How Do YOU Make Connections?
Like most of my fellow life science PhDs, I have thought the most about tenure track research positions. Facing the reality that only about 14% of us will end up in those positions, I’ve tried to keep an open mind about the diversity of career outcomes that will enable me to apply my PhD towards.
As in almost anything in life, our professional and personal connections are so important, and those early friendships will really help you in exploring options outside an academic life. I’ve been fortunate in having kept in touch with friends and colleagues who are now in various biotech, governmental, or academic positions. Not only have these connections given me great insights on the positives and negatives of their individual positions, they can give great insights on how to break into the field and get more exposure to potential future employers. For instance, you may be able to visit your friend’s company and meet the staff and management, join them at a company event (e.g., ski trip or happy hour), and some companies will even invite speakers from academia to discuss their work. Similar to academic postdocs, many opportunities for PhDs in private industry are not advertised, and most hires are the result of relationships that form over a period of time, not a single application.