Hear Santi Suryani Chen’s Story

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.

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.

Like any PhD who wants to transition into industry, I did face a lot of challenges, both technical and non-technical. I was basically trying blindly to get a job, not having a proper roadmap. Once I joined the Cheeky Scientist Association I got the kind of directions that I was looking for, what I was doing wrong, where I could improve. I got a better LinkedIn profile and a proper two-page resume. I didn't know what I was doing wrong, but definitely I was doing something wrong because no one was calling me back.

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.