Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode…

• First, Isaiah tells you the blunt true: you’re probably wasting your time by using an obsolete academic job search strategy
• Next, Isaiah shows you the first steps you need to take to stop wasting your time and start seeing results
• Finally, Isaiah discusses what is a mock interview and why you should include it in your strategy to avoid rejections at the later stages of your job search

If you’re not getting anywhere in your industry job search, chances are you’re using an antiquated process taught to you by academics.

The truth is, when it comes to industry, academic job search strategies are completely upside down. So, ditch the long-winded CV and start setting up a strategy that works for industry.

To do this, you need to stop wasting time on things that aren’t producing results.

PhDs fall into the same mental trap they fell into in grad school – they spend so much time playing scenarios out in their head and preparing for failure that they fail to take any action at all.

Then, when they do submit their resume, they submit the same generic resume to dozens of companies, receive no response, and then give up claiming they did everything they could but couldn’t get hired because they didn’t have enough industry experience.

If this is your current job search strategy, stop. Instead, start being conscious of the time wasting activities that are holding you back.

PhDs make the mistake of focusing more on the job title than the actual job.

You’ve likely heard of titles like “research scientist,” “user experience researcher,” “medical science liaison,” or “data scientist.”

These are all very impressive and well compensated roles –and they’re also incredibly competitive.

If you’re only targeting a title, you’re closing the door on other opportunities that are more ubiquitous and might be a better fit.

Another common time waster that PhDs indulge in is they don’t tailor their resume to the job.

Job search engines like Indeed, LinkedIn, or Monster can receive over 400,000 resumes each week, and that’s just one search engine!

This means that the initial task of weeding out resumes is performed by automated software called Applicant Tracking Systems software. If your resume doesn’t have the keywords they’re looking for, or is missing section headers that include words like “Summary” or “Experience” at the top, it’s automatically rejected.

The best way to circumvent this incredibly narrow funnel is to bypass it altogether – to do this, you have to lean into your network to get your resume into the hands of the hiring manager.

Another common mistake occurs during interview prep – many PhDs only answer interview questions in their head, instead of doing mock interviews.

The mock interview is a great way to test out answers you’ve prepared …and it’s also great for gaining a better command of yourself.

You may have crafted the perfect answers, but if your behavior or appearance is off-putting, you’ll never make it past the first interview.

So, create a list of standard questions and ask a friend to act as the interviewer. Ask for their honest feedback. The only way to calm your nerves is through practice!

If you’re ready to start your transition into industry, you can apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists. Apply to book a Transition Call here.

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