PhD Transition Report On-Demand

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

• First, Isaiah tells the story of how he realized that technical skills didn’t make him valuable in his first industry position
• Next, Isaiah explains why many PhDs overlook their transferable skills and why this jeopardizes their careers
• Finally, Isaiah discusses why your technical skills will soon be if they’re not already obsolete and why your value lies in your transferable skills

When I landed one of my first industry jobs, I was obsessed with adding value to my team by talking about things like “statistical significance,” “reproducibility,” and a hundred other academically-minded concepts.

What I didn’t realize at that time was that this language was awkward and irrelevant for the position I was just hired into.

So, when I brought these topics up, the people who hired me were like, “What‘s this kid talking about? Is he trying to teach us a basics stats class right now? We’re not an academic lab functioning on $50,000 a month – we’re a 100 million dollar plus a year company.“

“We need you to focus on bigger, more business-minded concepts like integrating your efforts within our Agile project management system, gaining awareness of our brand, helping us develop some new conference collateral, and ensuring our R&D product pipeline stays full.”

I knew the general definition of these words and could understand them somewhat in context, but I couldn’t converse intelligently about them relative to the company’s specific goals, products, processes, and larger vocabulary.

If you want to get hired into an industry job, you have to start speaking the language of industry, and this starts with understanding which skills industry employers value the most.

Your transferable skills are the softer skills that transfer from sector to sector, company to company, and job to job in industry.

Unfortunately, most PhDs cannot fathom the idea of their skills being labelled soft. These PhDs struggle to list even the most basic skills that industry employers are hoping to see them communicate: project management, time management, writing and editing, and market knowledge.

These sound too simple, and academia has taught you that simple means less intelligent and less valuable, when most often the opposite is true.

Most PhDs don’t even list research, analysis, work ethic, innovation, comprehension or problem solving on their resumes or LinkedIn profiles.

They’d rather posture and list niche-specific skills that sound impressive (but are skipped rather than read), like fluorescence microscopy, real-time PCR, quantum mechanics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and anything with the words “qualitative” or “quantitative” in it.

I know what you’re thinking “I have a PhD! What did I do all my advanced technical training for if I can’t use it to get hired?”

You have a PhD? Me too. So what? Guess who are some of the most overworked and underpaid people in the world right now? Despite all their education and advanced technical training, most PhDs are not successful when it comes to their careers.

Perhaps you spent your time in academia developing some extraordinarily complex laboratory technique. Perhaps you became an incredible computer programmer. Did you study for two years straight to master a field and then spend several years compiling a thesis that helped push a niche scientific field forward?

Great – the technical skills you learned along the way will be obsolete in a few years if not a few months from reading this. In fact, many of them are obsolete right now.

I still remember walking into my first site visit at a Global 500 industry company. As part of the visit, we were allowed to tour the facility and were taken to these gigantic labs that were each the size of a football field and full of hundreds of millions of dollars of advanced robotics doing thousands of experiments in real-time.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I couldn’t fathom the amount of data that was being generated every minute. That’s when I came face-to-face with the reality that all of the technical skills that I learned in academia were meaningless.

The only skills of any value were those related to my ability to understand these robotic systems, to manage them, and to manage the technicians working alongside the robotics, and my ability to strategically map out which experiments to run next. In short, I realized that my transferable skills were valuable, not my technical skills.

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 Employers Aren’t Hiring Your Technical Skills appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah gives a general idea of how to ensure you leverage the power of LinkedIn during your job search
• Next, Isaiah explains why it’s so important to create your profile keeping the employer’s perspective in mind
• Finally, Isaiah presents the “open for work” feature and teaches you how to take advantage of it

Your LinkedIn profile is one of the most powerful ways to get noticed by industry professionals.

Over 90% of employers and recruiters use social media to find talent. And, if they’re not finding talent through LinkedIn, they’re at the very least using it to vet applicants.

But realize that LinkedIn isn’t Facebook. You can’t just create a profile and start adding friends. In fact, just pressing the connection button over and over again can actually hurt your job search.

To leverage the power of LinkedIn, you have to know how its algorithm works and understand that LinkedIn’s primary customer isn’t you – it’s the companies that pay millions if not billion to post their job openings and screen candidates with LinkedIn Recruiter.

Companies use the LinkedIn Recruiter platform to fill positions using three main search fields: job title, location, and skills.

Non-PhD hiring managers are not expert researchers. They’re only searching these 3 search fields the majority of the time. So, if your profile doesn’t include these terms, you’ll be completely invisible to hiring managers.

Another trick is to present yourself as the employee you want to be, not the one that you are. This is particularly important for those of you who are transitioning from academia.

Show employers that you’re a professional – not a student or lifetime academic – starting with your profile picture.

Replace the photo of you next to a bookcase, at a desk, or in lab coat with one of you wearing business attire. If you want to be an industry professional, you have to start looking like one.

The same applies to your text. Eliminate academic titles like “PhD Student”, “TA”, “Professor” “Postdoc”, or “Fellow”, and avoid technical or specialty jargon – no company is searching these academic terms.

Another cool LinkedIn feature is the “open for work” function. Below the profile headline, there’s a selection that indicates to employers that you’re seeking work.

You can also specify your desired location – including remote work – and add a brief message that will be visible to hiring managers.

Turn this on and your profile will start appearing higher up in search results. In fact, if you don’t turn this on, you’ll be completely invisible on LinkedIn’s employer platforms.

Always keep your profile up-to-date and remain active in your LinkedIn feed. By consistently interacting with the community, and maintaining a current profile, you’ll create an online persona that will help you reach the top of any employer’s search results.

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 LinkedIn Features That Give PhDs An Edge In Their Job Search appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah presents the most common challenge PhDs face in their job search: not knowing where to start
• Next, Isaiah explains why you need to improve your networking game if you want to overcome most job search pitfalls
• Finally, Isaiah gives you pointers to ensure you avoid the final pitfall you will face before getting a job offer

The average PhD job search lasts 18 months for those trying to do it themselves… but for some,  it can take 8 years or more. We’ve all met TAs or postdocs who’ve talked about leaving academia only to still be in the same role several years later.

The truth is, transitioning into industry is hard work! So today, I want to discuss some of the job search pitfalls PhDs face and how to overcome them.

The first challenge is knowing where to start. The key here is to figure out what’s important to you. What’s your ideal workday? What tasks do you enjoy doing?

Then, start finding companies that will allow you to have this lifestyle. Most people make the mistake of reversing these steps – they find a company or worse, job title only, that sounds interesting and then they try to adjust their lifestyle to fit a job description.

Another pitfall that many PhDs encounter is the silent treatment, or as it’s referred to in industry, radio silence. You send out resume after resume but receive no replies.

Sound familiar? The problem isn’t your resume – it’s that your resume never gets looked at. 95% of resumes submitted online are never read.

To avoid this, you have to network and drive referrals – generating referrals is the only way to get your resume into the hands of the hiring manager.

This brings up another networking-based job search pitfall: talking to people but not being able to advance the conversation to the point where they get a recommendation for a job.

If this is you, my guess is that you’re either too afraid to ask for help or you’re coming on too strong.

If you’re not asking for help, keep it simple. Ask for insights on how they got hired and then ask for advice on how you can do the same.

If you’re asking people for help and not getting anywhere, change your approach – instead, ask for an informational interview. This way, you’re not asking them to do something for you; you’re asking for their advice.

Even with a referral, many PhDs find it difficult to get an interview or they get the referral and the interview, but don’t get an offer.

Chances are, you didn’t convince the employer that you will immediately bring enough value to the table.

To increase your perceived value, you must show the employer examples of how you’ve solved problems in the past that are similar to the problems they need you to solve now – in doing so, you will prove that you are the best person for the job.

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 Flagrant Job Search Pitfalls And How To Overcome Them appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah explains why you should never send a job application without adding a cover letter
• Next, Isaiah discusses the importance of putting in the effort to write a good cover letter
• Finally, Isaiah lists 5 steps to write an impactful cover letter

On average, over 250 applications are submitted for every open industry position. So, the question is: how will you stand out among hundreds of PhDs?

To get the attention of hiring managers, your application should include a cover letter. Many PhDs make the mistake of cutting out this crucial step because, well – it’s a lot of work, right?

For many companies, this error of omission results in immediate rejection. They won’t even look at your application.

Another mistake PhDs make is, they write one single letter and simply change the name it’s addressed to and the name of the company. You may think you’ve beat the system by doing this, but believe me, companies can tell.

Forbes magazine reported that 48% of non-customized cover letters are rejected. So why risk it?

First, personally address your cover letter. You want to avoid addressing your letter “To whom it may concern”.

Second, mention your referral, the position you’re applying for, and the name of the company in your opening sentences. If you don’t have a referral for the position – get one.

Third, include a killer introduction. Showcase your expertise, and your experience; convince them you are the best person for the job. And keep it relevant.

Fourth, demonstrate how you can bring value to the company. Companies want to know you have a vested interest in the mission of the company and that you can fit into the company culture. So do your homework – research the company. Determine what’s important to them and identify what success looks like for someone in this role.

Fifth, keep your cover letter professional yet conversational. Eliminate overly verbose or flowery language. And make sure to express enthusiasm for the position.

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 5 Steps To An Eye-Catching Cover Letter appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah discloses why you should never apply to industry positions with an old fashioned academic CV
• Next, Isaiah discusses the goal of the industry resume and how a functional resume can help you achieve that goal
• Finally, Isaiah gives your pointers so you can write you own functional resume and gain the attention of industry employers

If you want to get hired in industry, it’s time to retire the academic CV. Hiring managers are not interested in trudging through a long and overtly linear document searching for any hint of a valuable skillset.

When I wrote my first resume, it looked, well – cluttered and empty at the same time. I had packed it full of specialty skills that I thought were important but had only included one piece of experience that was even remotely relevant to the job at hand.

When I sent this both overwhelming and underwhelming resume out to a few companies, all I heard were crickets – not surprising.

Functional resumes have been around for decades and are effective because they don’t just list your experience; they highlight your relevant skills and experience.

When I applied this functional style to my resume, I went from having a complex document full or irrelevant information, to having a very focused document that made a strong case for my candidacy.

Understand: the purpose of your industry resume is not to document your entire life’s work; it’s to showcase how you can add value to a company.

Large companies frequently use Applicant Tracking Software to scan resumes for the key soft and hard skills they are looking for.

If your resume doesn’t list the skills they want, it’s going straight into the garbage bin. Functional resumes are a great way to get past ATS.

First, identify your target position. You may not have an exact job title in mind, but you should at least know what type of job you want.

Next, copy and paste a job posting for your target position into a word cloud to identify the terms most frequently used. This upfront work will provide a solid framework for your resume and keep you focused on the pertinent information.

Then, when creating your resume headings, replace the standard academic titles with the key skills that were discussed the most in the job description.

For example, if you managed several projects during your time in academia, create the major header “Project Management Skills” where you would normally put the job title and then underneath list where you gained this skill, in your graduate student, postdoc, TA or professorship experience, by writing “Gained as a Graduate Research Assistant, Postdoctoral Fellow, Professor, etc at XYZ University.

The idea of writing an industry resume may seem daunting, but by following these guidelines of the functional resume format, you can make yourself impossible to ignore.

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 Showcase Your Skills With A Functional Resume appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah discusses why academia fools PhDs into thinking that they need more academic experience to be successful
• Next, Isaiah explains why it’s in your best interest to start planning your transition now
• Finally, Isaiah list the reasons why you should look for an industry position as soon as possible

Academia tells you that you need more academic experience to be successful in industry, whether that be through a postdoc, extended TA position, adjunct post, and so on.

Not only is this a huge misnomer, but it’s a giant disservice to your career. Many PhDs stay in academia after graduating thinking “Once I get this experience, then (and only then) will I be qualified for an industry position” – this mindset often results in PhDs spending years chasing one low paying overworked academic position after another just to get that “one more piece of experience”.

In a recent survey, nearly half of the postdocs polled reported being in a postdoc position for over three years with one third saying they had already completed two or three postdocs.

Why would you want to remain in a system that tells you, even after years of experience, that your talents are not worthy of a well-paid permanent position?

If you want to land a job in industry, there’s no need to wait in this holding pattern. Start planning your transition now.

The longer you stay in academia, the more you hurt your chances of landing your ideal job.

Many companies prefer hiring PhDs straight out of grad school. They see fresh graduates as more open-minded, eager to learn, and more flexible.

In industry, on-the-job training is far more valuable than any amount of additional time spent in academia. Even if you’ve done an experiment, lesson plan or procedure a hundred times, companies have their own standard operating procedures that they will need to train you on.

Academia will always move slower, be more stagnant, and have more biases than industry. Many of you can attest to how slowly academic work moves and how difficult it is to see your progress.

The academic system is stuck in its ways, and it resists change. Industry, on the other hand, must keep up with the latest innovations and market trends, so it can’t afford to move at this snail-like pace.

In industry, your efforts will produce measurable results. You’ll receive the feedback required to grow. And perhaps most importantly, your hard work will be recognized.

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 Why You Should Skip The Postdoc, TA, Adjunct, etc. appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah presents the first level of professional intimacy, topical intimacy
• Next, Isaiah presents the second and third levels of professional intimacy, challenge and how-to intimacy
• Finally, Isaiah presents the fourth and final level of professional intimacy, advice intimacy

To turn a networking conversation into a referral, you have to gently guide the conversation to deeper and deeper levels of professional intimacy. This is the only way to get someone you barely know to spend any effort on you whatsoever, let alone trust you enough to recommend you to their company.

The first level of professional intimacy when talking about networking and informational interviews is termed “Topical Intimacy.”

The best question to ask a networking contact to get them to this level of intimacy after they reply to your initial connection request is: “What are you currently working on that you’re excited about?”

People enjoy talking about positive, topical experiences, especially when they’re related to their favorite thing in the world: them and their life. No matter who you are talking to, they will enjoy talking about what excites them.

The second level of professional intimacy is termed “Challenge Intimacy.” The perfect question to ask a networking contact to get them to this level of intimacy is: “What are some of the challenges associated with your role?”

While this question is an extension of the first question, it will allow you to go a bit deeper into the other person’s professional life and get to know both their personality and mindset better.

The third level of professional intimacy is termed “How-To Intimacy.” The ideal question to ask at this level is: “How did you get hired into your role in the first place?”

Pivoting to this third level of intimacy is crucial as it will change the context of the conversation from general life and career questions and answers to job search questions and answers.

The fourth and final level of professional intimacy is termed “Advice Intimacy.” The best question to ask here is: “Which roles are about to open up in your company’s pipeline?”

In this final level of professional intimacy, you very subtly shift the conversation to you by asking for advice—advice that will ideally lead to a referral by prompting the other person to ask how they can help you.

Since you showed interest in them at the beginning of your connection, they are much more likely to show interest in you, and since you behaved professionally and appropriately, they will know you are a serious candidate who is deserving of a referral.

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 How To Turn A Networking Conversation Into A Referral appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah explains why many PhDs fail to get job referrals by not knowing how to build professional relationships
• Next, Isaiah presents the process you should follow to turn a connection into a job referral
• Finally, Isaiah reminds you that it’s your responsibility to invest in your professional relationships if you want to be successful

We have all either initiated or been a part of networking conversations that went something like this: How are you? I’m great, how are you? I’m great too …you? (Awkward silence).

Circular conversations that get stuck at the same level of professional intimacy are exactly what you want to avoid.

The goal of your online networking efforts is to build a professional relationship where the other party feels comfortable enough with you to refer you for a job at their company, or otherwise help you further your efforts to get hired.

It is a multiple-step process where every problem is followed by another problem.

Having a process and understanding each step of the networking process ahead of time will help you anticipate future problems and avoid roadblocks in your online conversations.

To avoid awkwardness and transform your connections into job referrals, you need to understand the process of building professional intimacy and how to go from one level to the next.

This is why I recommend a three-stage job search referral strategy. The three stages of the strategy are (1) getting a reply, (2) adding value, and (3) informational interviewing.

Of course, before you get a reply, you have to connect with someone properly. Each networking message you send should add value in new and different ways. Once you get a response, however, you also want to carry the conversation forward into a deeper level of professional intimacy.

The key is realizing that YOU are responsible for carrying the conversation forward because you are the one who reached out to connect. If you fail to carry the conversation forward by asking questions that prompt mildly more intimate, yet professional responses in a graduated way, then your online rapport will break and you will ruin your chances of getting a referral.

Understand that the other party wants to talk about deeper issues, but slowly. They want to dive deeper into more interesting and meaningful topics, but in a natural way that doesn’t make them feel uncomfortable.

If you carry the conversation forward correctly, you can move the other person into an informational interview so naturally that they won’t even realize, or care, that it’s happening.

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 The 3 Stages Of Getting A Job Referral appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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.

The post Employees Are Incentivized To Refer You appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

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

• First, Isaiah explains why you should never dabble in your job search
• Next, Isaiah lists the tools PhDs have at their disposal to reach out to potential employers
• Finally, Isaiah discusses how academia isolates PhDs and why you should break your isolation and work hard to build an industry network

Many hiring managers and recruiters will never come back to a job candidate’s LinkedIn profile once they have decided that you lack industry credibility.

Worse, many top employers have a mandatory six- to twelve-month waiting period before they will reconsider you for a position at their company once they have reviewed your resume and rejected your candidacy for a position.

Your industry job search is not a trial-and-error affair. This is not academia. If you are performing a poor and sloppy job search, you are burning bridges, and it is time for you to stop.

You can find everything you need to know about an employer on their website. They might even have a careers page that gives you specific information about how to get in touch with them.

You can find these employers on LinkedIn too, including every employee who works at these companies.

You can email these employers or simply pick up the phone, call their office, and ask to speak to someone in the hiring department.

As PhDs, we are trained for years and years to keep to ourselves, and, over time, we have become isolated in our ivory towers. In our isolation, we tell ourselves stories that fit our situation and shift blame off ourselves and onto imaginary forces.

We imagine that we’re not being contacted by industry employers because our PhD has made us overqualified. We imagine that our PhD background is too niche or that we lack some specific skill on a job posting.

In reality, we just don’t want to reach out to anyone because it’s too uncomfortable. Nobody in industry knows you, and nobody will know you if you keep doing what you’re doing.

You can read and learn as many job search strategies as you want, but none of them will fix your number one problem: your lack of network and your lack of drive to network.

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 The Danger Of Dabbling In Your Job Search appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.