Cheeky Logo
Ready To Get Hired?
Apply To Book A Free Call With Our Transition Specialist Team

5 Point Job Search Productivity Plan For PhDs

Job search productivity plan is imperative for success. Every day, more and more PhDs realize that they have no future in academia and start to plan their first industry transition.

A script keeps playing in their head that says “I want to get hired.”

This often leads to frustration because this script is not accurate.

You don’t just want to get hired, you want to get hired into a PhD-level position. do meaningful work, where you can have an impact on humanity, where you get fairly compensated, where you can have security.

I recently talked to a PhD who told me why they are no longer fulfilled in academia. This is what they had to say:

I decided to pursue a PhD because I got to ask interesting questions and I got to pursue those questions. But I don’t get to do that anymore. 

Not just because there’s no grant funding, but because everyday I’m more concerned for my own security.

I don’t have a retirement, I don’t have healthcare, I have to move around constantly, the cost of living is so expensive, my pay is getting worse, especially with inflation everywhere except for academia. 

All these concerns prevent me from entering into that joy of discovery.”

You can’t be creative when you are scared for your security. 

You can’t ask great questions or pursue growth and innovation at the highest level if you’re concerned about your survival.

This is as true in academia as it is in industry. So, if you want to perform at your highest level, you can’t just aim for any position.  You have to set up the right expectations: you want a PhD-level job.

But top companies don’t just hand over PhD-level jobs, if you want to get hired in one of these jobs, you need to have a strategy in place.

Why You Need A Job Search Productivity Plan As A PhD

When I talk about PhD-level jobs, I’m talking about the top 0.5% of available jobs across industries.

These are the positions that will give you the recognition and compensation you deserve and at the same time allow you to be creative, to have a greater sense of achievement.

But these positions are competitive, even if there is demand for them. Employers will only hire candidates that they trust. 

You can’t just fly by the seat of your pants and expect to get an offer for one of the top 0.5% of available positions.

Need to map out from A to Z, what steps you’re going to take, and you have to plan for contingencies. 

Have to be consistent. 

Unfortunately, most PhDs lack consistency in their job search. 

They wake up on Tuesday and submit a few resumes, do nothing Wednesday and Thursday, then reach out to a few contacts on Friday, coast on the weekend, then maybe search for online job postings on Monday.

This is not a job search strategy and it is very unlikely to yield any results.

How To Set Up A Productivity Plan To Ensure Job Search Results

If we catalog your job search activities in a spreadsheet hour by hour, what would the end result look like?

Would it show that you spend most of your time thinking about your job search and playing scenarios in your head instead of taking action?

Move away from thinking about or critiquing a job search to executing one. Rather achieve that. Understand the steps neccessary to get hired into a PhD-level position.

In the following section, I will show you the 5 steps you need to take if you want to see results and finally get into a fulfilling job.

5 Point Job Search Productivity Plan For PhDs

1. Document your progress

As a PhD, you excel at documentation. 

You probably keep a journal, a lab notebook, and a lesson plan for your students. 

All at the same time.

But what about your job plans and results? Where are you writing those down?

If you are not documenting your job search process, you need to start doing so as soon as possible.

You need to keep track of how many connections you plan to reach out to on a given week, how many responses you get, and when it’s time to follow up…

Unless you have a documentation process in place, your efforts toward a new job will look scattered and unprofessional.

2. Reactivate, then grow your network

You have probably already heard me talk about the importance of networking.

If you want to get hired into a PhD-level position, you need to have a healthy industry network that will vouch for you.

And the major component of your networking efforts is following up consistently with an ever-growing list of contacts at companies you want to work for. 

Do you even know what companies you want to work for?

This is even more important than knowing what position you are targeting because positions vary from company to company. Two companies can have the same job title with two complete job descriptions.

So, you should focus on the companies you want to work for first and then find out what are the positions that better fit your profile.

Once you know what companies you are targeting, you need to grow your network within those companies. 

Create new connections and set up informational interviews, so you can eventually get referrals.

3. Craft your professional profiles

By professional profiles I’m talking about your LinkedIn profile and industry resume.

You have to expand them so they are not just a list of academic titles. Your profiles should show that you are an industry professional. That you know how to fulfill the needs of your target companies.

Every time you go through an interview process, a hiring committee will decide if you get hired or not. Only half the people in that hiring committee will interview you. The other half will base their decision solely on your resume and LinkedIn profile.

If your professional profiles are too academic, this might be a red flag and you might lose that job, even if the people who interviewed you loved you.

So, keep in mind that no step is more important than the other, you have to take care of all fronts of your industry job search.

4. Find out the needs of the employer

Once you get the habit of documenting your progress, activate your network, and set up your professional profiles, it will be time to actually start applying for specific positions.

While it is very important that you pursue several job leads at the same time, it is also important to understand that every position is different. Every employer has different needs and it is your job to find what those needs are.

Understanding why each position you apply for is open will help you target your job application to show why you are the right candidate for the role.

Start with your resume. You need to target it to that specific position. This means including 30 to 50 keywords from the job description and showing that you have or can learn the relevant skills.

Then, you can move on to preparing for the interview. Understanding what the company needs are, will help you target your answers to interview questions to show how you can have a positive impact on the company.

5. Master yourself first, then your job search

If you think about it, the most relevant thing that employers are evaluating during a job interview is self-mastery.

Most PhDs find this very hard to believe, but it’s absolutely true.

Employers decide whether or not to hire you, based on your answers to a few of questions. 

They have to trust that you can perform a high-stakes job based on the impression that you make during a couple of short meetings. 

Sure, they can give you a take-home test to make sure you have the technical skills required for the job, but at the end of the day, they commit not only their money, but their people and numerous other resources to you based on what you say about yourself during these real time interactions.

So, what do they want to see during the interview process? They want to see how you handle yourself under stress. 

That you can stay in control during difficult situations. 

This is why studying common interview questions is a waste of time. 

It’s also why waiting until you get to an interview to prepare for an interview is fully ineffective.

You need to practice interacting with other professionals in a very professional way behaviorally. You can’t just wait until you get to that step to try to figure it out.

Concluding Remarks

If you want to get hired into a PhD-level job, you need to set up the right job search strategy and execute it currently. This will help you save valuable time and avoid the trap of chasing one job lead at a time via the outdated process of uploading your resume to a job site, only to start all over after a few days or weeks of not hearing anything back. Instead, learn to document your progress, grow your network, set up your resume and LinkedIn profile, identify the needs of your target companies, and showcase your self mastery. Do this while following multiple leads at the same time and looking ahead, knowing what’s coming next. That’s how you get hired in industry.

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.

Book a Transition Call
Get Free Job Search Content Weekly

ABOUT ISAIAH HANKEL, PHD

CEO, CHEEKY SCIENTIST & CAREER SUCCESS MENTOR

Dr. Isaiah Hankel is the Founder and CEO of Cheeky Scientist. His articles, podcasts and trainings are consumed annually by millions of PhDs and other professionals in hundreds of different countries. He has helped professionals transition into top companies like Pfizer, Tesla, Amazon, Pearson, Google, Apple, Intel, Dow Chemical, BASF, Merck, Genentech, Home Depot, Nestle, Hilton, SpaceX, Syngenta, the CDC, UN and Ford Foundation.

Dr. Hankel has published 3X bestselling books and his latest book, The Power of a PhD, debuted on the Barnes & Noble bestseller list. His methods for getting PhDs hired have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Nature, Forbes, The Guardian, Fast Company, Entrepreneur Magazine and Success Magazine.

Isaiah Hankel, PhD

Here's What Others Are Saying

"Thanks to Cheeky Scientist, I now have an offer letter in my hand and a new career in the industry, which makes me incredibly happy and excited for the future. The training Cheeky Scientist provided was successful since it helped me to carefully consider my skills and improve how I approached my job search. I gained more confidence talking to recruiters and engaging in on-site interviews thanks to the many training modules and live sessions Cheeky Scientist offered. I had a lot of back-and-forth interactions with prospective employers as offers came in, and Cheeky Scientist helped me be a good negotiator. Through Cheeky Scientist, I could ultimately search for, negotiate, and select my best career route."

Vishnu Modur

Vishnu Modur

Clinical Trial Associate/Manager

at Medspace

"I landed a dream job as a revenue management analyst at british airways."

James Washak

James Washak

Revenue Management Analyst

at British Airways

"A new chapter begins! I'm thrilled to launch Wenwirth Scientific, where sincere meets creativity with a mission to make medical communication more engaging, impactful, and effective. I am ready to bring game-changing ideas to help you unleash the power of words and medicine. Many thanks to those who have supported me in this journey, I can't wait to work with you and start serving the healthcare community and patients."

Huey Wen Lee

Huey Wen Lee

Creative Medical Communications

at Wenworth Scientific

"I got a job offer from a pharma company, which I am going to accept..thank you for your amazing support!"

Gonzalo Rosso

Gonzalo Rosso

Formulation Scientist

at Coriolis Scientist

"I got an offer at Estée Lauder! I accepted the offer since it is a great company and less than 15 min away. I don't have to worry about relocating."

Ivan Peran

Ivan Peran

at Estée Lauder

"Thrilled to announce that I have joined a new role as a Research Associate at HJF to work at the WRAIR. Very excited to join a dedicated and brilliant team working to eradicate HIV. Thanks to my family, friends, and fellow Cheeky associates for their support in my job hunt journey.""

 Lakshmi Rani Iyer

Lakshmi Rani Iyer

Research Associate

at HJF

"I'm happy to share that I'm starting a new position as Senior Actuary, Pricing at HDI Seguros!"

Claudia Wehrhahn

Claudia Wehrhahn

Senior Actuary, Pricing

at HDI Seguros

"I signed the offer today! I am will be working as a technical support manager - it is what you call a field scientist within Cheeky. I am super excited and already feel welcomed!"

Maria Terra Terra

Maria Terra Terra

Technical Support Manager

"I am happy to share I am starting a new position!"

Kamrul Hansen

Kamrul Hansen

Principal Scientist - Analytical Technology

at Servier Pharmaceuticals

"I want to notify you I have gotten an industry position...Thank you and Cheeky Scientist for the lessons which made my job search strategy and CV more competitive."

Michael Dioha

Michael Dioha

Senior Energy System Analyst

at Clean Air Task Force

"One thing I feel I did great was joining the association as a Diamond member. Modules and Classes helped me to prepare ahead of the search- to do and to go right. The other useful thing was the accountability forum....your classes and modules really helped me to believe in myself and have confidence in myself. I value myself as a PhD. I gave a shot for a senior scientist position, and got one!"

Nabina Paudyal

Nabina Paudyal

Senior Computational Scientist

at Colossal Biosciences

"I am happy to share that I'm starting a new position as a Research Scientist at Cellecta, Inc.!"

Chaitali Saqcena

Chaitali Saqcena

Research Scientist

at Cellecta, Inc.

"I'm excited to share that I'm starting a new position as Senior Filed Application Scientist at NanoString Technologies, Inc.!"

Alex Woychek

Alex Woychek

Senior Field Application Scientist

at NanoString Technologies, Inc.

"Hi Isaiah, I got hired yesterday!....Thanks for all of your encouragement provided by way of your presentations."

Beverly Brereton

Beverly Brereton

Compliance Manager

at Enel North America

"I am happy to share I started a new job as a senior research scientist in medicinal chemistry at x-chem Montreal."

Nicolas Wlodarczyk

Nicolas Wlodarczyk

Nicolas Wlodarczyk Senior Research Scientist

at X-Chem

Similar Articles

Have A PhD And Over 40 Years Old? Better Do This

Have A PhD And Over 40 Years Old? Better Do This

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

“Isaiah, I’ve got 15 years of experience, a PhD, and more publications than I can count, yet no one seems to want to hire me.  What am I doing wrong?”  I hear this from PhDs over the age of 40 who are struggling to get their foot in the door, and the truth is, your age and experience may be working against you in today’s job market.  Employers, especially younger hiring managers, may see you as overqualified, set in your ways, or not as easily trainable as a younger candidate.  The unfortunate reality is that ageism is rampant in today’s…

Why PhDs Are Mentally Tough (& How They Use It To Get Hired)

Why PhDs Are Mentally Tough (& How They Use It To Get Hired)

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

“Isaiah, I’m at my wit’s end.  I’ve applied to countless jobs, networked extensively, and still, nothing.  It feels like I’m just spinning my wheels.”  This is a sentiment I hear often from PhDs who are navigating the challenging waters of the job market.  The frustration and mental fatigue are real, especially when you’re used to achieving high levels of success in academia.  But let’s get one thing straight – you are not alone, and this is not the end.  It’s just a bump in the road.  Yes, the job search is grueling.  There’s no sugar-coating it.  But here’s the thing…

Why Hiring Managers Often See PhDs As Desperate (& How To Avoid It)

Why Hiring Managers Often See PhDs As Desperate (& How To Avoid It)

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

Recently, I spoke with an absolutely brilliant physicist. She had a decade of groundbreaking research under her belt, was well-respected and well-known in academia, and she was ready to make the move to an industry career.  And she was stumped.  She couldn’t understand why her job applications had been hitting a brick wall for the last few months. Despite her impressive credentials and numerous publications, she hadn’t received a single interview invitation in months.  The worst part? She’d already stepped away from the research and teaching that had been sustaining her financially.  When she doubled back, thinking maybe it just…

Why No One Can Get Academic Jobs Right Now

Why No One Can Get Academic Jobs Right Now

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

The academic job market presents numerous challenges for PhDs, including oversaturation, funding instability, adjunctification, and the pressure to publish. These factors create a competitive and exclusionary environment, making it difficult for highly qualified candidates to secure tenure-track positions. The solution lies in transitioning into industry roles strategically.

Negotiate A Higher Salary Using Precise Numbers And Open-Ended Questions 

Negotiate A Higher Salary Using Precise Numbers And Open-Ended Questions 

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

“I did everything I could to negotiate, Isaiah, but they told me the salary wasn’t negotiable.”  A job seeker told me this recently.  Ohhh, they told you that?  Was it written into law by congress?  I didn’t say that of course, but I hear statements like it all the time after people get hired.  While I’m happy they’re hired, it always makes me both sad and frustrated because I know that they could have negotiated and been paid more–more for themselves but also for their families, their futures, their legacies, on and on.  The problem is of course–negotiation is hard. …

4 Ways To Give Your Social Selling Index A Big Boost

4 Ways To Give Your Social Selling Index A Big Boost

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

Growing up, my parents had an adage for everything. And there was one I heard more than any other by far: Nothing worth having ever came easy. These words of wisdom were a lousy rebuttal for the injustices of childhood, but they became the mantra that got me through graduate school.  Maybe that’s why I regarded anything “easy” as weak, lazy, and average – all dirty words in my book. And, without knowing what LinkedIn was really about, I wrote it off as just that: an easy way for lazy people to try and find a job. It was, I…

3 Entry-Level PhD Jobs Pay Six Figures A Year

3 Entry-Level PhD Jobs Pay Six Figures A Year

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

I was determined to stay in academia… until I wasn’t.  It took almost six years for me to reach the conclusion that academia just wasn’t for me.  My PhD defense was just a few months away, and I can’t lie: I was literally willing myself to stick it out. But what about after that? Professorship had been the goal for me before I ever even enrolled in college. It had been my dream. I had absolutely no idea what to do if it wasn’t going to teach. I knew what I didn’t want: I didn’t want to be tethered to…

5 Positions In Biopharma Perfect For Any PhD

5 Positions In Biopharma Perfect For Any PhD

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

It was by chance that I even considered a career in biopharma.  As far as I was concerned, academia was all there was. The world of industry was a big question mark to me, and that was fine. I found myself working on a postdoc, waiting for a tenure-track position to open up.  At first, it was exciting: a real, paying job as a PhD-level scientist. I showed up early, stayed late, and was happy to do it.  But a change happened, gradually. There was so much repetition in my day, and so much emphasis on performing tasks that required…

Top 5 Industry Career Tracks For PhDs

Top 5 Industry Career Tracks For PhDs

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

From the time I started graduate school, there was only one point in the future that I could focus on: the finish line. I was swept up in my own expectations and also caught up in what I thought was expected of me. But something I hadn’t given much thought to was what I actually wanted to do. I was about six months away from defending my thesis. That’s when I started to give some serious thought to what would happen after I added the “Dr.” to my name. It’s when I began to admit to myself that academia was…

Our Members Get Hired At Top Industry Companies

Top Industry Career eBooks

63 Best Industry Positions For PhDs

63 Best Industry Positions For PhDs

Isaiah Hankel, PhD

Learn about the best 63 industry careers for PhDs (regardless of your academic background). In this eBook, you will gain insight into the most popular, highest-paying jobs for PhDs – all of which will allow you to do meaningful work AND get paid well for it.

Industry Resume Guide for PhDs

Industry Resume Guide for PhDs

Isaiah Hankel, PhD

Learn how to craft the perfect industry resume to attract employers. In this eBook for PhDs, you will get access to proven resume templates, learn how to structure your bullet points, and discover which keywords industry employers want to see most on PhD resumes.

AI & ATS Resume Filters

AI & ATS Resume Filters

Isaiah Hankel, PhD

In today's competitive job market, understanding the impact of AI is crucial for career success. This involves ensuring your resume stands out in the digital realm, mastering your online presence, and being aware of how AI assigns reputation scores. Discovering how to leverage AI to your advantage is essential, as it plays a pivotal role in shaping professional opportunities.

Complete LinkedIn Guide For PhDs

Complete LinkedIn Guide For PhDs

Isaiah Hankel, PhD

Learn how to increase your LinkedIn visibility to employers by improving your SSI score and overall LinkedIn connections. In this ebook, you'll be given the tools you need to attract recruiters to you from LinkedIn Recruiter and drive employee referrals.