Articles Written By Isaiah Hankel, PhD

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… You will learn the importance of giving to receive during a job interview You will learn the influence of showcasing endorsements and approvals from previous employers or colleagues Finally you will learn the concept that once someone commits to something small, they are more likely to agree to something bigger. As PhDs, we really hate the idea of selling ourselves. Even watering down the word “selling” to “marketing” ourselves or “persuading” others hurts. But to get hired, that’s exactly what you have to do. This is especially true during the…

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… You will learn that how important transferrable skills and communication are You will learn the importance of optimizing your resume content Finally you will that you must manage your online presence “I have an interview coming up in 3 days Isaiah. It’s by video.” Congratulations, I said. “What are some of the big things I should pay attention to?” They asked. So, I told them how to research the position, how to approach the panel by making each person feel heard and paid attention too, not just the most vocal…

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… You will learn that that employers are looking for PhDs that can adapt quickly and learn autonomously. You will learn 5 reasons why PhDs learn faster then anyone Finally you will that having these skills make PhDs valuable candidates in the professional world I often get asked what is the number one skill that I think PhDs have and every time I’m quickly able to respond with “learning how to learn”. PhDs learn faster and more autonomously than any group of people in the world. In fact, they’re doctors of…

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… You will learn that you will need to move fast when transitioning into an industry position You will learn why speed is a factor in your job search Finally you will learn some action steps you should implement now Every week I talk to dozens of PhDs personally, at least, and one of the most common things I hear from them is that they want to take their time to consider all their options in industry. This is understandable but “taking your time” in academia is far different than taking…

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… You will discover the crucial role of technical preparedness You will uncover the link between professionalism and presentation Finally you will recognize the key role of nonverbal communication I was at a networking event several months ago and this PhD who didn’t know me came up and introduced themselves and then asked me where I worked. I told them and then they told me they never heard of it. Fair. But then they said, “can you get me a job at your company?”. Wait, what? I politely told them to…

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… You’ll learn that technical preparedness is crucial Next you’ll learn why professionalism extends to presentation Finally, you’ll learn that nonverbal communication is key If you can’t manage your internet connection, why should we put you in charge of managing anything else. This was actually said to someone I know when they’re wifi kept dropping and buffering during a video interview. They were at one of the later stage rounds with a very busy executive. Needless to say, they didn’t get the job. Was the executive a jerk about this wifi…

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… You’ll learn to focus on targeted applications rather than casting a wide net. Next you’ll learn that you need to pay attention to your digital footprint. Finally, you’ll learn to embrace networking as a crucial part of your job search strategy I was working with a PhD last week who needed to get hired fast. And they did everything on their resume right. 2 pages. Right font. Right margins. A one to one ratio of transferable and niche skills and quantified results in every bullet point. They were targeting their…

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… You’ll learn what the most important transferrable skill you have is Next you’ll learn 5 skills that PhDs have to offer Finally, you’ll learn that PhDs represent a reservoir of untapped potential for any employer looking to innovate “What’s the most important transferable skill I have as a PhD, Isaiah?” I had a PhD ask me this last week while I was helping them understand what they were doing wrong in their mindset. Most of what they were doing wrong was simply a perspective issue. They were still trying to…

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… You’ll learn how to handle not hearing back from a potential employer Next you’ll learn 5 tips that will help during the period of silence Finally, you’ll learn how to use this as a learning opportunity and how to refine your job search strategies moving forward. When you’re in the middle of a job search as a PhD, few things are as disheartening as the sudden radio silence from a potential employer. You were talking on LinkedIn or by email, or maybe they reached out to you for a conversation,…

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… You’ll learn that your PhD is valuable, it’s your job search strategy that needs upgrading Next you’ll learn 5 tips that will help you during your job search Finally, you’ll learn that rejection is part of the job search process and beating yourself will only make it worse. Stuck. Ignored. No one wants to read your resume. You almost got hired but then didn’t. Rejected. This is the experience of every PhD searching for a job at one point or another. The key is to not turn failure in your…

My last year in academia, I didn’t have enough money to fly home for Christmas. So I spent it in Iowa City, mostly alone.  I was broke (of course) so I decided to shovel snow out of driveways for $10 per driveway. I remember thinking how ridiculous it was to be a PhD shoveling snow for money. “What I wouldn’t give to have a better job”, I thought.  That was the gift I wanted for Christmas and the holidays.  A better job.  Not to be a student or a postdoc or an academic PhD getting paid less than I was…

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… You’ll learn that how valuable your PhD really is in the job market Next you’ll learn 9 advantages having a PhD has given you Finally, you’ll learn that by effectively marketing your PhD you can open doors to many opportunities. “Why isn’t your PhD on your resume?” I asked. “That’s crazy!” “Oh, well my friend told me that I should leave off my PhD and list my Masters degree to get hired faster.” “Let me get this straight, I responded, you worked how long and how hard to get your…