For an industry job for scientists, the interview process generally takes six to eight weeks. Starting with an initial phone screen, successful candidates move on to an on-site interview where they usually meet with a number of people from the organization and give a scientific presentation. Next is the final interview, during which a verbal offer may be extended. What is not as well elucidated is how long the overall search process is likely to take. The rule of thumb in industry is that your job search will take one month for every $10,000 of the job’s salary and generally longer for your first industry position. The positions sought by postdocs often times have annual salaries approaching $80,000, so it is easy to do the math. It is likely that your industry job search will last the better part of a year. Therefore, a job search is more akin to a marathon than a sprint. As with many successful long-term projects, it is important to set and meet interim goals along the way. Weekly and monthly objectives are recommended for your job search. The most critical areas to make continual progress on are:
- Develop and follow a target list of companies. The most common targeting criteria include: companies with a common research focus as your experience; companies within your preferred geographic locations; and companies in which you have contacts. It is important to follow company news, which may include information on key employees, strategies and financial reports. For smaller companies in particular, news of a large cash inflow, an initial public offering (IPO), or a licensing deal is often a harbinger of increased hiring. Overall, this type of data can help set you apart from other potential candidates when that interview comes because you have done your “homework.”
- Create and foster your network of industry contacts. Effective tools for this step are LinkedIn, in which you can sort by company name to identify your contacts within your target companies, and the NIH Alumni Database. Informational interviews are a good place to start to acquire not only information about particular jobs or a company’s working conditions, but many other answers to the varied questions you may have. You may even be able to get advance information on potential job openings before they are posted. From these initial contacts it is important to then expand your network to include their contacts. A great final question for these sessions is, “Is there anyone else that you might recommend that I speak with?”
Since interviewing for a particular job normally takes only six to eight weeks but your total job search can take upwards of a year, it is likely that you will face some disappointment along the way. Taking care of yourself is essential. Scheduling time for activities such as exercising, meditating, spending time with friends and loved ones, and speaking with a therapist and/or career counselor is often helpful to job-seekers. This is important not only to cope with possible frustration or sadness, but also to maintain your edge during the interview process. Feel free to connect with the OITE for guidance and support. https://www.training.nih.gov/career_services.
