“Everyone I know in academia is poised to make an awesome impact in non-academic careers.” Kyle Ireton, PhD, shares experiences and tips on transitioning to industry
Careers outside academia
Graduate students, early career researchers, or even established researchers may sometimes be unaware of opportunities other than the traditional path of academic research. This series aims to introduce them to exciting and rewarding careers that can be pursued outside academia. We bring you interviews with experts from diverse backgrounds who share their experiences from their non-academic journeys and tips on how to transition to these paths.
An advanced degree like a PhD should ideally open many and varied career paths for doctoral graduates. And in many ways, it does. The skills gained during a PhD can be invaluable in diverse areas of work. Yet, fresh graduates (and even researchers at more advanced career stages) are often not aware of opportunities they can explore outside traditional academic careers. They often don’t receive enough guidance to help them with this process and don’t know where to start.
This gap can keep them from finding rewarding professional paths. Many individuals who are transitioning from an academic to a non-academic career or have already done this are making an effort to reduce this gap by sharing their experiences and building communities that foster these conversations. Kyle Ireton is one such scientist who made this shift and now actively helps those considering moving out of academia.
Kyle earned his PhD in neuroscience from UC Davis in 2020, and after 18 months as a postdoc, transitioned in the biotech industry. He worked at a medical devices startup as a Senior Scientist for 6 months as a contractor before transitioning to a permanent role at a clinical CRO (contract research organization) as a Statistical Programmer. He currently uses his background in research, clinical science, and programming to support data analysis of clinical trials in oncology.
In this interview, I ask Kyle about his transition to industry, what he has learned from his experiences and interactions, and what advice he would share with those who want to make this transition.
Q. What was your reason for considering a job outside academia, and how smooth was your transition?
I was on the fence for a long time. I felt open to the possibility of another career, but I had no idea what that would look like. Things got serious after about one year of doing my postdoc. I realized I did not have as much overall control of my research as I wanted, and that increased pay for my position would not come in a reasonable timeframe. The transition was a little bumpy, because I did not know what timeline to expect. I just wanted one real offer as an alternative, but it came faster than anticipated, and that made leaving my lab more stressful than I wish it had been. Ultimately though, I worked closely with my PI to coordinate my exit and we are still on good terms. The transition to industry felt a little wild, because I had to learn so much so quickly. But I also felt I was able to rise to the occasion by accepting humility for what I did not yet know, and by taking ownership of being a leader when and where I could. After 6 months, I transitioned from my first company to another and I am content in that position today.
Q. What usually holds PhD graduates or more experienced researchers back from considering non-academic careers?
I think the biggest obstacle for us all is a lack of direct experience in outside industries. Most of us have not held industry jobs before, and our understanding of it comes from what others tell us. Their perspective may or may not reflect what your experience would be, and either way it makes it hard to know what the options are and how diverse and nuanced paths can be. On a more practical level, once you accept you want to explore new careers, not having industry experience makes it a challenge to land positions. Businesses often want a clean track record that directly aligns with their job description. The burden is placed on us to overcome the threshold to convince others our skills and experiences are relevant and a strong predictor for future performance. Even though this is scary and can be hard, I know there are many folks like me in industry that value academic experience and know its worth. My advice is to be economical in how you invest your energy; some people cannot be open-minded about your background, but those are not the people you want to work with anyway. Focus on finding and fostering the positive connections that will pull you forward. Once you have even a small amount of industry experience, it will become even easier for people to accept you. The first step is the hardest, but please do not think that you cannot do this. Everyone I know in academia is very capable and poised to make an awesome impact in non-academic careers.
Q. Based on your experiences and the conversations you have had with others making this transition, could you share your top tips for any of the following?
- How/where to look for jobs
- How to prepare to make this transition
- Common mistakes to avoid
I found that LinkedIn has been vastly helpful in my career exploration. There was a big shift in my experience when I started taking it seriously, filling out every section with specific details. I essentially copied and pasted my whole resume into the relevant sections of my profile (especially, professional experience and skills). I started getting a decent amount of recruiter DMs, and by following up with them, I learned a lot and ultimately got job offers.
I also reached out to as many people as I could within my current network, and via social media to people whom I didn’t know but seemed sympathetic. I wound up getting introduced to job opportunities by contacts that I knew inside and outside of academia, some of whom had already gone to industry and others who had additional industry contacts. The network I built from social media was also really educational and led to job opportunities via ancillary connections. Please do not underestimate the value of being kind and sincere online, either. Many of us appreciate authenticity and are glad to help when we can.
To prepare for a job transition, you really just need to start with getting your resume and online profile(s) in order. You should look at people who have successfully made a transition as a guide. You can definitely look at my own LinkedIn profile, where I have also shared my resume. After that, you need to build up your own intuition with direct experience! Respond to recruiters, apply to jobs, and reach out to your friends and connections. I know it feels daunting to do this, so just focus on taking small steps when you can. Realize that this is a long journey, and think about sustaining on the scale of months to years. You do not need to build everything in one day, but try to lay down one or two bricks every day that you can. Over time, you may be surprised by how effective the slow and steady approach can be!
Q. You’ve been actively supporting those who are considering making this transition. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from this experience?
In the end, I realize now that the vast majority of us are simply looking for some kind of personal validation. Often, people reach out to me with great skills and experiences and some idea of what they would like to do. I think they just need a nudge in the right direction and encouragement that they really do have a good idea. I can relate to that, because I think I needed recognition on a personal level too. When I started considering a career change, I knew that would also change my life in a big way and it made me nervous. Ultimately, I want to reassure everyone that even just considering a new path is a healthy and reasonable thing to do. In fact, I think you deserve to explore the world and learn more about it. It will teach you more about yourself than you might realize too. Many of us have proceeded from the exploration stage into new careers, sometimes in very unexpected directions, which are fulfilling and rewarding. It just might open a door to seeing life in a new perspective, and I think that makes this effort worth our while!
Please reach out to connect via LinkedIn and Twitter! I am always happy to chat with folks interested in this journey.
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