Industry Transition Spotlight: Deep S Bhattacharya, PhD
Industry Transition: An interview with Deep S Bhattacharya, PhD, Senior Scientist Formulation and Process Development
1. What is your name, your full job title, and the name of the company you work for?
Deep S Bhattacharya, Senior Scientist Formulation and Process Development, Pfizer.
2. What is your favorite part about working in industry?
I am intrigued to see my efforts making an impact on patients’ lives. The therapies that I am currently working on, looking at the bigger picture, and understanding how valued scientists are in the industry is incredible.
3. What does a typical day at work look like for you?
Before COVID-19, I can say 50% working in the lab and 50% on desk responsibilities. It will definitely fluctuate depending on incoming projects from either early-or-late stage projects.
4. How is your current industry position different than your academic postdoc or experience as a graduate student?
I graduated with a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, I also have an industrial co-op experience at GSK which definitely helped me gauge the industry needs for fresh hires. My graduate training has provided me with a valuable skillset.
5. If you could go back in time, to before you received your job offer, and give yourself one piece of advice or encouragement, what would it be?
I would definitely start earlier in my graduate career to network. I did start networking from my third year but if I had started earlier, I would probably be in a better shape during the mad hunt for jobs. I am glad that I joined CSA very early and just browsing and listening to people’s stories has given me perspective into industry.
6. What was the most important thing you did during your job search that enabled your success?
NETWORK!! I cannot stress this enough how important it is. Also, by reviewing the CSA materials, I was confident in my job search.
7. What is the most memorable moment for you (so far) as a Cheeky Scientist Associate?
Getting my first interview call. I felt I was getting somewhere. The feeling of being stuck was not a good motivator when I was in a phase of completing my PhD with no job offers. I was eventually offered a job but I had the luxury of turning down the offer because I had a second offer from Pfizer in a more senior position and with a better salary.
8. What do you see as the next step in your career?
Good question, I am still an early bird in the industry. My plan is to eventually grow into a more project leader role in the coming years.
9. How can the Association and the Association’s members help you continue to achieve your career goals?
Reading through multiple transition stories is truly inspiring. Making connections is a huge benefit from this group. Having a brand that is verified as CSA helps bridge the initial conversation gaps.
10. Now that you’ve spent some time working in industry, what is the biggest piece of advice you’d like to share with those Associates who are still executing their job search?
Be focused and try to understand what role you want to have in the industry. This was the greatest challenge for me, I spent a lot of time going through MSL roles, project management roles etc. but eventually I figured I would be best at a scientist level job. Also, looking into which department is also very important. Conversation with industry professionals definitely facilitated a clear picture for me so I ended up in the formulations department.
Ready to make your own industry transition? The Cheeky Scientist Association is the world’s premier PhD-only industry job search training platform and PhD-only industry job referral network. When you become an Associate, you get access to our proven job search blueprint, which includes 200+ training videos, interviews with industry PhDs working in the most popular 100+ careers for PhDs, lifetime access to a private job referral network of 8,000+ PhDs, and much more.
You get instant feedback from our trainers 24/7 on any job search-related question so you can be 100% confident in your decisions about your job search and your overall career. To learn more about how to make your own industry transition, including instant access to our exclusive training videos, case studies, industry insider documents, transition plan, and private online network, get on the waitlist for the Cheeky Scientist Association.
