Industry Careers

I had no idea how to get a job my last year of graduate school. No idea. The entire process was like a black box to me. I remember asking my advisor for suggestions and getting turned down cold. He told me he didn’t have any business contacts. Which was true. He’d worked in academia his whole life. But then he told me that leaving academia meant I was a failure. This was NOT true. Still, it made me feel even more lost. It also made me feel insecure. As a result, I shrunk back and never asked for his…

Every PhD knows the importance of publishing in academia. Being a scientific editor allows you to facilitate the communication of scientific advances and while continuing to learn new concepts. According to the Max Planck Society, global scientific output doubles every nine years. A recent STM report shows that the publishing industry employs 110,000 people globally. Scientific curiosity is not diminishing. As a result, distributing scientific information will always be of great importance. Publishing may not be important in industry, but it is an industry in itself and scientific editors are the driving force behind this industry. However, there are some…

As a PhD, you can’t afford to ignore the facts. Things are NOT getting better in academia. The number of tenured professors at universities is steadily declining. Even worse, a large portion of non-tenure-track professors live below the poverty line. Yet, reports show that PhDs in the Life Science Industry (not in academia) earn more average income than those employed in other sectors of the economy. The problem is not that research isn't needed anymore. Research and research scientists are in high demand. The problem is academia. It’s time to start leveraging your skills to get the research job (and…

It’s impossible to get respect in a system that doesn’t value you at all. Yet, most PhDs latch on to academia as their one and only hope for career success. The truth is a PhDs best option for both success and happiness is to transition OUT of academia. The system is completely broken. If you’re sitting in the middle of your graduate school career or in the middle of your first or second postdoc thinking that things will get better in the next few years, you need to wake up. The academic system is not being fixed. It’s becoming more…

Why aren’t more PhDs in sales? The problem is that very few PhDs apply to technical sales positions. Most PhDs fail to apply for one of two reasons. First, they think they need sales experience to get a sales job. Second, they think that salespeople are manipulative or “bad” in some way—like they can’t be a scientist and a salesperson at the same time. Both are incorrect. As a technical salesperson in industry, you can apply your scientific skill sets to a variety of labs and projects. With your PhD in hand, you will maintain your credibility with customers and…

When it comes to getting an industry job, transferable skills are more important than your technical skills. No one wants to hire a candidate who is going to be difficult to work with. No one wants to hire a candidate who is going to be the new guy or girl on the team who is awkward to talk to and makes everyone feel uncomfortable. Studies show that hiring managers prefer to hire graduates who demonstrate strong transferable skills over graduates with demonstrate strong technical skills alone. You will not get hired into an industry role if you fail to develop…

Working as an industry research scientist is much different (and better) than working as an academic research scientist. As an industry research scientist, you will get to do meaningful benchwork and be paid well. Yes, you can have both. Not only can you be paid well and do meaningful work, you can also work with a supportive team in a supportive environment. There are many advantages to working as an industry research scientist over an academic research scientist. The money is nice, but there are many other benefits. Here are the 3 biggest advantages of working as an industry research…

Transferable job skills are essential for getting into any top industry position. The problem is most PhD students and postdocs do not fully understand what transferable skills are or how to develop them. More importantly, many of these PhDs are unaware of which transferable skills are sought after by biotech and pharma hiring managers and recruiters. Ignoring these skills can seriously hurt a PhDs chances of landing a job in the biotech or biopharma sector. A survey of major biotech and biopharma companies found that in spite of having the appropriate academic degree and academic qualifications overall, new graduates were…

If you’re a woman and have a PhD or are on your way to having one, the future is yours. The only thing that can hold you back is yourself. The first step to transitioning into industry as a female researcher is knowing your worth and refusing to feel like an impostor. The second step is knowing what you’re up against. The odds may be against you but you can still transition into the non-academic career of your choice by asking the difficult questions and finding a supportive network. By wearing many hats, refusing to apologize for the fact that…

If you’re waiting for someone to come save you from academia and line up a great industry job for you, you’re going to be waiting a long time. The only way to get your career back on track is to take matters into your own hands. You must realize that the biggest obstacle between you and getting the industry job of your dreams is yourself. It’s your own bad attitude and bad habits that will keep you unemployed after graduation, nothing else. Stop blaming other people for your situation and start blaming yourself. Take responsibility. Make a decision today to…

When choosing the next step in your career, be sure to consider not only the title and salary you want to have, but the lifestyle you want to live. PhDs should gain a thorough understanding of their non-academic career options. Otherwise, they will be forced by circumstances to take positions that are not in alignment with their long-term career goals. To help you avoid this fate, we’ve collated a list of the 10 hottest non-academic jobs today. Understanding which industry positions are on the rise will help you see what’s available to you outside of a traditional postdoc or professorship.…

Cathy was in a tough place. She had been employed for 3 months after getting her PhD and finishing a postdoc. But this wasn't the end of Cathy's story. By making a few intelligent decisions, Cathy turned things around and is now a Cheeky Scientist success story. Wherever you are at in your PhD career--postdoc, graduate student, or even unemployed--you can turn your story into a success story too. Here's how.