We Fight For PhDs And PhD Careers

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 joined Cheeky because I wanted to gain methodology. The tools I received helped me learn how to be a productive Project Manager. I feel confident in my ability to move forward and flourish in my career.

I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Pharmacology/Toxicology Reviewer, Division of Hematology Oncology Toxicology at FDA!

The Cheeky Scientist Association modules were awesome. Especially Modules 1 through 3, where it’s slow and the onus is on us to do the homework. They teach you that no one’s going to do it for you, no one owes you anything. They help you figure out what you want to do. And the group was amazing. Just a great group that helps each other out.

My advisor was less than supportive of an industry career track. She refused to give me any letters of recommendation and told me to focus on my research and that the jobs would come. Cheeky gave me the tools and support to move forward. I was able to see that there was hope.

I am happy to announce that I have started a new position at Merck as a Senior Scientist in Analytical Research and Development in the Microbiology CoE. I am thrilled to be a part of this excellent team!

Coming right out of academia, I really didn’t have very much business training at all, so I really felt like the academic playing a businessperson on TV, if you will. So I worked for a small startup company and they’re not going to be able to provide training, so SMBA was just a really wonderful way for me to get that business training, to turn me into a real business professional. The first four or five modules are great at giving you this grounding in basic business concepts. Once you’ve completed those modules, now you can “talk the talk” of business. You can talk to a businessperson, you can talk to an executive with confidence, using the proper vocabulary that is really going to speak to them and impress upon them your business acumen.

I had been looking for jobs for a while, and it was really frustrating because I was sharing my resume and cover letter and I got a few phone screens, but nothing happened. But then a friend told me about the Cheeky Scientist Association, and things really started changing after I joined.

I am thrilled to announce that I have joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Customer Experience Strategist!
After being unexpectedly laid off in October, the journey to this moment was not straightforward. It was a period filled with uncertainty, but also growth, resilience, and a renewed sense of purpose. I dedicated myself to learning and exploring new opportunities, which has led me to this incredible role.
At the CDC, I am looking forward to contributing to meaningful projects that enhance our public health initiatives and improve user experiences. I am excited to work with talented teams and to apply my skills in new and challenging contexts.
Thank you to everyone who supported me during these past months—your encouragement and advice have been invaluable. I am reminded that every challenge is an opportunity in disguise, and I am eager to start this new chapter.
Here’s to new beginnings and continued growth!

With the things I learned in CSA, things started opening up to me in my job search. I started feeling more positive. The CSA network was incredible – what makes it different is how involved the other PhDs are.

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.

I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Scientific Communications Specialist at Colgate-Palmolive!

Before joining Cheeky, I remember how I’d get to round 2 or 3 of the interviews and wouldn’t pass. Then I would give up for a few weeks. Certain jobs in industry can be competitive and hard to get into. If it wasn’t for Cheeky, I wouldn’t have landed the job that I did.

I was lacking strategy and a more targeted approach. Cheeky taught me how to structure my resume to beat the system. I started looking at my resume with a hiring manager mindset and began to see results.

I’ delighted to share that I have joined Mercodia as a Senior Scientist!

I just went for it. I said, if I’m not going to invest in myself, no one else is going to. I’m going to take a chance and see what this is all about. Maybe I’ll learn a little bit, maybe I’ll learn a lot, who knows. And within a couple of days I knew I made the right decision.

After joining the Cheeky Scientist Association, I realized what the different possibilities were that were available for a PhD in the industry sector. I was never aware of all the possibilities that are out there. That was my turning point, joining CSA and learning about all the different job avenues. I also loved the private group. The most important part was all the available material in the group. You look for any question, or any issue, and you’ll definitely get an answer–either from the current members, or it has previously been answered. You’re always close to your answer when you’re in Cheeky.

I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Principal Scientist at Faraday Technology Inc!

Before joining the Cheeky Scientist Association, I only knew how to apply for jobs in academia since I’d been in the field for over 15 years. Once I joined the association, I realized how wrong I was in my job search process. I learned how to write a resume and the importance of LinkedIn. The private groups gave me a sense of comfort, knowing that I wasn’t alone in the process.

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.

I got my written offer, had a really nice “negotiation” discussion with my future boss last week, and they came back with 15% base salary increase, flexibility around my vacation plans and annual PTO, and discussions about performance-based incentives beyond target bonus and career advancement. Perhaps the most reassuring part was that he complimented my approach, communication style, personality in this discussion and shared that it made him even more confident I’d be a great fit on their team and interacting with clients. I feel like I passed the test and am very grateful for your guidance in preparing!! I’m signing the revised offer letter today and am very excited to get started.

[Joining the Cheeky Scientist Association] helped me a lot to meet people. It was really good to meet people, to speak about our challenges. We had a meetup in Munich recently, five of us who had all already transitioned, so it was really interesting. I think it helps to get other points of views, to get the perspectives of others.

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’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Clinical Researcher and Editor at Function Health. Empower your health!

With a 6-year career gap in my resume due to starting a family, I didn’t know how to begin my job search. But then I joined Cheeky Scientist, and I successfully landed a top position as a central monitoring associate at a clinical research company in Australia.

Before joining the Cheeky Scientist Association, I felt like no one understood me, and I didn’t have a mentor to guide me towards what I wanted for myself and my career. Once I joined the Association, I flourished in the collaborative community. I enjoy receiving advice from PhDs that have gone through similar experiences. I also love being a mentor to others.

I’m excited to share that I have joined IBM Research as a BEOL Semiconductor Integration Engineer!!!

Before joining the Cheeky Scientist Association, I struggled with how to utilize the skills I learned in academia within the world of industry. After joining the Cheeky Scientist Association, I received a lot of support from the exclusive membership Facebook Groups and Industry Professionals. I found my current job after communicating with someone within my network. This proves how powerful and important networking is.

I guess my main challenge was, where do I start? I didn’t start actively job searching before joining the Association. Essentially I knew that I didn’t really know what to do efficiently and effectively, and luckily I came across the Association before I was ready to start actively searching. Probably the biggest “aha” moment I had was going through all the material and realizing that there’s actually a system, or a series of steps, that make sense in terms of how to run an effective job search.

I’m happy to share that I’m starting as a Reviewer at MaPSci Digital Publishers!

As a postdoc and a person who has a family I can’t just be careless with the money I spend, so I had to put a lot of thought into [joining the Association]. I was on the edge, but I thought “go for it”. All I can say now is, it was worth it. The Cheeky Scientist Association private group is, I would say, invaluable. The modules are amazing, they’re always growing.

My PhD background is in the life sciences, with a specialization in biotechnology. It used to be that I never heard back from employers. Cheeky Scientist showed me how to work smarter–not harder–and pave my own way to an industry job as a research associate.

SO excited to share that I’ve accepted a position with RTI-Health Solutions as a Research Health Outcomes Scientist on their Patient-Centered Outcomes Assessment team! I am so incredibly grateful, blessed, and excited to be starting with such a fabulous team and am excited to be able to work on such meaningful, impactful projects to help improve patient outcomes! The past few months have been an incredible journey for me to expand my professional network and explore the job possibilities outside of academia post-graduation. A special thank you to everyone who has spent time emailing, dm-ing, and picking up the phone to talk to me about opportunities and to introduce me to individuals in their teams. I am so incredibly grateful to the generosity of my network and look forward to staying in touch and potentially working together in the future!

I had a pretty good idea during the last two years of grad school that I wanted to go into industry. I had started searching for jobs during that time and I knew that getting a job as an industry scientist wouldn’t be that easy. I went to the university career counseling program, and a lot of the advice that I got was very fragmented. But when I came to the Association I saw that there is a coherent plan, it’s very intuitive, it’s structured, and most of all putting this plan to work actually helps Associates succeed.

Before joining the Cheeky Scientist Association and after joining the Association, there were two Anandas. Things changed very fast when I joined Cheeky, and the networking platform Cheeky has is excellent. I got really inspired, because you see so many people like you who are coming together and trying to help each other. Also the entire support staff is excellent.

I’m VERY excited and I want to thank you and Abha for your detailed program and access to valuable content. The company that hired me met me within the range of my salary request during negotiations and I start next Monday. I’m incredibly excited! Thanks for all of your assistance and the confidence building tools you provide in your program.