Interviewing

My very first video resume was embarrassing. At the time, I thought it was pretty good. I had some music going in the background because it seemed like a way to add personality. Bad idea. After reviewing my recording, I noticed there was also a dog barking somewhere in the background. On top of that, the lighting wasn’t very good in the room where I filmed myself. I had shadows on my face, and it made my eyes look a little sunken… However, this seemed fine to me – after all, I was applying for a PhD-level position not a…

The world is your canvas and informational interviews are your paintbrush. What does that even mean? I was a PhD looking for an industry job, and that was the kind of advice I used to get. But this one I really struggled with: You’re a PhD – you can do anything. Hearing this sentiment over and over again was not empowering for me, but infuriating. Why? Because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Sure, I could do anything…  But that still left me very lost. The tide shifted when I discovered informational interviews. An informational interview is when…

Your salary should always remain a secret from interviewers and potential employers. Contributing author Sarah Smith, PhD, explains why… And how PhDs can deflect questions about their current salary. After 2 postdocs at 2 different universities, I realized something… I didn’t enjoy what I was doing anymore. The academic career wasn’t what I had envisioned. All I did was sit at a desk and work on my research in isolation. I had lost my passion – my future in academia was painfully limited. So at a networking event, I took a deep breath and awkwardly introduced myself to a prominent…

Undercover Recruiter found that 33% of interviewers take only 90 seconds to determine whether they’ll hire you. As an employer myself these days, I can confirm that sometimes, 90 seconds--or less--really is all it takes This does NOT mean you can drop your guard after the first 5% of the interview! While some interviewers may privately decide to hire you almost right away, it’s still possible that you’ll struggle with a key question and change their mind for the worse. Especially when the questions catch you off guard and you end up looking confused or unprepared. Employers want R&D specialists…

The key to making a successful transition to industry is through developing and highlighting your transferable skills. And yes, as a PhD you already have the transferable skills you need for your future career. Now you must learn to leverage these skills to build a career in industry. Your potential employer knows that you have deep technical skills in your field, what they need to see is that you have the ‘soft-skills’ they are looking for in their next hire. You need to show to potential employers that you are a well-rounded individual with the transferable skills needed to be…

If you’ve been selected for an interview, the employer knows you have the skills to do the job. But the interview is the last step - the point where they weed out candidates they don’t want. It’s your final opportunity to shine, so look at your interview strategy. Is it time to change things up?

Hiring is up. The unemployment rate is the lowest it has been for 50 years and according to Execu-Search 55% of candidates were interviewing for more than one position at a time. This means that you, as a job seeker, have power to leverage in your job search. This is especially true because you are a PhD. You should be going on multiple interviews, getting multiple offers and then choosing the job that is the best fit for you. Data from Express Employment Professionals show that 42% of job applicants rejected a job offer because it was not the perfect…

In the current market, hiring is way up. The unemployment rate is the lowest it has been for 50 years and according to Execu-Search 55% of candidates were interviewing for more than one position at a time. It is a candidate driven market. But, those hiring managers are still making the choice about whether or not to hire you. Once you are at the interview it’s your chance to prove that you are a great person to work with. They know you are qualified, that’s why you are at the interview, what the don’t know is whether you will be…

No one is coming to knock on the door of your lab and offer you a job. Getting a job requires strategy. Large companies, like Google, Microsoft, Pfizer, etc get 1,000s of applications per job opening. If you are relying on luck to make you the 1:1,000 that gets hired, you are going to be waiting a long time. Instead, you should be strategic. Realize that, according to JobScan, 98% of Fortune 500 companies use applicant tracking software to screen resumes. And understand that employers care more about your soft skills than they do about your specific technical skills. Inside…

As a PhD is it’s difficult to let go of thinking that your technical skills are the most valuable thing you will bring to an organization. But, you need to realize that your transferable skills are what will be the deciding factor in whether you get hired or not. A recent survey by Yoh, found that 75% of Americans would hire someone who had the right soft skills but lacked the technical skills required for the position. Companies are more concerned about how you will fit into the culture of the organization than they are about the technical skills you…

From the moment you enter the grounds of the company, your interview has begun. Everything from the way you act to the way you are dressed will factor into the hiring decision. And you don’t get a second chance. According to an article published in Psychological Science, people decide if someone is trustworthy within 100ms. So the way you present yourself the very first time you meet someone is of the utmost importance.

You are being judged from the moment an employer learns about you as a potential candidate. Before they even speak to you, they will check your resume and your online profiles. But you are a PhD, so you look great on paper. You are highly qualified and skilled. But, the interview is the key next step, because employers don’t want to hire you just based on your skills, they need to know that you will work well at their company. And according to Undercover Recruiter, 33% of bosses know within 90 seconds of an interview if they are going to…