Articles Written By Derrick Rancourt, PhD

Most PhD students begin their graduate studies with the goal of becoming a professor. They think their path is clearly laid out in front of them: PhD → postdoc → professor. But, this is far from reality. Only 0.45% of PhDs will become tenured professors (Royal Society). That means 99.55% of PhDs follow a “non-traditional” career path that does not lead to a professorship. However, PhDs are highly skilled individuals, with an incredible amount of value to offer employers. Industry positions offer a place for PhDs to find meaningful work outside the university setting. But, even in industry, your career…

There are typically hundreds of applicants vying for the job you are applying for. Ere Media reported 250 resumes submitted per corporate job opening, but this number can be in the thousands when applying to top companies. And, before a hiring manager puts your application on the interview pile, she will review your cover letter. Her goal is to triage 95% of the applications in one sitting. It’s a tough situation: you feel you are perfect for the job but how will you distinguish yourself from the pack? The cover letter is the elevator pitch of your job application and…