Join Millions Of PhDs Who Use Our Job Search Resources Annually

In this interview with Shanta Boddapati, PhD, she talks about how took initiative while in academia to gain the skills she needed to transition into industry and then leveraged that experience to land an industry position where she makes a real contribution to the development of cancer therapeutics.

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 in the pile.

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 interview with Valeria Daniele, PhD, talks about how she felt undervalued and frustrated in academia. But once she learned about the many opportunities available to PhDs in industry, she successful made the transition into a data scientist role!

There are typically hundreds of applicants vying for the job you are applying for. Ere Media reported 250 resumes submitted per corporate job opening, but this number can be in the thousands when applying to top companies. And, before a hiring manager puts your application on the interview pile, she will review your cover letter. Her goal is to triage 95% of the applications in one sitting. It’s a tough situation: you feel you are perfect for the job but how will you distinguish yourself from the pack? The cover letter is the elevator pitch of your job application and you have to make your cover letter persuasive.

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 interview with Aaron Kellogg, PhD, he explains how he used the CSA resources to gain the skills he needed to transition into industry. He was able to land an excellent MSL position at a top company with no prior industry experience.

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 negotiating will cost you more than $500,000. Learning the important job search statistics, and executing your job search accordingly, will set you up for a successful industry transition.

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 interview with Adwait Ranadec, PhD, he talks about how with help from CSA he lined up an industry research scientist position before he had even graduated! He was even able to leverage his PhD and negotiate a salary increase and signing bonus.

To ace an industry interview, you must not only know what to do during an interview, but also what NOT to do. Any PhD can craft a successful industry resume. But not every PhD can show up to an interview, make a great first impression, and get a job offer. Too many PhDs blow their first interview by not taking it seriously. The worst thing you can do during a job search is work hard for months (not to mention the years it took to get your PhD) and then mess it all up in the first 90 seconds of meeting an employer. A better strategy is to prepare strenuously for every interview and express yourself exceptionally well during those first few minutes. Here's what NOT to do during an industry job interview.

Do not execute your job search as merely a way to get away from academia. As a PhD, you deserve to have a fulfilling job that you enjoy. To reach that goal, you must take the time to figure out what you want from a job, and then implement a strategic job search to reach that goal. To figure out if you will enjoy a position, you should consider the career growth trajectory for the position, the culture of the company, the salary level and compensation, the work-life balance, and the location. Each of these factors is important in finding an industry position that will leave you fulfilled.