PhD to Industry Advice From a Biotech Recruiter

Can you go straight from PhD to industry? The answer is yes, but you need to learn to market yourself.

If you have heard how hard the job market is and wonder whether you should stay in academia until it gets better, this episode is for you.

Biotech recruiter and career coach Carina Clingman shares the story of a community member who finished her PhD in Germany, moved to the US with her partner without a job, and worried her visa situation would make her unhireable. She networked hard, stayed motivated, got interview prep for every interview, and reviewed her interview transcripts question by question. She just accepted a scientist role at a biotech.

In this episode you will learn:

When a postdoc is a valid path, and when going straight to industry makes senseWhy saying "we" about your research hides your unique contribution from hiring managersHow STAR storytelling (situation, task, action, result) helps you answer interview questions with confidenceWhy a CV is not a resume, and why your resume needs to read like a marketing documentWhy most certificates do not impress hiring managers, and how to get hands-on experience insteadHow many publications you actually need for most industry rolesWhy to start applying about 90 days before you can start workingWhy to start networking six months or more before your graduation date

Carina also suggests checking your grant funding, since some grants have career development built in and you may have unused funds.

Ready to practice interviews, get feedback on your interview transcripts, and build industry connections alongside other scientists? Join the Biotech Career Coach community on Skool. Start with the networking challenge, which is introvert-friendly and created by scientists for scientists. You can try it with a 7-day free trial.

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Check out our sister podcast: Building Biotechs