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More than anything else, big companies want to hire confident people who understand the system. The problem is that the system in question is different than what most graduate students and postdocs are used to. But this system, like any other, can be mastered. Here are 15 things PhDs can do to make themselves better job candidates for big corporations.

If you want a high-paying job, you have to come to terms with one simple fact--selling products makes money. Buying and selling is the transaction that drives all business. The closer a particular job is to that transaction, the more money the person doing that job gets paid. This is why most big companies pay their salespeople in the field more money than they pay anyone else. The great news for PhDs is they know a lot about the equipment, reagents, and technologies that companies sell. This knowledge is useful, not just in the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industries, but in any industry that wants to make money.

The best way for scientists to advance their projects and careers is by growing their networks. And the best way to grow your network is by learning how to build strong relationships quickly. This means understanding the psychology behind creating an instant and lasting connection. Here are 16 psychological tips scientists should keep in mind when networking with other people.

The first step of transitioning out of academia is deciding if you want to stay in research or if you want out. If you want to stay in research, then you’ll seek and apply for R&D or other bench positions. But, if you want to move into sales, marketing, or upper management, your best course of action is to move into an applications-based position. The main job of an application scientist is to teach a company’s customers how to use their products. This often involves teaching customers about the broader fields of science related to the product. The following 15 tips will help you successfully transition from academia into business.

If your academic advisor is treating you poorly, don’t just work harder and harder in the false hope that he will be nice to you or respect for it. The hard truth is that some advisors will treat you like dirt simply because they think it will make you work harder. Stop chasing the approval of an advisor who treats you unfairly. And stop being afraid of conflict. You’re not going to lose your position. The only way that you’ll lose it is by doing nothing and letting the system overpower you. Don’t let this happen. Instead, follow these 9 tips to make your situation better.

The new rules of networking in graduate school involve both online and offline techniques targeted at key opinion leaders as well as your peers. These rules focus on building connections, not just in academia, but also in business and entrepreneurship. But don’t get overwhelmed. And don’t try to do everything at once. Instead, gradually branch out and slowly increase your risk tolerance until you’re comfortable contacting anyone, online, in person, or otherwise. Here are the new rules.

Many PhD students struggle with getting interviews simply because they cannot articulate through their resumes and cover letters the value that they would bring to a company. If you refuse to actively explore career opportunities in graduate school, it will be very tough to market yourself well during your job search. This is because you will not have a good understanding of what companies are looking for. Given that it takes 6-12 months to find a PhD level position (even longer if you have no professional network), the time to start exploring career paths is now. The following 10 strategies will help you complete your research and plan for your career at the same time.

A job search is not a lab experiment. It’s not a thesis. You shouldn’t learn it through trial and error and it’s not something you should do alone. If you’re looking for your first industry job, the smartest thing you can do is stop guessing what to do. The answers and best practices are already there. There is a right way and a wrong way to perform a PhD job search. Some experiences are normal while others are less than normal. Here are 10 things that will help you determine which experiences are normal and which are not.