she developed project management, time management and interpersonal skills while balancing consultancy work with the final stages of her PhD.
A further key learning moment came through gaining a clearer understanding of the consultant’s role. Yajie learned that effective consultancy is not about telling clients what they should do, but about providing evidence-based recommendations that help organisations make informed decisions. This customer-focused mindset has continued to influence how she approaches professional interactions both within and beyond academia.
There’s so many skills you can develop during the programme; I really value that sort of experience. Also, it’s great in terms of networking with people in different industries. I think that's something really interesting and valuable.
Outcomes and Reflections
Participating in DInC broadened Yajie’s understanding of potential career pathways beyond academia and reinforced her interest in entrepreneurship.
The experience provided valuable insight into consultancy and business environments while helping her build a range of transferable skills that she believes will support future career opportunities. It also strengthened her professional network, connecting her with researchers and professionals from disciplines far beyond her own area of study.
Reflecting on the programme, Yajie highlighted the value of stepping outside her comfort zone and working on projects unrelated to her academic expertise. By engaging with unfamiliar sectors and collaborating with diverse teams, she gained new perspectives, developed practical professional skills and increased her confidence in applying her abilities beyond a traditional research setting.
Yajie would strongly encourage other doctoral researchers to participate in the programme, especially those looking to expand their professional experience, strengthen key employability skills and gain insight into career opportunities outside academia.