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PhDs who are interested in business, but want to maintain a connection with academia, should consider a role in technology transfer. Here, you will be able to facilitate connections between academics and industry professionals to help bring a new technology to market. As a PhD, you already have many of the transferable skills hiring managers are looking for in technology transfer professionals. These transferable skills include: relationship-building to create academia-industry partnerships, high-level commercial acumen and strategic planning to assess and protect new technologies, ability to promote new inventions, and an entrepreneurial mindset to develop successful spin-off companies.

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 Karin Weigelt, PhD, she discusses how she used her PhD to leave an unsupportive academic environment for an industry position where she has a wonderful manager and is learning many valuable skills. Karin enjoys her dynamic industry position, and wants current job seekers to know that it’s worth the effort to be curious and find an industry position that you will enjoy.

Recruiters are a great resource to use during your job search. But, you must make a good impression on the recruiter by approaching them in an appropriate way. Make sure you avoid common mistakes when reaching out to recruiters such as: trying to make small talk, contacting recruiters from a field unrelated to your target jobs, asking about only one specific position, having an unprofessional LinkedIn profile or resume, and not providing the recruiter with the information they need in the very first message you send them. As a PhD, you are valuable and recruiters can connect you with opportunities that you may not have been aware of otherwise. Just make sure you reach out to them in an appropriate way.

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 Kristy Bialas, PhD, she explains that once she realized her value outside of academia, she was able to land an industry job in the field she wanted at a pay she deserved. Instead of being undervalued and questioned as a postdoc, she is viewed as an expert, and her opinion matters and is considered every single day. She tells other PhDs looking to transition out of academia to stop questioning their potential and leave — now.

There is a wide range of industry positions that are great options for PhDs. One lesser known, but quite lucrative position is that of a quantitative analyst. These positions are in high demand and PhDs have many of the skills needed for this role. PhDs who are experts with data sets and data mining, who have strong mathematical and statistical backgrounds, and who have an interest in finance, are well-suited for a role as a quantitative analyst. PhDs who can work under pressure and who have excellent communication skills will be able to succeed in quantitative analysis roles. With a wide range of potential employers and an increasing demand, quantitative analysis roles are an excellent career choice for PhDs.

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.

I was a fifth year PhD student, and I had already started looking for jobs, but the thought of having “the talk” with my supervisor about graduation terrified me. I was trapped in a vicious cycle. I was hesitant about fully engaging in my job search because I didn’t know when I would finish my thesis. At the same time, the subconscious fear of, “What will I do after graduation to pay the bills?” paralyzed me when I tried to work on my thesis. But, one thing was crystal clear: I couldn’t leave my thesis up to chance. Here, you will find 5 shortcuts to finish your thesis 12 months sooner.

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.

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 into the industry position of your choice.

While preparing your elevator pitch and crafting responses to difficult interview questions is important, the body language you display while you interact in interviews and networking situations is even more important. A sure way to sabotage your job search is to not smile when you meet new people, avoid eye contact, have a weak handshake, fidget, and slouch. Each of these adds up to poor body language and sends the message that you are not qualified and lack confidence. Changing poor body language habits can be difficult but, with practice, you can master your body language and get the job you deserve.