PhD Transition Report Podcast

Join Isaiah as he talks about the right way of carrying out an informational interview and introduces the concept of professional intimacy Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah explains the goal of an informational interview and how this relates to the levels of professional intimacyNext, Isaiah explores the first level of professional intimacy and the questions you should ask at this levelFinally, Isaiah discusses how to transition from the first to the second level of professional intimacy and what questions to ask when you’re there From This Week’s Show…  What Is The Goal Of An Informational Interview The purpose of an informational interview is to elevate the other person’s credibility – the employee that is. You are showing appreciation for their success in industry. They have gone before you and transitioned successfully. They are where you want to be. Act like it. Serve them in the conversation. By doing so, you’ll leave the other person wanting to help you and even work with you in the future. And this all starts by learning to navigate the four levels of professional intimacy correctly. The First Level Of Professional Intimacy The first level of professional intimacy when talking…

Join Isaiah as he talks about the importance of reactivating your network as you plan your transition Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah discusses the importance of reactivating your network once you decide to transition into industryNext, Isaiah explains how levels of separation work and the opportunities you will gain access to by reaching out to people you already knowFinally, Isaiah gives you tips you can follow to reactivate your network From This Week’s Show…  Why Is It So Important To Reactivate Your Network Reactivating your current network can instantly decrease the degrees of separation between you and professionals in your target companies. Your connection efforts on LinkedIn or otherwise should start by pursuing your own contacts because the people you already know, even if they aren’t in fields of interest to you, can lead you to people who are working at your companies of interest. This includes family, friends, teaching assistants, professors and former employers. In particular, as a PhD, you should work to identify alumni from your current and previous universities to contact as they often take a special interest in “giving back” to fellow alumni (you). It’s been said that there are only…

Join Isaiah as he discusses the importance of company culture for employers and employees and gives a framework to identify the right culture for you Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah explains why company fit is so important both for employers and employeesNext, Isaiah presents a framework to choose the right company culture Finally, Isaiah gives some advice on how to choose the right option for you based on the framework From This Week’s Show…  Why Is Company Culture Fit Important Company culture is important to employers because employees who fit in with the company culture are not only happier, but more productive as well. When an employee fits in with the culture, they are also much more likely to want to stay with that company for longer, which reduces employee turnover and the associated costs of training new hires. Company culture is important to employees too of course, because the company’s employees are more likely to enjoy work when their needs and values are consistent with their employers. If you work somewhere where the culture is a good fit, you’ll tend to develop better relationships with coworkers and be more productive. On the other hand,…

Join Isaiah as he dissects the right networking strategy to ensure you get a job referral Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah discusses the goal of a networking strategy and points out two common mistakes PhDs make when networkingNext, Isaiah reveals the three steps of his proprietary job referral strategy that will help you navigate the networking process Finally, Isaiah gives some pointers on how to execute the job referral strategy successfully From This Week’s Show…  What Is The Ultimate Goal Of Networking Online The goal of your online networking efforts is to build a professional relationship where the other party feels comfortable enough with you to refer you for a job at their company, or otherwise help you further your efforts to get hired. It is a multiple-step process where every problem is followed by another problem. I have worked with many PhDs who thought they would get hired if only they could finally get a reply after sending a connection request to someone on LinkedIn. But then when these same PhDs finally started getting replies from industry employees and employers, they freaked out. They didn’t know how to keep the conversation going. So, they…

Join Isaiah as he gives some examples of behavioral and competency based interview questions and helps you prepare to answer them Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah gives some examples of behavioral questions and discusses the best way to answer themNext, Isaiah gives some examples of competency questions and discusses the best way to answer themFinally, Isaiah discusses the last competency question you should explain at any interview round and how to answer it From This Week’s Show…  How To Prepare To Answer Behavioral Questions Behavioral Questions are usually the toughest interview questions for PhDs to answer. Here, the interviewer is seeking to find out how you react to different kinds of situations, especially challenging situations. Behavioral Questions are designed to induce stress and determine how you make decisions under pressure, as well as how you communicate. Examples of Behavioral Questions include: Can you tell me about a time when you had to deal with a stressful situation and how you coped with it?Can you tell me about a time when you had to violate your own ethics to get your work done in a previous role?How do you prioritize your work? Can you share an…

Join Isaiah as he gives some examples of credibility and opinion based interview questions and helps you prepare to answer them Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah explains the structure of a typical interview for an industry positionNext, Isaiah gives some examples of credibility questions and discusses the best way to answer themFinally, Isaiah gives some examples of opinion questions and discusses the best way to answer them From This Week’s Show…  The Structure Of A Job Interview Employers typically start their interviews with the more basic question types, i.e., Credibility Questions and Opinion Questions. These employers will spend about five minutes asking Credibility Questions and five to ten minutes asking Opinion Questions. For interviews early in the interview funnel, such as initial phone screens, employers may spend more of the interview time on these types of questions, as much as 50 to 80 percent. The Behavioral and Competency Questions are leveraged more during the later interview stages, including video, panel, and site visit interviews. How To Prepare To Answer Credibility Questions Credibility Questions about your experience and credentials are perhaps the easiest to prepare for because they can be anticipated. One credibility question that is…

Join Isaiah as he discusses what a site visit is and what is the best way to prepare for it to ensure you get a job offer Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah tells the story of his first site visitNext, Isaiah explains what a site visit is and the types of interviews you can expect to encounterFinally, Isaiah gives some advice that will ensure that you come prepared and ensure the job offer From This Week’s Show…  The Story Of Isaiah’s First Site Visit I got on the plane headed to California for my first site visit. I didn’t know it at the time, but 20 other job candidates were on the 737 headed to the same location as me. When we arrived, there was a large company caravan waiting to pick us up. None of us knew who was applying to which position so the ride was pretty quiet. I was embarrassed too because, unfortunately, I failed to dress professionally for the plane trip. There were two company officials on the caravan welcoming us and now, the first impression of how I looked could never be undone. When we showed up to the company’s…

Join Isaiah as he discusses the four types of interview questions that PhDs should expect during the interview process so you can set the right expectations Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah talks about why gatekeepers follow a framework of 4 types of interview questions when evaluating job candidatesNext, Isaiah lists the types of interview questions that are relevant for PhD-level positionsFinally, Isaiah gives and explores the structure of a typical interview process so you can set the right expectations and increase your chances of interview success From This Week’s Show…  Why Gatekeepers Follow A Framework When Asking Interview Questions How you answer different types of interview questions will determine whether or not you get hired. Employers ask PhDs 4 key question types in order to gauge their communication skills and their interpersonal skills. These question types are used as a framework for the interviewer to gauge whether or not you’re a good fit for the position. Studies reported in the Human Resource Management Review found that interviewer judgments based on structured interview questions are more predictive of job performance than those from unstructured interviews. Overall, the studies concluded that adding structure to the interview process…

Join Isaiah as he talks about his mantra, “Add Value First” (AVF), and why this is so important when it comes to correct networking etiquette Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah discusses why you should always add value first when networking with industry professionalsNext, Isaiah explains the difference between adding value and manipulating a connection to get what you wantFinally, Isaiah lists the most common ways to add value to industry employers From This Week’s Show…  What Is AVF And Why It’s Important My mantra when it comes to networking is to “Add Value First” or AVF. If you want someone to accept your connection request, let alone like you and trust you enough to refer you for a job in industry, you must think about them first and yourself second. This must be done authentically. The Difference Between Manipulating And Adding Value Many PhDs over the years have asked me, “But won’t they know that I’m just being nice to get something?” …Yes, if you’re just being nice to get something. You can’t just add value to capture a referral with no intent in developing a professional relationship. Likewise, you can’t just directly tell an…

Join Isaiah as he discusses what a phone screen is and the steps you need to take to prepare for it Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah explains what a phone screen is and why it’s importantNext, Isaiah reveals why you always need to be prepared for a phone screenFinally, Isaiah gives you tips to make sure your wow interviewers during this stage of the hiring process From This Week’s Show…  What Is A Phone Screen The first round of the interview process is most commonly done over the phone or through a similar audio only channel. As such, this type of interview is commonly referred to as the phone screen. An employer – typically someone from human resources – has seen your resume or received a referral from your networking contact and now wants to talk to you on the phone to screen you and determine whether or not you should progress to the next step in the interview process. Many PhDs tend to underestimate the importance of the phone screen because it’s the first round of interviews and not technically focused, but remember, if you got to the phone screen, you are among the…

Join Isaiah as he explains how to set up a successful informational interview that will increase your chances of getting a referral Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah discusses the general mindset your should have when setting up an informational interviewNext, Isaiah examines the right way to carry out the conversation so you engage your intervieweeFinally, Isaiah reviews the seven types of questions you should ask during an informational interview From This Week’s Show…  The Right Approach To For An Informational Interview During informational interviews, you are the interviewer, not the interviewee. As such, you always want the focus to be on the interviewee. Your goal is to make the other person feel important. Understand that the more you talk about yourself, the less likely the other party will feel inclined to help you. The less likely you will be to get a referral too. Instead of appearing professional, you will appear self-centered and arrogant. During the interview, you should also aim to gather as much information as possible about the company the other person represents. This is your chance to deeply understand what it’s like to work at their company and whether or not the…

Join Isaiah as he explains how to fill up your Job Search Sheet, ensuring that you find companies where you can make a real impact Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah discusses the strategies you can use to find companies that you would like to work for and could potentially hire youNext, Isaiah reveals how to find potential connections at your target companies, so you can complete your Job Search SheetFinally, Isaiah reviews the approaches you can use to reach out to new connections, increasing your chances of getting a response From This Week’s Show…  How To Find 100 Companies To Add To Your Job Search Sheet When aggregating your list of 100 companies, don’t build your list from scratch. Countless others have already done this work for you. Simple online searches for “XYZ companies in ABC location” or “XYZ companies” will start to give you an understanding of all the companies in your desired field. You can take these company names and add them to the first column of your Job Search Sheet. Next, search these companies on LinkedIn and once you find their LinkedIn company page, add the URL of the company page to…

Join Isaiah as he discusses how you can identify your professional values and why they are important in your job search Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah considers certain questions you can ask yourself to pinpoint your professional valuesNext, Isaiah talks about your personal “code of conduct” and how that relates to your professional valuesFinally, Isaiah explains why understanding your values is important for your transition From This Week’s Show…  Questions You Should Ask Yourself To Identify Your Professional Values Reflect back to meaningful moments that stand out to you professionally. What was happening to you? What was going on around you? What values were you honoring at this time? Now, go in the opposite direction by considering your “suppressed values”; consider a time when you got angry, frustrated, or upset. What was going on around you? What were you feeling? Now flip those feelings around. What values were being suppressed? Why You Need To Be Aware Of Your Personal “Code Of Conduct” Many people don’t realize until far too late in life that they have their own life rules and that these rules collectively are different from everyone else’s rules. What are your rules? What’s…

Join Isaiah as he discusses what is company fit and how you can determine if a company is the right fit for you Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah explains the relationship between company fit and company cultureNext, Isaiah defines company culture and lists some elements that make up company cultureFinally, Isaiah gives you a road map to determine your desired company culture From This Week’s Show…  What Is The Best Way To Determine Company Fit The best first step for qualifying your job leads is determining company fit and the best first step for determining company fit is considering whether or not a company’s culture is aligned with your professional values and ideal professional lifestyle. Understand – it’s more important for you to determine whether or not a company is a good match for you than whether or not you are a good fit for the company. What Is Company Culture Company culture can be defined as a set of shared values, goals, attitudes and practices that characterize an organization. In other words, the way people feel about the work they do, the values they believe in, where they see the company going and what…

Join Isaiah as he discusses how you can get organized to set up a successful networking strategy Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah lists the main mistakes that PhDs make when they start networking for the first timeNext, Isaiah explains the initial steps you should take when setting up a networking strategyFinally, Isaiah teaches you how to set up a Job Search Sheet to keep your networking strategy organized From This Week’s Show…  The Main Mistakes PhDs Make When Setting Up a Networking Strategy The number one reason PhDs fail in their efforts to transition into industry is they fail to follow up repeatedly with those they’ve connected with. You cannot build a professional relationship let alone get a referral without following up online to establish rapport and trust. The second reason that PhDs fail in their networking efforts is they fail to establish clear goals. They have no target. They have no system. Their documentation efforts are nonexistent. Their reach out is haphazard. Most PhDs don’t even know who they should be reaching out to. Who are you reaching out to? Who would you start reaching out to right now if you woke up tomorrow…

Join Isaiah as he reveals what a unique selling proposition is and what you should consider when crafting yours Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah discusses what you should consider before crafting a unique selling repositionNext, Isaiah reveals the topics that you should avoid when talking to employersFinally, Isaiah explains how you will differentiate yourself by defining you true unique selling proposition From This Week’s Show…  How Your Unique Selling Proposition Will Help You Position Yourself In The Job Market Before you can pitch yourself to an employer effectively, you have to understand what makes you unique in the job market. Then, you have to position your unique qualities as a proposition that will benefit someone else. In other words, you have to craft a Unique Selling Proposition. The term Unique Selling Proposition or USP (sometimes referred to as a Value Proposition) comes from the world of advertising, marketing, and branding. A USP is a description of the factor or factors that differentiate a company’s product from its competitors. As a job candidate, YOU are the product that you are trying to sell to employers. When employers are reviewing your application, they will be asking:How will…

Join Isaiah as he explains what an elevator pitch is an why you need one if you want to find your dream job Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah explains why you should always be ready to pitch yourself to employersNext, Isaiah discusses why PhDs often fail when they deliver their elevator pitchFinally, Isaiah explains how to craft a proper elevator pitch that will resonate with employers and recruiters From This Week’s Show…  Why You Should Always Be Ready To Pitch Yourself There will be rare occasions in your job search where you will achieve moments of focused attention from those you’re connecting with, whether it’s after they talk about their interests and pause to ask you “What about you?” or from the moment you start your first in person interview when the interviewer says, “Tell me a little about yourself.” These moments will be very fleeting so you need to be prepared for them. You will have seconds, literally, to impress the other person. You won’t impress them with your accomplishments but with the concise delivery and impactfulness of your elevator pitch. Your elevator pitch is a personalized, top-of-mind script that you can deliver in…

Join Isaiah as he discusses the difference between connecting and networking and how to ensure you get a job referral Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode… First, Isaiah examines what most PhDs waste their time when networking the old fashion wayNext, Isaiah discusses the difference between connecting and networkingFinally, Isaiah explains why it’s so important to have a good networking strategy and how to use it to get job referrals From This Week’s Show…  Why You Shouldn’t Waste Your Time Networking The Old Fashion Way I wasted the first three years of my graduate school career networking the old fashioned way. I would go to internal seminars with the same people over and over again, arriving just in time and leaving right after it was over. Once or twice a year I would go to a conference and stand in front of some last minute poster I made like a used car salesman begging people to care. I would collect business cards and university cards at my poster and think “I’m networking! I’m networking! It’s happening! I’ve been discovered!” Only to go home after the conference and never have anyone who took my card or gave me a…

Join Isaiah as he explains what you should add to your LinkedIn headline if you wan to catch an employer's attention

Join Isaiah as he discloses the information that your should add to your LinkedIn summary and Experience sections and how to format them