PhD Transition Report On-Demand

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**PhD Transition Report On-Demand**

Podcast by Cheeky Scientist

Latest Episodes:

Ghost Jobs And Why Companies Post Them Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

Join us as we talk about…

In this week’s episode…

You’ll learn what a ghost job listing is
Next, you’ll learn the 5 main reasons why companies use ghost job listings
Finally, you’ll learn that ghost job listings aren’t going anywhere and why it’s important to be even more prepared.

“I’ve applied to hundreds of job postings” a PhD recently told me. “Using the same resume?” I asked. “No” they replied. “I targeted every resume. I’ve heard nothing back. In some cases I was sent a rejection email within the hour. What’s happening?!” “Ghost job listings.” I replied.

They asked me what a ghost job listing is and I explained that ghost job listings are jobs posted by real companies but they’re jobs that these companies have no intention of actually filling.

Of course, this PhD wanted to know why and I told them that the answer is painful for job seekers but useful for employers. The practice of posting ghost job listings can serve a variety of strategic and practical purposes for companies, helping them streamline their hiring processes and make informed decisions about their workforce.

There are 5 main reasons why companies do this. The first is for their future hiring needs. Some companies create job listings months in advance – like 6 months, even if they don’t currently have an immediate opening. This is often done to ensure that they have a pool of potential candidates to consider when a position becomes available. This can be especially useful in industries where the hiring process can be time-consuming and competitive.

The second reason is to maintain visibility. Posting job listings, even if they’re not currently active, can help a company maintain its presence on job search platforms and company career pages. This continuous visibility can help the company attract potential candidates who may be interested in working there in the future.

The third reason is testing the market. Sometimes, companies post job listings to test the market’s response to certain roles or qualifications. This information can help them refine their job descriptions and requirements based on the feedback they receive.

A fourth reason is competitive intelligence. By observing the candidates who express interest in ghost job listings, companies can gain insights into the job market and their competitors. This information can be valuable for understanding talent trends and positioning themselves competitively.

The fifth reason is resume collection. Companies may use inactive job listings as a way to collect resumes from potential candidates. These resumes can be stored in a database and reviewed when relevant positions open up, saving time in the future recruitment process.

The 6th and final reason is legal requirements or legal breaks. In some cases, companies may be required to post job listings publicly even if there isn’t an immediate intention to hire. This can be due to legal or regulatory obligations.

In other cases, companies can get regulatory breaks and even tax breaks for this. For example, if a company lays off a bunch of employees and then posts junior positions to replace those employees, even if they don’t intend to actually hire for those positions, the company can get certain regulatory and tax benefits.

It’s unlikely that knowing these reasons will make dealing with today’s overabundance of ghost job listings any easier for you to deal with. But it should reinforce the fact that ghost jobs are not a passing trend. These inactive job listings will only become more and more of a problem and you should be prepared to reach out to companies in person to ensure the jobs you’re interested in actually exist.

The post Ghost Jobs And Why Companies Post Them appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

Predatory AI Recruitment (& How To Beat It) Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

Join us as we talk about…

In this week’s episode…

You’ll learn about the use of AI in recruitment to help filter out applicants
Next, you’ll learn how AI can be discriminatory while filtering out applicants
Finally, you’ll learn how why it is important to craft strong resumes in order to get through the applicant tracking systems.

“Isaiah, I’ve uploaded hundreds of resumes and have not had a single interview. In some cases, I’ve been rejected immediately – as in the same day. How is this possible? How did they determine I was a bad fit already.”

Unfortunately, I hear this all the time now. I also hear this – “Isaiah, I applied to this job last week but they just reposted the same job. What should I do? Apply again?”

Welcome to the world of predatory AI. Let’s back up so you can understand the scale of AI use first. The use of AI in recruitment has become extremely commonplace, with 99% of Fortune 500 companies in the U.S. relying on applicant tracking systems (ATS) to filter through a large number of applications.

Did you catch that? 99%.

The only companies who don’t do this are those with very small numbers of employees, like 10 or less.

While these systems are designed to increase efficiency and manage the overwhelming number of candidates, they also have a dark side. Studies have shown that AI can perpetuate discrimination, as it is often trained on biased data from previous hiring practices.

For example, Amazon’s hiring software, developed over four years, was found to score one gender differently than another when all else was equal.

Another screening tool used by big named tech companies was found to rank candidates with certain names and backgrounds more favorably. This raises concerns about the objectivity and fairness of AI-powered hiring tools.

On top of this, AI systems have limitations and can screen out qualified candidates due to factors such as gaps in their resumes or lengthy job postings.

These systems do not possess human-like reasoning abilities and can misinterpret information. For example, a journalist applying for a job was ranked low by an ATS screener because it did not recognize their international experience as meeting the requirement.

Worse, many of these AI systems are being used to harvest as much information as possible about the job market and job candidates as possible without offering any real job opportunities.

This has become known as ghost jobbing or ghost job listings. Companies will use their AI to refresh jobs every week or similar so that job seekers keep applying and providing free data and free resumes for some future use (or no use at all).

In fact, AI has become so predatory in this way that some regulatory agencies are starting to look into it. I wouldn’t expect change any time soon though. And even if posting ghost jobs becomes illegal in some way, companies will just stop posting fake jobs; it’s not like this will somehow create more real jobs.

In conclusion, while AI recruitment systems have their advantages in managing large volumes of applicants, they also raise concerns about bias and limitations in accurately assessing qualifications. Job seekers should be aware of the limitations of these systems and focus on creating strong resumes that align with job requirements, and reaching out to real people behind these AI systems to ask if the job really exists and if they’re looking to fill it in the near future.

The post Predatory AI Recruitment (& How To Beat It) appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

It Begins. White Collar Jobs Contract 40 – 55% Oct 09, 2023

Show notes

Join us as we talk about…

In this week’s episode…

You’ll learn about today’s job market favoring blue collar workers.
Next, you’ll learn why it is important to develop business oriented skills.
Finally, you’ll learn how to use your degree to stay ahead in the job market.

Robert has had 7 final stage interviews for R&D positions and been rejected every time. He has a doctorate and the exact skills these employers were looking for.

What’s happening? The skilled, or white collar job market is contracting sharply and shows no signs of expanding again over the next decade.

A recent report in Forbes discussed news that UPS drivers can earn up to $170,000 annually and this has sparked controversy and raised concerns among skilled, white-collar professionals.

This development has highlighted a shift in the labor market that seems to favor blue-collar workers while causing anxiety among their white-collar counterparts.

Traditionally, challenging economic climates have had a more significant impact on the working class and blue-collar workers.

However, this time, the situation is different. Wealthy and high-paid white-collar professionals are experiencing what experts are calling a “richcession.” Companies, in response to a potential recession, have become more cautious in their hiring practices.

There has been a noticeable slowdown in the recruitment of white-collar job seekers. Research from Indeed reveals a 55% decline in listings for tech, biotech and pharma roles compared to a year ago, a 40% decrease in finance, business development and project management related vacancies.

Employers are seeking candidates with highly specific and hard-to-find skills that align with the requirements of the job. This hyper-specialization has resulted in job seekers being boxed out of opportunities and is expected to continue for the next 10 years.

Consequently, the hiring process for white-collar roles has become longer and more rigorous. Research by Josh Bersin Company and AMS indicates that the average duration for global hiring has reached an “all-time high” of about 43 days. This extended recruitment process is viewed as unsustainable for companies seeking to remain competitive and adapt to the rapidly changing needs of their industries.

Adding to the economic uncertainty is the threat posed by artificial intelligence (AI). A research report from Goldman Sachs suggests that AI could result in the loss or reduction of 300 million jobs. This has led businesses to reassess the relevance of white-collar roles, with the perception that AI will permanently alter labor demand, potentially leading to the loss, reduction, or transformation of millions of jobs.

AI is now encroaching upon traditionally white-collar professions such as R&D professionals, Data Scientists, User Experience Researchers and other roles that typically go to the highly educated. IBM CEO Arvind Krishna has even mentioned the possibility of pausing the hiring of back-office roles that could be automated, stating that AI and automation could replace up to 30% of those positions within a five-year period.

As a result, companies are scaling back on hiring in departments such as research, clinical affairs, marketing, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and more. There is little incentive to add more recruiters if there are no plans to hire additional personnel.

Moreover, organizations are increasingly considering offshoring jobs to lower-cost countries. A survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta reveals that 7.3% of U.S. business leaders plan to move more jobs offshore following the trend of remote work. Economists predict that within the next decade, 10% to 20% of U.S. skilled roles will be moved overseas.

What is your plan for getting hired despite these trends? Do you have one? If not, you need to get serious about your job search and career. Academia and the skills you gained in academia are not enough to get you hired anymore. You will need to develop business-oriented skills and develop your business acumen.

Start understanding what a company’s value proposition is, what products do they provide, what do they sell their products for – as in, what price points? Who are their key partners?

The rise of AI, cautionary hiring practices, and the potential for offshoring are contributing to the decline of white-collar jobs and a shift in the balance of power within the labor market, but you can use your degree to stay ahead if you combine it with a strong understand of industry practices and the language of industry.

The post It Begins. White Collar Jobs Contract 40 – 55% appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

Warning Signs It’s Time For A Change Oct 04, 2023

Show notes

Join us as we talk about…

In this week’s episode…

You’ll learn about warning signs indicating its time for a change
Next, you’ll learn when it is time to reevaluate your current role
Finally, you’ll learn why it is important to begin your job search with defined goals.

Watch For These Warning Signs

I’ve seen too many PhDs get complacent once they begin their career in industry. Pew Research Center data shows that 63% of people who leave their jobs resign because they feel undervalued, bored, or overworked.

Today we’re going to talk about some signs it might be time to evaluate your current position. The first sign is that you’re feeling unmotivated.

Getting out of academia and landing your first job in industry was just part of the process, eventually, you’ll move on from that job. Don’t get complacent. Most professionals don’t stay in one position for more than five years, after that, you should be looking into ways to move on and further your career if you’ve reached the end of your potential in your current role.

If you’re feeling unmotivated but want to stay in the company or industry you’re in, network internally and see if there’s any room for growth before considering moving on.

Our next sign it’s time to evaluate your current position is that you’ve begun to realize the role is a bad fit for you. I’ve seen it before: PhDs will take the first job they’re offered just to get out of academia and start making money. In their rush to get out of the institution, they’re accepting jobs without negotiating higher salaries or understanding their career path with that company.

The academia-to-accidentally-dead-end job pipeline exists because PhDs aren’t accepting their worth as they are job hunting. If you took your current role out of a sense of desperation, it’s no wonder you’re unhappy there.

Our next red flag you might see is that you’re not doing what you were hired to do – you’re either being given extra tasks outside of your scope or the job is completely different from the job description you were given during the hiring process.

Or maybe you’re underemployed and your employer isn’t utilizing your transferable skills. You have transferable and marketable skills as a PhD, so don’t stay with a bait-and-switch job just because it’s better than adjuncting.

Another warning sign that you can’t ignore is when you’re just accepting a toxic work environment. If the environment at your current company is making you yearn for the good old days of a bad meeting with your terrible old thesis advisor, you shouldn’t ignore that.

And finally, the job doesn’t seem fulfilling anymore. We’re all adults. We know that work isn’t always going to be fulfilling all the time. But if you’re noticing that your duties no longer align with your values or you’re not contributing in a way that’s meaningful to you, that’s a sign you need to reevaluate where you’re at professionally.

It’s important to start your job search with clear goals and an understanding of how long it should take you to accomplish them. There are many opportunities for a PhD in industry, you don’t have to settle like you would have in academia.

Ready to start your transition into industry? Apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder, Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists here.

The post Warning Signs It’s Time For A Change appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

Don’t be one of these 5 PhD stereotypes Oct 02, 2023

Show notes

Join us as we talk about…

In this week’s episode…

You’ll learn why how to combat academic stereotypes
Next, you’ll learn about the different stereotypes
Finally, you’ll learn highlight your transferrable skills during the interview

Don’t Be One Of These 5 PhD Stereotypes

Indeed recently looked at unconscious bias in hiring practices, and while data is still being compiled for this study, it’s clear that education factors into a hiring manager’s preconceived notions of a candidate.

Today we’re going to talk about how you can combat academic stereotypes during your job search. When most people think of PhDs they think of the typical nerd stereotype you see on sitcoms wearing superhero shirts and angrily writing equations on whiteboards.

Obviously, the first stereotype PhDs are up against is the “brainiac nerd.” Hiring managers assume potential job applicants with PhDs are introverted, awkward, and have bad communication skills.

We all know that guy, so show them you’re not that guy. Highlight sections of your work history that show a lot of collaboration and cooperation between other academic entities or departments. You can also showcase your communication skills by having a concise and clear cover letter and resume.

Our next trope is the “ivory tower” stereotype that says PhDs are out of touch with the real world and don’t have any modern transferable skills. We all know that’s untrue.

Your entire experience in academia is nothing but transferable skills and learning how to interpret the data you’re given to analyze any given situation and understand the outcome. Highlight this during your interview by giving solid examples of how your skills translate into the job description; specifically how your skills will help them solve their problems.

Third, we have the “absentminded professor,” categorizing PhDs as forgetful, overwhelmed, disorganized, and unable to manage their time, making potential employers assume they’d be unable to meet deadlines or effectively manage projects.

Make sure your resume includes deadlined projects and emphasize your dedication to time management.

Fourth is the “theoretical” stereotype or the idea that academics are too focused on theories and not practical applications or outcomes, and overall suffer from analysis paralysis.

When you interview or network, talk about the concrete outcomes of some of your work. Explain that project X produced outcomes A, B, and C, or similar to start dispelling that stereotype.

Our final stereotype is the “tunnel vision” PhD. This myth promotes the stereotype that PhDs are only focused on their area of expertise. Potential employers who are tuned into this stereotype might think you’re not well-rounded and can’t see the bigger picture.

You can dispel this myth the same way you’re combatting the communication concerns – be concise, be personable, and show you know how to work well with others. And, obviously, don’t show up to your networking event or interview wearing a superhero t-shirt.

Ready to start your transition into industry? Apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder, Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists here.

The post Don’t be one of these 5 PhD stereotypes appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

Using Generative AI To Get Hired, 6 Trending Resumes & 7 Of The Toughest Interview Questions Oct 01, 2023

Show notes

Ready to start your transition into industry? Apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder, Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists here.

The post Using Generative AI To Get Hired, 6 Trending Resumes & 7 Of The Toughest Interview Questions appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

Body Language Best Practices Sep 29, 2023

Show notes

Join us as we talk about…

In this week’s episode…

You’ll learn why how important nonverbal communication is
Next, you’ll learn about 3 body language best practices.
Finally, you’ll learn why a firm handshake is so important

Are You Making These Body Language Mistakes?

Something as simple as body language can be easy to dismiss when thinking about preparing for an interview. You may be thinking “I know how to be professional, I get it.”

But statistics show that only 35% of communication happens verbally. And, according to a recent BioSpace article, too many applicants are forgetting to focus on their nonverbal communication in important interviews.

You put in the hard work to get the interview, now it’s time to focus on how to present yourself. Today I’m going to talk about the three best practices for interview body language.

First, pay attention to your posture in relation to the interviewer. Sit with your shoulders straight and relaxed, facing the person you’re speaking with. This position makes you seem open and confident and projects your professional demeanor while putting your interviewer at ease. Slouching or hunching your shoulders and sitting angled away from your interviewer can make you come off as self-conscious, nervous, or even rude which are red flags to employers.

As PhDs we’re used to informal meetings with colleagues and department chairs we’ve known for years. An industry interview is not the same. A primary concern employers have when hiring PhDs is that we’re still stuck in “student mode” and bad posture can add weight to that concern and end an opportunity before it even starts.

When it comes to your posture and gestures, know that mirroring the posture of the person interviewing you can help improve the likelihood of having a positive interview. Second, keep an eye on your hands, arms, and gestures.

While mirroring your interviewer’s gestures and posture can help you build rapport, be aware of what you’re doing with your hands as you speak. Some people talk with their hands, fidget, pull at clothing, or bite their fingernails.

Fidgeting is unprofessional and distracting and makes you come across as too anxious to the interviewer. Then they’ll wonder why you’re anxious: were you dishonest on your resume? Do you think you’re not suited for the position?

According to a recent Forbes article, fidgeting gestures like rubbing your neck or touching your face can make you seem dishonest or bored, both of which are interview killers.

Fidgeting too much communicates to the interviewer that you’re a bad fit for this company, despite what the reason may be. You didn’t get this far in your job search to lose this job opportunity. While you shouldn’t wiggle like a bored kid, also make sure you don’t sit rigidly, unmoving, which would denote you’re scared or antisocial, or even creepy.

Third best practice: this is a classic – have a firm handshake, and know what a firm handshake is. Don’t write this off as unimportant. You can’t have a floppy dead fish handshake or a stone-crushing grip and get the job.

You must also couple your firm handshake with direct eye contact with your interviewer and a happy-to-be-here smile. This helps you make a solid first impression, putting your interviewer at ease and sparking interest in you as a candidate.

Ready to start your transition into industry? Apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder, Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists here.

The post Body Language Best Practices appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

Interview Coming Up – You Better Do Your Research Sep 27, 2023

Show notes

Join us as we talk about…

In this week’s episode…

You’ll learn why you never want to focus on your weaknesses during an interview
Next, you’ll learn why it is important to research a company before the interview.
Finally, you’ll learn about the “push” and the “pull”

Coming Into An Industry Interview With The Wrong Mindset Can Ruin Your Chances Of Getting Hired.

You’ve done everything right – you got the PhD, you may have even worked in academia after, and now you’re ready to leave academia for a job in industry.

You started your job search, worked hard, and finally landed the interview… but you’re not done yet.

In industry, you will interview with people who don’t know you, don’t know your work, and who don’t know how higher education works.

Instead, you’ll be talking to someone who wants to know whether or not you can solve a problem they have while getting along with their current team members in their current culture.

As a result, you need to show them your value in a different way than you would in an academic interview. Here, your academic accolades aren’t going to translate into strong reasons why industry employers should hire you.

Coming into an industry interview with the wrong mindset, using the wrong jargon, and building the wrong case for your candidacy can ruin your chances of getting hired.

The good news is, you’re an expert researcher. You can find out anything you need to know about what the company needs and what the employer needs to hear to hire you.

To start, you need to know what the company does, what its competitive landscape looks like, and what its customers want. Your job is to show the interviewer that the one thing their company culture is missing – is you.

When it comes to researching these answers, the company’s website is a good place to begin, but you can also look up their press releases, and find other useful information on industry-specific websites.

The more you know about the company, the better you’ll be able to ask questions in the interview, and the more you’ll be able to showcase your PhD and the skills you gained during your PhD in a way that helps you leverage them as a positive asset they’d be crazy to ignore.

The key is focusing your answers on your transferable skills and not projecting your weaknesses. Too many PhDs are so afraid of being asked about a gap on their resume, their lack of industry experience, their need for a visa on and on, that they end up steering the interview conversation towards these topics without realizing it.

Instead, do your research and take notes while researching. Create a list of 30 relevant reasons why the employer should hire. Create another list of 30 reasons why you want to work at that company specifically. Build your case for your value and their value. This is what they’re looking for in industry.

When asked why you’re leaving academia, don’t say you want to write less papers or less grants. Don’t focus on why you’re leaving. Instead, focus on where you’re going and why you actively decided to pursue a career in industry and why you specifically chose their company.

A report by Insider Higher Ed says that when talking about why you’re leaving academia in a professional setting, you should focus on the “pull” and eliminate the “push.” Talk about the things you’re interested in doing for their company, the things that “pull” you towards this job, not the often negative, though perhaps valid reasons, for leaving academia, or the “push.”

Most importantly, make sure you let them know you’re eager to apply your PhD training and skills to their company’s benefit.

Ready to start your transition into industry? Apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder, Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists here.

The post Interview Coming Up – You Better Do Your Research appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

Should You Leave Your Ph.D. Off Your Resume? Sep 25, 2023

Show notes

Join us as we talk about…

In this week’s episode…

You’ll learn why listing your PhD on your resume is not actually holding you back.
Next, you’ll learn the key to having your resume break past the ATS.
Finally, you’ll learn how to tailor your resume to the specific needs of a company.

Should You Leave Your Ph.D. Off Your Resume?

As PhDs we’ve all heard the colorful ways people outside of academia ask about our doctorates: “Oh, does PhD stand for ‘pile it higher and deeper’?” “Haha, don’t you know PhD stands for professional hiring deterrent?”

Don’t let others devalue your PhD.

The truth is the skills you gained during your PhD are very valuable in industry. Unfortunately, many PhDs today think that industry employers don’t want to hire PhDs. They think that their PhD is a red flag on their resume.

You’ve probably heard through someone that they got hired by leaving their PhD off their resume and instead, putting their Master’s degree. This is nonsense.

Reports from MassBio and others show you’re twice as likely to get hired with a PhD on your resume than a Master’s degree. It’s not your PhD on your resume that’s preventing you from getting a phone screen, it’s bad formatting, too much or too little information, and irrelevant jargon that’s blocking you.

Hiring managers get on average 400-500 applicants for a single position according to Forbes. In today’s economy, larger companies can get up to 2,000 applicants for a single position. As a result, it takes an average of 23 days for employers to narrow down their list of applicants in terms of who they’re going to call back.

Getting rejected right away because your resume isn’t targeted, is not a sign that your PhD is hurting. Not hearing back right away, especially if you never follow up or reach out to anyone at the company, is not a sign that your PhD is holding you back. Instead, these are signs that you don’t know how to execute a job search properly.

HR departments don’t have giant red garbage bins that say “PhD Resumes Here”. I’m hitting on this point over and over because limiting beliefs like your PhD is looked down on by industry employers will make you hesitant to apply to jobs correctly.

You’ll believe that you’ve lost the fight before you’ve begun. In reality, your fight is not against some kind of anti-PhD prejudice, but it’s against an algorithm that shelves resumes that don’t meet basic keyword standards.

According to another Forbes article, 50% of all resumes screened by algorithm-driven software are discarded without any human in the company laying eyes on them. You may be the best candidate for that job, but they’ll never know it if they can’t see your resume.

When was the last time you looked critically at your resume, the way an employer would? As a PhD, you have the analytical skills and attention to detail to ensure that you resume gets through the resume filtering systems. But you can’t be lazy. You can’t give effort that’s just “good enough” and send it out.

If you’re submitting the same old resume over and over with no results, that’s why you’re not getting the interviews your skills deserve. You must write a new, targeted resume for every position.

Your PhD is not the reason you’re being ignored, your low-quality resume is. The next time you’re applying for a job, make sure you’re tailoring your resume to the specific needs of the company, highlighting both your relevant transferable and niche skills in every bullet point.

Ready to start your transition into industry? Apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder, Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists here.

The post Should You Leave Your Ph.D. Off Your Resume? appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.

ChatGPT Prompts & Skills Are Giving Job Seekers An Advantage Sep 24, 2023

Show notes

Ready to start your transition into industry? Apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder, Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists here.

The post ChatGPT Prompts & Skills Are Giving Job Seekers An Advantage appeared first on Cheeky Scientist.