Persuading: the ability to convince others to take a desired viewpoint or action.

Negotiating: the ability to discuss and reach a mutually satisfactory agreement.

Influencing: the ability to effectively persuade and negotiate.

These are interrelated highly desirable skills that employers surveyed by Prospects reported as hard to find in potential candidates.

Why?

Persuading, negotiating and influencing are incredibly useful skills in all aspects of life. With them you can navigate difficult conversations with your boss or supervisor, win research funding, reach an agreement with your friends about which film to watch, and save money on your bills. You can even encourage a potential employer to hire you!

‘Hiring managers value individuals who can explain the “why”’ (LinkedIn), i.e. someone who can convincingly explain the reasons and benefits of a proposed change, and back up their opinion with sound evidence, will be a very attractive candidate.

The QS Employer Insights Report 2020 notes that employers are least satisfied with graduates’ negotiation and leadership skills.

How?

As a postgraduate you will already be developing these skills, you just may not recognise or be able to articulate it yet. Think back over conversations you have had with your supervisor. Did you negotiate the direction of your research? Or persuade them to support a change or new idea? When undertaking groupwork, which you certainly will have done in your undergraduate degree if not in your postgraduate, did you persuade the others in your group to follow your suggested course of action? Or did someone else convince you, therefore using these skills on you?

By the time you complete your postgraduate degree, you will be highly skilled at presenting information with well-researched evidence to back it up, i.e., persuading and influencing an audience.

At Masters level you will have done this in writing, through your dissertation, and potentially via presentations in taught modules.

At Doctoral level, you will have written a thesis, potentially written journal articles and presented at conferences, and you will have to verbally defend your research at your viva.

These are all fantastic examples which demonstrate to employers your abilities which can be transferred to and further developed in the workplace.

If you would like to explore these skills further, and get more tips for job applications and interviews you can:

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