Articles Written By Catherine Sorbara, Ph.D.

Mastering the skill of networking is no easy task. Most PhDs find networking awkward and try to avoid it. Yet, learning how to carry yourself with confidence and start conversations with people at networking events can yield significant benefits to your job search strategy. Equally important is the skill of gracefully and professionally exiting a conversation when it’s appropriate and without appearing rude or lacking confidence. Here’s how to do both.

If you want to get a job referral and maximize your job hunting efforts, you need to stop making common networking mistakes. You need to start networking in unconventional locations and in unconventional ways. You also need to start communicating your transferable skills, not just your technical skills. Here are 3 common networking blunders that keep many PhDs unemployed, as well as how to avoid them.

Industry companies rely on many departments to be successful. Not knowing how the industry position you’re vying for fits into the larger framework of a corporation will make you look unprepared and irrelevant. Knowing what transferable skills you can highlight while offering an understanding of the company as a whole shows that you have the business acumen necessary to be a well-rounded asset. Here are 5 key industry departments and how they work together to bring industry products into the marketplace.

Emails are an effective tool to use in your industry job search and networking agenda. The problem is that many of them end up disregarded and ignored. The ones you send never get answered. If you want to get through to an industry professional, you need to show them respect and use proper email etiquette. This means keeping your email succinct and being complimentary. Showing value and building rapport. Personalizing and tailoring your emails to industry professionals in a way that will guarantee you get a reply. Here are 5 ways to make sure your email doesn’t end up in…

Finding an industry job is its own full-time job. PhDs lack the resources and knowledge to transition out of academia as easily as they might have thought. The market is competitive and many PhDs opt in for the default postdoc they think they have to do before transitioning into industry. That idea is an archaic trap. To find an industry job, PhDs need to put time and effort into diversifying their job search strategy and use multiple sources if they want to ever make it in front of a hiring manager. Here are the top 3 sources for PhDs looking…

When it comes to getting job referrals, it’s not what you know but who you know. This is especially true for PhDs looking to transition out of academia and into an industry job. An industry referral will separate you from thousands of other candidates and give you the biggest advantage for landing an interview and getting hired. If you want an industry job, stop blindly applying through online job sites and start making in-person connections. Build your network to increase your chances of landing a referral. Here’s how.

Due diligence simply means taking reasonable steps to prepare for something. It means getting informed. In industry, due diligence refers to gathering information in order to make an informed decision prior to a merger, acquisition, job hiring, or any other important event. As a PhD, you hold yourself to the same standard. In other words, you should do your own due diligence before choosing a career where you will spend the majority of your daily time and efforts. When it comes to a job search, the most effective way to do your due diligence is by setting up informational interviews…

When a current employee of a company refers a job candidate, that candidate is hired by the company about two-thirds of the time. Top companies only resort to advertising a job when they cannot find the right candidate through other channels, such as ‘word of mouth’ or referrals. This is because advertising jobs online is a painful process for hiring managers. These managers have to wade through thousands of job applications from people they do not know. By setting up an informational interview, you are able to learn about an alternative career while also strategically placing yourself within the hidden…

PhDs don't need industry experience to get an industry job. Consider the new technical skills you mastered throughout the course of your graduate studies. Consider the endless papers you read to develop your hypotheses. Like all PhDs, you know how to find answers, learn new skills, and quickly adapt to changing environments. As such, you should be confident in your ability to transition into an industry career, even if you don’t have any industry experience. Here are 5 tips for transitioning into industry without industry experience.

Every PhD knows the importance of publishing in academia. Being a scientific editor allows you to facilitate the communication of scientific advances and while continuing to learn new concepts. According to the Max Planck Society, global scientific output doubles every nine years. A recent STM report shows that the publishing industry employs 110,000 people globally. Scientific curiosity is not diminishing. As a result, distributing scientific information will always be of great importance. Publishing may not be important in industry, but it is an industry in itself and scientific editors are the driving force behind this industry. However, there are some…

Why aren’t more PhDs in sales? The problem is that very few PhDs apply to technical sales positions. Most PhDs fail to apply for one of two reasons. First, they think they need sales experience to get a sales job. Second, they think that salespeople are manipulative or “bad” in some way—like they can’t be a scientist and a salesperson at the same time. Both are incorrect. As a technical salesperson in industry, you can apply your scientific skill sets to a variety of labs and projects. With your PhD in hand, you will maintain your credibility with customers and…

If you’re a woman and have a PhD or are on your way to having one, the future is yours. The only thing that can hold you back is yourself. The first step to transitioning into industry as a female researcher is knowing your worth and refusing to feel like an impostor. The second step is knowing what you’re up against. The odds may be against you but you can still transition into the non-academic career of your choice by asking the difficult questions and finding a supportive network. By wearing many hats, refusing to apologize for the fact that…