My story after the PhD…

I graduated with a PhD in Bioengineering in 2019 and landed my first job with a biotech startup shortly after defending. I was confident in my scientific abilities, but I wasn’t prepared for how challenging the transition from academia to industry would be.

Although I knew I wanted to go into industry after graduating, the “how to” was something I had to figure out on my own. This information was hard to find and piece together, especially because academia isn’t traditionally meant prepare us for industry jobs.

After making it through the first hurdle of getting a job, I soon realized that navigating the workplace was a whole different ballgame, too. During my first job, I did everything that helped me succeed in academia. I planned detailed experiments, pored through scientific literature, and put in long hours at work.

Despite my efforts, I watched my coworkers (including some who didn’t have advanced degrees) get rewarded or promoted ahead of me.

My confidence tanked. In those dark moments, I wondered if my PhD was a wasted effort.

Looking back, I realized that everything I did served me well for the academic setting, but it wasn’t what my industry job needed from me. I had no clue what to do differently.

Fast-forward to my 2nd job at a new company, I learned my lesson and focused on bringing value to my role. In fact, some of my newly-minted PhD coworkers saw how quickly my supervisors recognized my contributions.

They began reaching out to me over coffee and lunch, asking “How did you do it?”

If you want to start your industry career on the right foot, I’m your guide.

The industry transition is a uniquely challenging time for academic PhDs – both internally and externally. It can be especially tough for women scientists – no thanks to our naturally overthinking brains.

This is why the industry transition is tricky for us:

1. The generic “tips for your first job” Google search don’t match the concerns we have as PhDs
2. Standard career coaching doesn’t specifically tackle what PhDs need for the industry transition.
3. There aren’t many women PhD scientists, and we worry, “I must be the only one who’s struggling…” You may try to explain it to others, but you just end up feeling isolated.

Friend, I get it, because that was my experience.

I’m in my 5th year of working in industry and, I want to share what I’ve learned along the way:

• I’ve received job offers at both start-ups and established companies.
• I‘ve worked in both start-up and corporate environments. 
• I’ve been in novel research AND product development teams (and yes, they’re different). 
• As a fellow female PhD scientist – I’ve experienced the transition pitfalls firsthand and can relate to the questions and concerns running through your mind.

As someone who’s several steps further along the industry career path, my hope is that I can be a relatable resource to you during journey in industry.

In your corner always!