There is an overwhelming amount of information on the internet, and sometimes you just don’t have the time to read our weekly Best of Transition article.  

Not to worry, this week Isaiah brings to you the best industry transition advice on the web; a digest of  Best Of Transition: PhD Jobs & Job Search Strategies, August 1, 2020.

Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode…

• First, Isaiah introduces this special podcast
• Next, Isaiah reveals last weeks top industry transition advice from the web as picked by team Cheeky
• Finally, Isaiah discusses some of last week’s best transition articles from the web

From This Week’s Show…

The Top Overall Industry Article

In today’s show, we’re doing something special. We are doing a digest of the best information that’s out on the web about how to transition into industry. This is specific information that’s relevant to PhDs.

If this is all brand new to you, if you go to our website, cheeky scientist.com, and you look under the resources page, this is where you can find our best of transition articles, which include these categories: networking, CVs and resumes, interviews, transferable skills, academic blues, industry positions, and business acumen.

The top article overall for this past week was “4 skills you can add to your resume that you’ve learned from working remotely during the pandemic.“

Employers know you can be hyper-technical. How are you letting them know that you can communicate in various forms of media online, especially during the pandemic. Are you going to be able to be mentored virtually which could mean by email, by phone, by zoom, whatever medium they need you to be able to learn on, or are you going to be able to mentor others? Are you gonna be able to onboard? Are you gonna be able to get things done?

The fourth one is the one that I just thought was brilliant to put into this article. Conscientiousness.

I think it should say conscientiousness was unrelated to starting salary, but significantly so to salary growth.

Key Points From Other Top Industry Articles

[Alternatives to  Networking] So number one, traveling leisure surveys, number two, online events, number three, introductory videos, number four, virtual client round tables, number five, enhanced social media presence. You have to increase your social media presence.

A lot of our associates have had success with this. By making that small change, making all or multiple social media accounts unified to point towards the same direction, towards the job that you want. 

This is not about being raw and it’s going to be there’s a different touch to this. So to speak for every country, for every individual, for every company. And that company is culture. But believe me, they want to see that you’re engaged and that you want to work.

You have to show employers that you want to work. You want to be safe during the pandemic, of course, but you still want to show them that you’re dying to work. You need to find a way to work virtually from home, whatever it takes, you’ll figure it out.

PhDs in particular, draw a blank and they forget to connect what they can bring to the table to the actual goals, the quantifiable results that that company wants you to achieve, which is why it’s so important for you to learn to speak in terms of results, not job duties or technical skills.

A great way to differentiate yourself is to talk about experiences outside of academia. Outside of STEM. Experiences that are relatable, like a summer job.

What are the hiring managers’ reservations about you is a great way to end the interview. “What reservations do you have about me or about hiring me for this role?” It’s a great way to address a concern before that person meets with the hiring committee and get them to tell you what their concern is, address it, and overcome it.

** for the full podcast, check out the audio player above.

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