Cheeky Logo
Ready To Transition Into Industry?
Apply To Book A Free Call With Our Transition Specialist Team

Your PhD Is Not Enough – 7 Articles To Increase Your Business Acumen And Get Hired In Industry

When I finished my PhD, I was very anxious and scared about getting a job.

I felt unprepared for the “real” world.

For about 20 years, I had been calling myself a student — and, that was about to end.

I was excited to leave academia and get a job, but I was unprepared.

All of my skills revolved around academia and I was sure that no one would want to hire me because of that.

I had no business skills.

I went to a few interviews and everyone was talking about things that I had no idea about.

Sales, marketing, clients, customers, leads — it was overwhelming.

They don’t teach these things in graduate school.

When I landed my first job, the business concept of learning only intensified.

I was constantly playing catch-up.

I really wish that I had taken the time to learn more about how businesses work before I started working in industry.

It would have been a much smoother transition if I had a little bit of MBA knowledge.

Why Having Business Know-How Makes PhDs Highly Desirable Employees

Your technical skills as a PhD might get you in the door for an interview or a phone screen, but it’s not enough to get you hired.

To be the one candidate who gets hired, you must have a solid understanding of business.

According to a survey by LinkedIn, business intelligence was on the top 20 list of in-demand skills.

When companies have a pool of talented job candidates, having a solid understanding of business can make you the top candidate.
Consultancy UK reported that 41% of Chief Human Resources Officers cited business acumen as the most lacking skill when sourcing new talent.

And, according to BTS, 65% of business leaders said that a lack of business acumen strongly inhibits the execution of company strategies.

Bottom line, businesses need employees who are business savvy.

If you develop strong commercial and business acumen, you can be a great asset to a company.

Your PhD makes you a highly desirable candidate.

And, a solid business understanding will put you right to the top of the list.

Cheeky Scientist Top 7 Business Acumen Articles

We’ve said it before, your PhD alone is not enough.

A company wants to hire an employee who will make the company more successful.

That might seem obvious.

But, how do you show a potential employer that you will add value to the company?

Not by flaunting your degree.

But rather, by demonstrating your understanding of the industry and their business goals.

They want someone with a keen business acumen who has a good understanding of the technical side of things, but can also make strategic business decisions.

You can be that candidate.

All you have to do is invest in yourself and increase your business acumen.

Here are the top 7 Cheeky Scientist articles to help PhDs become a top job candidate by expanding your business acumen…

Stop Getting Rejected For PhD Jobs By Learning These 7 Business Concepts

You don’t learn about business concepts during your PhD.

It’s just not a thing that PhD programs value.

But, you need to have a keen business sense to thrive in industry

So, it’s up to you to make the effort and seek out the information you need.

The concepts here are a great place for you to start learning more about business.

Here are 7 business concepts that, once you fully understand them, can completely transform your job search…

My Career Took Off When I Finally Ditched My Limited Academic Mindset

My Career Took Off When I Finally Ditched My Limited Academic Mindset.

As a PhD, you have probably spent a huge portion of your adult life in academia.

And, this experience has influenced the way you think — negatively.

You have to actively shed your academic mindset because it will hold you back as you try to succeed in industry.

Getting rid of your academic mindset and starting to think like an industry professional is an essential part of your transition into industry.

Here are 7 ways you can shed your academic mindset and adopt a business mindset to set yourself up for success in industry…

Employers Stopped Seeing Me As “Just An Academic” When I Started Attending Earnings Calls

You’re ready to leave academia behind.

You’ve realized that in industry, you can truly be valued as a PhD.

But, how do you make yourself a desirable job candidate?

How do you make yourself stand out as the best job candidate?

By demonstrating your knowledge of industry and proving that you are more than “just an academic.”

Here are 5 reasons why you should attend earnings calls as a way to boost your business acumen and get hired…

5 Things I Wish I Knew About Stock Options Before I Signed My Employment Contract.

As a PhD, you can dissect a 12-page paper filled with academic jargon.

You can summarize this paper for someone who has no technical background.

You’re intelligent.

But, reading through your employment contract probably feels like reading in a foreign language.

It’s a whole new technical language that most PhDs have not been introduced to — it’s confusing.

So, you must take the time to learn the basics of business and financial jargon.

This includes learning about stock options.

Here are 5 (basic) things I wish someone had told me about stock options before I took my first industry position…

Don’t Be A Naive Academic PhD No One Wants To Hire. Learn These 5 Basic MBA Concepts To Get Hired In Industry.

Working in industry is very different from working in academia.

The structure, the culture, the people, the goals, etc. are all different in industry.

If you don’t understand these concepts, you will come across as unprepared and naive.

You will be a candidate that no one wants to hire.

But, you can change that.

You can demonstrate that you are the best job candidate by understanding a few key MBA concepts.

Here are 5 MBA concepts for PhDs looking to boost their job search and land a management position in industry…

PhD Jobs: How To Transition From Academia Into Business

The truth is that even if you work in a company’s R&D Department, at the bench, your goal is going to be to create new products that sell, or to produce data that backs up the products your company sells.

The end.

This might seem obvious, but a lot of academics fail to understand that every business is driven by the bottom line — or, by profit.

No profit, no company.

Knowing and accepting this fact is the first step to successfully transitioning from academia into business.

Here are 15 more tips on how PhDs can successfully transition from academia into business…

3 More Industry Trends To Help PhDs Develop Their Business And Commercial Acumen Skills

Business acumen doesn’t mean the ability to say smart-sounding business words like, “costs of goods sold” or “rolling forecast.”

It refers to a deep understanding of current industry trends.

The more you understand the trends in your industry, the better you can handle business situations.

Industries are highly innovative and evolve at a rapid pace.

To be successful, you need to be aware of these trends and the implications each trend has on a specific project.

You must get in a habit of researching new trends and staying up-to-date on the latest news across the biotech and biopharma sectors.

The time to start developing and leveraging your expertise in industry is now.

Here are 3 top industry trends to help you develop your business and commercial acumen skills for transitioning into the non-academic career of your choice…

As a PhD, you already have the high-level thinking and technical skills companies want — you just need to increase your knowledge of the business world and learn the concepts that drive businesses.

No matter what role you are targeting in industry, every position in an organization will require business knowledge.

The better you understand key business concepts, the more desirable you become to companies.

You cannot think like an academic and rest on the accomplishments of your PhD if you want to succeed in industry. It just won’t work.

Instead, you must adopt a business mindset and take the time to learn key business concepts.

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 JEANETTE MCCONNELL, PHD

Jeanette is a chemistry PhD turned science communication enthusiast. During her PhD she realized that her favorite part about research wasn’t actually doing research, but rather talking and writing about it. So, she has channeled her passion for discovery into teaching and writing about science. When she isn’t talking someone’s ear off about her latest scientific obsession, you’ll find her on the soccer field or reading a good sci-fi novel.

Jeanette McConnell, PhD

Similar Articles

15 Questions To Ask Employers To Show You're Industry-Ready

15 Questions To Ask Employers To Show You're Industry-Ready

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

I know many PhDs who moved from one lab to another or one adjunct ship to another and never really had to interview. Because academia is such an isolated environment most PhDs already know most of what they need to know about the culture, pay, and what’s expected of them. This familiarity gets them in the habit of not asking questions during industry interviews and blowing it spectacularly.  I kept bombing my early industry interviews and I couldn’t figure out why – I knew I was the most qualified candidate they’d interviewed. Many of the interviewers told me so. I…

Interview Follow-Up For PhDs: Exactly What to Say And When To Say It

Interview Follow-Up For PhDs: Exactly What to Say And When To Say It

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

I wish I could say that I didn’t know I should send a thank-you email after my industry interviews, but that’s not entirely true.  Thank you notes weren’t a totally foreign concept to me.  I’d read or overheard it said that I should “be sure to send a thank you message after you leave your interview.”  But every article or blog post I read about this topic was roughly 10 years old. How trustworthy is job search advice from a bygone decade? And some of the points these articles wanted me to include sounded desperate to me. Like reminding them…

What Is A 30-60-90 Day Plan And Why Every PhD Needs One

What Is A 30-60-90 Day Plan And Why Every PhD Needs One

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

On my first day of work at my new role in industry, I was so excited.  I hadn’t just walked away from academia – I sprinted away and never looked back.  And it was a long road that I had traveled to find this job. I had no industry experience at all (unless you count shoveling snow out of driveways or mowing lawns).  I didn’t know the first thing about resumes or networking or how, exactly, to find a job. And my job search journey reflected that.  But now I had arrived. A large company and an exciting job in…

10 Questions To Ask During An Interview That'll Convince Employers You're The Best Fit

10 Questions To Ask During An Interview That'll Convince Employers You're The Best Fit

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

My first industry interview still stands out so clearly in my mind. I was as prepared as any one person could possibly be. Resume copies pristinely printed? Check. A business casual outfit laid out and ready to go? Check. Following the company on LinkedIn and relevant connections added? Check.  This job was in the bag – I was 200% sure.  The interview went without a hitch.  I could tell by the rapport I had with my interviewer that I was the perfect blend of charismatic and enthusiastic. “And did you have any questions for me,” the interviewer asked as our…

Is Your Body Language Costing You The Job?

Is Your Body Language Costing You The Job?

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

I ran into an old colleague a few days ago – literally. We actually collided going into the same coffee shop.  As luck would have it, we both had some time to kill, so we took a seat and started visiting. I told him all about the work I do, connecting PhDs with the strategies to get hired in industry.  He’d since gone on to work in human resources as a manager at one of the Global 500. We talked about things we wish we’d known after graduation – the importance of things like networking and creating a powerful resume…

5 Ways To Bomb A Perfectly Good Interview Presentation (And What Savvy PhDs Do Instead)

5 Ways To Bomb A Perfectly Good Interview Presentation (And What Savvy PhDs Do Instead)

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

The first time I was asked to give a presentation as part of an onsite interview, I thought, ‘Well this should be a cake walk – I’ll just redo my defense presentation.’ I didn’t get the job. And I knew that mid-way through my presentation. To start, they had only scheduled 30 minutes for my presentation, yet the one I had prepared was an hour. I ended up speed talking my way through the entire thing. Mistake number one. Mistake number two was not appealing to my audience. My presentation was highly technical, but my audience included people from R&D,…

The PhD Cheat Sheet For Conquering An Onsite Interview

The PhD Cheat Sheet For Conquering An Onsite Interview

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

When I was offered my first onsite interview, I was elated. But that elation quickly turned into panic. I had no idea what to expect. I had heard about other colleague’s interviewing experiences, but they all seemed so different. Some were in panel interviews, some had back-to-back one-on-one interviews, others had presentations, while others had a combination of all the above. I didn’t even know where to start in my preparation. So, I did what many PhDs do. I memorized verbatim answers to a handful of interview questions. I even reread my thesis to make sure I remembered every last…

The Shrewd PhD's Guide For Answering Behavioral Interview Questions

The Shrewd PhD's Guide For Answering Behavioral Interview Questions

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

I went through three rounds of interviews and now the company is ghosting me! What did I do wrong?! I’ve heard so many PhDs utter these words. If you can relate, chances are, you’re not going into your later stage interviews fully prepared. You may think that you’re in the clear or that late-stage interviews don’t matter as much. No matter the reason, just know that now is not the time to put your guard down.   The key to nailing later stage interviews is anticipation and preparation.   You must anticipate what types of questions you’ll get during an…

6 Ways To Crush The Competition During Your Next  Video Interview

6 Ways To Crush The Competition During Your Next Video Interview

By: Isaiah Hankel, PhD

During my first industry job search, I was doing everything I could to prepare for in-person interviews. I got together with friends and colleagues, asked them to act as the interviewer and give me the tough questions. I asked them to critique my body language, my speech, and even how I planned to dress.   I really thought I was ready. So, after my first successful phone screen, I was completely sidelined when they told me the next steps included a video interview. A video interview? I wasn’t ready for this! At first, I prepared for it as I would…

Top Industry Career eBooks

63 Best Industry Positions For PhDs

63 Best Industry Positions For PhDs

Isaiah Hankel, PhD & Arunodoy Sur, 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.

Complete LinkedIn Guide For PhDs

Complete LinkedIn Guide For PhDs

Isaiah Hankel

The LinkedIn tips & strategies within have helped PhDs from every background get hired into top industry careers.

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.