How Smart PhDs Are AI-Proofing Their Industry Job Search

“Thank you for your interest.”

“We received a high volume of applications for this position.”

“After careful review, we have decided to move forward with other candidates.”

“Your qualifications are impressive. Unfortunately, we will be pursuing applicants whose skills do align more closely with our current needs.”

“We encourage you to apply for future opportunities.”

“We appreciate your time and wish you all the best in your job search.”

“We’ll keep your resume on file for future consideration.”

After six months of applying for industry roles, I had received every single variation of a rejection letter. 

All these industry employers were “impressed by my qualifications” and “wished me much success.” 

None of them, however, gave even the slightest indication that they had actually read my resume.

“Is this normal in industry hiring?” I asked a LinkedIn connection. 

Like me, he had left academia for an industry career. 

He invited me to pick his brain anytime, and I had finally decided to take him up on the offer over coffee.  

“And just, on a personal note,” I added, “can I say that I’m starting to feel a little like my expertise is being undervalued by these automated responses.”

Don’t feel bad, he told me. 

There’s actually a lot of reasons companies use these generic messages.

Generic phrases minimize the risk that a jilted candidate will take the decision personally. 

They also help ensure that every applicant receives a timely, courteous, professional response and aren’t waiting around to hear back. 

It protects a recruiter’s time, too – it frees up time so they can focus on the shortlisted candidates. 

But you’re focused on the wrong thing, Isaiah, he told me.

“Oh?” I asked, “how so?”

You should be asking yourself why you keep getting these rejections, he continued. 

If the responses you get are automated, who’s to say the decision to interview you isn’t too?

What are you putting – or not putting – on your resume to keep yourself out of the hiring manager’s “yes” pile?

Human Resources Have Evolved Right Along With The Job Market

The recruitment landscape has undergone a seismic shift in recent years.

For one, talent acquisition is taking a page out of industry’s market analysis playbook and turning to data to drive progress. 

Recruiters are leveraging data to make more informed decisions and optimize the hiring process.

Another trend is a colossal emphasis on branding. 

Over the years, it has been demonstrated that brands with a strong, distinct identity attract higher caliber talent.

This talent stays put longer, is more satisfied with their work and is more likely to recommend that company to other professionals in their circles. 

But the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in human resources is without question the most substantial change. 

Companies have been rolling out AI-powered tools like Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and Candidate Relationship Managers (CRM) for years now.

These platforms collect, group and rank candidates, screen them, nurture and manage relationships with them, track their interactions, and create a centralized hub to collect and share data about them.

This tech is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to streamlining talent acquisition. 

Chatbots.

People analytic platforms.

Learning management systems. 

Skill assessment tools.

AI is providing so many benefits to recruiters, and is only poised to continue its explosive growth trajectory. 

But, on the flip side of that coin, it has also created new challenges for job seekers – PhDs in particular. 

These systems often prioritize specific keywords and formatting.

These formats do not align with the traditional academic CVs that many PhDs are accustomed to. 

This can lead to qualified candidates being overlooked simply because their resumes don’t fit AI’s narrow criteria.

Understanding the inner workings of these AI gatekeepers is no longer a luxury. 

It is a necessity for PhDs looking to transition into industry. 

You need to know how to navigate this modern job search landscape in a way that pushes your resume past AI screeners and into the hands of a human hiring manager. 

AI And The PhD Resume

AI is absolutely the biggest hurdle to get past if you’re in the early stages of transitioning from academia. 

Nearly every Fortune 500 company is leveraging the intelligence of artificial intelligence and ATS.

These tools are designed to make hiring more efficient and to eliminate bias, but research is finding that these tools can inadvertently filter out qualified candidates. 

If you find yourself not hearing back from applications, AI is very likely the reason – especially if you’re a PhD.

Why?

Because we PhDs have been siloed in academia. 

The majority that I work with have had access to outdated information about how to create a resume, what recruiters are looking for, and what a resume should look like. 

They’re far more familiar with the CV, so that’s what they’re uploading to these industry job applications. 

The problem with this is that PhD resumes filled with academic jargon and complex terminology will be misaligned with the keywords AI is programmed to identify.

1. Make sure your resume is machine readable

So the first thing we want to do sounds very remedial, but it is crucial: Make sure your resume is machine readable. 

AI screeners prefer simple, straightforward resumes.

They should use a clean template without images, columns, or special characters. 

And they should describe your experience in short, crisp sentences.

Those sentences should be declarative, and they should quantify your achievements whenever possible. 

2. Keyword matching is critical 

The second thing you need to do is match  the keywords from the job description exactly. 

AI screening programs filter out resumes that don’t include the exact keywords from the job description. 

You can use tools like Jobscan to compare your resume with job descriptions and identify missing keywords. 

But it’s not just enough to use the correct keywords.

You also need to be able to use the appropriate keyword density.

What do I mean by that? 

I meant that each keyword on your resume needs to appear at least twice.

In some cases, three times. 

Here’s an example:

The keyword or key phrase in question is “project management.”

That keyword needs to appear on you resume at a keyword density between 0.5% to 2%. 

There’s a lower and an upper bound.  

The upper bound is to prevent keyword stuffing, which an ATS will automatically flag and reject.

But that’s not generally an issue. 

Most people don’t even hit the lower bound. 

So, given the average two-page resume length and a font of 11 or 12… 

… with page margins around one inch or similar, you’re looking at a resume that contains between 500 and 600 words.

You’d need to get the key phrase “project management” on your resume twice to hit 0.7% keyword density. 

If it appears three times, you’ll achieve a 1.3% keyword density. 

But, what if you don’t have the skills that the job posting requires? 

How do you get those skills on your resume? 

This is simply a word choice problem. 

Instead of starting an Experience bullet point with the phrase “Expertise in XYZ skill,” start it with with “Ability to do XYZ skill” instead.

You could also use a phrase like “An understanding of XYZ skill” or make a comparison by saying “7 years of experience in ABC skills which is relevant to XYZ skill.” 

This is how you get the keywords on your resume and properly target it to the positions you’re interested in.

If the job description uses numerals, you should use numerals.

Make sure that the keywords you use appear exactly as they do in the job description.

3. Highlight skills over education

The third thing that you need to do – and this is a big one for us PhDs – is to highlight your skills above your education.

Many companies are placing a major focus on skills and experience rather than educational background. 

That’s not to say that your technical skills aren’t also important – they are, without a doubt.

But employers are in search of candidates who can adapt quickly to new technology, new processes and new challenges. 

Some technical skills will be obsolete as AI becomes more advanced and more prevalent. 

Soft skills, however, are relevant across roles and industries. 

Investing in a workforce with strong transferable skills ensures a workforce that can evolve alongside a company’s changing needs.

So place emphasis on the ones that are mentioned in the job description, concentrating the most of these keywords in the Professional Summary and Skills section. 

Include skills throughout your resume, though – in the Experience section too.

You want to clearly list skills relevant to the job in every section to make it easy for AI to match you with the role. 

By formatting your resume with machines in mind, optimizing your keyword density and highlighting your transferable skills, you will position yourself for success. 

On paper at least.

But what about 

Leveraging AI Beyond Your Resume

Yes, AI is a hurdle you need to get over to start your industry career.

No doubt about it. 

But it’s also a tool that you can use to elevate yourself. 

In fact, you’re probably already using it. 

AI-driven job platforms often personalized job searches for returning applicants.

They use not just the information in your resume, but also your browsing history and the actions you take on their site in order to help match with the right employers.

You need to be aware of the prevailing tech and trends surrounding industry hiring. 

If you don’t, you are not speaking the same language as the people you are hoping will hire you.

Redefine your online presence and activity

In the digital age, your online presence goes hand in hand with your resume. 

Job platforms and company websites track your activity, creating a digital footprint that can influence your candidacy. 

I talk to PhDs all the time who say, “I don’t have a Facebook, I don’t have a Twitter, I’m good.” 

What they don’t realize is that it’s not just your social networks that employers can see. 

Job platforms track your activity, as does every website you’ve ever visited or any ad you’ve ever watched. 

Everything you do online and, on job search platforms especially, influences your visibility to recruiters. 

That’s why you need to scrub any trace of anything controversial or offensive or unprofessional from the internet.

To clean up your digital footprint, start with the basics. 

Review your social media profiles sucha as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok.

 Remove any unprofessional content, photos, or posts that could raise red flags for potential employers.

Check your privacy settings to ensure that only appropriate information is publicly visible.

Google yourself to see what information appears in search results and take steps to remove or suppress anything negative or irrelevant.

Next, optimize your LinkedIn profile.

Ensure your profile picture is professional and up-to-date.

Craft a compelling headline that highlights your expertise and career goals.

Write a concise and impactful summary that showcases your skills and achievements.

List relevant work experience and education, using keywords that align with your desired roles.

Highlight your skills and endorsements, ensuring they are relevant to your target industry.

Join relevant LinkedIn groups and participate in discussions to demonstrate your knowledge and network with professionals in your field.

Share industry-related articles, insights, and your own thought leadership pieces to position yourself as an expert.

Engage in online communities too.

Participate in relevant online forums, discussion boards, or social media groups related to your field.

Share your expertise, ask thoughtful questions, and engage in meaningful conversations – this is how you establish yourself as a knowledgeable and valuable contributor.

Share articles, blog posts, or news stories relevant to your industry on your social media channels.

Avoid engaging in controversial or polarizing discussions online, as this could negatively impact your professional image.

Be mindful of the language and tone you use online, ensuring it aligns with your professional brand.

Remember, your online presence is an extension of your resume, so treat it with the same level of care and attention to detail.

Use generative AI to your advantage

The first thing that comes to mind for most PhDs when I talk about using generative AI in their job search is resume writing. 

This is true to a certain extent. 

AI can help you generate impactful bullet points that highlight your skills, experience, and achievements. 

It can also analyze job descriptions and suggest relevant keywords to incorporate into your resume, increasing its visibility to ATS systems.

If you need help developing a compelling resume summary that effectively communicates your value proposition, AI can help with that.

AI can also generate detailed and impactful descriptions of your relevant experience.

Cover letters can be time-consuming to create; AI can help with that too, generating personalized cover letter templates tailored to specific job postings.

This tech can also help you curate relevant content to share on your social media channels, showcasing your expertise and interests.

AI-powered tools can analyze your online profiles and suggest improvements to enhance your personal brand and appeal to potential employers or clients.

By leveraging AI tools strategically, you can streamline your online reputation management efforts, gain valuable insights into public perception, and proactively build a positive and impactful online presence.

Remember, however, that AI is a tool, not a replacement for human judgment and interaction. Always review and adapt AI-generated content to ensure it aligns with your values and goals.

Reviewing and editing text ensures that it reads smoothly and coherently, like it was written by a human, is crucial. ATS systems are becoming better and better at detecting AI-generated text patterns.

The human touch

You’ll notice, as I lay out ideas that you can use to make AI work for you, that I’m leaning heavily into the word “help.” 

Yes, AI can can help you polish your resume, write tailored cover letters, or optimize your online reputation. 

But it is of the utmost importance to keep in mind when you’re using AI yourself is to always review, revise and edit the content it provides for you. 

AI is adept at recognizing its own, and if the ATS flags your resume or cover letter as written by a robot, you’ll be disqualified immediately. 

AI-generated content can often sound… well, like a machine. 

The responses it generates lack the nuance of personality and perspective. 

While there’s nothing inherently wrong with AI, it’s an algorithm – which makes it predictable. 

Large language models such as ChatGPT learn patterns in language by analyzing the relationships between words and phrases in the training data.

That means that it is easy to pick AI-written content out of a lineup. 

So review and revise the content AI provides you with.

From there, you can inject your own voice, experienes and unique perspectives – because that’s what will make your application stand out from other applicants.

Additional Tips for Navigating the AI-Driven Job Market

It’s important to be aware of all these AI-focused tools and trends.

But there’s more to a job search than resumes and your online presence, and AI can’t help you with those.

In addition to those things, you still need to be networking.

You also need to be researching the companies you apply 

And you need to be tailoring your resume.

These are all part of a strategic approach that combines AI tools with your own initiative and human touch. 

Network like you mean it

Even in this AI-powered recruitment landscape, networking is absolutely critical for PhDs. 

Platforms like LinkedIn are really a goldmine of opportunities for PhD job seekers, and using it should be part of your daily job search routine.

Let me repeat that: If you aren’t using LinkedIn at least once every two days, you are not using it enough.

Here, you can connect with recruiters, hiring managers and industry professionals. 

One of the best ways to attract attention is to actively engage with companies you admire – following their pages, interacting with their posts, and sharing relevant content.

By doing this, you increase your visibility not only to human recruiters but also to AI algorithms that track engagement. 

This signals your genuine interest in the organization.

It also boosts your chances of appearing in search results and recommendations, ultimately increasing your chances of landing an interview.

By strategically building connections and actively engaging with companies, you amplify your visibility in this digital ecosystem.

This can lead to your profile being prioritized in search results, recommended to recruiters, and even featured in personalized job alerts.

Also, recruiters actively use LinkedIn to source talent. 

When you connect with them, engage in relevant groups, and participate in discussions, you increase your chances of appearing on their radar. 

Your active participation demonstrates your knowledge, passion for the industry, and commitment to professional growth, making you a more attractive candidate.

You need to be building relationships and showcasing your expertise, not just collecting connections. 

The goal of networking is to build genuine relationships with people in your field. 

By engaging in meaningful conversations, offering insights, and supporting others, you create a positive impression and foster valuable connections that can lead to job opportunities, referrals, and career advice.

Research employers

One-size-fits-all applications and cover letters really are a thing of the past. 

To truly stand out in the AI-driven job market, tailoring your application materials to each specific job description and company is non-negotiable. 

This means more than just swapping out company names; it involves aligning your skills and experiences with the specific requirements of the role, highlighting your understanding of the company’s values and mission, and demonstrating how you can uniquely contribute to their goals. 

This targeted approach does more than impress human recruiters.

It also satisfies the keyword-matching algorithms of ATS systems, increasing your chances of making it past the initial screening and landing an interview.

Everything you need to research the company should be a simple Google search away. 

• Explore the “About Us” section to learn about the company’s mission, values, and culture.
• Check the “Careers” page for information on current openings, employee testimonials, and company benefits.
• Follow the company’s LinkedIn page to get updates on their activities, news, and job postings.
• Connect with current or former employees to get insights into the company culture and work environment.
• Read employee reviews on Glassdoor to get an insider’s perspective on the company culture, salary, and benefits.

If there’s a question you have that can’t be answered on your own, connect with someone.

Either reach out to a current employee on LinkedIn or connect with the human resources department at the company directly.

That might sound pushy or uncomfortable, but these sorts of interactions are exactly what both of those services are designed for.

Keep tailoring your resume

And, of course, keep tailoring your application to each specific job. 

Apply keywords you’ve parsed from the job description into your resume. 

Determine the most important job requirements and, if possible, put them higher up in your resume. 

Information closest to the top of your resume (summary, first lines of each new experience) are more likely to be read than other text, so make the most of this space.

De-emphasize or remove skills or experience that don’t align with the current role. (That’s just wasted space that, ultimately, skews your keyword density ratio.)

Use action words at the start of each bullet, and include quantifiable results in two out of every three bullets. 

Doing this allows you to address the specific needs and challenges that the company mentioned in the job description. 

And, especially if you’re new to industry, include a place to share your Professional Developments. 

This space on your resume should speak to workshops you’ve taken, conferences you’ve attended or training programs you’ve attended that demonstrate your commitment to continuous learning.

Yes, you’re a PD. 

But employers need to see that you don’t think you’ve already learned all there is to know.

Speak to that on your resume, but don’t overemphasize those experiences. 

A line or two beneath your Education section under the heading of “Professional Development” should suffice.

Explore AI Tools 

The landscape of hiring is changing rapidly.

One of those exciting changes is the development of AI-assisted job search tools.

It’s hard to know which platforms will stand the test of time, but these are some of my favorite new tools.

Explore them, if you find time, and see if any are of use or interest to you.

Jobscan: This AI-powered tool analyzes job descriptions and your resume, highlighting missing keywords and suggesting relevant terms to incorporate. This ensures your resume aligns with the specific requirements of the role.

RezScore: This platform uses AI to evaluate your resume’s effectiveness and provide suggestions for improvement, including keyword optimization and formatting adjustments.

ChatGPT: This language model can generate personalized cover letter templates, suggest impactful phrases, and help you articulate your skills and experiences in a way that resonates with the company’s values.

Copy.ai: This tool offers various templates and prompts for crafting compelling resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles. It can also help you brainstorm ideas and refine your writing.

Crayon: This AI-powered platform analyzes competitor websites, social media, and news articles to provide insights into company culture, values, and recent developments. This information can be invaluable for tailoring your application.

Crystal Knows: This tool uses AI to analyze publicly available data to create personality profiles of individuals, including hiring managers. This can help you understand their communication style and preferences, allowing you to tail

Concluding Remarks

The rise of AI in recruitment has undeniably transformed the job search landscape, posing new challenges for PhDs seeking industry positions. However, by understanding the inner workings of AI-powered tools and adapting your strategies, you can leverage these technologies to your advantage. Optimizing your resume and online presence for AI algorithms, tailoring your applications, and actively engaging with companies on platforms like LinkedIn are crucial steps in navigating the AI-driven job market. Remember that the human touch remains essential. Personalize your applications, build genuine connections, and showcase your unique skills and experiences. By embracing both AI and human elements in your job search, you’ll increase your chances of landing your dream industry role.