PhD Transition Report Podcast

Join Isaiah for a no-nonsense look at the money conversation from why employers expect you to negotiate to understanding your worth as a PhD Here’s a quick rundown on this week’s episode: First Isaiah walks us through the statistics of what you’re losing financially by not negotiating a higher salary Next, he covers how to approach a salary offer and look beyond just financial compensation Finally, Isaiah wraps up with what potential employers expect when it comes to a salary negotiation From This Week’s Show… By not negotiating for a higher salary when starting a new position, you can end up drastically underpaid. And if you consider that this has a compounding effect, you could be leaving over $1 million on the table over the course of a 40-year career. You worked hard to gain the skills, expertise, and experience that are in demand by industry employers – you deserve to be paid accordingly. No employer is going to rescind a job offer because you asked to negotiate your salary. If, by some crazy chance, an employer does rescind a job after a negotiation attempt, most likely, it’s because that candidate handled the discussion poorly. While You Want to be…

Join Isaiah as he gives away the perfect responses to unconventional interview questions employers love to ask Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode: First, Isaiah explains why employers ask standard questions about your background and why they toss in a few zingers for good measure Next, he shares three specific off-the-wall questions employers as that they’re trying to challenge you with And finally, Isaiah gives you examples you can answer with to show employers you are the well-rounded candidate they’re looking for From This Week’s Show… Conventional interview questions are asked for a reason – they get information about the job candidate’s background, what skills they have, and why they want to work at that company in that particular position.  But many employers also love to ask off-the-wall questions just to see how you react and how you carry yourself in uncertain scenarios.  These types of questions help employers assess how you think and act under pressure, as well as what your true personality and professional behavior looks like.  Be Prepared For These 3 Unusual Interview Questions That Employers Ask to Throw You Off Guard The first question seems innocent enough, but your answer is actually a powerful…

Join Isaiah as he breaks down three of his favorite tactics to keep cool and composed in the face of a tough interview question Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode: First, Isaiah explores why PhDs in particular are prone to anxiety about how to answer a tricky interview question Next, Isaiah reassures that nerves are normal, but controlling them is how smart PhDs make a positive, memorable impression on hiring manages And finally, Isaiah shares three tactics PhDs can use if an interview question threatens to derail them From This Week’s Show… Don’t Let Nerves And An Unexpected Interview Question Derail You When it comes to industry interviews, knowing is half the battle.  What the set-up will be, what attire is appropriate, and what questions you’ll be asked – these are all things PhDs fret over in the days and hours before an interview.  In a survey conducted by The Muse, 88% of participants reported being most worried about the quality of their answers and/or having a memory lapse.  In other words, most people are afraid of messing up their answers to interview questions.  And for PhDs, these concerns are often amplified.  That’s because, let’s face it, as…

Join Isaiah as he discusses (and busts) a common job-seeking myth: employer bias against higher ed candidates Here is a quick rundown of this week’s episode: First Isaiah covers where that bias may have come from over the years and the statistics that say you can beat it Next, he talks about why those misconceptions have stuck around so long and why Finally, Isaiah discusses what PhDs can offer employers and why your PhD makes you a prime candidate in industry From This Week’s Show… Finishing Your PhD Used To Be The Only Thing You Could Think About Now, you’re not even sure you should put it on your resume. Was it all a huge mistake? Has your degree actually foiled your chances for a career? You’ve heard that employers think PhDs just aren’t worth the trouble. They’ll want too much money. They have no real experience. They’re arrogant. But what do they really think? It’s true, there are some misconceptions about PhDs in the workforce. Maybe that’s why the number of PhDs in academia has eclipsed those in industry by more than 10% since the 1970s. But that recently changed by the way. Now there are more PhDs in…

Join Isaiah as he breaks down why a PhD is an asset to employers when they can strike a balance between ego and confidence Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode: First, Isaiah discusses the difference between being confident and being egotistical Next, he takes a look at some of the ways that a healthy ego can help PhDs succeed in industry And finally, Isaiah explains how mastering the nuances of being confident can lead to greater success in industry, and even better pay From This Week’s Show… A Healthy Ego Can Be An Asset To You In Your PhD Job Search We’ve been taught that overconfidence should be avoided at all cost, especially in academia.  The concept of too much confidence being synonymous with negative traits – pompous, condescending, arrogant, self-obsessed – is a familiar one.  But today I’m going to explain why this line of thinking is incomplete.  The truth is that PhDs in particular should have very healthy levels of confidence. This is not a luxury; it is required to get hired into industry.  Look – there’s a difference between having a healthy sense of self-esteem and being a blowhard.  Like anything, an unchecked ego can…

Join Isaiah as he explores the phenomenon of imposter syndrome and explains why it has real consequences for your PhD job search Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode: First, Isaiah discusses imposter syndrome and explains why it’s not just about self-esteem Next, Isaiah talks about some ways that PhDs are shortchanging themselves in their job search, and what consequences this has And finally, Isaiah explores some strategies smart PhDs can use to balance their destructive habits and thought processes with more constructive ones From This Week’s Show… Imposter Syndrome Is More Than Just Chronic Self-Doubt Is there a point where being humble and having high standards hurts you more than it helps you?  A recent review revealed that 82% of people report having self-doubt or are convinced of their own incompetence.  In industry and academia, this psychological phenomenon has a name – imposter syndrome.  We all have days where we question ourselves, but imposter syndrome is different. Imposter syndrome is distinguished by the anxiety that you’re always in danger of being “found out.” You believe you are always on the brink of being discovered for the failure that you know you are.  You may attribute your success or…

Join Isaiah as he covers the STAR Technique, an interview method that helps PhDs navigate open-ended questions Here’s a rundown of this week’s episode: First, Isaiah will walk you through an in-depth breakdown of the STAR Technique Next, he provides timely examples of what to incorporate into your interview Finally, he covers the value of direct story-telling to land the job you want From This Week’s Show… When Answering An Interview Question With The STAR Method, Start Your Response By Describing A Specific And Relevant Situation You can use an example from your current job, a previous job, education, personal experience, or any relevant event. Always choose a situation that demonstrates your most impressive results and is relevant to the role you are being interviewed for. This situation should involve a problem that you had to solve. Once You’ve Outlined The Situation, Describe Your Tasks In That Situation In One or Two Sentences Get specific about the problem. What part of the problem was yours to solve? What were your responsibilities and assignments related to the problem? What had to be done specifically? Next, you’ll need to discuss what actions you took to solve the problem. For an interviewer, the…

Join Isaiah as he explores when PhDs can benefit from having a personal website and how to create one for yourself Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode: First, Isaiah talks about why a personal website can help further cement your personal brand as a PhD looking to transition into industry Next, Isaiah explains some of the things you do (and don’t) want employers to see on your website And finally, Isaiah covers one important thing that every website needs to have in order to make a great impression on employers From This Week’s Show… A Personal Website Isn’t Always Necessary, But That Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t Helpful When it comes to getting hired in industry, building a professional brand that companies care about is the key to success.  A great way for PhDs in industry to do this is to create a professional-looking website that showcases their work.  Websites are what employers turn to to gauge your ability to help them.  Forbes recently released a report indicating that 56% of employers favor candidates with a strong personal website.  In fact, they’re more impressed by a website than any other element of a job candidate’s profile.  Despite this, only…

Join Isaiah as he covers the three things that PhDs can do while interviewing to make a great impression on hiring managers Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode: First, Isaiah explains that making a good impression in interviews is a time-sensitive exercise Next, Isaiah talks about the importance of rehearsing what you’ll say and how you say it while you’re interviewing And finally, Isaiah breaks down the STAR method, a proven technique job candidates can turn to to help them make the most of open-ended interview questions From This Week’s Show… When It Comes To First Impressions, Time Is Of The Essence According to Undercover Recruiter, most hiring managers know in the first 90 seconds of an interview whether or not they plan to hire you.  This means that every second of the beginning counts.  The first interview blunder many PhDs make is not making a good first impression.  Interviewing can be nerve-wracking – I know this.  But the last thing you want to do is let your nerves take the reins.  Owning your in-person interview is about presenting yourself as the professional you are.  So, before stepping your foot in the door of your next in-person interview,…

Join Isaiah as he breaks down the 4 parts of the hiring funnel in industry job searches and shares tips to help you breeze through Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah examines the four parts of a hiring funnel Next, he offers insight about tips and objectives for you, the job applicant, at each stage Finally, Isaiah wraps with a reminder that a clear job search strategy is key to making it from the widest to the narrowest part of the hiring funnel From This Week’s Show… A Job Search Strategy Is Key To Making It Through The Hiring Funnel Have you been searching for an industry job for months (or even years!) but encountered nothing except roadblocks and dead ends?  An industry job search can make you feel like a tourist in a strange city – you have a map to guide you, but you just can’t get to your destination.  And while a hard-to-read map can get you lost in a city, a hard-to-read hiring map will leave you lost and jobless. That’s why today, I want to give you a bird’s eye view of the industry hiring process and how you can navigate…

Join Isaiah as he walks you through the six things you need to do to ensure your next phone screening results in an interview. Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode: First, Isaiah breaks down how you need to prepare for the phone screening to be successful and the purpose behind a company’s thinking when scheduling interviews and phone screenings Additionally, Isaiah covers the important questions you should be asking that get you noticed  And finally, we cover what it takes to translate all of this research and interview prep work into a phone-friendly format that will help job seekers connect with the interviewer on the other end of the line  From This Week’s Show… Phone Screens Are Likely Your One Chance To Make A Great First Impression Many PhDs also fail their phone screens because they think it’s their time to show off. It’s not. Phone screens are typically done by HR – they don’t care about your expertise in X-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance. First, do your research on the company. What market are they in? Who are their competitors? How big is the company? You also need to understand the company’s mission and values. This…

Join Isaiah as he considers the changing job market and what the pros and cons are for PhDs in 2023 Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah takes a glance back at the job market back when Cheeky Scientist was founded in 2014 Next, he compares the challenges PhDs faced back then and considers what’s changed since Finally, Isaiah concludes by exploring why the current job market looks promising for PhDs, even with the growing number of PhD grads in the running From This Week’s Show… A Lot Has Changed In The Job Market And Academia Since Cheeky Scientist Was Founded I want to take you back to 2014.  I know – that was forever ago. But I want to take you back there because that’s the year Cheeky Scientist was born.  And after 9 years, I thought it’d be a fun to look back and see how the job market has changed for PhDs. Back in 2014, Cheeky Scientist had less than 30 members. Now, we’re 10,000 strong and counting.  This growth is partly due to organic expansion, but it’s also a reflection of what’s happening in academia.  To start, there are way more PhDs now.…

Join Isaiah as he explores the finer points of Google’s hiring process, and explains how to get PhDs hired at Google as Data Scientists Here is a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah covers Google’s distinct hiring criteria Next, he examines Google’s hiring process in detail, including the how and why of it all, as well as their technical screening process and what to expect And finally, Isaiah walks Data Scientists through what to do for their in-person interview From This Week’s Show… The Ultimate Google Interview Guide for Data Scientists If you’re an aspiring data scientist, chances are you’ve dreamt of working at Google – or have at least entertained the idea. But what does a data scientist do at Google and what does the interview process look like?  First, Google makes a distinction between data science and their machine learning and product analyst roles. A Data Scientist position is primarily an analytics role focused on metrics and experimentation. Machine learning and product analyst roles are focused more on the engineering and the product side of things. While a PhD isn’t required for data scientist positions, they do reserve their top positions for PhD in the sciences.…

Join Isaiah as he explores why a PhD gives you an edge on the competition as well as a hurdle to scale in your industry job search. Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah confirms what you’ve already realized – a PhD candidate can and does face certain stigmas in the industry job market Next, he shares three effective ways you can buck this stereotype in your job search strategy Finally, Isaiah reminds you that you must translate your technical skills and accomplishments in the lab into industry language if you want to impress hiring managers From This Week’s Show… A PhD Does Not Automatically Guarantee You’ll Land a Great Job After Graduation I really thought a PhD was my golden ticket to the good life.  That everything would fall into place –  people would be lining up to offer me a job, I would immediately start making serious bank, and my life would be on the fast track to success.  Boy, was I wrong.  I had no idea I was up against a stereotype that made me simultaneously underqualified and overqualified – or as some say, overspecialized.  While this stereotype isn’t as prevalent now as it…

Join Isaiah as he walks PhDs through the 5 common mistakes they make on LinkedIn that leave their messages on read Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah explains that there’s a right and a wrong way to connect with networking contacts Next, he walks us through five common mistakes that PhDs make in their messages to networking contacts Finally, Isaiah wraps up the finer points of finessing your messages to ensure you’re making a productive connection with your network contacts From This Week’s Show… There Are Five Common Mistakes PhDs Make In Their Messages On LinkedIn Are you sending messages on LinkedIn yet getting zero responses?  You see the little check mark indicating they’ve read it, yet nothing happens.  I know the pain of this experience. “Maybe they’re just busy,”  you think. “Eventually they will get around to replying.”  Don’t assume this.  Chances are, there’s something wrong with your approach.  There are five common mistakes PhDs make when messaging people on LinkedIn. First, they don’t know anyone.  Sure, connecting with people will increase the size of your network, but a bloated network full of strangers isn’t effective – and it’s certainly not going to help you…

Join Isaiah as he discusses five things you can do to make the most of your starting package and score awesome employee benefits Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah breaks down the real value of benefits for PhDs, explaining that they can make up 30% of your total compensation package Next, he breaks down five things PhDs need to keep in mind as they negotiate their benefits with a new employer Finally, Isaiah reminds PhDs to get their final offer in writing, and not to sign a job offer without being sure all of their benefits are expressed in an official offer letter From This Week’s Show… Negotiating Your Benefits Is Just As Important As Your Base Salary You’ve gone through the interview process, and you’ve been offered an industry position. That’s great news! Now it’s time to negotiate your compensation package.  At this stage, many PhDs remain narrowly focused on the one and only thing they think matters: their base salary.  But to get the best possible compensation, you must look beyond the basics. Your compensation package consists of much more than just your take-home pay.  In fact, your benefits account for more than 30%…

Join Isaiah as he shares less common job search strategies that are sure to cut your unemployment time in half Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah touches on the frustration of feeling like you’re running around in circles with your current job search strategy Next, he breaks down four habits that PhDs can adopt to reinvigorate their job search Finally, Isaiah reminds PhDs that you want to work smarter, not harder, in your job search From This Week’s Show… Finding Time To Really Focus On Your Job Search Makes A Big Difference When searching for a job, it can seem like you’re always running behind. You’re trying to update your resume, sharpen your interview skills, and follow up with old contacts – all at the same time. And all the time you’re wondering when, if ever, the calls and emails will start coming in. The truth is, if you don’t know where you’re going and you don’t have a plan of attack, you’re going to spend a lot of energy going nowhere fast. You can, however, cut your job search time in half if you follow the right strategies. Try These Four Job Search Strategies For…

Join Isaiah as he covers network etiquette for PhDs and breaks down the simplest scripts that make it easy to reconnect with dormant connections. Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah points out that most PhDs know what a professional network is, but the details of how to maintain one are hazy Next, Isaiah breaks downs three reasons PhDs may want to keep in touch with a connection Finally, Isaiah shares several simple networking scripts that make it easy to reactivate your connections on LinkedIn From This Week’s Show… There’s A Right Way And A Wrong Way To Network Most PhDs recognize the important role networking plays in their industry job search. But what many fail to understand is that there’s a right way and a wrong way to network. And sadly, the wrong way is what we’re taught in academia. I’m not saying that academic tactics don’t work – I’m just saying they don’t work in industry. For one, academia teaches us that to get hired you must impress employers with your experience and accomplishments. And sure, having the right skills is certainly important. The problem is that this approach focuses on the wrong person. To…

Join Isaiah as he explores some career options for PhDs who are interested in working as a Data Scientist but don’t have a coding background Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah confirms that PhDs have the skills to become Data Scientists, even if they’re new to coding Next, he breaks down five rewarding Data Scientist careers perfect for PhDs of any discipline Finally, Isaiah reaffirms that Data Scientists are in high demand and that you already have the skills you need to thrive in one of these roles From This Week’s Show… Data Scientists Are In High Demand – With Or Without A Background In Coding Data Science is a vast field that can offer PhDs a variety of challenging and fulfilling careers.  If you love working with large datasets, analyzing results, or communicating complex results to people from diverse backgrounds, then there’s definitely room for you in Data Science.  Many PhDs assume you need coding experience to even consider a Data Science position. That’s not true.  Four Careers For A Data Scientist PhD The first is a Data Science Strategy Consultant. Many non-tech companies find navigating the data-driven world a challenge. Most don’t even understand…

Join Isaiah as he discusses why job offers can be fleeting and explores five reasons companies can rescind them Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah explains that job offers are rescinded more often than PhDs may think Next, he explores five of the most common reasons job offers are revoked Finally, Isaiah reminds PhDs that intention and commitment are what’s going to get you hired, not catering to your fear or indulging in overwhelm From This Week’s Show… Job Offers Are Just That – Offers. Even If You Accept One, Nothing Is Set In Stone Job rescissions occur more often than you think.  And sadly, in today’s volatile economy, this practice has become even more commonplace.  Companies are tightening their budgets – a response to rising inflation and talk of an impending recession – and sometimes these pullbacks happen overnight.  Many of the recent layoffs and recissions occurred at fast-growing tech companies.  If you’re a PhD looking to transition into tech, biotech, or biopharma, be aware of this bad company habit.  The reasons behind a recission may have nothing to do with you – but also realize that your actions during the interview process may also…