Industry Postdoctoral Positions – A Great Stepping Stone
Making the first step into industry from an academic or private research institution position can be a lengthy process that is often discouraging. You may have already found that the majority of industry positions require job candidates to already have industry experience. So how can you get your foot in the door if they already want industry experience? One option is to kick-start your industry career with an industrial postdoctoral appointment. This option is often never considered because many scientists don’t even know that this possibility even exists. These days more and more companies are offering formal postdoctoral positions within their organizations. These positions are of variable length (usually one to two years), generally pay substantially more money than an academic postdoctoral stipend, and offer a way for you to experience the culture of research and development in the private sector.
The benefits of being an industry postdoc are more than just a bigger salary. There is the opportunity to interact with colleagues with a wide range of expertise, including the business side, which is something you don’t usually get in academia. Industry postdocs often have access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities as well. One of the most rewarding advantages though is that these appointments can lead to a permanent position within the company. But even if you don’t end up with a permanent position there, you have overcome the biggest hurdle in obtaining a permanent industry position – getting experience in industry R&D.
Interest piqued? Now you just have to find these industry postdoctoral opportunities. Many of the large pharmaceutical companies (Pfizer, Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, etc.) and large to mid-sized biotech or pharma companies (e.g. Genentech, Celgene, Biogen) have postdoctoral positions. These companies have a formal program and application process; search the career sections of their websites. You may also try setting up search alerts for “industry postdoc” on Indeed.com or through Google alerts. Throughout all stages of your career, one of the best ways to gain a new position is through networking so make sure to network in person and through LinkedIn. A company may not have a formal postdoctoral position but might be willing to create a similar position for the right scientist.
An industrial postdoctoral appointment is invaluable to a scientist who wants an industry career. Your first step is to make sure that your resume is ready for applications and networking events. The key word here is RESUME. You’ll need a resume focused on things that matter most in industry, you do not want an academic C.V. or resume-adapted version of a C.V.
So how do you convert your research experience into a result-oriented, industry-friendly resume? You may have tried this before using online resume formats that don’t really work for scientific research experience. We know that this process can be frustrating and many are left with a hybrid CV-resume that does not show how their skills will benefit a company.
We at ScientificResumes.com can help you translate your academic work into results that are relevant to a company’s hiring manager. ScientificResumes.com was built by scientists FOR scientists. Our goal is to help you get into industry. We have the instructions and tools needed to help you convert your C.V. into an industry-relevant resume that will stand out to a hiring manager. We have real world resume examples, as well as the option to have your resume proofread by industry professionals so you can be as confident as possible when submitting or sharing your resume.
Let ScientificResumes.com help you create a powerful, result-focused, industry-friendly resume that distinguishes you from all the other academically-oriented applicants so you’ll be ready to apply for that industry postdoctoral position today!
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