I have recently decided to leave my full time teaching position in academia, to pursue a new challenge as a behavioural scientist in industry. Read more about this change here. Leaving academia for industry is a hot topic, something that I see many people post about on various social media platforms. It is tricky to know which jobs you are qualified for, and more importantly how to sell yourself to industry. I started working in the industry during my final year of my PhD, and back then I didn’t really know how to sell myself, and I took a position that I was overqualified for in the process. I don’t regret this, as I learnt a lot, worked with fantastic people, and that experience was key to me landing this new role. However, it did make me realise that I wouldn’t undervalue my skills again. Apart from an additional two years experience, the biggest difference between me landing this new industry role compared to the last is that I connected with a recruiter.
I saw a recruiter specalising in market research and behavioural insights on LinkedIn and sent my CV through to them on a whim. Gosh, was this a good decision. The recruiters were so knowledgeable regarding which industries and companies would value my skills, provided me with key information about the companies prior to interviews, and were frank about my expectations and where my skills are lacking. More so, they did the negotiation regarding salary for me. I found this invaluable, and I think that as a PhD is such a niche experience, connecting with a recruiter to find out more information is game changing.
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