How job seekers can setup for success
5 tips on how grad students, PhDs & academics and maximize chances of launching or growing a career in industry
👋 Happy Tuesday, this is Aditya with a weekly issue of PhD to Industry email.
Join 100s of other academics who get my playbooks, guides, and articles, each Tuesday, about how to launch and grow their industry careers (read time ~ 5 mins):
Dear Readers,
Today, I want to share five things graduate students or prospective job seekers can start (or continue to refine) to maximize their chances of launching or growing their careers.
Let’s dive in:
1. 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠
Effective networking is THE most valuable skill set prospective job seekers can develop and leverage. In fact, it's the skill that will continue to pay dividends beyond grad school throughout entire careers.
Try these:
- Setup informational interviews to discover new roles and industries;
- Connect with professionals at target companies of interest;
- Reconnect with friends & colleagues about cool projects/business
Don't wait to have those discussions only when you're exploring jobs. Practice networking, be intentional, and be appreciative of their time.
2. 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬
One of the highest-impact skill sets for early career professionals to master is effective communication. PhDs - there will be opportunities to present at conferences & universities.
Try these:
- Take the initiative and volunteer to present at your university or conferences
- Sharpen your skills and test our different tools (eg: Canva)
- Ask for feedback on how to improve, implement, and practice
3. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 '𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞'
First-time job seekers have the hurdle of not having 'experience'. You can tackle this by building skills and experience in many other ways without an official 'job'.
Try these:
- Pursue internships
- Start something of your own. Find a problem. Solve it. Teach Others.
- Volunteer and mentor
4. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟
This doesn't come naturally to many grad students/academics. In fact, this is a big turn-off for many. But the reality is, competence is only 1 side of the coin. Being able to advocate for your skills is as important to achieving success. Reframe the narrative from approaching it as trying to market/sell yourself to 'advocating' for yourself to get what you deserve.
Try these:
- Define what you want and stand for
- Post a few times on Linkedin or other social channels
- Create a simple website. Carrd offers a cheap solution for creating websites for $19.
5. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬
Most academics lose valuable years during grad school to set up funds for long-term wealth or retirement accounts. Although the compensation is very low, start learning about investing and begin investing small amounts. This is not necessarily about those small investments turning into millions (although it may in a few decades!) but its more about learning the fundamentals of money management and investing so when you are ready and have more capital to invest, you're starting ahead with the necessary skills you need.
Try these:
- Open up a brokerage account and invest small amounts
- Learn about different investment options
- Try starting (or adding) revenue streams
In Summary:
Practice Effective Networking
Sharpen Communication Skills
Build ‘Experience’
Market Yourself
Build Financial Awareness
What else would you add?
Drop any questions or comments you have below.