DocPro is an online platform that aims at connecting PhDs from all disciplines and companies. Doctorate holders can pinpoint the skills they developed during their doctorate and increase their communication efficiency towards employers, especially by giving appropriate examples from their own experience.
What are the aims of DocPro?
DocPro provides an overview of the competencies of PhD-holders to address three key needs:
- Promoting the idea that a PhD-holder, backed by training in scientific research, is a professional who has acquired all the competencies and people skills needed to meet the needs of the corporate world;
- Building a bridge between the research and corporate worlds through the development of a common language;
- Facilitating communication between PhD-holders seeking new career opportunities, and recruitment officers.
The DocPro tool is interesting for two reasons:
- Firstly, it helps PhDs candidates/holders to identify and to name the PhD skills, to be aware of the definition of these skills and more concretely of what they mean in the work context and depending on their career progression. (i.e the 3 levels mentioned on the website)
- Secondly, it allows to practice presenting them with facts, examples and anecdotes. For this reason, many users prefer having a private account. But once the profile completed, they can also use it on public mode to showcase their experience through their skills.
Click here and read some additional information on how to use it in practice.
Currently there are users from 100 different countries. How it is used: usually the tool is presented to professionals and supervisors so that they can use it with the doctoral candidates they work with. Often professionals dedicate a special areae on their website to DocPro. Here is an example from Italy of the University of Turin: https://phd-csqb.campusnet.unito.it/do/home.pl/View?doc=After_the_PhD.html
ABG also organizes talks or workshops (on site or on Zoom) to introduce DocPro.
DocPro is a tool for PhDs to reflect upon their careers. They can use it to
- identify and highlight their competencies
- determine the progress with respect to the three phases of maturity defined by the tool
- illustrate their respective skills with their personal experiences that show specifically how their acquired them
- upload their profile to be shared on mydocpro.org.
To learn more about DocPro, http://www.mydocpro.org/en/visit the website: http://www.mydocpro.org/en/
