Most Important Skills For A Senior Research Fellow At Christensen Institute
Thomas, a Senior Research Fellow, emphasizes "critical thinking" and a systems-level understanding as paramount for his role, likening it to an "engineering mindset." Strong writing and presentation skills, alongside proactive networking to foster collaborations, are also crucial for effectively conveying research and building professional relationships within the field.
Critical Thinking, Systems Thinking, Communication, Presentation Skills, Networking
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Thomas Arnett
Senior Research Fellow
Clayton Christensen Institute
Brigham Young University, 2009
Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business, Master of Business Administration
Economics
Education
Research and Development (R&D)
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. Critical thinking and systems-level thinking to analyze complex issues
2. Strong writing and presentation skills to communicate research effectively
3. Networking and collaboration skills to build relationships within the field
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
Well, I'd say number one is critical thinking. As cliché as that may sound, it's being able to look at the things we study and figure out, "Okay, what's really going on here?" from a systems-level view. How does this system work?
I mentioned earlier that I had kind of an engineering inkling before I got into this work. I think that engineering mindset of trying to understand how systems work is really key to the work I do.
Next to that, I'd put writing skills: being able to write clearly, write persuasively. Come up with writing that people actually find interesting to read.
Next to that would be being able to present. Being able to be in front of a group of people and convey the ideas that we study in a digestible, compelling, interesting way.
And then beyond that, networking. You know, taking the initiative to go out and meet people who are working in the same field and learn from them. Learn the kind of things they're working on, finding partners in the field to work with. That's really key as well.