5 Job Search Time Wasters That PhDs Should Stop Doing Immediately

Feeling discouraged with your job search strategy?

Have you uploaded hundreds of resumes without hearing back from employers? Are you starting to think you are not cut out for an industry position?

This happens to many PhDs at some point in their transition journey. 

They don’t know how to execute a correct job search strategy. So they waste lots of time doing things that don’t yield any result. Then get discouraged.

An industry job search is maddening. As PhDs we are never trained rigorously on how to do it in academia. Most PhDs are never trained on how to execute a job search at all. 

Knowing how to apply for a job is the limiting factor. It determines how successful your industry job search and subsequent industry career will be.

Here is what one of our members had to say about setting up the right job search strategy to get hired in industry:

I transitioned as a program Manager. In 2018, I applied for ~ 80 positions in the industry and didn’t even get replies. I thus decided to find a job in academia even though I knew I was not happy there. I got introduced to the Cheeky Association and my whole job search and strategy was changed! After joining CSA, I applied for ~30 jobs and I was (mostly) getting replies. What mattered was that I managed to go from zero replies to some. I have to say that I never had to apply to any open application so I do encourage people out there to keep using Linkedin and connect to people. Job hunting is a full time job and quite exhausting but this is what it takes until you finally get an offer. 

Today, I want to talk about some common mistakes that PhDs make when they first start their job search. 

Why Following The Wrong Job Search Strategy Is Anchoring You In Academia

How successful your career is will be a major determinant in your personal level of achievement and fulfillment. Especially after spending decades in academia.

A better job and a better career will increase your quality of life. Also, your sense of purpose. Regardless of your starting point in these areas and regardless of how stuck you feel in academia right now.

Your academic training led you to believe that an industry job search mirrors an academic job search or the peer-reviewed publication process. 

It starts by writing a document similar to an academic paper (resume) and sending it off to reviewers (employers). Then, if the reviewers like your work, they will ask you to come in and defend your position (interview).

The problem is that this strategy is upside-down. Completely disregards the actions that are more likely to yield results in the least amount of time.

5 Job Search Mistakes That Are A Waste Of Time

Academic social norms cannot get one hired in industry. 

Get hired into the best possible job for you. You need to leave the academic way of thinking behind. Set up a strategy that will actually work in an industry setting.

Stop wasting time. Don’t make mistakes. Especially if you are already unemployed or your funding is ending soon.

So, let’s take a look at the 5 mistakes you are making that are hindering your chances of leaving academia and getting a fulfilling industry job. 

1. Spending more time thinking about the possible scenarios than actually taking action in your job search

When it comes to executing an industry job search, here is what most PhDs do:

Procrastinate, think about getting an industry job. Procrastinate more, upload an academic-style resume to hundreds of job sites, fail to get a response, give up. 

I have personally heard from thousands of PhDs from 152 countries. The above sequence encapsulates their current industry job search strategy or the strategy they first tried before giving up and reaching out to me. 

Spending your time procrastinating or playing scenarios in your head without taking action. Make your chances of success zero.

At the same time, you are exhausting yourself. Playing scenarios in your head takes up mental space that you could use to put matter into action. 

2. Focusing on fancy job titles rather than your desired lifestyle

Research scientist, medical science liaison, management consultant, data scientist…

These are great positions. You have probably heard that they are in demand and are well compensated. 

That’s probably why you are targeting one or several of them. But have you stopped to consider what these positions actually entail on a day to day basis?

After years in academia, it is common for PhDs to get desperate. You start targeting any fancy-sounding position. Any position at all.

Unfortunately, this is a recipe for failure.

As a PhD, you have options when it comes to your industry career. To achieve your full potential, you need to find a position that fits your lifestyle, not just any position.

So, stop targeting industry positions just because you think they sound fancy. Focus on determining what your desired lifestyle is and, once you’ve figured that out, research what careers better fit that lifestyle.

3. Uploading resumes into the black hole

Every PhD starts their job search by uploading resumes and hoping for the best. They can upload up to thousands of resumes without ever getting a response.

Uploading resumes to job sites is a complete waste of time. Especially true if you are not even taking the time to target your resume for each position you apply to.

Monster.com gets Over 427,000 resumes each week. That’s just one job website. 

Companies need a fast way to sort out the outstanding candidates. Therefore, more than 90% of Fortune 500 companies are using Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) to screen candidates’ resumes.

Resume gets rejected. Without ever reaching the hand of an actual person.

Target each resume thinking of the format and words that will give you the best chance to move past the ATS.

A great resume that has been tailored to a specific job, written in an industry format, can get rejected by ATS.

The best strategy when it comes to resumes is to hand it over directly to one of your connections who work at your target company. 

To achieve that, you need to expand your network, which we will discuss later in this blog. 

4. Answering interview questions in your head rather than doing mock interviews

Most PhDs go to their first interview without having prepared at all.

The handful that prepare think that looking at common questions and imagining answering them correctly is a good strategy.

These PhDs don’t know that industry interviews test a lot more than whether or not the candidate has the right answer for a given question. 

Manners, timeliness, tidiness, and company knowledge are the main reasons people fail at interviews, despite being fully qualified.

Be aware of how you come across. You need to be able to command the conversation. Show that you understand the role and the company. 

Knowing how to behave at a job interview, looking natural, controlling your nerves… That takes practice.

This means that you need to do actual mock interviews. Just reading potential answers to behavioural questions won’t cut it.

Ask a friend or trusted colleague to do a one-on-one mock interview. Request that they prepare some common interview questions, then request that they ask you these questions firmly.

After you answer the questions, ask them to give you honest feedback.

5. Thinking about getting rejected rather than reaching out and networking

Your network is your net worth. 

I already told you that. As a PhD, you have all that it takes to succeed in industry. But getting that coveted job without a healthy network of industry professionals is going to be almost impossible. 

Right now, you have the skills needed to work in industry, but you don’t have any credibility. Industry professionals don’t know. So, they have no reason to take a chance on you.

Boost your industry credibility. Expand your network and build relationships with employers to the point where you can generate referrals.

If you are avoiding reaching out to industry employees because you think it’s uncomfortable. You are wasting your time.

Telling yourself that you can make your transition without reaching out to other people. Just focusing on the theory of a job search. Stop lying to yourself.

Networking is a skill, not a talent. It doesn’t come naturally to most of us. The more you do it, the better you will become, and the more comfortable you will feel.

Commit to networking. Otherwise, you will remain invisible to industry employers. 

Concluding Remarks

Currently executing the upside-down job search strategy that you learned in academia? Stop wasting your time and efforts. Set up and apply the right job search strategy. It will play a significant role in how successful you are in your career. Stop making mistakes like procrastinating and playing scenarios in your head. Focussing on fancy job titles without considering your desired lifestyle, uploading resume into online black holes, not doing mock interviews, and avoiding networking will not help. Instead, commit to a job search strategy. One that shows you understand the industry landscape and know your value as a PhD.

 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.