Explore every episode of the podcast PhD Career Stories
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
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| #130: Interview with Ashley Ruba on Using LinkedIn To Advance and Pivot Careers | 12 Jan 2024 | 00:42:04 | |
Are you one of the people who feels shy about using LinkedIn? Do you know about its potential but still hold back, in fear of having nothing worth sharing? You are definitely not the only one, and today’s guest has some wisdom to share! Join our host, Elisabeth Reithuber, for an inspiring talk with Ashley Ruba, a psychology researcher turned UX researcher and career coach. Ashley is a psychologist by training, holding a PhD in Developmental Psychology from University of Washington, a field where she also did a post doc, before jumping into the world of user experience (UX) research. Today, she works as a human factors engineer at the medical technology company Arthrex, in Florida, USA, while also juggling a career coaching program for academics, After Academia. Today, Ashley tells us all about how she used LinkedIn and other social media to pivot from academia into a completely different industry, her path to get to her current job, and how the way people resonated with her words inspired her to make a second career out of helping PhDs advancing their careers. She also tells Elisabeth about the skills that were transferable to her new job and the things that she had to, instead, unlearn. Among other things, Ashley advises you to pick a career niche to focus on, emphasizes how important a branding tool LinkedIn is, and gently nudges you to lose your inhibitions in order to connect with people who will help propel you towards your dream job! For the transcript, please click here: https://phdcareerstories.com/pub/aruba PhD Career Stories is on all major Social Media channels. To receive more content regularly, follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and our website.
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| #129: Interview with Marie-Hélène Pelletier on How to Build Resilience and Break through Barriers | 08 Dec 2023 | 00:45:56 | |
Do you feel stuck? Do you tend to procrastinate taking the next steps in your career? If you want to find out why this happens and how to move forward, you should listen to today’s conversation with Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier and our host, Dr. Tina Persson. Marie-Hélène is a trained psychologist who holds a PhD and an MBA from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Throughout her career, she has had a prominent role within several organizations and publications in discussing important topics such as workplace mental health and leadership resilience, having authored an upcoming book on the topic, titled "The Resilience Plan”. In this episode, in an almost coaching-session-like fashion, Marie-Hélène and Tina discuss common situations and cases they have found while helping people with their careers. They converse about how to move from thinking into action, practicing self-compassion, and gradually training exposure to stress in order to build resilience. Marie-Hélène also emphasizes the importance of looking inward and grounding ourselves in our own values, despite external expectations. By the end of the episode, you will have heard advice about managing expectations and nurturing and investing in your brain - a sample toolkit that can help you “take the one first action” towards your next goal! For the transcript, please click here: https://phdcareerstories.com/pub/mhpelletier PhD Career Stories is on all major Social Media channels. To receive more content regularly, follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and our website.
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| #120: Interview with Thalyana Stathis on pursuing a postdoc career in the USA | 10 Mar 2023 | 00:43:15 | |
Are you looking forward to pursuing a postdoc career in the USA? Are you living in Europe, but dreaming of a long-term career in the USA? Are you looking forward to pursuing a postdoc career in the USA? Then this is an excellent episode for you as Tina Persson and Thalyana Stathis extensively discuss the application strategies for a postdoc position in the USA. Thalyana Stathis is the Associate Director of the Office of Career and Professional Development for postdocs and PhD students at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in NYC. As a career advisor, she supports hundreds of students and postdocs in each stage of their career planning. She also directs workshops for career exploration and navigating the job market for all academic and non-academic career paths. Tina and Thalyana talk about the common mistakes that many PhDs do when applying for a postdoc application. One of the great tips from Thalyana is about how to use your current network to reach out to your future research lab/company. Thalyana also provides many tips regarding the different visa options. If you have any questions about how to apply to postdoc positions at MSK, how to contact faculty members you are interested in working with, or how to learn more information about different labs at MSK, please feel free to email Thalyana Stathis at stathist [at] mskcc.org or connect with her on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thalyanasmithvikos/).
Listen to this episode to know more about this in detail.
For the transcript, please click here: https://phdcareerstories.com/pub/tstathis
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| #030: Tips&Tricks Åsa Burman: how to finish your academic work on time | 01 Sep 2017 | 00:16:54 | |
In episode 30 of PhD Career Stories, Åsa Burman returns for a tips & tricks-themed podcast. In this episode, we learn more on why shifting focus from what you are working with to how you are working will increase your productivity. In addition, we are presented with different productivity tools and how you can apply them to your own work situation. Dr Åsa Burman has a broad background and professional experience from business, academia, and social entrepreneurship. Amongst other things, Åsa is the Founder and CEO of Finish On Time - a company that helps graduate students, postdocs, and other academics to finish their academic work on time and feel well during the process. So far, over 1000 PhD students, supervisors, professors and researchers have participated in conferences and seminars organised by Åsa and her colleagues Johanna Clausen Ekefjärd and Henrik Levinsson. Earlier this year, she also published her first book: Bli klar i tid och må bra på vägen: Handbok för doktorander (Natur & Kultur, 2017) which is to be translated into English during next year. Don't miss out on any of our PhD Career Stories podcasts. Subscribe to the show in a way that suits you and say hello to us on social media!
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| #029: Alfred Orina Isaac Story | 18 Aug 2017 | 00:10:21 | |
Professor Alfred Orina Isaac is a Pharmaceutical Scientist with a specific interest in Neuroscience. His research is focused in neurotoxicology and neuroprotection mechanisms in the brain. Currently, he is studying the neurotoxicity of Khat in a mouse model; and also the neuroprotection capability of naturally found compounds against neurotoxic drugs e.g. Melarsoprol. His long term goal is to start the first institute for brain research in Kenya and he has published a book entitled, “Scientific Writing for Students and Young Scientists”. | |||
| #028: Åsa Burman Story | 04 Aug 2017 | 00:22:30 | |
We are joined by Dr Åsa Burman who has a broad background and professional experience from business, academia, and social entrepreneurship. Amongst other things, Åsa is the Founder and CEO of Finish On Time - a company that helps graduate students, postdocs, and other academics to finish their academic work on time and feel well during the process. So far, over 1000 PhD students, supervisors, professors and researchers have participated in conferences and seminars organised by Åsa and her colleagues Johanna Clausen Ekefjärd and Henrik Levinsson. Earlier this year, she also published her first book: Bli klar i tid och må bra på vägen: Handbok för doktorander (Natur & Kultur, 2017) which is to be translated into English during next year. In addition, Åsa holds a PhD in Philosophy from Lund University and has also conducted research as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. After finishing her PhD, she started working as a Management Consultant at McKinsey & Company and then continued to work with social entrepreneurship. As of a few years ago, Åsa has returned to academia and is currently working as an Assistant Professor in Practical Philosophy at Stockholm University. Don't miss out on any of our PhD Career Stories podcasts. Subscribe to the show in a way that suits you and say hello to us on social media!
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| #027: Our 1 year anniversary: how it started and where we are heading | 21 Jul 2017 | 00:28:10 | |
A year ago, [Tina] talked to Michele. At that time, he was a PhD student looking for a job in industry. […] “I have a feeling that you have a lot of energy; would you like to share what you have learned with other people so that you will make life easier for them? Because, you see, I have a dream and a vision to start a podcast.” And Michele said, “Why not? I would love to! I don’t know how to do it, but I can probably learn.” To learn how this story continued to where we are now just click and listen... | |||
| #026: Michael Gralla Story | 07 Jul 2017 | 00:08:26 | |
Michael Gralla is a PhD student at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden and also a Leadership Consultant and Career Coach who has just started his own company: fby – find the best in you. During his career, Michael has never followed the given path. With a Master in Nutrition, he switched fields to get a PhD in Molecular Biology. During his PhD studies, Michael repeatedly guided fellow PhD students and postdocs in career related questions and helped them organize their next career moves. Furthermore, he holds an executive position in a German travel agency start-up. Due to various reasons, Michael is pausing his PhD right now to start his own company. As his passion lies in people and team development, he started fby – find the best in you – a leadership consulting company. Michael's constant interest in broadening his network and meeting people to discuss talent development-related topics has given him the opportunity to team up with experts of different areas covering leadership. "In her TED talk in 2015, Emilie Wapnick introduced “multipotentialites” – a type of personality that easily gets interested in different areas. Multipotentialites quickly consume a new field of interest. By repeatedly doing so they become fast learners, adaptable and innovative." - Michael Gralla, CEO and Founder of fby – find the best in you
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| #025: Sara Borniquel Story | 23 Jun 2017 | 00:19:33 | |
Sara Borniquel started her career as a scientist in Spain, before moving to Sweden in 2008. At Karolinska Institute she combined a postdoc position -leading a pre-clinical study about immune-inflammatory diseases- with two internships at KI Innovations AB and Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science. Since 2014, Sara has held several positions in industry including project management, marketing, and business development. Today she works as freelance consultant for Life Science companies, as recruiter (Rekryteringsspecialisten AB) and marketing & sales consultant (innoFund Innovation Funding Advisors) among others. Sara holds a BSc in Biology and a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and has completed her education with various courses in Business and Marketing.
Don't miss out on any of our PhD Career Stories podcasts. Subscribe to the show in a way that suits you and say hello to us on social media!
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| #024: Sam Dupont Story | 09 Jun 2017 | 00:09:57 | |
Sam Dupont is a Researcher and an Associate Professor in Marine Eco-Physiologist at the University of Gothenburg and an Honorary Assistant Professor at the School of Biological Sciences, Hong Kong University. His main research topic is on the effect of global changes on marine species and ecosystems. He currently has about 150 publications in journals including Nature, PNAS and TREE. His work aims at revealing the mechanisms behind species and ecosystem responses to environmental changes and at developing the needed unifying theory for large scale projections. "To study without passion was never an option for me and I early decided that all my decisions should always be based on passion, not on potential jobs, not on potential positions.” - Dr. Sam Dupont, Associate Professor at University of Gothenburg Don't miss out on any of our PhD Career Stories podcasts. Subscribe to the show in a way that suits you and say hello to us on social media!
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| #023: Thomas Thestrup Story | 26 May 2017 | 00:34:00 | |
Thomas Thestrup was born in New Jersey (USA) and has lived and worked in the USA, Australia, Germany and Denmark. He holds a MSc in Biology and Biotechnology from the University of Copenhagen and a PhD in Neurobiology from the Max-Planck Institute of Neurobiology and Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. Today, Thomas is an Associate at Sunstone Capital, an early-stage Life Science and Technology venture capital company investing in European start-up companies with strong potential to achieve global success in their markets. "By networking, networking and networking, and assessing your dreams, your feelings about what keeps you excited, you will eventually find people that can help you take the next step, at least, that helps a lot."
Don't miss out on any of our PhD Career Stories podcasts. Subscribe to the show in a way that suits you and say hello to us on social media! | |||
| #022: Tips&Tricks Amanda Bengtsson: how to start preparing for a career after a PhD already in graduate school | 12 May 2017 | 00:06:23 | |
Dr Amanda González-Bengtsson is a Public Relations Manager at Stockholm University and her passion is to promote science and make it known in society and to stakeholders. In episode 22 of PhD Career Stories, Amanda returns for a tips & tricks-themed podcast. In this episode, we learn more on how we can start preparing for a career after a PhD already in graduate school. "You have only failed if you don’t keep trying." - Dr Amanda González-Bengtsson, Public relations manager at Stockholm University Don't miss out on any of our PhD Career Stories podcasts. Subscribe to the show in a way that suits you and say hello to us on social media!
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| #021: Filippo Guarnieri Story | 28 Apr 2017 | 00:14:27 | |
Dr Filippo Guarnieri earned his PhD in theoretical physics in 2014. He is currently working as a postdoc in theoretical physics at NORDITA in Stockholm, Sweden and is the chair of the Max Planck Alumni Association. In this episode, Filippo will share his story about his transition from academia to entrepreneurship, which he is presently undertaking. "Many PhDs aim to transition outside of academia. However, many PhDs also prefer to procrastinate this transition, further venturing into academia. Procrastination may provide additional time to better develop your transferable skills and find your mission in life, but may also come with a price." - Dr. Filippo Guarnieri, Postdoctoral Fellow at Nordita Don't miss out on any of our PhD Career Stories podcasts. Subscribe to the show in a way that suits you and say hello to us on social media!
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| #119: Interview with Sajni Haria on transitioning from a PhD in Chemistry to a Business Development Manager | 10 Feb 2023 | 00:29:47 | |
During your PhD, have you ever thought if the world actually needs your research? Would people want to use your product? In this episode, Tina Persson and Sajni Haria discuss the entrepreneurial mindset that PhDs can train themselves with if they start thinking of the bigger picture of commercialising their research. Sajni also reminds us of how PhDs do not just have an academic skill set but also a vast set of transferable skills that can help them translate their research. Sajni holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Birmingham and currently is a Business Development Manager at the National Institute of Health and Care Research. She supports the Life Science industry to navigate the UK’s clinical research ecosystem whilst providing her business acumen. Sajni also talks about how she transitioned from a doctoral researcher to a Business Development Manager where she helps to push research technologies forward, and finds opportunities for implementing these technologies in the real-world setting by fostering collaborations, thereby improving the quality of life of patients. Listen to this episode to know more about Sajni’s insights. For the transcript, please click here: https://phdcareerstories.com/pub/sharia PhD Career Stories is on all major Social Media channels. To receive more content regularly, follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and our website. | |||
| #020: Dennis Fink Story | 14 Apr 2017 | 00:18:39 | |
Dr Dennis Fink changed his career path in 2011 after his PhD in Marine Microbiology at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen. In this "PhD Career Story” Dennis tells about his path from scientist to science communicator and which skills you can use from your PhD if you would like to become self-employed. "You can use a lot of your PhD skills, even if you leave academia. Networking is the key to success!" - Dr. Dennis Fink, CEO & Co-Founder of mediomix GmbH in Cologne, Germany
Don't miss out on any of our PhD Career Stories podcasts. Subscribe to the show in a way that suits you and say hello to us on social media! | |||
| #019: Günes Özhan Story | 31 Mar 2017 | 00:06:45 | |
Gunes Ozhan earned her Bachelor’s degree from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Middle East Technical University in 2003. Shortly after, she was admitted to the Molecular Biology Program of International Max Planck Research School in Göttingen, Germany. She received her PhD in 2009, with her thesis on the molecular evolution of embryonic development in arthropods, which was conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen. After working as a postdoctoral fellow at the Biotechnology Center of TU Dresden and gaining experience in signal transduction and the zebrafish animal model, Dr. Ozhan was offered a PI position at iBG-izmir and moved to her hometown Izmir in 2014, to achieve her vision of establishing an independent lab in a top-notch biomedical research center in this lovely city. Upon her return, she has been successively awarded Reintegration Fellowship of TUBITAK, EMBO Installation Grant, L'Oréal Turkey For Women In Science award, Academy of Science BAGEP award and Turkish Academy of Sciences GEBIP award. Dr. Ozhan is a molecular and developmental biologist and made valuable contributions to our understanding of Wnt/β-catenin signaling regulation at the plasma membrane. At iBG-izmir, she explores the tight regulation of Wnt signaling that will reinforce discovery of novel drugs and its roles in adult zebrafish brain regeneration. | |||
| #018: Umesh Gangishetti Story | 17 Mar 2017 | 00:08:14 | |
In episode 18 of PhD Career Stories, Dr Umesh Gangishetti describes his transition from a PhD student working on Drosophila Embryogenesis to become a senior scientist conducting clinical studies on Alzheimer's disease. | |||
| #017: Amanda Bengtsson Story | 03 Mar 2017 | 00:14:11 | |
In episode 17 we have Dr Amanda González-Bengtsson who is a Public Relations Manager at Stockholm University and her passion is to promote science and make it known in society and for stake holders. She tells the story of how she managed to get a lot of job offers after the PhD just by actually doing all those things that career advisors tells us to do. She hopes that all of you can benefit from listening to the podcast and that you will achieve great things in your life. | |||
| #016: Fatma Guettou Story | 17 Feb 2017 | 00:11:56 | |
In episode 16 of PhD Career Stories, Fatma Guettou shares the story of her transition from academia to industry and gives us a few tips and tricks on how to successfully complete the journy.
Fatma is a structural biologist with a PhD in X-ray crystallography from Karolinska Institutet. After completing her PhD, Fatma moved to Munich for a postdoc position in the field of cryo-electron microscopy. However, she soon made a career transition to the industry and is currently working as a crystallographer at Medivir. Fatma is involved in drug discovery projects where her main responsibility is to understand how proteins and drugs interact. The structural information generated by X-ray crystallography is very useful for the design of new and improved drug molecules. In this “tips & tricks”-themed episode Fatma will share 4 tips that she found useful throughout her career pathway. | |||
| #015: Tips&Tricks Johanna Havemann: when writing about your research, mind your audience | 03 Feb 2017 | 00:03:25 | |
In episode 15 of PhD Career Stories, Jo Havemann returns for a “tips & tricks”-themed podcast on why it is crucial to be aware of your audience when writing about your research. Dr Johanna Havemann works as a trainer and consultant in Science Communication for Universities and research institutions in Europe and Africa (access2perspectives.com). Follow her tweets about #scicomm and other topics of interest at @johave. https://phdcareerstories.com/15-when-writing-about-your-research-mind-your-audience | |||
| #014: Tips&Tricks Tina Persson: how self-assessment will help your career transition | 20 Jan 2017 | 00:13:59 | |
In episode 14, the PhD Career Stories founder Tina Persson returns for another “tips & tricks”-themed episode. In this podcast, Tina shares her experiences on how to get started with self-assessments and why it is important to grow your understanding about who you are and what you want and expect from your professional life to land your dream job. | |||
| #013: Johanna Havemann Story | 06 Jan 2017 | 00:06:32 | |
Dr Johanna Havemann works as a Trainer and Consultant in Science Communication for Universities and research institutions in Europe and Africa (access2perspectives.com). She obtained her PhD in 2009 from the Max-Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen, Germany. Her working experience covers NGOs, Science startups and international institutions including UNEP. Follow her tweets about #scicomm and other topics of interest at @johave. | |||
| #012: Tips&Tricks Sarah Blackford: how to kick-start your career planning | 23 Dec 2016 | 00:08:30 | |
In PhD Career Stories episode 12, we welcome our special guest Sarah Blackford, Academic and Science Career Consultant and author of Career planning for research bioscientists. In her “tips & tricks”-themed episode, we learn more on how we can get started with career planning. Sarah Blackford is an academic career consultant with over 15 years' experience of delivering career support to PhD students and early career researchers. Qualified with a master's degree in career guidance in Higher Education, Sarah is a member of the Career Development Institute and a founding member of the network Careers Advisers supporting Researchers in Europe (CARE). She is the author of Career planning for research bioscientists and much of her advice and resources are available on her blog biosciencecareers.org. | |||
| #011: Tina Persson & Maria Sjögren: PhD Career Stories - looking back and looking ahead | 09 Dec 2016 | 00:11:05 | |
In this episode, Tina Persson and Maria Sjögren look back at the first 10 episodes of the show and talk about some of the highlights during 2016 as well as what's in store for 2017. We also announce our special guest for the last episode during 2016 to be published on December 23. Our Christmas gift to all of you listeners out there! Please visit our site phdcareerstories.com to subscribe to our show, read the show notes, and get in touch! | |||
| #118: Interview with Sara Andersson about the conflict between her PhD interests and her personality | 13 Jan 2023 | 00:26:21 | |
’I really never knew how I felt in the lab, what does it really mean [for me]?... I’m a creative person, I love to meet people [and] I realised that being in the lab can be quite lonely’, Sara asked herself during her time as a PhD candidate. In this episode, Tina Persson, the founder of PhD Career Stories, interviews Sara Andersson, who tells us about her PhD journey and how she became a talent advisor at Mpya Sci & Tech. Sara finished her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Uppsala University where she gained experience as a manager, problem-solver and critical thinker. During her PhD years, she learned in detail about the pharmaceutical industry and she also chaired the doctoral committee which tremendously helped her to understand the skills and the challenges faced by a PhD candidate. In this podcast, Sara also shares how she got her job as a recruiter and how this fits her previous experiences. Since Sara herself has travelled the path of a PhD, she understands the applicant’s journey, which allows her to help, advise and recruit graduates in the science and technology fields. Do you want to know more? Listen to this interesting and insightful episode. Enjoy!
For the transcript, please click here: https://phdcareerstories.com/pub/sandersson
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| #010: Tips&Tricks Tina Persson: how to prepare for your next job interview | 25 Nov 2016 | 00:13:12 | |
In episode ten of “PhD Career Stories”, Tina Persson returns for a another “tips & tricks”-themed episode. In this podcast, we learn more on how we can prepare ourselves for our next interview. | |||
| #009: Ania Gruszczynska Story | 11 Nov 2016 | 00:21:13 | |
Dr Ania Gruszczynska completed a PhD in sociology at Aston University in Birmingham, UK in 2009 and has since worked in a variety of project management roles in higher education sector. She is currently working as an IT project manager at Birmingham City University where she is responsible for software projects and developing good project management standards. In addition, she is a qualified coach and brings her understanding of post-PhD transitions into her part-time coaching practice (phdcareercoach.co) where she supports people who have big goals such as finishing a PhD or transitioning into a more fulfilling job. She is also a keen runner and a yoga fan, and tweets about her passions at @akgruszczynska. | |||
| #008: Tips&Tricks Paulius Mikulskis: how to get started with your job search | 28 Oct 2016 | 00:02:27 | |
Paulius Mikulskis is a Computational Chemist with a PhD in Theoretical Chemistry from Lund University, now working as a Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham. In this “tips & tricks”-themed episode, Paulius shares two tips which he found useful in his job search. | |||
| #007: Samer Yammine Story | 13 Oct 2016 | 00:04:26 | |
Samer Yammine has a PhD in Cancer Epigenomics from Karolinska Institutet. He is professionally passionate about design, user experience, innovation and business development and has extensive experience in problem-solving and creative solutions within the biotech sector. Nowadays, Samer have one foot in academia as a project leader at the Unit for Bioentrepreneurship at Karolinska Institutet with the main task to develop graduate courses for PhD students and the other foot within biotech industry and the startup world as Director, Co-Founder/CTO of Karmagenes.co and Chairman, Co-Founder/CTIO of CelFIT.co | |||
| #006: Tips&Tricks Philipp Gramlich: how to get a map of the job landscape | 30 Sep 2016 | 00:08:54 | |
In episode six, Philipp Gramlich will show you that there are many more jobs out there for you to put Tina Persson's inventory from episode four to best use. He will bring in his experiences from industry, academia and as co-founder of NaturalScience.Careers along to enrich the "landscape" of jobs you will see in front of you. | |||
| #005: Kyriaki Liadaki Story | 16 Sep 2016 | 00:13:23 | |
Kyriaki Liadaki finished her PhD in Immunology at the University of Thessaly, Greece, and then continued postdoctoral studies at Harvard Medical School and Karolinska Institutet. In this episode of PhD Career Stories, Kyriaki tells her story on how she came to make the life changing decision to leave academia and become a Math/Science Teacher at a bilingual school in Stockholm. | |||
| #004: Tips&Tricks Tina Persson: how to rewrite your CV | 29 Aug 2016 | 00:09:56 | |
In episode four of “PhD Career Stories” Tina Persson returns for a “tips & tricks”-themed episode. In this podcast, we learn more on how we can prepare ourselves for our next career move by making an inventory of our skills and rewriting our CV:s. | |||
| #003: Michele Manzo Story | 19 Aug 2016 | 00:10:19 | |
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| #002: Tips&Tricks Maria Sjögren: how to boost your online presence | 05 Aug 2016 | 00:03:40 | |
The second episode of our new podcast “PhD Career Stories” features Maria Sjögren, the researcher who left academia to become a change agent and digital evangelist. In this “tips & tricks”-themed episode, we learn more on how we can take control of our online presence and manage our digital reputation. | |||
| #001: First episode by PhD Career Stories: Tina Persson Story | 22 Jul 2016 | 00:19:17 | |
On this very first episode of our new podcast “PhD Career Stories”, Tina Persson talks about her career story and how her experiences inspired her to start this podcast. We learn how Tina, after 20 years in academia, finally found her dream job as an Professional Academic Career Adviser and Coach supporting PhD students, researchers and professionals to find career possibilities. | |||
| #117: Interview with Aditya Parekh on can you trust your gut to guide yourself in your career? | 08 Dec 2022 | 00:38:00 | |
”[On average,] one farmer commited suicide every 30 minutes in India”, Aditya Parekh remarks as he talks to our host, Tina Persson. This fact is what changed his mind and sparked his interest in changing that reality. He knew he wanted to help them. In this episode, Aditya shares his journey and challenges in the academic transition from Oncology and Molecular Biology to Sustainable Farming in the School of Design at Anant National University, India. Aditya followed his gut when it came to making major career decision after his Postdoc. During his later half of PhD and while pursuing his postdoctoral research, he developed a consuming passion for changing the high number of suicides committed by Indian farmers. Aditya trusted his gut and made a unique transition to Sustainable Farming as an Assistant Professor. His goal is to connect the student community with farmers and sustainable farming practices, to help the farmers with diverse solutions, and to create awareness of their situation. Alongside, he also finds motivation to help young researchers in their career journey, through talks and meetings. If you want to know more about his challenges and this unconventional transition, make sure to listen to this episode! For the transcript, please click here: https://phdcareerstories.com/pub/aparekh
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| #116: Interview with Priya Rangan on transitioning from academia while moving out of her comfort zone | 11 Nov 2022 | 01:02:14 | |
In an age of misinformation, it has become essential for science to reach the public audience in a transparent manner. As a graduate in science, have you ever thought of communicating your science with the world? In this episode, Santoshi Devadas talks to Priya Rangan, who tells us everything about her journey to becoming a scientific communications specialist. Priya holds a PhD in Biology of Ageing and has 11 years of experience working in academic research and pharmaceutical settings. She transitioned to science communication because she is passionate about it. Priya wants to translate what scientists are doing in a way which makes sense to people who are completely outside of it. ”...I do believe that scientific communication is a field that is going to change a lot of things within academia, within industry …and the general public, [who] I think are the most important of all.”, says Priya. At the end of the interview, Priya advised our listeners on the job hunt:
If you want to know more about how Priya aligned her life and career goals, while pursuing her passion, listen to this episode! Enjoy it! For the transcript, please click here: https://phdcareerstories.com/pub/prangan
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| #115: How did Marisa Pereira develop resilience and self-confidence during her PhD? | 28 Oct 2022 | 00:20:46 | |
Am I fit for a PhD? My experiments are going nowhere. Will I see the end of this PhD? I only have academic experience, how will I find a job in the industry?
In today’s episode, Marisa shares with us the highs and lows of her career path. She addresses how she overcame the snags during her PhD, how she started her brand pic.cell, and how - after 2 years of Postdoc experience - she landed in the biotech industry. Throughout the episode, Marisa shares many tips not just to survive but also to thrive while doing a PhD.
If you want to learn more about Marisa’s story, listen to this episode now.
For the transcript, please click here: https://phdcareerstories.com/pub/mpereira
PhD Career Stories is now on major social media channels. To receive more content regularly, follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and our Website. | |||
| #114: Interview with Andrew McKee: On quitting a PhD and a journey of self-discovery | 15 Oct 2022 | 00:39:23 | |
Sometimes life hits you hard, and then you have to make new decisions you hadn’t imagined making. Previous goals and ambitions can evaporate, especially after enduring something emotionally, psychologically, and/or spiritually harrowing. Our guest Andrew McKee was tested by tragedy, on top of career confusion, when he entered an MD/PhD program but realized midway he wasn’t on the right track. He decided to quit his PhD and embarked on a journey of experimentation and self-discovery.
Today, Andrew has 20+ years of experience in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and healthcare sectors. He is the CEO and founder of Headland Strategy Group, a consultancy firm with offices in the US and Asia and specialising in growth strategy for therapeutics and diagnostics companies. Andrew has previously worked for McKinsey and Company, Google, Genentech and holds biomedical engineering and MD degrees from Duke University. He also is a published writer and holds patents licensed to industry. He is a husband, a father of 3 children, and a professional saxophonist.
In today’s episode, our host Tina Persson welcomes Andrew McKee. They talk about how Andrew, even after quitting his PhD, made such an impressive career. They discuss music, art, entrepreneurship, and the importance of networking with people from different walks of life. He also gives insights into his life and about his life mentors who advised him to take a leap of faith.
On the cusp of a critical life decision, one of Andrew’s mentors “...encouraged me that if I take time to reflect and get still, I probably know more than I realise [about what I should do].”
If you want to learn more about Andrew’s successful journey, including different ideas for facing major life challenges, make sure to listen to this episode.
For the show transcript, please click here: https://phdcareerstories.com/pub/amckee
PhD Career Stories is now on major social media channels. To receive more content regularly, follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and our Website. | |||
| #113: Interview with Isabeau on strategies for making better career decisions | 09 Sep 2022 | 00:44:45 | |
Have you spent so much time thinking through career choices that you could make but ended up making no decision at all? Sounds familiar? This is called analysis paralysis, which is very common among perfectionists. In this episode, one of our PhDCS team members, Santoshi Devadas, had the pleasure to interview Isabeau Iqbal who helps ambitious perfectionists in higher education. She guides them to overcome analysis paralysis and move forward with their goals. Isabeau is a certified career and life coach with more than 20 years of experience supporting academics and faculty members in their professional growth. In addition to her career services, she also has her YouTube channel where she regularly shares tips and tricks with her audience. During the interview, Isabeau provides us with approaches to network efficiently, job searching strategies and ways to better know your values. She also shares the importance of knowing your strengths. Check out the episode resource section to find the links to the strengths assessments mentioned. In the end, Isabeau left three main takeaway messages:
…” these seem quick tips but they require time investment from your side”... said Isabeau. If you want to learn more about ways of overcoming your indecisiveness and taking the next step in your career, this episode is for you!
PhD Career Stories is now on major social media channels. To receive more content regularly, follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and our Website.
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| #112: Mark Herschberg on how to train to become an entrepreneur: Tips and Tricks | 12 Aug 2022 | 00:42:50 | |
In this episode, Tina Persson talks to Mark Herschberg about how to learn to become an entrepreneur. Mark’s recently published book “The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You” gives deeper insights into this topic. Mark has a diverse background ranging from Physics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Cryptography, to extensive business expertise. His wide experience has enabled him to launch and develop new ventures at start-ups and Fortune 500s. In addition to this, Mark also annually teaches in the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, famously known as MIT's “career success accelerator”. During the conversation, Tina asked Mark about who is an entrepreneur, how to train to become an entrepreneur, and what are the challenges in it. Mark addresses these questions and many more such as describing types of entrepreneurs, the required mindset, and how to find business opportunities. Finally, Tina inquired about his three top tips for starting a company:
Is being an entrepreneur the next chapter in your life? If so, you cannot miss this episode! Enjoy listening! For show transcript please click here: https://phdcareerstories.com/pub/mherschberg
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| #111: Interview with Niba about the turning point in her career | 08 Jul 2022 | 00:35:42 | |
In this episode, Tina Persson interviews Niba Audrey Nirmal, a science communicator. Niba is dedicated to hosting and producing science videos related to plants, skincare and cosmetics. If you are curious, you can find Niba’s work on her YouTube channel NotesByNiba. During the interview, she shares her career path and talks about her decision to not pursue her PhD further. She also tells us about the factors that drove her to follow a career in Science Communication. In addition, she openly talks about her confidence levels in pre- and post-academia times, her journey in searching for a job outside academia and finally she shares her networking strategies.
At the end of the conversation, she gives some important tips for all graduates:
Are you making a transition from academia? Enjoy this episode! For show transcript click here: https://phdcareerstories.com/pub/qzm8y2t9 PhD Career Stories is now on major social media channels. To receive more content regularly, follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and on our Website. | |||
| #128: Interview with Flávia Sousa on Academic Mentorship and Transferable Skills | 10 Nov 2023 | 00:35:16 | |
Has your academic path lacked solid mentorship and support? Do you feel that, in order to move up, you need management skills that weren’t passed on to you during the PhD? Well, Flávia Sousa has “been-there, done-that” and in today’s episode she tells our host, Tina Persson, how she is working on making it easier for you! Flávia Sousa holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from ICBAS, in Portugal, and is currently a Senior Scientist at Adolph Merkle Institute, in Switzerland. Her current goal is to become a full professor, and she is also the founder of her own company and passion project, LYRIS, which is focused on providing mentorship and courses for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. During the episode, Flávia talks about her drive to help other academics succeed in the less science-focused parts of their jobs, and how LYRIS came to be. While exploring her personal experiences in international environments, she and Tina talk about the most important skills for the future, such as language learning, teaching skills, and the ability to manage people. Flávia also shares how crucial it is to choose a country where you will be happy even outside of work and a supportive supervisor, but she also highlights that, most of all, you should “enjoy life!” through it all! For the transcript, please click here: https://phdcareerstories.com/pub/fsousa
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| #110: Interview with Headhunters from GE Hunter | 10 Jun 2022 | 00:39:45 | |
In this episode, Tina Persson interviews Grażyna Żywot-Ciecierska and Ola Samuelsson, who are co-founders of a global company called GE Hunter. They are experts in headhunting, recruitment and client advisory. They have 20 years of international experience in finding talents for the pharma, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), medical, industrial and more sectors. In the interview, the guests talk about the headhunting process such as identifying the most suitable candidates to the right companies and positions. This involves a well-structured process where candidates are coached to identify their interests and motivations. Finally, they match what candidates are looking for with the client’s expectations and vice-versa. At the end of the episode, they share important tips for PhD candidates who are looking for jobs: 1. Be passionate about your interests. 2. Be motivated. 3. Be yourself. 4. Be social and communicate frequently. Are you in the job searching phase of your career? If so, you should definitely listen to this episode and take these tips with you. For show transcript, please click here: https://phdcareerstories.com/pub/zgms85xt PhD Career Stories is now on major social media channels. To receive more content regularly, follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and on our Website. | |||
| #109: Kathleen Champlin Story | 13 May 2022 | 00:15:27 | |
Kathleen Champlin graduated with a doctorate in Contemporary American Literature from Ball State University in Indiana (USA) in 2015. Currently, she is an online writing tutor with Pearson's Smarthinking and a copyeditor for several companies. In this episode, Kathleen will provide an example of a disabled PhD's career transition in the humanities. From her story, you can learn how her disability impacted her academic and professional paths and how she was able to overcome the many barriers that came up along the way. Kathleen will also share how her love for the written word has been a driving force throughout her journey and how she hopes to contribute to a world without ability barriers. Enjoy listening! For show transcript click here: PhD Career Stories is now on major social media channels. To receive more content regularly, follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and on our Website. | |||
| #108: Adriana Bankston Story | 08 Apr 2022 | 00:10:04 | |
In this new episode, Adriana Bankston tells us about her career story. Adriana is a Principal Legislative Analyst at the University of California Office of Federal Governmental Relations in Washington, DC, where she serves as an advocate for the university with Congress, the administration and federal agencies.
Finally, Adriana shares key skills and qualifications that one needs in science policy:
Interested in policy and science? Listen to this episode to get insights into policy roles and skills for a career path in science policy. Maybe it will also be a path for you? Enjoy listening! For show transcript click here: https://phdcareerstories.com/pub/z2hfd5ou PhD Career Stories is now on major social media channels. To receive more content regularly, follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and on our Website. | |||
| #107: Rachel Kindt Interview | 11 Mar 2022 | 00:45:41 | |
In this episode, Tina Persson interviews Rachel Kindt. After a PhD in Biology and a postdoctoral fellowship, Rachel dove headfirst into the biotech world, working her way from the lab bench to the corporate boardroom over her 20+ year career. Leveraging her scientific training and acquired - some might say improvised! - business savvy, she led drug development teams and built high-performing organizations. Rachel is known as a master facilitator, dedicated coach and mentor, and keen thought partner in scientific leadership. She is now coaching, consulting and co-authoring a book of career advice for scientists. Rachel tells us about her exciting journey and career path that took her from a bench scientist, to leading a research collaboration, to being a leader and project manager in drug development. Project management is a focus topic in this interview. What is a project manager? What are the skills required for a project manager role? How to grow as a project manager and how long does it take to be good in this role? What managerial titles do we have today? And what is the difference between a project manager, a program manager and a team manager? All these questions - and much more - are answered by Rachel. Finally, Rachel closes the episode sharing three tips for people applying for project manager roles:
Listen to this episode to get inspired by Rachel’s journey and her valuable tips for a successful project management career path. | |||
| #106: João Graça Story | 11 Feb 2022 | 00:14:00 | |
João Graça holds a PhD in Biosciences from Cardiff University and currently works as an R&D Project Manager for LIPOR, the entity responsible for waste management in Greater Porto (Portugal). His current projects mostly concern the valorisation of bio-waste to high-value products. João has been involved in the creation and coordination of Smart Waste Portugal Young Professionals (SWYP). This group, currently with 80 members, aims to create work and knowledge sharing networks between professionals working or interested in the circular economy. Prior to his current role at LIPOR, João has attained different positions in the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries including Biological Scientist at LIG Biowise (UK), Early Stage Researcher at AstraZeneca (UK) and Research Intern at Anacor Pharmaceuticals (USA). In addition to the PhD, João also holds a BSc in Biosciences from the Catholic University of Portugal and a MSc in Biochemistry from the University of Porto.
In this episode, João tells us about his career story and professional journey, holding several roles in different Life Science fields and different countries. He talks about the reasons that led him to do a PhD, as well as the opportunities and challenges encountered along his path. He closes the episode sharing valuable tips:
To know more about João’s story and the opportunities in the Life Science fields, please listen to this episode. | |||
| #105: Interview with Lauran Fuller | 14 Jan 2022 | 00:41:53 | |
In this episode, Tina interviews Lauran Fuller. Lauran is a mother of three, an entrepreneur, and a doctoral student. For the past 7 years, she has owned and operated a dessert bakery in southern Oklahoma. She wants to take the lessons learned along her journey and educate others. She is particularly keen on self-development and work-life balance, as prioritizing her family has posed its own challenges along the way. Focus and determination drive her every step of the way, as her educational pursuit has not slowed her entrepreneurial spirit. Lauran talks about her experience being an entrepreneur and a mother at the same time. Having her own business has given her the flexibility to successfully manage her family. She closes the interview with valuable tips to women having entrepreneurship and leadership career goals:
Listen to this episode to hear more about a good example of a woman entrepreneur who successfully maintains her work-life balance, managing doctoral studies, a bakery and 3 kids!
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| #104: Interview with Bärbel Tress | 10 Dec 2021 | 00:50:52 | |
In this podcast, Tina Persson interviews Bärbel Tress. Bärbel is a Research Career Expert & Advisor. Her main expertise is to advise young researchers how to successfully conduct and complete their PhD studies, how to apply for academic jobs, and how to improve research performance and efficiency. Bärbel has a PhD in Landscape Ecology from Roskilde University, Denmark. She worked in academia for more than a decade, as postdoc, researcher and lecturer at universities in several European countries. She co-founded TRESS ACADEMIC in 2007 together with her partner. The company helps researchers acquire the complementary skills they need to succeed in academia. Bärbel also co-founded the SMART ACADEMICS Blog which helps young researchers with PhD completion, getting published, and career tips.
Different time points in the PhD journey are discussed in this interview together with the required actions. What to do and what to think about from the first day of signing the contract, at half-way through, the last year of the PhD, when 6 months are left, when one month is left and lastly the D-day: the defense day.
Bärbel finally closes the interview sharing five valuable tips that help PhDs to successfully complete their PhD studies. 1- Enjoy the ride 2- Keep the end in mind 3- Define your objectives early on 4- Start writing early on 5- Work on the relationship with supervisors Listen to this episode for valuable advices from two career coaches with a lot of expertise in accompanying PhDs along their PhD journey.
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