Ali Divan, Ph.D.’s Post

You're in the midst of a postdoc and you just realized that academia is not right for you. Anxiety kicks in as you wonder, "What exactly am I supposed to do now?" It seems like biotech or pharma are the right path, but you already feel like you are behind. You wonder... Where do I begin? What jobs are right for me? How do I write a resume? What should I expect during interviews? As these question bounce around  in your head, you also realize "I HAVE NO CONNECTIONS IN THIS INDUSTRY!" You start down the familiar path of worry and self-doubt... 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵. 𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗸. The Trulitica Community is exactly the place to start building out these connections and getting the support you need. We meet weekly and talk about topics just like this, with people who are in your shoes AND other industry volunteers who are here to help. For example, when it comes to networking start here: -Identify companies that you are interested in. -Find people in roles that you want to have. -Send them a personalized invitation request. -Start building a relationship. -Don't ask for anything. How do you do the above? That's the topic of a group conversation, not a linkedin post. To fast track your transition from academia to the life science industry, enroll in the Break into Biotech course and add on lifetime membership to the Trulitica Community. Join the group of scientists who are taking their careers into their own hands. #biotech, #biotechjobs, #scientist

Scientists often struggle to answer interview questions about things they haven't done. They tend to say "I could learn." Although this is true, it's not the best response. Here's my 3-step solution for an interview home run. 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 Always prepare for the questions you're most worried about. Prepare for the ones that you think would torpedo your candidacy. The more direct and offensive of a question you can prepare for, the better off you'll be. Example: Worried about being accused of "having no industry experience"? Prepare for that question and take the defensive emotion out of your response. Use evidence and expose the biases in the assumptions being made. 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 Talk about how you've solved adjacent problems, how long it took you, and why you're not concerned about solving the problem at hand. Example: You haven't done FACS, but you have done flow cytometry. Show the overlap between the two methods, and how your expertise fills that overlap. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 Outline the steps/systems you would use to fill the gap in your knowledge. Make it simple to understand by writing out 3-5 high level steps. Describe the each step, how difficult you think it would be, how long you think it would take to achieve that, and what resources you need. ---------- Can you see how this approach is more specific, confident, and professional than "I could learn"? It's a tough job market out there. If you want to get different results than everyone else, be different than everyone else. 🤠 #biotechnology, #biotechjobs, #scientist

5 Typical Mistakes to Avoid When Using Interviews in Your Research! In the previous post, we investigated the transformative potential of interviews as a qualitative data collection technique in academic research. You must exercise caution and avoid frequent mistakes as you navigate the terrain of qualitative research, as these can compromise the validity and reliability of your findings. Building on our examination of factors to consider before conducting interviews, we’ll look closely at the potential mistakes and learn how to successfully manage them. In today’s post, you’ll learn as we uncover the mistakes to avoid when conducting interviews for academic research. Let's get right into it… ♦️ Typical Mistakes to Avoid when Using Interviews for Research: ⏩ Overlooking the Pilot Testing: Ignoring the significance of pilot testing your interview protocol before implementing it full-scale is one common mistake. Pilot testing lets you find any biases, ambiguities, or practical problems with your interview questions and processes. Pilot testing is important since skipping it can lead to badly written questions, participant confusion, and lowered data quality. Assume, for instance, that you are interviewing first-generation college students about their experiences. Then, pilot testing can minimize participant discomfort or misunderstanding by ensuring that your questions are relevant, understandable, and culturally sensitive. ⏩ Neglecting Participant's Comfort and Trust Neglecting the importance of building rapport and trust with participants is another mistake. Creating a welcoming and nonjudgmental atmosphere is vital to getting honest and open responses. A lack of confidence might result in vague or guarded responses, which reduces the richness and depth of the data. When interviewing trauma survivors, for example, it is essential to approach the discussion with empathy and sensitivity to provide a safe space where participants can talk about their experiences without fear of being judged or traumatized. [Continue Reading in the Comment] Question: How are you going to use these insights to improve the validity and reliability of your research based on interviews? Let me know in the comment Also, like and share this with others. 📌 PS. In the next post on academic research, we’ll look at “An Introduction to Experimental Research and Data Analysis” for your next academic research 📌 PPS. Do you need help with your current research or need clarity on how to conduct your next research? Send me a #DM right now and we'll schedule a time for a one-to-one session! #ScholarlyExploration #AcademicResearch #Academia #AcademicWriting #AcademicJourney #researchmethods #ResearchMethodology #AcademicAnalysis #ScholarlyInquiry #Interviews #QualitativeResearch #ResearchMethod

Upcoming interview in biotech? Here's a simple way to structure your seminar talk, so you can communicate clearly. Notice that this is different from the way you're used to giving academic seminar talks. 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 -Basic intro slide (Make it clean) -Your background (2 min elevator pitch) -Outline company major needs (based on job desc) -Outline of talk (how you will address major needs) -Content of talk (the "evidence" you provide) -Conclusion (Summary of how you meets company needs) -Q&A (15 mins) -Appendix (anticipate questions and show figures) Why use this approach? You first give the audience a low anxiety intro and a very brief background that highlights your accomplishments based on the things THEY care about. Then you demonstrate that you understand the job description, what their stated needs are, and let them know the order of things you'll be discussing, as they relate to those needs. Then you tell them what you said you would tell them, using an approach that's based on the stated need, not the linear timeline of your life. Then you remind them of the key takeaways of your talk and how those meet their needs. The Q&A is an opportunity for them to ask you questions that you intentionally set up by providing just a bit of evidence as a teaser. The appendix is an opportunity to engage with the audience and show more evidence of the teasers you snuck into your presentation. The audience will feel smart, engaged, and will walk away thinking "we need to hire this person." The end. #biotechjobs, #biotech, #scientist

Are you struggling to finish your PhD? Chances are it's because you haven't figured out yet what to do afterwards. Recently, my colleague Ulrike Schneeberg, PhD, a career & communication coach, and I have discovered that we are both heavily using peer support structures in our work. To exchange ideas about our approaches, we conducted two interviews: Ulrike interviewed me about how peer structures can be used in scientific writing and I interviewed her about using peer support for figuring out your career path. (Link to the interviews in the comments.)

Academic interviews frighten plenty of PhD holders. It’s remarkable how many of those fears go away on the non-academic market when you no longer care about: - Duplicating a colleague’s area of expertise - Facing obscure questions about footnote 13 on page 185 of your dissertation - Including the chair’s pet project in your sample syllabus - Encountering more questions about the next project rather than the dissertation that you’ve spent the past four years writing - Revealing your humanity and accidentally saying, “I really want this job!” - Waiting until the next year for another shot at a tenure-track position Just go ahead and apply!

Can you answer these 13 PhD interview questions🔍 - 🙋♂️ Can you tell us about yourself? - 🎓 Why did you choose your undergraduate subject? - 🌟 Who do you admire in your field and why? - 📉 Why did your grades drop at one point? - 💼 How will your skills help us here? - 🆕 How will you handle new techniques you've not used before? - 🔮 What do you think will happen next in your field? - 🚧 What problems are people facing in your field? - 🎓 If you led a project, what would you do first? - ⚖️ What do you think about this theory? - 🤝 What do you know about our school's environment? - 🤔 How do you handle tough times in school? - 🚀 What are your plans after your PhD?

Dear PG students, This is for prospective postgraduate students. I get several DMs asking for tips on how to prepare for PhD interviews. Kindly consider the following pointers. 1. Familiarize yourself with some of most recent publications of your potential supervisor/advisor. 2. Use some of his/her latest articles to explain your research area of interest. This is where you must show versatility and be smart by demonstrating knowledge on some gaps in the articles. This should be easy if you understand how to identify RESEARCH GAPS. 3. Keep the conversation strictly around your academic pursuits. No need for "pity-party" story unless you are asked to explain your background and even at that, you do not need to center it around your struggles but your successes despite your difficult background. 4. Ask questions around your prospective advisor's mentorship styles. This may revolve around capacity development for postgraduate students in the research group. His work ethics among others. Show that you are not for the degrees alone but additional skills. Do your homework about your prospective advisor/supervisor. It is an academic relationship. Nurture that first. 5. Be calm, speak loudly (not shout) and make sure your camera is on. Make sure the environment is not noisy. You will always have my best wishes.

🎓 The Hilarious Hunt for a Postdoc After PhD 🔍 So, you’ve survived your PhD. Congratulations! You’ve conquered the mountain of research, navigated the labyrinth of peer reviews, and emerged (mostly) sane. Now, onto the next adventure: finding a postdoc position. Let the games begin! First, there’s the application process. Remember those simple job applications? Yeah, those days are gone. Now, it’s all about crafting the perfect cover letter, CV, research statement, teaching statement, and personal philosophy on life. Who knew we were so deep? Next, the interviews. “Tell us about your greatest weakness.” Sure, how about my inability to say no to coffee and my profound love for Netflix? Oh wait, you meant professionally. Right. Let me dig out a more appropriate answer from my pile of caffeine-fueled all-nighters. Then, there’s the waiting game. You submit your application into the black hole of academia and hope for a response. Weeks go by and you start doubting if you accidentally applied to Hogwarts instead. “Your owl is on its way,” they said. Meanwhile, you stalk academic job boards like a hawk, refreshing the page every five minutes. “New positions? No. Refresh again. Still no.” It’s like playing a never-ending game of academic whack-a-mole. And let’s not forget the networking. Conferences, webinars, and those dreaded “informal chats” where you try to sound intelligent while your brain screams, “Don’t mess this up!” Despite the chaos, there’s something exhilarating about the hunt. Every application is a step closer to that dream position, and every interview is a chance to showcase your hard-earned skills. Plus, you get to meet some pretty amazing people along the way. So, to all my fellow PhD survivors out there hunting for postdocs, keep your spirits high and your coffee mugs full. The journey is wild, but the destination is worth it. And remember, if you can survive a PhD, you can survive anything! #PostdocQuest #PhDSurvival #AcademicAdventures #ScienceHumor #ResearchLife #PolymerScience #BiomedicalEngineering

So, you’re completing your PhD in Physics, applying for positions in industry and you’re receiving the following pieces of feedback: 1.      You’re overqualified 2.      You don’t have any industry experience Sound familiar? Reading between the lines, this is what I (and probably you) see with these objections: 1.      We might lose you in a year or two because you’ll be bored 2.      We don’t understand what a PhD is and what it entails In my opinion, the first can be overcome in the interview – it’s how you position yourself. Be self-aware, explain why the role interests you and where you can add real value. The second can be overcome in the CV, they can see you don’t have industry experience before they interview you. Have you outlined the transferrable skills? How your specific experience relates to the role/company, your industrial links during your studies, the self-starter nature of it etc. Saying all this, sometimes the position just isn’t right for you… keep chipping away! #recruitment #PhD #quantumcomputing