PhD Transition Report On-Demand

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

Once upon a time, many companies were hesitant to hire PhDs for sales positions. But this is no longer the case.

That’s because products, particularly in the medical and biotech fields, are increasingly more complex.

This means companies are in greater need of people with technical expertise. After all, how is someone supposed to sell something they don’t understand?

That’s why PhDs are particularly well-suited to sell drugs, reagents treatments, software, instruments, and other equipment and devices.

The most important part of being an effective sales professional is believing in what you are selling. If you don’t believe in the product or the company’s mission, you’re not going to be able to convince someone else that they should believe in it.

So, when applying for sales positions, make sure that you believe in the company’s products and believe in their mission as a whole.

Being in sales at the PhD level is not like being a used car salesman. Most of the products you’d be supporting would be ones that other PhDs and MDs would be using.

As such, PhDs in sales positions are those who can communicate effectively, stay organized and build long-term professional relationships.

What makes a PhD successful in a sales role more than anything else is the ability to help other people solve their problems.

You don’t need to be an extrovert to succeed. In fact, as a sales professional, you’ll spend much of your time working from home or on the road.

At the same time, you’ll be working be working closely with the company’s sales and marketing teams.

You’ll also have to meet with salespeople, product managers, and those in upper level management to discuss your progress.

But your primary job is to be an analyst – to gather and respond to customer feedback from the field.

The good news is, as a PhD, you already have plenty of experience doing both of those things.

The truth is, you don’t have to be a unicorn PhD to sell in industry.

You just have to be a problem-solver – and that’s something every PhD already is.

** for the full podcast, check out the audio player above.

To get advanced access to the full length versions of these podcasts, as well as access to our live training webinars, exclusive training videos, case studies, industry insider documents, transition plan, and private online network, get on the waitlist for the Cheeky Scientist Association now.

The post Why PhDs In Sales Are Destined To Succeed appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

There’s a serious disconnect between how most PhDs think they’re doing in their job search and how they’re actually doing.

A recent survey of more than 1600 PhDs who were engaged in a job search over a 6-month period found that 80% of those surveyed had no idea what job they even wanted.

How can you possibly succeed in your job search if you don’t even know what you want?

You can’t hit a target you don’t set. There’s no way to measure your progress if you don’t have any clear goals. 

In the same survey, these PhDs were also asked to rank their industry resume on a scale from 1 to 5. The results show that over 60% of PhDs thought their industry resume is average or above average.

Yet, when Global 500 employers were asked to score these resumes, nearly half rated them as a 1 on the same 1-to-5 rating scale, while 30% rated them a 2.

That is a serious discrepancy.

So, why the poor rating? The problem is that most PhDs are rating the quality of their resume based on academic standards.

But what is considered high quality in academia is not what is considered high quality in industry.

Many PhDs fill their resumes with technical and niche-specific jargon that only those in their same niche academic field can understand.

They don’t understand that the first person to view your resume doesn’t even have a technical background.

And if the gatekeepers to your career don’t know what you’re talking about, how can they possibly determine if you’re a good fit for the job?

If you’re currently struggling in your job search, I’m willing to bet that your resume – the one you consider to be good enough – is closer to a disaster.

 Another serious blind spot that PhDs have in their job search is their interviewing skills.

In the same survey, PhDs were asked to rank their interviewing skills from 1 to 5. Nearly half said they thought their interviewing skills were average or above.

Want to know how those same Global 500 employers ranked their interviewing skills?

Nearly 40% ranked the average PhDs’ interviewing skills as a 1, while another 30% rated them as a 2 on the same scale.

How can the same exact scenario be viewed so differently?

Again, it’s because each party is seeing the situation through different lenses. You’re seeing it through the academic lens while the person interviewing you is seeing it through their industry lens.

The primary complaint that employers had was that most PhDs lacked even basic industry knowledge on subjects like revenue, profits, mergers and acquisitions, company culture, value propositions, brand promises, on and on.

The second complaint is that PhDs don’t seem to know what they want, and show very little commitment to the job they’re interviewing for. 

Considering most PhDs admit to not knowing what career they want, this complaint makes sense.

If you want a job in industry, you need to seriously consider the possibility that you’re performing very, very poorly and that it is going to take significant work to improve your performance.

** for the full podcast, check out the audio player above.

To get advanced access to the full length versions of these podcasts, as well as access to our live training webinars, exclusive training videos, case studies, industry insider documents, transition plan, and private online network, get on the waitlist for the Cheeky Scientist Association now.

The post Employers Give PhDs A Failing Grade On Job Search Skills appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

In the last two years, data from 1600 PhDs were collected over a 6-month period.

Among those included, 34% said they were currently graduate students, 27% reported being in postdoc positions, and nearly a quarter said they were unemployed.

Only a small sliver of PhDs were principal investigators or professors, and a mere 7% were working in industry. 

What should be obvious from this data is that most PhDs were either in low-paying temporary positions or were unemployed. Very few were in industry, and even fewer were in higher academic positions.

So, the question is: where do you want to be? Now? Five years from now? Ten years from now?

Many PhDs dream of transitioning into industry, and yet, most remain in a cycle of low-paying positions. So, what’s the problem? 

The biggest problem that I see is that many PhDs think they have plenty of time to get hired and that they can do so in 1 to 2 months. This simply isn’t the case.

I don’t care if you know someone who was able to do this, or if you know 5 people who did it. They were outliers.

The averages are closer to a year, and ideally you would start getting ready two years before you need to get hired. Why?

Because your LinkedIn profile only has academic keywords and your entire online data profile collected by hundreds of ATS and other data collection systems over the years has labeled you as one thing and one thing only – lifetime academic.

Several PhD career surveys reveal that nearly a quarter of PhDs said they were already unemployed while another 40% said they needed a position within 1 to 6 months.

When you wait until the last minute to find a job, your decisions end up being driven by desperation. And what strategy do you think desperate people employ when searching for a job?

Do you think they can afford to hold out for their ideal job? No, they take whatever bachelors job they can get.

For many PhDs, not having a plan is the problem. They think they can send a few resumes out, have a few interviews, and have an industry job just land in their lap – bam!

And when this doesn’t happen, they either give up altogether or they turn to their failsafe: some low-paying academic postdoc, TA, adjunct or junior faculty position.

Sure, landing one of these academic roles requires much less immediate effort compared to an industry job search. But that’s just because these training and junior faculty positions are cheap and basically a lateral move.

You’re essentially doing the same job for slightly more money. Is that really what you want for yourself? Remaining stagnant in a system that doesn’t value your experience?

Even worse, do you want to end up unemployed? A staggering 82% of postdocs end up unemployed within 3 years.

Scary, right? Especially with a recession looming on the horizon.

To make matters worse, according to Nature Biotechnology, even after 15 years, those who did a postdoc failed to catch up with PhDs who skipped the postdoc altogether.

Stop waiting and make a plan and set it into motion before you become just another PhD job search statistic.

This takes us to the end of today’s Transition Report. As always, remember your value as a PhD and start thinking and acting like a successful industry professional. 

** for the full podcast, check out the audio player above.

To get advanced access to the full length versions of these podcasts, as well as access to our live training webinars, exclusive training videos, case studies, industry insider documents, transition plan, and private online network, get on the waitlist for the Cheeky Scientist Association now.

The post Scary Academic Statistics PhDs Should Know appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

Overqualified. Underqualified. Too independent. Lifetime academic. Unemployable.

These are all terms PhDs have been called by others… or so the story goes. But is that what industry employers truly think?

That all PhDs are entitled know-it-alls that can’t be taught new things and cost too much to hire? That’s certainly what we’re led to believe in academia.

And, as a result, many PhDs don’t apply for positions outside of academia. Sadly, they think they’re not wanted.

But the reality is, industry employers have always sought out PhDs. Today, I’m going to discuss a few myths about what industry employers think of PhDs.

One of these misconceptions is that you’re seen as overqualified for industry jobs.

Has anyone ever told you to leave your PhD off your resume? Many think that including any degree above a masters will automatically scream “overqualified!” and take you out of the running.

But this isn’t true. In fact, many industry roles require a PhD. Especially top positions. Your PhD is an asset, not a liability. It tells employers that, even when you don’t have the specific technical skills they seek, you have the ability to learn them – and quickly.

Sure, the job posting may not ask for a PhD, but highly driven and highly educated job candidates are always preferred.

Another myth is that PhDs are seen as too independent –  they think they’re better than everyone else and they don’t take kindly to instruction or feedback in their industry career.

The truth is employers see PhDs as self-motivated. And that’s a good thing. Employers are seeking exactly what your PhD has trained you to be – self-motivated and able to work interdependently – by yourself and with others.

The final myth is that PhDs are underqualified because they lack industry experience.

It’s easy to see yourself this way too when you’ve spent much of your adult life in academia where your skills and abilities are constantly undervalued and underpaid.

But industry employers often prefer to hire employees without previous experience because every company has their own proprietary way of doing things.

Experience doing things a different way can be problematic. Why hire someone you have to untrain before you can train instead of someone who you can train from scratch without any bad habits? This is where your ability to learn quickly comes into play again.

The key is whether or not you’re positioning yourself to be seen as moldable and ready to learn, rather than a know-it-all who has it all figured out.

So ignore the myths, lean into your advantages as a PhD, and go get hired into the right career for you.

** for the full podcast, check out the audio player above.

To get advanced access to the full length versions of these podcasts, as well as access to our live training webinars, exclusive training videos, case studies, industry insider documents, transition plan, and private online network, get on the waitlist for the Cheeky Scientist Association now.

The post What Industry Employers Really Think Of PhDs appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

Negotiating salary can feel like a high-stakes chess game. You, as the job candidate, quietly anticipate the employer’s next move…

…and the employer carefully assesses what salary you’re willing to settle for. 

It’s very common for PhDs to feel overwhelmed by the salary negotiation process. As a result, many sabotage their chances of getting paid what they deserve. This is especially true of PhDs entering industry for the first time. Academia has a way of distorting a person’s view of salary.

The key to avoid accepting less than you’re worth is to know your worth and reinforce it. You have the skills, expertise, and experience that industry employers are looking for. You should be paid accordingly.

But you’ll never get paid what you’re worth if you’re not prepared to talk money. So let’s talk about money and how to make more of it. 

First, you need to set a walk-away number. This s the minimum salary you’re willing to accept.

Walking into a negotiation without a clear understanding of what you’re unwilling to accept torpedoes the entire process. If you don’t have a number you’re willing to walk away from then you’re not negotiating –you’re begging.

If you’re not sure what your walk-away number should be, do some research. Where you live and the type of job you’re seeking will factor into the equation. Whatever amount you determine is right, just make sure to remain firm throughout the negotiation process.

And never – I mean never! – communicate your “walk away” number to the employer. That’s a surefire way to never get offered anything above it.

Next, you must be prepared to avoid, deflect and generally agree with verbal negotiation attempts without firmly agreeing to an offer verbally.

Early in the hiring process, your job is simple: When asked about money, deflect. Never give out the first number. The first person to talk numbers is at a competitive disadvantage; that’s why the employer tries to make you, the job candidate, make the first move. 

When asked what your salary expectations are, you can say something like, “Salary is not my first concern. I’m more interested in learning more about the opportunity. Can we come back to this later?” or “I’m very excited about this opportunity, so of course, I’ll consider all reasonable offers.”

If they ask about your current salary, you can respond with, “My previous work is in a different field and is not relevant to this position. I’m very excited about the prospects of this job. I’m sure salary will not be an issue.” Or you could say, “In academia I earned a stipend, not a salary, so it’s not relevant in this context. If the compensation is competitive, salary won’t be a problem.” 

It’s important to remember that employers expect you to negotiate. After you have an offer in hand, this is the time to bring the salary research you’ve done to the front of your mind. You can respond to their letter with, “Thank you for the offer. I’m very excited about the position. I’d like to go through the offer so I can understand it better. Can we set up a meeting or phone call?” The key is to always remain positive and upbeat during negotiations. 

Before speaking with the hiring manager, you’ll want to prepare. Have a few key phrases in your arsenal. Things like: “I’m so excited for this opportunity! The job aligns perfectly with my background, but I was really hoping for more than the current offer. What can we do?”

If the employer pushes back – usually by saying that there’s nothing they can do – you can respond with something like: “I understand the limits of the negotiation. However, with the value I can provide the company with my skills in XYZ, I was hoping we could figure out a salary that’s commensurate with my experience.”

** for the full podcast, check out the audio player above.

To get advanced access to the full length versions of these podcasts, as well as access to our live training webinars, exclusive training videos, case studies, industry insider documents, transition plan, and private online network, get on the waitlist for the Cheeky Scientist Association now.

The post Negotiate A Higher Starting Salary appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

Much like a novel, your resume must tell a good story to receive recognition. You have mere seconds to capture the attention of a hiring manager. If your resume isn’t a coherent story of clear, long-standing goals and consistent pursuits, it may result in confusion, and ultimately, send your resume packing.

For some PhDs, continuity and consistency isn’t a problem. But what if you have to change directions, or your PhD doesn’t reflect your current career goals? Maybe you’ve become unexpectedly unemployed or decided to focus on family for a while. No matter the reason, during times of transition, self-worth can take a blow. That’s because it forces you to alter the one common thread that has woven together your career thus far: your professional narrative.

Your narrative is what provides purpose to your professional pursuits – it’s what drives you to pursue a particular field of study or get a certain degree; it also determines which career path you choose to go down. If your career narrative has changed – whether it be forced or voluntary – know that it’s not the end of the world. People change directions or start over all the time.

The key is to keep with the same consistent message throughout your resume. If you have a gap in your work history, use a resume format that focuses on your skills and experience instead of your work timeline. The functional resume format works best for this. To start, list your work experience under bolded headings such as “Project Management,” “Research and Analysis,” or “Leadership.” Underneath each heading, list the job titles you held while developing these skills. Following this, include 3 to 5 concise bullets that highlight your transferable and technical skills. By highlighting your skills in this way, you’ll take the focus off any meaningless employment gaps you may have.

However, if you feel like the gap is significant enough or you’d rather address the elephant in the room, you can add activities that you pursued during this time. Say you volunteered at a local animal shelter or completed a few online certifications that expand your skill set – include these under your work experience or education. Employers love to see people that are interested in growing as a person.

The other challenge that PhDs face is a complete career 180. Perhaps you hold a PhD in engineering but realized towards the end of your PhD that your true passion lies in the life sciences. Or maybe you have an industry job in research and development, but now you think your skills would be better utilized in management consulting.

In either scenario, what’s important is that, like a good story, everything you include on your resume points towards one common goal – the climax of the story, if you will.

To create this consistency, clearly state the job you’re seeking in your professional summary. And not just “I want a job as an XYZ.” Include the job title in a sentence that highlights your relevant skills and answers the question “Who are you?”

For instance, if you’re applying for a project management position, you could write “An adaptive leader with 3 years of experience in project management resulting in 4 primary publications.” 

** for the full podcast, check out the audio player above.

To get advanced access to the full length versions of these podcasts, as well as access to our live training webinars, exclusive training videos, case studies, industry insider documents, transition plan, and private online network, get on the waitlist for the Cheeky Scientist Association now.

The post Resume Tips For A Career In Transition appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

I think we can all agree that events solely focused on networking can be painful and awkward.

They also result in weaker professional relationships. That’s because these events don’t foster activities or interactions that promote a strong bond.

The most tried-and-true way of establishing meaningful connections is through commonality: a common goal, or a common interest.

Research has shown that strong professional relationships are founded through high-stake scenarios.

For example, two people are tasked with completing a project together. When people work together on something they’re relying on each other for support.

Now, you not only have a shared interest, but a shared experience.

To establish strong professional relationships, look beyond events solely focused on networking.

Join the board of a non-profit, organize a fundraising event, attend local hackathons.

It may seem like these activities have nothing to do with your career, but you never know what connections are going to help you land a job.

Another tactic is to become a master of your own interests.

Are you a foodie with a refined palette? Do you love telling people about your most recent restaurant exploits – giving them all the fine details of the meal?

Lean into this.

The act of becoming a connoisseur of something you enjoy may seem irrelevant to your job search, but what it does is make you more memorable and interesting.

When you do this, you provide people with an opportunity to reach out to you.

Few people have pressing research emergencies that require your sound advice – but what they may need is your input on where to take their wife or husband for their birthday dinner.

** for the full podcast, check out the audio player above.

To get advanced access to the full-length versions of these podcasts, as well as access to our live training webinars, exclusive training videos, case studies, industry insider documents, transition plan, and private online network, get on the waitlist for the Cheeky Scientist Association now.

The post Make Networking Feel Less Awkward appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah acknowledges that, yes, networking can be uncomfortable. But it’s not a necessarily evil – it’s an invaluable tool that you must wield in your industry job search
• Next, Isaiah discusses a few things that introverts can do to make networking less painful
• Finally, Isaiah reveals how to turn new connections into valuable additions to your career network

Let’s face it – the majority of PhDs hate talking with strangers and are suspicious of networking.

Why’d this person reach out to me? What’s their ulterior motive?

If you’re suspicious of networking and small talk makes your skin crawl, it’s time to understand that your avoidance is hurting your industry job search.

But there’s a reason companies in Silicon Valley create large campuses designed to create daily run ins with people across departments – it’s these serendipitous moments that spark innovation and collaboration.

Putting yourself out there, meeting new people from a variety of backgrounds, and creating moments of connection are the best way to advance your career.

If being gregarious doesn’t come naturally to you, don’t worry. I have some strategies you can use to feel more genuine and engaged. First, let networking events do the heavy lifting for you.

Go to events that are structured and have premade plans for you to operate a booth, be part of a planned small group chat, and so on. This will keep you from roaming around aimlessly and it will also provide you with structured talking points.

Next, try preparing a few opening lines for conversations in advance that you can use when you’re networking. Not cheesy jokes or awkward ice-breakers, but something that relates to the event.

For starters, you could ask how the other person heard about the event. Pretty simple, right? You can also ask things like “What exciting projects are you working on right now?” or “What do you like most about your job?”

Keep questions for new connections simple and easy to answer. You can also lower the pressure on yourself while networking by giving yourself an attainable goal.

Make it something simple, such as speaking to 3 people for 5 minutes each. That way you don’t feel pressured to keep a weak conversation alive, but you also interacted with the person long enough to make an impression.

Lastly and most importantly, do your research about who will attend networking events whenever you can. A lot of events now provide electronic invites – and oftentimes, they show the people who have accepted the invitation.

For a fundraising event or a professional association meeting, information on the host committee or advisory board is often provided ahead of time. Try and make note of interesting talking points such as where attendees went to school, organizations they’re interested in or papers they’ve published.

As you progress in your industry job search, your network is going to be a crucial part of your success.

Making a slight adjustment to how you think about meeting new people is the first step to building a professional network that works for you.

If you can overcome your suspicions about the importance of networking and resign yourself to the knowledge that this is now a standard job search strategy, the rest of the work should be downhill.

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.

The post Suspicious About Networking? appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah discusses how the attitude you have about your network and networking may be what’s holding you back in your job search
• Next, Isaiah explains that your introverted tendencies may be causing you to come across as fake
• Finally, Isaiah reveals that the key to tap into your network is to reevaluate yourself and your values

When you hear the word “networking,” what immediately comes to mind?

If you’re like a lot of PhDs, the idea of networking conjures up negative emotions such as dread, anxiety, and hopelessness.

But what if I told you that it’s possible to turn what seems like an inherently dreadful experience into a positive one – simply with a shift in attitude?

In psychology terms, there are two types of people when it comes to networking.

There are those that have a “promotion” mindset, and those that have a “prevention” mindset.

People who have a “promotion” mindset view building and nurturing their network as an opportunity to grow, make connections, and advance their career.

In contrast, those with a “prevention” mindset view their network as an obligation – something they must add to and maintain in order to advance their career.

If you lean towards the “prevention” mindset, try to look at networking in a new light. Everyone is motivated by something different.

When it comes to your network, what is your primary motivation?

If you’re like most PhDs, the only reason you network is to get a job. The problem with this is that human beings are highly sensitive to BS.

The average person knows when you’re don’t believe in what you’re doing.

They know you’re being fake.

But, what if you started seeing your network as an opportunity to learn, to grow in your career, and to make connections with interesting people?

If you’re an introvert, you can’t force yourself to be someone you’re not.

You can, however, change your mindset about networking.

If you walk into a room motivated by curiosity and a desire to grow, you’ll automatically feel more authentic in your intentions.

This will result in more genuine connections.

Another reason PhDs struggle to network is that they don’t believe they have any value to offer someone else.

Sadly, most PhDs today suffer from imposter syndrome – they don’t feel like they bring anything to the table. This is untrue and is a very harmful way of thinking.

The key to changing your mindset about networking is to change your mindset about yourself first.

Start seeing yourself as valuable and you’ll start seeing ways to offer value to others. The value I’m talking about here isn’t materialistic.

I’m talking about gratitude, elevation, and recognition.

Networking is the currency of industry and people like helping others. It’s all about an exchange of value, even if that value is just a friendly conversation.

The next time you want to connect with someone – perhaps someone with more seniority or experience than you – realize that elevating them as the expert and showing them your appreciation for their time, attention, and kindness, provides immense value to them.

It’s your gift to them.

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.

The post Network Like You Mean It appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.