The Hardest Part of a PhD Isn’t What You Think

Jennifer Panitz is a PhD student at the ZSL Institute of Zoology, the Natural History Museum, London, and University College London. In January 2026, she joined the PhD Accelerator programme developed by Kohlrabi, which is designed to help early-career researchers develop knowledge and skills in research consulting.

Below, Jennifer shares her reflections on the programme and how it helped her recognise the value of her research skills beyond academia.

Completing a PhD is hard work; some people will tell you that it is, indeed, the hardest thing you will ever do. However, what is it that actually makes it so hard? In my opinion, it is not the research itself, writing the thesis, or time management. I think what makes it hard is that, for many of us, the journey to the ultimate success of becoming a doctor is actually defined by the string of real and imagined failures that get us there.

Completing the Kohlrabi PhD Accelerator two thirds of the way through my PhD has allowed me to develop a new appreciation for my skills, as well as renewed confidence to carry me through the rest of the journey.

The training sessions in the Accelerator are highly collaborative, and one of my favourite things about the programme was being in a virtual room with a group of strangers who also happened to be PhD students. From struggles with imposter syndrome to frustrations with academia and anxiety about the job market, our worries were remarkably similar, even though we all came from different fields.

Through the guidance of Fran and Jo, Kohlrabi’s fantastic co-founders, who led the programme, we came to realise that these doubts were not caused by anything inherent to us. How could they be, when we were all so different? Instead, many of us realised that academia, as a system, is almost universally designed to instil doubt in PhD students. Your peers are other PhD students who often seem to share the same skills as you. You are acutely aware of all the grants you applied for and did not get, and of all the polished papers your peers are publishing. You are measured by all the work you have not done instead of all the work you have. In that environment, it is hard to feel confident, proud of your skills, and certain that your work is a valuable contribution to the world, both inside and outside academia.

The Accelerator helped me recognise that research skills which seem basic and trivial to me, such as conducting a literature review, analysing data, and translating scientific language into lay terms, are valuable assets to clients in government, charity, and industry. These are skills that allow me to make a meaningful contribution to a wide range of projects, and they are valuable in financial terms as well.

The opportunity to apply these skills in a research project for a real industry client, the pièce de résistance of the Accelerator programme, only strengthened my confidence further. Not only were my skills valued and appreciated, but the rapid literature review I conducted also gave my client a deep, evidence-based understanding of the topic and helped shape their processes accordingly. This experience also eased my concerns about the job market. Instead of asking which sectors my research skills would allow me to work in, the real question became: which team out there would not benefit from having a research specialist on board?

The Kohlrabi PhD Accelerator has been a unique opportunity for me to refocus on my strengths and skills and to build confidence as I head into the final year of my PhD. It has also shown me that a career in consulting could be a real option, and that there are myriad ways to shape a career like that. The Accelerator has been an invaluable experience, and I would highly recommend it to any PhD student who is not quite sure where their road is leading. This programme will not necessarily reveal the destination to you, but it will make sure you are well prepared when you finally get there.

About Jennifer Panitz

Jennifer Panitz is a PhD student at the ZSL Institute of Zoology, the Natural History Museum London, and University College London. Her research focuses on the ecology and genetics of the Endangered Jamaican coney and on its co-existence with Indigenous communities in Jamaica.