Finding a specialism

In order to raise your profile and to increase your employability one thing you can do is to create a niche and be good at it; to become a specialist. A specialist has a unique place in a network - people will therefore want to talk to you to tap into your expertise. Ideally this is a niche that is valuable to people in your network, for example in quantitative research a good statistician is always valued.

Your specialism could be something closely related to your research - a particular technique, subject or a unique combination of the two. Alternatively, your specialism could be something that is not directly related to your current research area. If you are knowledgeable about desktop publishing or web design, or if you have a background in for example teaching or marketing, others will find your skills useful.

Use your specialism to give you access to opportunities and networks, but be careful not to let it limit you.