What about grants, fellowships, editorial reviews, . . .
It is hard to admit that some of our most labor intensive, time-consuming rewards in academia may have little significance when applying to industry R&D jobs.
Surely things like fellowships, grants, being on an editorial board, etc. demonstrate our effectiveness at doing quality science, generating meaningful hypotheses, and earning the respect of our peers.
So, they should have a prominent place in our resume, right?
Not really.
Resumes aren’t like C.V.s. They share some features, but they differ significantly in purpose, and therefore, in content.
Industry-friendly resumes focus on communicating information that is important to a hiring manager. A Curriculum Vitae is only one part of a larger application package for a hiring committee. What is important to one is often of little interest to the other.
For instance, academic institutions are concerned with the recognition you can bring to the institution, your ability to attract grants, and if you can teach students effectively. Those things will increase the prestige of the organization.
In industry, the concern is more focused on your innovation, productivity, and cooperativity. Your grants, fellowships, editorial board experience, awards, etc. are only relevant as proof that you are innovative, productive, or cooperative. If you don’t communicate that clearly, the awards are irrelevant.
It’s important to learn how to re-think your time spent in academia and write it in the most powerful, straightforward, effective way that is meaningful to a hiring manager.
There are a lot of resume sites. Many will talk about the format. Some will discuss the length; others will focus on your style of writing. While these are all worthwhile points, they are less important to scientists, especially those transitioning into industry, because they don’t address substance.
ScientificResumes.com was created specifically for you—the scientist without industry experience who wants to make the transition. Built with input from scientific hiring managers in industry, PhD level scientific recruiters, and scientists who have successfully made the jump, the site offers you the files and information you cannot find elsewhere — plus real life examples.
Stop frustrating yourself using C.V.-like resumes and online templates that are not designed for scientists. Stop listing how you spent your time. Get the tools to illustrate your innovation and present your productivity in “results accomplished” terms. And put your grants, fellowships, awards, teaching experience, etc. where they belong—toward the back of your resume–as proof of what you claimed earlier.
See how it’s done. Invest in the future you want at www.scientificresumes.com. Then use your industry-friendly, results-oriented, powerful resume to apply for relevant positions like THESE that do not require prior industry experience! (Remember that industry postdoctoral positions will count as industry experience when completed.)
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