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Industry Transition Spotlight: Sharath Madasu, PhD

An interview with Sharath Madasu, PhD

What is your name, your full job title, and the full name of the company you work for?

Sharath Madasu, Senior Scientist, Ibex Biosciences.

What is your favorite part about working in industry? (this could be a specific thing about your job or about work-life balance etc.)

Working hands-on at the bench, of course! And, working in an environment with like-minded people who value you and your work. I also thoroughly enjoy bouncing ideas with other scientists who are more senior to me as a peer. The best part is having a good work-life balance.

What does a typical day at work look like for you?

In my current role, my team and I design, develop and execute experiments. So, my typical day includes conception, designing of the experiments pertaining to a project, and making sure everyone on the team and management is on the same page. So, part of my day includes email/phone discussions with other members to ensure the same. We are also responsible for installing and setting up new equipment and ensuring its function and service maintenance gets done. Finally, execution and data analysis. We do have frequent company sponsored lunches/dinners (a good perk to have) and get to socialize with colleagues.

How is your current industry position different than your academic postdoc or experience as a graduate student? 

I was a graduate student before starting at Ibex. My position here is different from being a PhD student, in that my goals are different: i.e. you work on a potential product for human use and so your goals are not to research everything there is to know about a target, but rather you (and your company) are focused on the end use of the target and how to leverage it for human benefit. So, your thought process should also be different to achieve those goals and you have to remember that it’s not a thesis project that focuses on the intricacies of a protein or gene mechanism of action.

The second difference is the availability of resources. As a company, your management will provide everything they can afford to help you take the project to the next stage, but you also have to keep in mind that if you are in a start-up, your budget might be limited. Hence, having a secondary plan to achieve the goal is important. All of this management experience is unique to company and your mileage might vary.

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?

That’s a great question. I would motivate myself by saying, “Know your value as PhD, all you need is one YES, all the NAYs are just teaching guides to that YES” . Network more and talk to people in your field of interest that yields more meaningful connections than clicking add friend. Never burn bridges or take someone for granted. 

What is the most memorable moment for you (so far) as a Cheeky Scientist Associate?

Attending the Cheeky summit 2017 was the most memorable part of being a Cheeky. I was happy and excited to meet Isaiah, Laura, Catherine, Jeannette, Sarah, and all of the other associates who are in same boat as me. The gauntlet session helped me understand how to handle interview pressure. Sharing the same motivation and vibe with other Cheekies was phenomenal. The camaraderie we shared with others during the summit is another memorable moment. Of course, meeting Team Cheeky was the highlight of the day.

What do you see as the next step in your career?

I’d consider expanding more into filling the gaps I have in technical and managerial experience so that I could more effectively manage a team, to be the next step in career.

How can the Association and the Association’s members help you continue to achieve your career goals?

Cheeky Scientist Association is doing a fantastic job in supporting the members, both who are working towards transition and who have transitioned, via the Facebook group, dashboard materials, and webinars. 

One idea that comes to mind is to organize meetups for transitioned associates so that they could discuss and help each other towards their second/third transition. We could learn from each other’s experience about how they handled difficult situations, people, bosses they faced in jobs etc.

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?

Applying for a job is a job in itself and you should not quit until you get the job done: i.e. landing the written offer. As a Cheeky, I understand the struggle involved that my fellow Cheekies are going through and I would support them in every way possible. As we say, “All you need is one YES, the rest of the NAYs are the path towards that YES”. The journey would be different for everyone involved but sharing it with like-minded people will make that journey a lot easier – Cheeky Scientist is that group of like-minded individuals.

To learn more about how you can transition into an industry career like Samantha, including instant access to our exclusive training videos, case studies, industry insider documents, transition plan, and private online network, get on the wait list for the Cheeky Scientist Association.

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ABOUT ISAIAH HANKEL, PHD

CEO, CHEEKY SCIENTIST & SUCCESS MENTOR TO PHDS

Dr. Isaiah Hankel is the Founder and CEO of Cheeky Scientist. His articles, podcasts and trainings are consumed annually by millions of PhDs and other professionals in hundreds of different countries. He has helped PhDs transition into top companies like Amazon, Google, Apple, Intel, Dow Chemical, BASF, Merck, Genentech, Home Depot, Nestle, Hilton, SpaceX, Tesla, Syngenta, the CDC, UN and Ford Foundation.

Dr. Hankel has published 3X bestselling books and his latest book, The Power of a PhD, debuted on the Barnes & Noble bestseller list. His methods for getting PhDs hired have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Nature, Forbes, The Guardian, Fast Company, Entrepreneur Magazine and Success Magazine.

Isaiah Hankel, PhD

Here's What Others Are Saying

"I got a job offer from a pharma company, which I am going to accept..thank you for your amazing support!"

Gonzalo Rosso

Gonzalo Rosso

Formulation Scientist

at Coriolis Scientist

"I signed the offer today! I am will be working as a technical support manager - it is what you call a field scientist within Cheeky. I am super excited and already feel welcomed!"

Maria Terra Terra

Maria Terra Terra

Technical Support Manager

"BIG NEWS!! Lufthansa offered me the gig!!"

Marco Milesi

Marco Milesi

at Lufthansa

"I would like to express my appreciation and assure that your school was eye-openning, thanks! I registered on your course 2 months ago and from total ghosting I ended up with a dream job in biotech."

Petro Starokadomskyy

Petro Starokadomskyy

Senior Scientist

at Kyverna Therapeutics

"I'm happy to share that I am starting a new position as Senior Scientist at Eikon Therapeutics!"

Hank Cheng

Hank Cheng

Senior Scientist

at Eikon Therapeutics

"I'm happy to share that I will be starting a new position as MSL at Sanofi! I want to thank everyone that took the time to speak with me about their MSL experience and to help me land this position!"

John Crawford

John Crawford

MSL-Vaccines

at Sanofi

"I am thrilled to be starting my position as a Scientist at bioMeriuex! I will be joining the device validation team to bring #invitrodiagnostics to the market!"

Alec Vallota-Eastman

Alec Vallota-Eastman

Scientist

at bioMeriuex

"One thing I feel I did great was joining the association as a Diamond member. Modules and Classes helped me to prepare ahead of the search- to do and to go right. The other useful thing was the accountability forum....your classes and modules really helped me to believe in myself and have confidence in myself. I value myself as a PhD. I gave a shot for a senior scientist position, and got one!"

Nabina Paudyal

Nabina Paudyal

Senior Computational Scientist

at Colossal Biosciences

"Hi Isaiah, I hope you are good....I did receive and accept a job offer!"

Debadrita Pal

Debadrita Pal

Scientist

at Sanofi

"'....all the modules and associates really helped me understand the job and interview aspects really well. Meera specially helped me a lot prepare for the 8 interviews (written, analytical, on-site, assessments). She was very prompt in responding to my questions and concerns and really helped me keep my morale whenever I felt I might loose this position.... This is something I was looking for in a job so it is perfect for me."

Haymanti Bhanot

Haymanti Bhanot

Editorial

at Elsevier

"I'm happy to share that I'm starting a new position as Founder at Relearning Earning!""

James Wadsworth

James Wadsworth

Founder

at Relearning Earning

"I'm excited to announce that I have accepted a position as an Innovations Analyst at Cleveland Clinic. Looking forward to using my background to help commercialize healthcare innovations!"

Joe Thomas

Joe Thomas

Innovations Analyst

at Cleveland Clinic

"I signed with ASML for 117k! (asked for 120 and they came up from 110) plus a 10% target annual bonus."

Andrew Dawes, PhD

Andrew Dawes, PhD

Senior Applications Engineer

at ASML

"Hi Isaiah - I have news to share! I applied for a position on Monday night. I had an interview Tuesday and was just offered the position! (Wednesday). I can't believe it! All the hard work. The LinkedIn Messages. The resume building All your keys. I countered 5k more than they offered and they accepted it! I am so over the moon right now and so excited!"

Brittni Levasuar

Brittni Levasuar

"I'm happy to share that I’m starting a new position as an associate computational scientist at md anderson cancer center!"

James Jennings

James Jennings

Associate Computation Scientist

at MD Anderson Cancer Center

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