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

• First, Isaiah explains that getting referrals is easier than you think, but you need to put in the effort to build strong professional relationships
• Next, Isaiah discloses what effective networking looks like
• Finally, Isaiah gives some pointers on how to ensure a job referral

It’s easier than you might imagine to be referred for a position if you have networked confidently and appropriately because industry employees are often incentivized to refer you, with the average employee referral bonus being between $2,000 – 3,000 dollars.

Still, these employees will not go out of their way to help you. You have to make it easy for them. And you can’t just stop at meeting them. You have to build a professional relationship.

This is something I learned the hard way. I wasted the first three years of my graduate school career networking the old fashioned way. I would go to internal seminars with the same people over and over again, arriving just in time and leaving right after it was over.

I would collect business cards and university cards at my poster and think “I’m networking! I’m networking! It’s happening! I’ve been discovered!” only to go home after the conference and never have anyone who took my card or gave me a card reach out to me.

Networking is what happens when you follow up with them to build a professional relationship.

Most PhDs never network. They meet someone at a conference, seminar or poster section in person, or they press the blue connect button on LinkedIn, and that’s it.

Understand – when you’re a job candidate searching for a job, it’s your responsibility to turn networking into connecting. There is no substitute for networking and your career will never reach its full potential if you don’t network.

It’s been proven time and time again, even in academia, that networking is the key to funding and success.

We live in a relationship-driven world and love it or hate it, your relationships and access to decision-makers will dictate your industry success and there’s plenty of data to back this up.

If you want a PhD job in industry, you must network by building professional relationships that go beyond just connecting. You must also learn how to end your networking efforts with requests for a job referral. 

A job referral is the result of building a strong professional relationship and can be achieved consistently by following a proven networking process.

In terms of sequence, you will connect with an industry professional, network to build a professional relationship and then ask for and receive a job referral for an upcoming or open position at a company. Connect. Network. Get referred.

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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