Making the Transition Between Academia and Industry
Nansie A. McHugh
Senior Scientist, Schering-Plough Research Institute
When I was invited to speak at this symposium, I thought of how I could best serve the graduate and postdoctorate community with my limited experience in industry. I am rather new to industry, having made the transition less than two years ago. I thought about what I would have wanted to know the few short years ago that I was in your place. So I will tell you what influenced my decision to move to industry and my experiences in making the transition from academia to industry with respect to:
Industry vs. Academia
Why would you want to go into Industry? It’s an unfortunate fact but true that unless you are in a hot area of research, the funding and salaries of academia just cannot match those of industry. But it is not all about money; and hopefully, the information that you take home from this symposium will help you to weigh the pros and cons and make your personal decision clear.
My background. I received my PhD in Physiology and Neurobiology in 1996 and began my postdoctorate in the Pulmonary and Critical Care Department at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. I spent a good portion of my first postdoctoral year writing grants in order to fund my position. Luckily, I was awarded a very nice two-year grant from the American Lung Association and eagerly began my research. The first year flew by. I wrote my first year status report and realized it would soon be time to start writing grants so that my funding would continue uninterrupted. I took stock of my situation. My research was going well, I enjoyed my job, but I did not look forward to spending so much of my time in search of funding for my projects. I began to look at what I really enjoyed about my job and whether I would be satisfied in industry. I knew that I would be expected to follow a set agenda in industry, that is, the one that I was hired to do, but I also realized that if I applied for only those positions that required setting up animal models of disease for research purposes (which is my main interest), that I could be happy in Industry or Academia. My decision was made and I began sending my CV to every job opening that was in my field (about two–eight each month).
Optimizing your Curriculum Vitae. Your CV is the first chance to make a lasting impression at a company. I went through many revisions of my CV before I began seeing results (i.e., getting a response other than a “notice of receipt” postcard). After reading booklets on the subject, asking for candid opinions of my peers and mentors, I found that the following basic advice will make your CV more visible and memorable: 1) Make sure that your CV is easy to read by using concise statements and bullet points to describe your previous work and skills. 2) You must be sure that your CV is “scan”-able, as many companies use software to scan CVs for keywords that match the job description. This means that you should use only standard fonts and use the terminology used in the job advertisement to describe your skills (i.e., if the ad states that they are looking for someone to set up in vivo assays and your CV states that you can set up animal models, change your CV so that a match will be made if it is scanned by a machine or pre-screened by a person in human resources with no scientific background).
Resources for the Job Search. The most powerful tool available for searching for a job today is the Internet. There are major websites that are devoted to job searches
(http://www.monster.com) and several that are specific for jobs in science
(http://www.biomednet.com and http://www.sciencejobs.com). Most large companies also have their own webpage or site that has job listings, as well as the ability to apply for a job online. The internet adds a new dimension to the term “networking.” Older versions of networking such as signing up for interviews at job fairs sponsored by conferences such as FASEB, or working with your mentor to network with his or her former students who may have jobs in industry are still very good resources. Most companies still have large job listings in the major scientific publications. In fact, the two jobs for which I did get offered interviews had been advertised in Science magazine and I applied for them by email. It took over a year before I had my first interview.
Preparing for the Interview. Your interview is your first contact with your future prospective employer. Besides making sure that you are prepared with your slide presentation of your work and that your socks match, you must also do your “homework.” You should research the company and find out who the major officers are, where their headquarters are located and, most importantly, what areas of research do they target and what are their major products. All of this information is available to you on the internet. My favorite website for this type of research is
http://www.monster.com. When you come to an interview armed with this information, you are more prepared to answer questions that may be asked such as, “How do you see yourself fitting in this company?” or “What made you choose our company?”
My job responsibilities as a PhD in Research and Development. When I started my job in industry, many of my friends in academia asked me what I did at the PhD level in industry. As an entry level PhD I still do a lot of bench work. I set up animal models of disease so, just as in academia, I write up my protocols and have them approved by my institution’s Animal Care and Use Committee. I then characterize the model and work out the different assays that will be used to fully develop the model. My technician works with me and when the model is ready to be used, she takes over the daily work of the model and reports the data to me on a spread sheet. My responsibilities include crunching the numbers, writing the results into a report and presenting this information to management. When a study is worth reporting at a scientific meeting, I prepare abstract submissions on the data and eventually write a manuscript for publication.
Industry vs. Academia. I had learned from my experiences in academia that research is very “grant-driven.” You need grant funds to support yourself. You can have your own agenda but you must find funding for that research. In industry, research is for obvious reasons very “product-driven.” The company obviously must have a solid income from at least one “block-buster” drug in order to support the ongoing research. I have learned, however, that as long as you satisfactorily do the “bread and butter” research, the company has no problem if you want to explore an aspect of basic research that you are interested in. It is to their advantage if you find a new target for drug therapy. In academia your time is definitely more flexible. As long as you have met your teaching duties, you can arrange your research and grant writing to suit your needs. Although companies are very understanding and most companies have flex hours, there are certain “core hours” when you are expected to be on-site and meetings that must be attended. One of the biggest myths about industry is that you will not be able to publish. Since I have been at my company, I have been encouraged to publish my work. The only difference between academia and industry is that in industry you may be working on a project that contains privileged information and may have to hold off on publishing until that information becomes public. Also, every abstract and publication that is written while working for the company must be screened by the legal department prior to release. This is to ensure that no privileged information is unknowingly released that will jeopardize the company’s future drug discovery efforts. The biggest difference that I have found between academia and industry is in the benefits programs. Most academic institutions have the basic benefits such as medical and dental and savings plans. In industry, you have these basic benefits as well as bonus plans, tuition remission, profit sharing and stock options and, in some instances, “finders fees” for recommending someone for a job opening. There are many other incentives depending on the company, such as “instant recognition awards.”
The skills that will make you an attractive candidate to industry. Since this symposium is sponsored by the American Physiological Society, I know that many of you are physiologists. There is a great need for physiologists in industry! Pharmaceutical companies are looking for candidates that have the ability to set up solid animal models of disease that can be used to rapidly screen drugs. If you have most of the skills that they are looking for, most companies will be willing to train you in any additional skills that they may need. However, there is one skill that is most necessary at the PhD level and that is the ability to communicate effectively. Good oral and written communication skills are essential.
I would like to thank Dr. Belloni for inviting me to speak to you about my experiences in industry. I hope that I have been able to help guide you in making your career choices. I think that as long as you are willing to be flexible in your research, you can find a place where you will be happy in industry. I know that making the move to industry was the right choice for me. I thoroughly enjoy my job and never have a day that I dread going to work. I cannot speak for all companies as I have only worked at Schering-Plough, but the people that I work with are courteous, respectful of others opinions and our management treats us very well. There are also many people who have been with the company for 15, 20 and 30 years and that says a lot for job satisfaction at Schering-Plough.
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