Ali Divan, Ph.D.’s Post

"I'm planning on finishing my life science graduate degree this year. How long before graduation should I start preparing for my first biotech industry role?" 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 3-6 months before you need the job. 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 There are several aspects to the job search. Some are in our control. Others are not. These impact the predicted time to an offer. Things you can control -which roles you apply to -the network you build -the quality of your resume -your ability to interview well Things you can't control -saturated job markets -bad economy -who is hiring -the hiring process -who your competition is In 2021, when biotech hiring was exploding, I would confidently tell you 2-3 months was enough time to prepare. At the end of 2023, when the pandemic hiring bubble burst and people were getting laid off, I would confidently tell you 5-6 months. How does 2024 look today? Better than 2023. Not as good as 2021. So if you want to err on the side of caution, even with expert guidance, assume it will take you 3-6 months. If you want to figure it out on your own, without help, budget for 9-12 months. #biotech, #biotechjobs, #scientist 👉BTW - I have a self-paced course that can get you competitive in 1 week or less. It won't break your bank account and includes lifetime access to the Trulitica Community. You don't have to do this alone. 🤠

While robust technical knowledge and experience are deemed essential in hiring for life sciences roles, focusing on soft skills in your recruitment process is worth considering. So, are you giving them equal attention? For technical roles, soft skills can make all the difference. They can elevate a researcher from being good to becoming a rockstar scientist, capable of adapting to various business needs. Discover how Life Sciences organizations can leverage this skillset: https://lnkd.in/egpffYkE #SkillsAlliance #SoftSkills #LifeSciences #Recruiting

Biotech recruiter tip: If you have a PhD, do not apply for Research Associate jobs. Apply to Scientist and higher-level jobs. From a personal perspective, you worked hard and learned a lot in that degree! You shouldn't undersell yourself by applying to a position where you are overqualified. From a practical perspective, recruiters and hiring managers will often immediately skip PhDs who apply to Research Associate jobs. Don't spend time applying if your resume will just be skipped. Take time to find the right position and put all your effort into it.

I've found this to broadly be the case, with a couple of caveats: 1) Each company has its own, slightly different, set of titles and promotion structure. So it may not universally be the case that PhDs are "overqualified" for RA, SRA or other similar titles. 2) The market is really tough right now, and there are only so many Scientist positions open. For those that are open, the hiring team is being highly selective for candidates with the exact skills and experience in the job listing. It isn't difficult to quickly exhaust all of the positions you're "qualified" for and only have RA/SRA positions remaining. I feel like on this website, people don't really talk about how you need to pay rent and buy food at some point! And recent graduates tend to have nothing in the bank! So it may be worth applying to some of those and hope that your resume finds an understanding person who is willing to hear your story.

What does it mean if I applied to a job and got ghosted?👻👻👻 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 It doesn't mean anything. 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 - 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 1) The company doesn't have their hiring process established 2) There were 700 applicants and they don't have infrastructure for automated rejections 3) The company doesn't know what they actually want 4) The person responsible for hiring was laid off and your application is lost in the ether 5) The position was filled or cancelled, but it's too much work to tell you that. 6) They aren't actually ready to hire yet and are just probing the market. 7) Any combination of some or all of the above 𝗘𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘆 It's not you. It's them. Move on. There's a better future waiting for you somewhere else 🙂 --------- This year I've helped 20 scientists find new, meaningful jobs in biotech and pharma where they've amplified their impact and are rewarded for their contributions. I'm accepting new 1:1 coaching clients for the month of September. DM me to learn more. #biotechnology, #biotechjobs, #scientist

🔍 Job Search Realities in Today's Market: Is It All Just Random? Recently, I've been diving deep into industry hiring practices, attending open houses at Eli Lilly and Bristol Myers Squibb, and learning about the ATS systems. Contrary to popular belief, it turns out that actual human recruiters—not just algorithms—are vetting resumes. This was an eye-opener. Now, as a scientist with a solid track record, including developing a proprietary drug, testing its pre-clinical properties, and even crafting its business and commercialization plan during my PhD and postdoc, alongside 2 years in project management, I’ve honed my skills in innovation and communication. I genuinely believe in my ability to solve problems creatively. Yet, despite fitting the job requirements >80% for most roles I apply to, I’m seeing rejections 50%-60% of the time. Does this mean my profile sits below the "Likely to be Hired" average on the Gaussian curve? Ouch—that's a tough pill to swallow. 😅 But here's the bigger question: Unless you’re a scientist with awards equivalent to a Nobel Prize 🏆, is finding a job for the rest of us really about randomness now? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences!  #JobSearch #ProfessionalJourney #Industry #Scientist #PhDCareers #Postdoc #Careers

Why is it so much harder for scientists to get a job offer now than it was 2-3 years ago? 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 Job market is more saturated than before 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 2% interest rates during pandemic created hiring boom Cost of borrowing capital went down Next, inflation from macroeconomic instability Interest rates went back up to compensate Borrowing became more costly Employers couldn't afford who they hired Employees were laid off We're still reeling from the effects of the above cycle, but it's getting better. More 2024 IPOs in biotech means more exits for investors. Those dollars go back into funding startups. Possible that interest rates may decrease over 2024, and we're likely to see some relief in 2025. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯-𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆? Realize that the competition you're up against is more fierce than it was 2-3 years ago. You'll need to practice your elevator pitch, have a cleaner resume than before, and communicate your value concisely. Good luck out there. #scientist #biotech, #biotechjobs

If you are thinking about a career in the Life Sciences/Biotech Industry, check out this virtual workshop webinar TODAY January 22nd from 530PM-630PM #careers #jobs #JobSearch #Networking #ProfessionalDevelopment #interviewtips #biotech

Sometimes you are years into a career track before your realize that there's somewhere else you belong. That was the case for me when I was a postdoc. I liked my labmates. I liked my PI. I liked the science. But academia... it didn't feel like it was for me. I remember feeling this pressing anxiety about the future, and cursing myself for not having made different career decisions. Why didn't I study something that there was a better job market for? What was the point of getting my PhD? Many years later, I am now looking back and seeing my own journey. I went from academia to biotech, and now I stand on my own as an entrepreneur. I don't regret any of the past because it shaped me...deeply. My PhD was worth it. The different roles in biotech were one hell of an experience, and there are certain lessons that I will never forget. If you are a postdoc staying up late at night cursing yourself, like I used to - just know that if you commit to a different path, you will eventually get there. If you want help getting there - well... that's what I am in the business of. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗱𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵: -Help you identify which technical role fits you -Build a networking strategy -Teach you to write concise, targeted resumes -Teach you the art of interviewing -Leverage my network to help you -Provide insights on what makes a good offer 👉All of this is through 1:1 sessions with me. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗱𝗼 -Help you apply to jobs that you're not qualified for -Invent jobs that don't exist -Provide you with training resources for upskilling -Say some magical thing that will get you a job -Get you into non-technical or non-biotech roles 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆. If you are ready to focus, put in several hours of work, and grow...let's chat. 😉 #biotechnology, #yourindustryinsider, #careers  

While robust technical knowledge and experience are deemed essential in hiring for life sciences roles, focusing on soft skills in your recruitment process is worth considering. So, are you giving them equal attention? For technical roles, soft skills can make all the difference. They can elevate a researcher from being good to becoming a rockstar scientist, capable of adapting to various business needs. Discover how Life Sciences organizations can leverage this skillset: https://lnkd.in/ethSx9cw #SkillsAlliance #SoftSkills #LifeSciences #Recruiting