The Job Quest of a Cheeky Scientist

The job search landscape has drastically changed during the economic downturn of the last decade – in no favor of academic researchers looking to spread their wings outside the confines of the ivory tower. How exactly are researchers affected? Well, nowadays networking is the best way to find coveted industry positions as the majority of open positions are filled through employee referrals. Additionally, academic researchers are busy with their own research and can lose sight of their networking objectives and job search strategy, which can bring tremendous value BEFORE finishing their thesis. These two points can unfortunately keep academics stuck in the confines of academia longer than desired. Based on my own unique career path, first as a tax accountant and later as a biochemist, I share here my own job quest and how the Cheeky Scientist Association (CSA, cheekyscientist.com) equipped me with an effective job search strategy.

At a young age, I started following unbeaten paths, literally and figuratively, along with my dad during a run in basketball shoes near a reservoir in Wellington, Ohio. Although I stopped several times to catch a breath, this first run spurred a 5-year competitive running career during secondary school that taught me the value of vision, perseverance, and self-confidence. I carry these values with me to this day.

After high school, I took a detour in my career by venturing into the life sciences after five years as a tax accountant with prestigious firms in San Francisco and Manhattan. Not an obvious transition, right? I think the “aha” moment came when I was making mental calculations to estimate time of arrival to work based on a certain speed. . . I didn’t want to be late. No, wait… The epiphany came shortly before when I was returning home from work in a taxi when the rest of the Big Apple seemed asleep (quite a rare sight in New York City). Or maybe it finally occurred to me that I was truly working too hard when my roommate called me to see if he should find a replacement for me—he sincerely thought I moved out after two weeks of no Matt-sightings. I have been known to be a hard worker, but that was over the top. Putting all of these eye-openers into perspective was an important step in helping me face reality: I was simply not happy in this career. So, I started to consider what I could do next.

Drawing on a 6-month journey around Australia, I was equipped with the introspection and personal commitment to my own happiness to be able to make a career transition from accounting to biochemistry. The Aussie trip also inspired me to continue studies abroad in Switzerland and the Netherlands to experience other cultures and languages. Key message: traveling serves more purposes in life than the snapshots can ever depict.

Fast-forward 10 years later, my experience as an academic researcher has been nothing short of serendipitous. I entered science to feed my inquisitive nature by transforming a childhood passion of building things with Legos into engineering biomolecules. In retrospect, I learned a great deal more because being a scientific researcher demands skills that are performed by < 1% of the world’s population. The prestige associated with obtaining a PhD automatically confers a feeling of distinction and triumph—and rightfully so. However, the triumphs of novel results in a specialized field are simply not enough to break into industry positions. Companies are looking for relevant soft skills.

The major hiccup comes when trying to highlight these skills from published works. Even after soft skills are identified, the job quest is further complicated by the realities of networking to ‘get a foot in the door,’ which is most often shunned by academic researchers and their supervisors. Therefore, I will summarize how I turned a nerve-wrecking, stressful job search strategy into an enjoyable professional development period with the help of CSA.

Before joining CSA, the most useful career guidance that I received was during the Career Course for PhDs & Postdocs at the University of Groningen. This excellent course focused on self-awareness to iron out one’s true strengths to ultimately come up with a personal profile customized towards targeted jobs. The importance of networking was also stressed, which I took more lightly than I realized. After this, I applied to 8 positions online without any callbacks. I quickly realized that I had to step up my game to become competitive. Joining CSA was the best thing I could have done, and I quickly realized 5 crucial aspects for an effective job quest in industry:

1. Applying online is not effective

There is only an ~8% chance of success with online applications without referrals. However, the odds tip in favor of those who have referrals; almost guaranteeing that a human will take a serious look at your application.

2. Publication lists are a waste of valuable space on a resume

A friend once told me, “I feel naked without listing publications on a resume [for industry positions].” This is one of the major misconceptions that transitioning academics have, because they often think that the publications speak for themselves. To understand this notion one must be empathetic and ask themselves, “As a resume screener, would I honestly place objective value on a random publication based solely on it’s complex title that I will likely know little about?” The key is to extract the relevant skills for the target position and communicate these in a way that an employer would value.

3. Cover letters are important: A chance to stand out

A former doctoral researcher once applied to ~300 positions with NO cover letters in a country were there are easily 200+ applicants per position. The result: no callbacks. This case alone emphasizes the importance of cover letters. If an applicant cannot take time to articulate why they would fit a company based on easy-to-find information on the company’s website, then the application is a waste of time for everyone involved. Although articles report distaste for cover letters, this is an easy step you can take to be more safe than sorry. Becoming an effective networker may even help you skip the need for a cover letter and could have likely helped that job-seeking doctorate.

4. Networking is the key to success.

Up to 70% of jobs are gained through referrals. Why? Think about it: If you had a choice to sift through 100’s of applications or simply go to fellow coworkers to get their trusted referrals for a few potential candidates, which route would you choose? A Wall Street Journal study suggests the latter. If you are one of those referred candidates, you have already figured out the immense power that networking brings. The sooner one realizes the serendipitous value that networking carries, the sooner a job search strategy turns from strikeouts to homeruns. If anything, networking provides the ‘meat’ of the cover letter because most often one learns information about a company or position that is not public, which provides a rich basis for compelling messages. The most rewarding and key aspect in networking is offering value without the expectation of returned favors. When networking is done right on a two-way path, it becomes a gift that keeps on giving in unimaginable ways.

5. A LinkedIn profile is your key networking tool

For those who believe a LinkedIn profile is not necessary for an effective job search strategy, a rude awakening awaits; especially if networking is not already a component in your strategy. Like it or not, it was reported that 77% of the 100 recruiters surveyed, in fact, do research candidates online. Of those recruiters utilizing online research, 35% eliminated candidates based on online search results. One survey even reported a 70% elimination rate. So, why not control how your online presence is perceived by creating an online professional profile?

Whether you found these 5 aspects convincing or not, let me briefly share how they transformed my job search strategy into a reliable, insightful, and opportunity-rich experience as a CSA member.

After joining CSA, I developed a streamlined job search strategy by first ironing out what positions I would enjoy through a reliable transition plan. Then, after going through numerous training modules for resumes and cover letters, networking, LinkedIn strategies, and customized coaching sessions; I have expanded my network tremendously. That has opened many doors. The key networking opportunities that propelled my strategy to the next level were the BCF career event (www.bcfcareerevent.nl), BioBusiness Summer School (www.biobusinesssummerschool.nl) and various conferences and workshops geared towards aspiring consultants. From these events, I have been able to gauge which companies align with my values and ambitions, generate incredible contacts and free-lance opportunities with JLJ Consultancy (www.jljconsultancy.com), and position myself as a strong applicant for companies after finalizing my doctoral thesis.

I have found my strengths and regained my confidence as a CSA member since recruiters and companies are now reaching out to me! This has evoked a feeling of being a job chooser instead of a job seeker.

If you would like to know more about my stories or become a member of the CSA, feel free to take that important step in connecting with me via: E-mail (mmheberling[at]gmail.com); LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/matthewheberling); or CSA webpage (www.cheekyscientist.com) to enroll

Written by Matthew Heberling