PhD Transition Report On-Demand

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

• First, Isaiah reveals why remote work is here to stay and what benefits PhDs can enjoy while working remotely
• Next, Isaiah describes two careers in writing/editing and consulting that provides PhDs with challenging and rewarding careers
• Finally, Isaiah explains that PhDs can also pursue project management and clinical work, all while working in their home office

The last few years have changed how we work.

For many industry employees, long gone are the days of long commutes, long hours away from home, and on-site distractions.

Remote work has become the new norm, and people like it.

In fact, 9 out of 10 employees that are currently working remotely at least part of the time say they want to continue with remote work.

The numbers also show that remote and hybrid workers are happier and more likely to remain in their jobs longer.

So, what kind of happiness-inducing remote careers can PhDs pursue?

Writers and editors are needed in every industry – they’re needed to write regulatory and technical documents, medical marketing content or magazine articles, and more.

As a writer, you would be creating content for a variety of clients so each assignment may be different.

Editing is another career that allows you to stay connected with cutting-edge research without having to spend time in an office.

Editors are hired by peer-reviewed journals, editing firms, and research institutes.

And in the “publish or perish” environment of industry, editors are needed more than ever.

Another highly rewarding remote career for PhDs is consulting.

Consultants provide businesses with expert advice, devising strategies to solve their clients’ needs.

Consulting is an incredibly diverse career that includes scientific consulting, user experience consulting, competitive intelligent and market research consulting, as well as legal, media or corporate consulting.

Most consultants work for a consulting firm, but it’s possible to start consulting on your own as well.

Finally, an increasing number of project management roles are being done remotely.

With larger teams working remotely, it’s not hard to see why more and more project managers are needed to organize the budgets, timelines and milestones of these teams.

Even clinical project managers and clinical research associate roles are being done remotely now.

In fact, according to a Forbes report, 78% of today’s clinical project managers and clinical research associates do just that.

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 4 Happiness-Inducing Remote Careers appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah discusses the reason many employers ask hard-hitting R&D interview questions
• Next, Isaiah provides 3 questions that PhDs can expect to encounter during their R&D interviews
• Finally, Isaiah explains what employers are looking for in your answers to these tough questions

Employers know which interview questions trip up PhDs and they want to see how you respond.

This is especially true when interviewing for a role in research & development.

Today, I’m going to review 3 hard-hitting questions that PhDs are likely to encounter during an R&D interview.

The first is “How is your research impacted when you’re put under pressure?”

When they ask this, they’re not looking for “pretty good” or “not so great”.

They want to know that you don’t see yourself as a student or trainee anymore; that you can handle high stakes pressure.

In response, you could say “I deal with pressure by assessing my priorities, creating a step-wise plan, adapting the plan when necessary, and ensuring that I manage my time”.

Show them that you understand the industry axiom of “Prioritize, then execute.”

Another dread-inducing R&D interview question is the hypothetical question.

For example, “If I gave you XYZ cells and asked you to solve ABC, what experiments would you do?”

While this is a generic example, the best way to answer is to relate back to your previous research and skillset.

To elaborate, provide an example of what you did during your PhD.

Mention a time when you had to design an experiment or a project from scratch and what your thought process was.

Employers also want to know is how you deal with failure.

R&D interviewers may ask “What if your experiment, or research as a whole, doesn’t work?”

Here, tell them of a time you successfully turned your failures into a success.

It’s important to show your perseverance and patience; you also need to make it clear you understand what your priorities are.

For example, if an experiment hasn’t worked for months, maybe it’s no longer worth wasting resources on it.

You have to show that you know when something isn’t worth pursuing and that you’re able to adapt.

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 3 Gnarly R&D Interview Questions appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah explains that interdisciplinary PhDs have more options than they think
• Next, Isaiah describes what interdisciplinary skills companies look for in a quality job candidate
• Finally, Isaiah covers three career paths that provide exciting and fulfilling positions for interdisciplinary PhDs

There’s a widespread belief that job prospects for interdisciplinary PhDs are extremely limited.

You can either get a low-paying non-tenure track position as a TA, lecturer, or adjunct position.

The idea that no one in industry hires interdisciplinary PhDs is a huge fallacy – they have numerous options in industry, especially today.

Studies show that nearly 50% of interdisciplinary PhDs believe they have no job prospects after graduation.

The problem is, these PhDs don’t consider industry as an option.

They also don’t think they can get hired into fields outside of their PhD specialty.

But companies want to hire you for your processing and problem solving abilities, not your expertise in Medieval Literature, Business Psychology, or whatever niche you’ve called home for the last 5-10 years.

So what industry jobs are available to interdisciplinary PhDs?

First, there’s academic administration.

If you want to establish an institute’s academic mission and values, develop new curricula, or manage an institute’s student recruitment processes, then this path might be right for you.

You can get hired into an array of administrative positions including provost, chief academic officer, dean of admissions, department head, and director level roles.

If, however, you like to analyze large datasets, devise feasible solutions, or forecast future trends, then a position in the tech, learning or finance sectors may be a good fit for you.

Interdisciplinary PhDs can also work in government, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations.

The US government alone consists of more than 100 agencies and bureaus, and each needs its own staff of policy advisors.

Your in-depth knowledge of language, culture, or history make you a valuable asset to any department.

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 3 Career Paths For Interdisciplinary PhDs appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

To get your resume noticed, it has to be clear, concise, and have a singular message: that you’re the best fit for that job.

And the key to this is creating bullet points that pack a punch.

First, when writing an industry resume, each work experience section should include 3 to 5 bullet points that demonstrate your skills, experience, and accomplishments.

You should craft these statements with intention – again, keeping them clear and concise.

All bullet points in your resume must abide by the same structure, each having three critical components.

Each point should start with a transferable skill.

Transferable skills are what industry employers care about the most, so be sure to keep them front and center.

Some examples include: “Excellent relationship builder”, “Knowledgeable innovator”, or “Cross-functional collaborator”.

Next, your bullet points must transition to a specialty or technical skill that relates specifically to the position at hand.

Building off the previous examples, you could say you’re an “Excellent relationship builder with advanced skills in biological systems”.

Finally, you need to show how your transferable and technical skills led to quantifiable results.

Eye-tracking studies show that people skimming a document spend considerably more time on numbers, so it’s imperative to include this.

You may not think you’ve achieved any results, but you have.

How many publications have you written? How much grant money have you procured? How many students did you mentor?

A good way to create strong bullet points is to write out each transferable skill, technical skill, and quantifiable result on individual notecards.

Then, start mixing and matching.

While each component should be somewhat related to the other components, try not to overthink this part.

Just make sure that the sentence is legible and makes sense.

If you use this bullet point structure, you will end up with a highly targeted and intentional resume that is built to catch the eye of any hiring manager.

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 A Resume Bullet Point Masterclass appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah discusses how the algorithm behind the LinkedIn search ranking works
• Next, Isaiah explains the key to improving your search ranking is a complete LinkedIn profile and the proper use of keywords
• Finally, Isaiah demonstrates how long-tail keywords enhance your LinkedIn Profile

Increasing your search ranking on LinkedIn fast takes more than just sprinkling a few keywords into your LinkedIn profile.

You need to have a strategy.

And developing an effective strategy starts with understanding how the search algorithm works.

Let’s walk through an example. Say an employer has an open position for a data scientist.

Like most employers, they will turn to LinkedIn Recruiter (or other social media platforms) to see if they can find a qualified candidate.

They do this by sending out search engine crawlers that identify profiles that match their selected keywords: words like “analytics”, “big data”, “modeling”, for example.

Although companies may also search based on other parameters such as salary or employment continuity, having a keyword strategy increases your chances of being noticed by hiring employers.

So what wizardry is required to improve your search rankings?

For one, you must never, under any circumstance, leave your LinkedIn profile incomplete.

When web crawlers gather information about your profile, they store the data. This means that they won’t notice recent updates or changes that you’ve made.

And they may not go back to your profile for months or even years!

You should also ensure that your profile includes all the keywords commonly found in the job postings of your target position.

This doesn’t mean you find one job, write down all the keywords and randomly insert them into your profile.

You should gather keywords from 20 to 30 job descriptions to maximize your results.

Then, once you have a decent list of terms, use a word cloud tool to identify the most used keywords.

Also, be sure to use the exact terms used in the job description – crawlers aren’t tolerant of word variation, so now isn’t the time use fancy wording.

Next, do a scan of your profile. What percentage of your words are keywords?

In a quality profile, 60 to 70% of the text consists of keywords.

If it isn’t obvious yet, I’ll say it again: keywords are rocket fuel for your search rankings, but you need a lot of them.

Even your non-keywords matter. LinkedIn prioritizes action-oriented words more highly than others. These words show leadership and initiative which is why LinkedIn rewards them.

Now, let’s go back to the job posting.

When you look over a job description, you may notice that many key terms are actually made up of 3 or more words strung together.

These are considered long-tail keywords. These terms are more specific, and will therefore, only be used by a select few of employers.

However, these 2-to-3-word terms are also the ones that juice your LinkedIn profile the most, as long as the volume of your keywords stays high too.

I recommend building a keyword map to see which words act as a connector between these long-tail keywords.

Creating a visual map of your terms will also help you place keywords in the correct order.

Overall, creating a keyword strategy will help you create a LinkedIn profile that tops the search rankings again and again.

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 Rocket Fuel For Your LinkedIn Search Ranking appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah describes what a management consultant does
• Next, Isaiah explains why management consulting firms seek out PhDs for their top positions
• Finally, Isaiah reveals how your PhD-level skills align perfectly with what is needed to succeed as a consultant

If you want to transition into industry, there are many career tracks to choose from: Research and development, clinical science, project management, and sales and marketing.

But what many PhDs don’t realize is that their skills and experience also fit into the world of management consulting.

Management Consultant sits at number 11 on CNN Money’s Best Jobs in America, and is projected to have a 10-year job growth rate of almost 22%.

Management consultants help businesses improve their performance or assist them in achieving their organizational objectives.

Companies come to consultants with a business problem that they need to solve, including a need to reduce annual costs, identify competitors in the marketplace, or improve production efficacy.

As a PhD, you are in high demand for these roles.

Medical, tech, and user experience fields are advancing at exponential rates and this has pushed many management consulting firms to hire PhDs.

These companies have found that PhDs in particular know how to troubleshoot and develop tractable strategies.

Another reason to consider a career in management consulting is that the consulting world is highly team oriented.

If you felt isolated in your little corner of the academic silo and are starving for a highly collaborative environment, then look no further.

Consultants traditionally work in teams – with a partner or director leading the client relationship and selling the work and a project or engagement manager leading the day-to-day activities of the team.

The project team’s mandate is to clearly define the problem that the client wants to solve and to solve it in a structured and predictable, yet creative and compelling way.

This can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 9 months or longer.

You don’t need to be a finance expert, master business jargon, or have a background in business to be hired as a management consultant.

What you do need are social skills, some comfort with quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis, and a willingness to get out of your comfort zone in a structured and purposeful way.

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 Is Management Consulting Right For You? appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah explains how applicant tracking systems work and what it means for your job search
• Next, Isaiah discusses the social media platforms that employers use to spy on job candidates
• Finally, Isaiah describes the recent hiring trends that you should leverage to stand out among job candidates

Today, I’ll discuss 4 trends that we are seeing in the job market – all of them are for the employer’s benefit.

The first trend is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven assessments in recruitment tools.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are frequently used by companies and recruiters to perform the initial filtering of job applicants.

These systems are limited to basic search principles that rely on keywords.

However, ATS systems are now adapting more “intelligent” features such as AI to help them identify qualified candidates.

This means that companies are now screening applicants based on a greater number of variables – and it’s not just skills, experience, and aptitude.

They’re assessing you as a whole – your motivations and your behavior.

To do this, they use the many social media platforms that are open for public viewing.

In fact, 70% of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates.

PhDs can leverage their social media presence by presenting a polished personal brand and an industry-oriented LinkedIn profile that exemplifies their skills.

Another hiring trend is hiring for potential.

With 11.3 million open positions available on the US job market, many employers are willing to hire candidates that show potential but may not have the exact skillset required for the job.

In fact, 67% of employers are willing to hire someone that lacks the required hard skills if they demonstrate potential with their transferable skills.

PhDs aware of this shifting paradigm are able to lean into their transferable skills and demonstrate how they add value to a company, no matter the position.

According to a recent LinkedIn report, the 5 most in-demand skills include: efficacy, organization, communication, emotional, and social skills.

So, when building your online presence, writing your resume, or speaking with an employer, ensure you emphasize the skills that are most sought after by employers in your field.

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 Is Spyware The Newest Trend Among Employers? appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah explains how not negotiating your starting salary can hurt you for years to come
• Next, Isaiah discusses how to best demonstrate the worth of your skills and experience
• Finally, Isaiah describes the tactics that get around the so-called industry salary cap

If you asked any PhD in industry what the most uncomfortable part of their interview process was, I guarantee you most would say the salary negotiation.

It makes sense – money is uncomfortable to talk about, no matter the situation. And it’s especially uncomfortable for PhDs.

It’s alien territory.

You’ve never had to advocate your worth – at least not in terms of monetary compensation.

So, when preparing for your interviews, you need to get prepared.

Walking into an interview with a negotiation plan will not only calm your nerves, it will also result in a better quality of life for years to come.

According to a Jobvite survey, 84% of people that negotiate their salary enjoy higher starting pay.

They also maintain a higher salary for the entirety of their careers, compared to those that don’t.

Many people feel uncomfortable negotiating because they don’t want to across as pushy.

Don’t let these fears take control.

You’ve worked hard to earn your PhD and you should be fairly compensated for your expertise.

During your interview – even before negotiations start – ask the employer “What do you want out of this position?” or “What does the perfect candidate look like for this job?”

Most likely, they’ll give you a list of skills, experiences, and personal qualities they’re seeking.

Keep these in mind for later.

Then, when it comes time to negotiate a salary, clearly state how you will deliver on exactly what they want.

This reminds them of your direct value to the organization.

Next, make room for open-ended questions. This is especially useful if an employer mentions a salary cap.

When they do this, they’re conveying that there is no room for negotiation. This is just another negotiation tactic.

Try asking an open-ended question in response like “Is there anything more you can do in terms of salary?” If they again appeal to the higher authority of a salary cap, ask for past exceptions.

If they say, yes, there’s been exceptions, ask which skills the candidate had that made those exceptions possible.

Then say, “Perfect, because I have those same skills, or those kinds of high-level skills.

Finally, when job searching, you should always be actively pursuing multiple opportunities at the same time.

That way, you can leverage your other opportunities during salary negotiations.

This shows them you’re in demand but you’re not playing games because you really want to take the position they’re offering.

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 3 Baller Negotiation Tactics That Get You Paid appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah discusses the many blind spots PhDs have when it comes to their skills
• Next, Isaiah explains how your experience in academic research – from grant writing, to analysis, to communication – can translate into industry relevant skills
• Finally, Isaiah emphasizes the importance of communicating these transferable skills in your industry job search

In your industry job search, you’ll notice that most job descriptions place a particular emphasis on transferable skills.

Things such as communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. These are the skills that transfer to almost any job in industry, hence the term transferable.

The key is to communicate these skills using the language of industry, or industry-speak.

Let’s start with grant writing. While you likely won’t be writing grants in industry, what grant writing demonstrates is your ability to come up with a fundable idea.

In industry, this is called a pitch or a business case.

In industry, you may have to justify a project, the need for an additional team member, or the purchase of a new piece of equipment.

While the context is different, the process is much the same.

Another skill PhDs have is the ability to analyze data and extract meaningful conclusions.

Many companies in industry have warehouses of servers full of data. And as big data becomes more prevalent, more companies will need more PhDs who can make sense of the data.

You may not be using the same exact tools or platforms that you used during your PhD, but your ability to take complex datasets and draw novel conclusions is needed in all areas of industry.

Let’s not forget your experience with publishing and presenting your research.

The ability to communicate clearly is a criterion of most industry jobs.

Companies are in constant communication with their clients, partners, staff, board members, regulatory bodies, and even the general public.

That means they need competent technical writers and communicators who are able to concisely describe results in a way that is meaningful to each type of audience.

By communicating your skills using the language of industry, you will get hired faster and into better roles than you would otherwise.

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 Use Industry Speak To Talk About Your Academic Skills appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah explains how Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) operate and why so many resumes don’t make it past this first filter
• Next, Isaiah discusses how simple changes in formatting can help your resume bypass ATS software
• Finally, Isaiah gives specific examples of keywords all ATS software looks for in a resume

Picture this: You find your ideal industry job, and everything lines up. You have all the required skills; their values align with yours; and you even have a company referral.

After hitting send, you’re sure it’s only a matter of time before the hiring manager reaches out to schedule an interview.

But days later, instead of getting a personalized call, you get an automated rejection email.

You think, “How is this possible? I was the perfect match!”

Unfortunately, your resume was rejected before anyone looked at it.

According to Forbes magazine, 75% of resumes submitted for a job never see human eyes.

That’s because most resumes are filtered out by the applicant tracking systems (ATS) that companies use today more than ever.

ATS are software programs designed to eliminate applicants from the candidate pool – rejecting any resume that doesn’t closely match their search algorithm.

This doesn’t sound fair, does it?

Fair or not, it’s something you must learn to work with.

ATS software screens based on Boolean search principles – it simply looks for the right combination of keywords.

Unfortunately, this can work against you.

For one, some ATS systems can only read certain document formats. And if it can’t read your resume, it considers it a non-match, sending it straight into the virtual trash.

Studies show that 43% of candidates submit resumes that are incompatible with ATS software.

This is actually good news.

It means simply submitting a correctly formatted resume puts you ahead of the competition.

So, always make sure you check the submission system – many will tell you which formats are acceptable.

If you’re not sure, your best bet is to submit a Word document. Even PDFs can be problematic for some ATS software.

To make your resume as readable as possible, keep the format simple.

Many ATS systems don’t know what to do with fancy features.

You should also avoid the header/footer section of the document. Most systems can’t read these.

Avoid using abbreviations, unless they were included in the job description.

If the system is looking for “nuclear magnetic resonance” and you put “NMR”, your resume goes in the trash.

Also, stick with traditional Human Resource terminology for your section titles, including “Professional Summary”, “Work Experience”, Education” and so on.

ATS systems are familiar with these terms, so it’ll be easier for it to make sense of your work history.

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 Gaming The Resume Filtering Systems appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.