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An interview with Nicole Bowens, PhD, Medical Writer, Arbor Scientia What is your favorite part about working in industry? What I most enjoy about industry versus academia is having clear objectives and deadlines. As a medical writer in promotional medical education, I most enjoy being able to use creativity in the design and presentation of data across a variety of projects. What does a typical day at work look like for you? Typically, I start the day by reading the morning’s batch of emails. I may then review my timelines for my projects to determine what I need to accomplish…

Medical Science Liaison (MSL) roles are growing fast. These roles are actually one of the top 10 industry careers for PhDs right now. How do you like the thought of jet-setting across the country in your tailored suit, discussing science with high-level thought leaders, and earning a great salary? Does that sound like a nice change from working in a lab for peanuts? It did to me, that’s for sure. In 2019, the median salary of MSLs was more than $122,000. But the MSL position isn't right for everyone. MSLs undertake cutting-edge, scientific discussions on drug therapy and disease states. They do this with leading healthcare providers in both academic and community-based settings. Transitioning into an MSL position requires strategic thinking and the ability to ensure individual needs are met while staying aligned with the overall objectives of the company. There has to be a strong match between your personality and values, and the culture and values of the company for which you end up working. You need to understand yourself and what you want as well as how other people see you. Medical science liaising is an inherently social practice. It demands a personable, outgoing attitude; good communication; and excellent teaching skills. Some people are simply better suited to solitary work. But as a PhD, for the longest time, I tried to fit myself into a box: the independent scientist, alone at the bench with a microscope, laptop, coffee, and copious notes. Yet I loved to present my research in front of others, to mingle at conferences… I wanted to talk science with anyone who was willing to join me. If this sounds familiar, you might be a perfect fit for the MSL role.

Every week, we scour the Internet for the best industry transition articles for PhDs – so you don’t have to! Our two consultants independently search for the most informative articles in the categories of networking, CVs/resumes, interviews, transferable skills, academic blues, industry positions, and business acumen. Our consultants vote on a top article for each category and a top overall article for the week. This week’s best articles are… Top Overall Top Overall: Stress, anxiety, harassment: huge survey reveals pressures of scientists’ working lives – Alison Abbott Networking Top: 4 Tips for Building Your Dream Network – Imran Tariq Networking…

There is no denying the fact that cover letters are becoming less and less popular. According to a survey in Jobvite, 55% of hiring managers say that while cover letters are not important in their job search process, they still recommend that you learn how to nail them. With the advent of social media, recruiters and hiring managers can easily vet a candidate on LinkedIn without even looking at their resume. But here’s the thing… You never know exactly what the hiring manager wants to see, and it can be a huge misstep if you forget this. In a recent survey of 1,500 recruiters and hiring managers by CareerBuilder, 29% of employers said they wanted a cover letter. That is significant enough to include it. In that same survey, 77% of employers indicated that they are most interested in knowing if the job candidate’s skills match what they are looking for. Your cover letter should convince employers of precisely this - it is 1 more opportunity to prove your worth. Use this opportunity to show the hiring manager that you have what it takes to do the job, and that you take the hiring process seriously.

Every week, we scour the Internet for the best industry transition articles for PhDs – so you don’t have to! Our two consultants independently search for the most informative articles in the categories of networking, CVs/resumes, interviews, transferable skills, academic blues, industry positions, and business acumen. Our consultants vote on a top article for each category and a top overall article for the week. This week’s best articles are… Top Overall Top Overall: Why professional networking groups for women remain valuable – Kristen Hicks Networking Top: Why professional networking groups for women remain valuable – Kristen Hicks If You Don’t…

Many PhDs spend countless hours on their resume, listing endless accomplishments, responsibilities, publications, presentations, and other information that practically bore industry employers to death. They mass-upload this ridiculous document to online job postings and wait for the job offers to roll in like red carpet on their way to industry success. These PhDs--otherwise sharp and creative people--are shocked when they never hear anything back. The reality is that your resume is probably never even seen by another human being, let alone rejected. Your resume is being rejected by a computer program. JobScan reports that more than 90% of Fortune 500 companies are using Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) to screen candidates’ resumes. And according to The Financial Post, ATS systems reject up to 80% of resumes in a matter of seconds. By now, you have probably begun to realize why your non-tailored, academic-style resume is not getting any response. That being said, even the best resume could be rejected by ATS. To be clear, a great resume, tailored to a specific job and written in an industry format, can still end up getting rejected by ATS. Unfortunately, you cannot say for certain what an employer has told their ATS to look for in a resume. This is why your resume is not actually the most important part of your job search. Even a perfect resume is not enough to get you a job. You need to network and generate referrals so that you can send your resume directly to a person. Only once you have a connection to the company you are interested in does your resume become important. As reported by Quartz, candidates with a referral have a 40% better chance of getting hired. Yet even with a referral, a terrible resume will lead to a rejection.

An interview with Marios Tsatsos, PhD 1. What is your name, your full job title, and the name of the company you work for? Marios Tsatsos, Data Scientist working for Clarivate Analytics (Web of Science Group). 2. What is your favorite part about working in industry? The impact-oriented objectives and connectivity that such a position offers 3. What does a typical day at work look like for you? Lots of coding, reading, paper-digging, and learning. Some team meetings (formal and informal) and, sporadically, meetings with clients and cross-team meetings. 4. How is your current industry position different than your academic…

Every week, we scour the Internet for the best industry transition articles for PhDs – so you don’t have to! Our two consultants independently search for the most informative articles in the categories of networking, CVs/resumes, interviews, transferable skills, academic blues, industry positions, and business acumen. Our consultants vote on a top article for each category and a top overall article for the week. This week’s best articles are… Top Overall Top Overall: How to build an email list on LinkedIn – Tim Queen Networking Top: How to build an email list on LinkedIn – Tim Queen 6 Ways To…

“Clinical research associate” ranks #84 on CNN Money’s list of the 100 “Best Jobs in America,” and with a median pay of $76k, you can begin to see why. In fact, according to a U.K. government report, industry workers in the life sciences earn more than the average income of those employed in any other economic sector. Despite this, you shouldn’t chalk up the amazing benefits of this career to mere income... From life-saving medical apparatuses to carefully refined treatments for lifelong debilitations, clinical research associates have a powerful connection to innovations in medicine. You'd have a tough time naming a career with greater impact and importance than this one. Clinical trials work puts PhDs at the forefront of modern medicine and its powerful applications - scientific advancements that change--and save--lives. Obviously, most PhDs have scientific expertise. They have mastered the crucial talents of data analysis and documentation, and this is exactly why employers tend to prefer PhD graduates as they go on the hunt for clinical research candidates.

Every week, we scour the Internet for the best industry transition articles for PhDs – so you don’t have to! Our two consultants independently search for the most informative articles in the categories of networking, CVs/resumes, interviews, transferable skills, academic blues, industry positions, and business acumen. Our consultants vote on a top article for each category and a top overall article for the week. This week’s best articles are… Top Overall Top Overall: Top 10 Biopharma Stories of 2019 – Mark Terry and Alex Keown Networking Top: How to Make Connections That Count — Advice From a Silicon Valley Veteran…

Did you know that, according to Robert Half, 70% of hiring managers don’t expect job candidates to take the first salary offer? Instead, they expect you to negotiate. Employers are competing over talented candidates just like you, which means you have plenty of leverage for negotiating. That being said, it’s normal to feel anxious. It takes courage to speak up for yourself and ask for something better than what you’ve been offered.But there is no such thing as a professional salary negotiator.You can’t hire someone to waltz into the corporate office and advocate for a better salary on your behalf.If you want a higher salary, it’s up to you to make your voice heard at the appropriate time - after the job offer, and before agreeing to anything official.Sure, the salary you are offered in industry is going to be much higher than what you were making in academia.But this doesn’t mean it’s as high as it should be.Many companies want to pay you as little as possible.A company is always focused on the bottom line - every dollar spent is an investment.55% of job candidates are negotiating their salary, and you should be as well.The math behind this checks out: If you don’t negotiate, you can end up losing out on hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of your career.

Every week, we scour the Internet for the best industry transition articles for PhDs – so you don’t have to! Our two consultants independently search for the most informative articles in the categories of networking, CVs/resumes, interviews, transferable skills, academic blues, industry positions, and business acumen. Our consultants vote on a top article for each category and a top overall article for the week. This week’s best articles are… Top Overall Top Overall: How to be a Successful Chief Data Officer – Ahmed Inam Networking Top: Network Your Way Into the New Year – Rebekah Layton Networking – University of…