Professional Development Through Human Connection with the LEADERs Program
Portrait of Fridolin Paiki. Courtesy photo.
For many PhD students, the path from academic research to an industry career can feel like navigating uncharted territory, but for Fridolin Paiki, a Computer Engineering doctoral candidate who specializes in System Identification and Machine Learning, the LEADERs program provided both the map and the compass needed for this voyage. Paiki’s journey with LEADERs began with a serendipitous conversation at Northeastern’s Career Services, which led to a deeper discussion with Terry Marroquin, Director of LEADERs Partnership Programs. What immediately caught Paiki’s attention was the program’s unique focus on PhD students, a rarity in professional development offerings, “It is specifically designed for PhD students, helping them connect with industry and prepare for careers beyond academia.” Hearing about the program’s integration of internship opportunities as part of the learning experience sealed the deal for him.
Connecting in the Classroom
While many professional development programs focus primarily on hard skills, the LEADERs “Leading Self and Others” course offers something different. For Paiki, the most transformative aspect wasn’t learning new technical competencies, but rather mastering the art of human connection, “The most valuable thing is the opportunity to learn to build connection, communicate, and collaborate with others, both students and professionals.” This emphasis on interpersonal skills proved especially valuable for a student accustomed to the often-solitary nature of doctoral education. The “PHDL: 7600 Leading Self and Others” course curriculum covered essential professional skills including project management, ethics, and presentations. One unexpected benefit that emerged from the course’s interdisciplinary nature was that by bringing together PhD students from various fields, LEADERs created opportunities for cross-pollination of ideas, “This not only helped us expand our network beyond our own departments but also opened doors for potential future collaborations.” The program fostered an environment of mutual learning and constructive feedback, skills that are invaluable in all professional settings.
The LEADERs experience influenced Paiki’s research approach in two significant ways. On the technical side, he gained practical project management skills, learning to prioritize tasks, organize ideas, and plan future research effectively. The networking component proved equally valuable, enhancing his ability to identify problems, communicate clearly, and collaborate as part of a team, skills that transformed how he approached his doctoral work, providing long-term value.
From Classroom to Company
After completing the course in Spring 2024, Paiki landed a LEADERs placement at Amgen for the summer of 2025. Like all opportunities however, it required patience and persistence through multiple application rounds, interviews, and assessments. But the LEADERs foundation proved crucial in helping him find a position well aligned with his research interests. Amgen, one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, provided Paiki with an environment where his LEADERs training could be dutifully honed.
Working as a Process Development Intern in the Attribute Science group at Amgen Massachusetts (AMA), he found himself bridging the gap between the Research and Development (R&D) processes that produce knowledge and the labor-intensive manufacturing processes that transform the idea into physical object. His project involved developing an internal system to streamline reporting during R&D, a challenge that necessitated both the technical expertise learned in his PhD program, as well as the collaborative skills he’d learned during the LEADERs program’s first course, PHDL7600 “Leading Self and Others.”
He had the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues across multiple departments and present his work to company leadership and other audiences. He focused on implementing skills he had learned in the course, like communicating clearly, being open to feedback, and teamwork. The payoff was edifying, as Amgen’s environment for networking and collaboration was supportive in building genuine professional connections.
The professional skills Paiki gained at Amgen that have directly supported and enriched his doctoral journey include structured problem-solving, time management, project management, and cross-functional communication. He brought his research knowledge and technical background to the company, and in turn, Amgen reshaped how he thinks about potential impacts and scalability of his work. Key insights that emerged from this experience included coming to believe that research should ultimately be applied in the real world to benefit society. He has since applied this perspective to directly enrich his PhD work. Amgen also taught him to “think globally and act locally,” helping him recognize that even a simple idea developed in a specific field can be adapted and scaled for other contexts.
For Future Students
When asked what advice he would give to a PhD student thinking about doing the LEADERs program, Paiki offered the practical recommendation of taking the first LEADERs course early on in their PhD, and doing so by the second year of doctoral studies provides ample time to pursue internships in subsequent years while still maintaining active student status. He has witnessed too many fellow students missing out simply because they learned about the program too late in their doctoral journey.
Paiki’s final message to incoming PhD students is unequivocal, “don’t let this opportunity pass by. The LEADERS program is one of the best opportunities available to PhD students at Northeastern University. If you’re planning to join Northeastern for your PhD, I highly recommend looking into this program early on.” For doctoral students at the intersection of academic achievement and professional aspiration, the LEADERs program offers more than just career preparation, it provides a bridge between two worlds, complete with the skills, connections, and confidence needed to cross it successfully.
Article originally published on PhD Education