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In this interview, Greg Zornetzer, PhD gives us insight into his industry transition. He discusses the differences between industry and academia and why the importance of networking doesn't go away once you get hired.

While a phone interview may not seem as important as an in-person interview, very few people actually make it to this stage. 98% of candidates are eliminated by the initial resume screen (Workopolis). If you have earned a phone interview, it means you are in the top pool of candidates. Now, it’s up to you to prove that you deserve to move on to the next step. 49% of interviewers know within 5 minutes if a candidate is a good fit, and only 8% needed longer than 30 minutes to make this judgement (Careerbuilder). So, as soon as your phone interview starts, you need to be at the top of your game. You need to show that you are the right candidate. You need to feel confident. And, that all comes down to being well-prepared.

Every week we scour the internet to find the best industry transition articles for PhDs, so you don't have to. We have two consultants independently search for the most informative articles on networking, CVs/resumes, interviews, transferable skills, academic blues, industry positions, and business acumen. Our consultants vote on a top article for each category and for a top overall article each week. This week's best articles are here.

In this Q&A Evguenia Alechine, PhD discusses what she does as a scientific editor and how this position is meaningful to her. She also discusses how transitioning into industry brought out her management skills and allowed her to develop her strengths even further.

As a PhD, you are a leader. You are comfortable leading the way into the unknown — you did this every time you designed and executed a new experiment. The #1 in-demand soft skill, as reported by thousands of industry employers, is leadership (LinkedIn). As a PhD, you are qualified for a management-level position where you will lead. Industry needs leaders like you to take on management roles and move up the corporate ladder into C-suite positions. In North America, only 2% of CEOs have a PhD (Study.Eu). This is ridiculous. PhDs are experts, leaders, and innovators — they are well-suited to the leadership role of CEO. But, Academia leaves PhDs unprepared for their industry job search and their industry interview process. 73% of recruiters said that they have rejected a candidate because they did not prepare well enough for the interview (Global Recruiter). But, how can you make sure you are prepared enough?

Every week we scour the internet to find the best industry transition articles for PhDs, so you don't have to. We have two consultants independently search for the most informative articles on networking, CVs/resumes, interviews, transferable skills, academic blues, industry positions, and business acumen. Our consultants vote on a top article for each category and for a top overall article each week. This week's best articles are here.

51% of recruiters rated having an employee referral as an important factor in hiring, while 89% of recruiters rated company culture fit as an important factor in hiring (Jobvite). Through informational interviews, you can gain referrals and learn how to demonstrate that you are a good culture fit for a company. Having a referral will not only increase your chances of getting hired, it will also increase your starting salary. Having a referral from a business contact increases annual salary by up to $8,700 (Payscale). Informational interviews provide opportunities to build relationships with industry professionals. By first meeting with them with the intention of learning more about their role, and hearing their story, you begin to build rapport. And, as you maintain contact with that person and continue to add value to them, you will be able to ask for a referral when you need it. But, the largest benefit you gain from informational interviews is learning what it’s like to work at a company or in a specific job, day after day.

It takes hard work and perseverance to get hired in industry. For most positions, a candidate will have 3 interviews before a company decides to hire them (Management Recruiters International Network). But, for certain positions, candidates may have 5 or more interviews before getting hired. So, if you have more than one interview, don’t get discouraged, as this is completely normal. Additionally, the average time it takes someone to get a job is 84 days (Talent Works). Now, 84 days is a long time, especially if you are unemployed. But, that number is not specific for PhD-level positions. For PhD-level positions, it can take even longer to get hired. For example, it can take more than 150 days for a mechanical engineer to get hired. So, you must be resilient in your job search. Keep pushing forward and realize that it’s normal for a PhD-level job search to last many months. Apply the fight and drive that you developed as a PhD to your job search.

Every week we scour the internet to find the best industry transition articles for PhDs, so you don't have to. We have two consultants independently search for the most informative articles on networking, CVs/resumes, interviews, transferable skills, academic blues, industry positions, and business acumen. Our consultants vote on a top article for each category and for a top overall article each week. This week's best articles are here.

You must realize that you are not the only one searching for a job. 51% of employees are looking for a new opportunity (Gallup). And, every corporate job opening attracts approximately 250 applicants (Glassdoor). But, this number is often much higher for companies like Johnson & Johnson, Allergan, and Celgene etc., where they will get thousands of applicants per position. But, only one applicant will get hired. How do you become that one applicant? Well, it starts with a referral. A referral can land you an interview. But, once you are in front of the hiring committee, it’s all on you. How do you stand out from the other candidates? How do you show your value as a PhD? You do this by preparing for your interview with the same intensity that you prepared for your thesis defense.

Every week we scour the internet to find the best industry transition articles for PhDs, so you don't have to. We have two consultants independently search for the most informative articles on networking, CVs/resumes, interviews, transferable skills, academic blues, industry positions, and business acumen. Our consultants vote on a top article for each category and for a top overall article each week. This week's best articles are here.

Anand Devasthanam, Ph.D. transitioned into a Medical Writer position at PAREXEL Informatics and loves it. His work as a scientist is valued and the he identifies with with culture of the company. He is valued as a PhD. Read how he made the transition out of academia.