Articles Written By Jeanette McConnell, PhD

First of all, 85% of jobs are filled through networking (HubSpot). So, if you aren’t networking, you only have access to a small fraction of the total available jobs. But, what does your networking look like? Are you just sending cold messages on LinkedIn, or are you truly investing in people? The only way to make real connections that can last a long time is with in-person networking. Because networking in person is the only way you can fully communicate with another person. Pioneering work by Albert Mehrabian demonstrated that 55% of communication is body language, 38% is the tone…

Networking, with the the goal of obtaining a referral, is the fastest way to get hired. This is because industry employers value internal referrals. Employee referrals account for 72% of all interviews (Society of Human Resource Management). And, 1 out of every 5 candidates with a job referral gets hired (Undercover Recruiter). Companies prefer to hire candidates with referrals. Companies place a lot of value on referrals because ultimately, they make better employees. Referrals result in a higher employee retention rate — 46% at one year, versus 33% for candidates who were hired through a career site (Undercover Recruiter). This…

You can leverage the new LinkedIn changes to increase your profiles' visibility so that employers and recruiters will start contacting you or will contact you even more. 96% of all employers and recruiters find candidates online (Jobvite). And specifically, 87% of these employers and recruiters use LinkedIn to find job candidates, especially for high-level, PhD positions. 122 million people have gotten interviews from LinkedIn and a further 35.5 million have been hired by someone they connected with on LinkedIn (Statistic Brain). LinkedIn is a powerful tool in your job search. Don’t neglect it and miss out on an amazing opportunity.

With a referral, your chances of getting hired increases to 53% and this number jumps to 91% if you are referred by someone in a director role (US News). By getting a referral, you increase your chances of getting hired by more than 50%. So, your number one job search priority should be networking. But, once you make the effort to put networking at the center of your job search strategy, you don’t want a terrible resume ruining all that hard work. Even with a referral, a terrible resume will lead to rejection. Your resume is the first thing that…

Out of every 250 resumes, only 4-6 candidates will get an interview, on average (Inc). Without a resume that attracts attention from a recruiter or hiring manager, you’re never going to even get a foot in the door. Additionally, the average recruiter will only spend 6.25 seconds on each resume before coming to a decision (Forbes). Everything you put on the resume has to add value to your application and be relevant to the job you’re applying for. If your resume is filled with mundane and uninteresting information, the recruiter will skip it and move on to the next one…

The truth is in the numbers. PhDs need data. You need to know the facts. How else will you make a decision? This is true in the lab and in your job search. Understanding the essential job search statistics is the only way to really know how to execute a successful industry transition. You need to know statistics, such as: 80% of jobs are never advertised, it takes an average of 52 days to fill an open industry position, it can take up to 2 weeks to hear back after an interview, 56% of job offers are rejected, and not…

Once you have built your professional network and gotten yourself a job referral, there will come a time when you hand over your resume to the hiring manager. Don’t waste all the effort of networking and building rapport by having a poorly written resume. Make the most of each bullet point by including the 3 key parts of a winning bullet point. Start by highlighting your transferable skills, follow with your technical skills, and end the bullet point with a clear industry-relevant result. Coupled with high-level networking, your results-driven resume bullet points will help you transition out of academia and…

A job referral doubles your chance of getting an interview and increases the likelihood you will be hired by 40%. Investing in your professional network, particularly your existing network, and leveraging those connections is the best way to get job referrals fast. Add value to those people in your network and create genuine connections with them. This will create opportunities where you can request referrals. PhDs are great candidates for top industry positions, and job referrals will make sure your resume gets noticed. Here are five ways to tap into your current network to get industry job referrals fast.

Many PhDs are miserable and needlessly suffering in a negative academic environment. If not managed effectively, these PhDs can end up sick and depressed. A successful industry transition requires a smart job search strategy and a strong mind. You can stop being a victim of academia and take control of your own wellbeing, and your future. When you decide to overcome the PhD issues that are making you miserable, you will place yourself into a great position to secure a job in industry. Here are 5 common issues that compromise PhDs health and wellbeing and how to beat them.

As a woman with a PhD, you have the ability to move into high industry leadership positions. To ensure your success in these male-dominated environments, you need a strong group of like-minded women in your network and as mentors, but you also need to become skilled in networking with men to capitalize on the opportunities available to you. Building your confidence and recognizing the value you bring to an industry job are your starting points. This article shows you 5 ways to advance your career as a woman PhD.

It is not uncommon to lose motivation at various points of the long haul of a PhD or postdoc. In fact, it would be abnormal if you didn’t see your motivation wane at some point. When all the self-pep talks you give yourself don’t work to bring back the passion you once had for your work, there are techniques that can help. Reject the comfort zone of the structure you’re currently operating in and try these seven techniques to help you regain your lost motivation and focus.