2 Years After My Stanford PhD: Lessons Learned

The past 2 years have been a period of rapid change and growth. In summer of 2023 I graduated from my NeuroAI PhD into a difficult job market, and was lucky to find a job that I was excited about and which seemed like the right fit. The next 12 months were a period filled with change, learning and adaptation, which culminated in a job transition to my current position.

Here are a few things I’ve learned and internalized as guiding principles and practices for the next phase in my career:

Clear and concise communication is key

Human communication is messy, and lossy. We think, listen, speak and type at very different speeds. Conveying the right message requires good understanding of your audience. In industry, chances are your audience is broader and more varied than in academia.

Say exactly what you need, in as few words as possible. Know when and with whom you can or need to be...