Networking

PhD students often let themselves get obsessed with making one or two people happy. They fight for the approval of a select few who will never treat them as equals instead of working to build relationships with positive people who will like them just the way they are. They allow negative people not only to stay in their lives, but to influence their decisions. This is a mistake for two essential reasons. First, positive people will not come into your life until the negative ones are gone. Second, you cannot do positive and meaningful work with negative people dragging you…

During your industry job search, you are a product introducing yourself to new markets. When you go to typical University or PhD, biotech, or biopharma-labeled events, you’re introducing yourself to what is known as Red Ocean markets. These markets are full of your competitors. The markets are bloody and unlikely to yield any results. Start introducing yourself to Blue Ocean markets--events where you will meet people who won't compete with you and who will help you get the industry position you want.

Have you gone to a scientific conference lately? Have you worked a booth? If so, you’ve probably noticed how many students, starving postdocs, and unemployed PhDs come up to you asking for a job. It's not their fault though. They just want to get paid a decent salary for a change. If you’re behind the booth, it’s annoying. You’re there to help your customers, not to get someone a job. If you’re in front of the booth trying to get a business card, it’s painful. Walking up and introducing yourself to strangers in the hopes of getting a job is…

Navigating the bridge from academia to industry is not easy, especially for PhDs. It’s hard to know where to start. You can save a lot of time, energy, and frustration by ignoring the advice of people who have no idea what they’re talking about. If you want a PhD-level job in industry, avoid taking industry advice from these 3 people.

Almost half of all job hires at top tier companies are from networking referrals. If you're about to graduate and haven't started networking yet, it's not too late. There are some things you can do to get you back on track fast. Here are 5 things that will help you get ahead and transition into industry.

The best way for scientists to advance their projects and careers is by growing their networks. And the best way to grow your network is by learning how to build strong relationships quickly. This means understanding the psychology behind creating an instant and lasting connection. Here are 16 psychological tips scientists should keep in mind when networking with other people.

The new rules of networking in graduate school involve both online and offline techniques targeted at key opinion leaders as well as your peers. These rules focus on building connections, not just in academia, but also in business and entrepreneurship. But don’t get overwhelmed. And don’t try to do everything at once. Instead, gradually branch out and slowly increase your risk tolerance until you’re comfortable contacting anyone, online, in person, or otherwise. Here are the new rules.