We Fight for PhDs and Phd Careers

Job search techniques? I had none. I didn’t know where to start, and I only knew how to make an academic CV, I did not know how to make a resume, I didn’t know that it didn’t need to be longer than two pages maximum. And then networking, I’d only networked on campus, which still gave me good connections but they weren’t industry connections. So since then I’ve been networking on LinkedIn and just anywhere I go. If I learn that someone could potentially help me or I could help them, “Hi, my name is Paige. Nice to meet you.”

After my PhD I did apply to one non-academic position and one postdoctoral position, and I got the postdoc position. I started the postdoc and then next Association enrollment period started within a few months, and said I’m going to join and see where it goes. The first thing [about the Association that impressed me] was networking. Earlier when I used to go to conferences I would sit in a lot of talks, but later I realized that you have to spend time in booths. But even if you spend time in booths, you need to know how to approach the people there properly. CSA taught me to be generally interested in the company’s product portfolio, talk to people, then develop that relationship and get the right contacts. So that was really an “aha” moment.

Even though I knew how to network and I knew how to present very well, and all the science, I didn’t know how to sell myself. The Cheeky Scientist Association really helped me in that sense. It helped me with strategy and with understanding what the industry was looking for. Also there was a rich network of people. They tell you their experiences, encourage you, and also tell you what not to do. I had a very academic CV, so I put it there and everyone told me “Hey, you have what it takes, you’re just not putting it there correctly.” All of this really made an impact.

The network that has been built in the Association is really the unique thing, the thing that separates this from other programs. There are other training programs out there, but they don’t have this kind of support network that’s built in. That’s really where the value comes in, because that group is constantly posting, they’re supporting each other, they’re doing mock interviews, people are posting about job opportunities all the time.

A major thing I learned is that I was not so aware how important networking is. I was doing searches for jobs that fit my profile, then filling out the applications online, uploading my CVs, then waiting and usually not getting answers back. How I found this job now was through targeted networking. I met the CEO a year ago and I nurtured the relationship, and when the time was ripe I was invited for an interview with the CEO and the managing director, already having worked on the relationship in my networking.

It was hard to think of leaving 15 years of hard work and getting into something new. I was browsing and applying online and trying to figure out how to do the job search and I found the Cheeky Scientist Association. I was looking for a community that could provide some guidance, because it’s very hard. I had never looked for a job before, I was recruited immediately after graduation, everything was going smoothly, so it was the first time in my life that I actually had to write a CV or do a cover letter.

Before coming to this field I didn’t really know what an MSL was. The MSLA program was excellent because it’s not just like any other program on the internet. It’s a group of like-minded, positive-minded people, MSLs in big companies. The MSLA group is so supportive. If you have a question, just type it in and a hundred MSLA members will jump in.

The MSLA has been fundamental for my success. I say that because it really, really works. It’s a 24/7 program. Every time I have a problem I write a private message and I get a prompt, very good response. It’s not something generic, but a very hands-on approach. What people oftentimes don’t see is how much support we give each other in down times. I had all these cheerleaders in the MSLA that really helped me get through those darker times.

The Association really helped me in figuring out who I am. The material just really clicked for me and made sense. Being able to just talk to somebody was great. The Cheeky Scientist Association is really interactive, the people really do care about you.

I wanted to change my current job and I had been trying for at least the last six to seven months. I had applied, applied, applied, gone through all the people I know, contacted them, forwarded my resume. I had done every possible thing, applied for 90 or 100 jobs and had not heard back from a single position. I really learned a lot from Cheeky Scientist–how to prevent yourself in an interview situation, what to answer and what not to answer. The most helpful part for me was the salary negotiation guidance, which was phenomenal.

I started following Cheeky Scientist on Facebook and was receiving a lot of really useful information like the CV Guide, the Transferable Skills Guide. One of the people on the team was very responsive to my emails, very interested in my personal situation, and she then sent me the Industry Guide, which was extremely helpful. I had no idea what positions were out there or where to start.

Having a strategy that helps motivate you and takes you through these steps and also helps you realize how much help you can get, it’s really overwhelming at first. There’s so much positive help. Just the private group by itself is worth the investment and worth the time.

Before joining Cheeky Scientist I didn’t know how I was going to do this. Where do I even begin? So I saw Cheeky Scientist on Facebook and on LinkedIn and I thought, maybe I should give it a shot. It was a leap of faith but I did it anyway, and I’m so grateful I did.

The private group was very instrumental, Cheeky Scientist has several groups and I joined the MSLA group and I think it’s worth every penny. The leaders are great and there is accountability which you need. There’s constant constructive feedback or anything that can help you improve so it was very effective.

After doing postdocs for many years I realized that I am more inclined toward industry positions, but I really didn’t know how to find a job. After joining the Association I was surprised to find a lot of people like me. I gained a lot of confidence and felt like I was not the only postdoc having these problems.

The primary difficulty I faced was not being able to get my resume through to HR. I would post my resume on a careers website or on the company’s website itself, and I would never hear back. The Cheeky Scientist materials were incredibly helpful, especially in making my resume and LinkedIn profile.

For me the Association was helpful because I was able to see all the different paths available, other than just working in the lab. The private group was great because of all the information there, as well as the support from all the other people facing the same challenges you are.

I’ve gone to so many great meetups where I’ve gotten great pieces of advice that I’ve been able to implement, they’ve introduced me to people who have been crucial in keeping me motivated and focused during my job search. It’s really encouraging, when it’s a difficult time in your career and you’re not sure how to move forward, to have all these people cheering you on.

There were a lot of layers I need it to really work through, the structure of the program addresses those things. You’re really not alone, there was a lot of support in the network.
There was a ridiculously amount of content that’s just so rich, it’s been an enriching experienced honestly. I learned a lot and I know I still have a lot to learn but I’m doing well.

I joined Cheeky Scientist a few months before I actually left my position, and a lot of things that did come out from Cheeky did help me bear the impact of leaving a very good job, and help tie me over to what I’m doing now. You just have to learn to trust yourself that this isn’t the right place to be, so get out as soon as you can.

I was confident in my networking and my ability to speak with people outside of academia, but I had a lot of work to do to get my academic skill sets and my research translated into a very non-academic, non-research role. The other part was LinkedIn. I hadn’t put a lot of thought into how important it was, and it turned out to be probably the most important tool.

I really liked that I was able to connect with a lot of other CSA members via Linkedin and get some information to reuse. Another thing that I did liked was not just the resume review but also people who would post their transition stories. That to me was really inspiring, almost like a blueprint.

I was finishing a training grant and had started looking for industry jobs, and was getting absolutely nowhere. So I started looking around for recruiters or anybody I could talk to to get training on how to make that transition. [Cheeky Scientist’s] focus on how to make an industry resume instead of an academic resume, seeing the before and after of my resume, there was a big divide between what I was putting out and what I should’ve been putting out.

I started talking to other Cheeky Scientist members and I received nothing but extremely positive feedback, not just about the organization but everything from top to the middle management to everyone who’s trying to break into a role. The feedback was just so amazing.

I got an offer about two weeks ago and I’m transitioning to a Medical Science Liaison role. It was a good break for me, but I couldn’t have done it without Cheeky Science Association and all the guidance and the blueprint they provided for me.

Cheeky Scientist and Isaiah really helped me to see that I did have value, and I did have value for companies outside of doing just bench research. Because I’d really come to the conclusion that that was not something I wanted to do, but I struggled that I didn’t have the skills to do anything else. In academia I had no work/life balance, and in joining Cheeky Scientist I gained that work/life balance back.

The biggest part was letting go of my publications and presentations. CSA taught me I could turn them into numbers for industry to understand, and that was powerful.

In the Association, I met and talked with numerous awesome people both in-person and over the phone. I realized just how fun, rewarding, and helpful this can truly be. I cannot thank all of the people I talked with enough for your help and support!!

Here I am with an offer for an MSL position. Words can not describe the rewarding feeling you have when you finally land the job that you have always wanted. This has been quite a journey, with many challenges and rejections, but being persistent and focusing on my goal has led me here. Special thanks to my MSLA comrades [in CSA].

I had been told my position was out of funding. It was at that time I saw a CSA post on Facebook describing industry transitions. I realized that if other PhDs could do it, I could do it too.

I knew that I needed to have aa well-developed strategy in order to be successful. When I joined the Association, I was very far off from a real job search. But having access to CSA’s network was huge.

Before I joined the Association, I only applied to jobs online. I never heard back from anyone in industry, and I ended up in a second postdoc just to pay the bills. But through CSA, I learned how to network, and I cannot stress enough the power of networking. I had someone put my resume on the hiring manager’s desk. Now I’m a medical science liaison at Eli Lilly.

Thanks to Cheeky Scientist, I went from being unemployed to one of the highest paying positions in industry. Before Cheeky Scientist, I did two post-docs and ended up unemployed. I received many rejections throughout my industry job search. Now, I’m a Senior Medical Science Liaison manager at Amgen. Thank you Cheeky Scientist for helping me escape the scarcity mentality of academia, learn the power of networking, and leverage my PhD to get my dream job for me and my family.

I applied to every industry position with the exact same resume before becoming a Cheeky Scientist program member. I first transitioned into industry as a Medical Science Liaison, and now I’m a Strategy & Communications Director at Novartis. I would encourage any PhD who wants to work in industry to join Cheeky Scientist.

I thought I couldn’t land a great industry position with only academic experience… Until I became a Cheeky Scientist program member. Now I’m in the position I’ve always wanted to be as a Scientific Consultant and I have Cheeky Scientist to thank.

I never got past initial phone interviews in my job search process before joining Cheeky Scientist. It’s surreal to think that I’m now a senior manager in the medical science liaison field at Biogen. Resumes, networking, negotiations… Cheeky Scientist knows how to get you into the job of your dreams.