Articles Written By Isaiah Hankel, PhD

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…

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… You’ll learn that PhDs are complex problem solvers Next you’ll learn that PhDs thrive in data driven analysis Finally, the meticulous nature of PhD training makes these candidates ideal for a marketplace that is increasingly reliant on the pillars of research and analysis “Why don’t any of these PhDs tell me about how great they are at research and analysis? They all just want to tell me about their publications or some super specific technique I don’t know or really care about, and that a robot is probably doing anyway.”…

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… Don’t give glib responses like “I work too hard” Tell a story using the STAR method Talk about a weakness you had in the past and how you collaborated with someone and engaged in continuous learning to overcome it I hate candidates who give me b.s. answers when I ask PhDs what their biggest weakness is. I reject them immediately.” I was talking to a talent acquisition specialist friend at a very large biotech company and this is what she responded with. I had started asking her about what questions…

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… You’ll learn to try and deflect or vaguely accept a salary offer if the employer becomes pushy Next you’ll use the standard “any reasonable offer will be considered” when first asked for your salary expectations Finally, always bring the conversation back to the value you will add to the company If you tell an employer your salary, stipend or fellowship as a PhD, you’re screwed. I sure was. My second job in industry started with a referral and then a phone screen where the hiring manager immediately asked me “what…

Ready to start your transition into industry? Apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder, Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists here.

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… You’ll learn that AI can find jobs that are the right fit for you Next you’ll learn that AI chatbots and VAs can answer employer questions for you Finally, LinkedIn’s AI allows you to hack your profile to show up higher in the search results on LinkedIn Recruiter Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a powerful tool to enhance your job search and increase your chances of getting hired. But most people I talked to are being dominated by AI. They’re resumes are getting screened out by increasingly stringent AI, their…

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… You’ll learn that a personal greeting to the interviewer demonstrates your attention to detail Next, show that you’ve done your homework on the company by mentioning something specific about the company culture or values Finally, display authentic enthusiasm for the role and the company We interviewed them and they came across as someone who had the personality of a wet mop. Oof – this is what a hiring manager friend told me after interviewing someone with a doctorate that I knew but never worked with. Tough remarks but the point…

Writing a resume for an industry job is one of the biggest sticking points I see with PhDs entering the job market.  What worked even a year ago is not working today due to recent and rapidly accelerating advances in Applicant Tracking Systems.  These systems, called ATS or just AI today, are software tools used by companies to filter resumes.  They scan for specific keywords related to the job role, abilities, credentials, and qualities desired in a candidate.  As a PhD seeking very competitive roles, including relevant keywords in your resume is essential to pass through these systems and get…

Join us as we talk about… In this week’s episode… You’ll learn the most important aspect of facing rejection is resiliency Next, make sure you’re being your own biggest advocate Finally, organization can provide mental peace My job search broke me Isaiah, I need a break. I made it to the site visit and I just got a rejection. This job was perfect for me. What should I do? I hear this all the time from highly intelligent people with very valuable degrees and it’s heartbreaking every time. Searching for a job can be a challenging and emotionally taxing process,…

Ready to start your transition into industry? Apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder, Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists here.