The PhD to biotech series: Networking, hiring reality and making the transition stick

For many PhD researchers, the decision to leave academia is followed by a second, equally challenging phase: execution. Writing applications, speaking to recruiters and preparing for interviews introduce a set of dynamics that are rarely discussed openly within academic environments. Networking can feel uncomfortable, hiring processes opaque and the early months in an industry role disorienting.

Yet these stages are not peripheral to the transition; they are central to whether it succeeds. Approached thoughtfully, they can become opportunities to build understanding, credibility and momentum.

Networking beyond transactions

Networking is often framed as a necessary evil, a transactional exercise aimed at securing referrals or job leads. This framing can be particularly alienating for academics, who are accustomed to professional interactions centred on shared intellectual interests rather than explicit career advancement.

In practice, the most effective networking is rarely transactional. It is exploratory and relationship-driven. Conversations are used to understand how organisations work, how roles differ in reality and how individuals have navigated their own transitions. These exchanges build context long before they lead to opportunities.

Small, genuine exchanges are often more useful than trying to network with everyone in the room

Approaching networking in this way also reduces pressure. Rather than asking for a job, you are asking for perspective. This shift not only feels more natural, but also leads to more honest and informative conversations. Over time, these relationships can become a source of insight, advocacy and trust, elements that are difficult to manufacture through cold outreach alone.

At your next conference, make an intentional effort to speak to one or two people outside your immediate academic circle: ask what their role actually involves, how they moved into it and what they wish they had understood earlier. Follow up afterwards with a short, specific message that refers to your conversation. Small, genuine exchanges of this kind are often more useful than trying to network with everyone in the room.

Understanding the hiring reality

Industry hiring processes can appear inconsistent or opaque to those coming from academia. Job descriptions often combine broad requirements with specific technical skills, and interview stages may vary widely between organisations. This variability reflects the fact that hiring is not purely a technical assessment; it is a risk-management exercise.

Interviewers are trying to answer practical questions: Can this person operate effectively in our environment? Will they adapt to our pace and constraints? How will they contribute beyond their technical expertise? For academics, whose experience is often evaluated through publications and references, this shift can be unsettling.

Recognising this reality helps to recalibrate expectations. Hiring decisions are rarely about finding the most accomplished candidate on paper. They are about finding someone whose skills, judgement and working style fit the specific context of the role.

Before an interview, ask yourself what pressures the team might be under, what gaps this role is designed to fill and how your experience can reduce uncertainty for them. The strongest candidates not only explain what they have done; they show how that experience can be useful to the organisation now.

Interviews as storytelling

This is why interview preparation is best approached as storytelling rather than memorisation. While technical competence matters, interviews are primarily an opportunity to demonstrate how you think, collaborate and make decisions.

Strong interview narratives draw on concrete examples. They explain why choices were made, what constraints were faced and what was learned. This mirrors the way decisions are made in industry, where trade-offs and incomplete information are the norm.

For academics, this often requires a shift away from presenting work as a polished final product. Discussing uncertainty, iteration and failure can feel uncomfortable, yet these experiences are often the most relevant signals of readiness for industry roles.

In practical terms, I found it useful to prepare a story for each experience I chose to showcase on my CV. Ahead of interviews, I worked through every bullet point and identified a real example behind it: a problem I had faced, the action I took, the outcome and what it demonstrated. This meant that when I was asked about my experience, I could answer in a structured and consistent way.

Making the transition stick

Securing an industry role is not the end of the transition. The first months in a new environment can be challenging, particularly for those accustomed to academic autonomy and long project timelines.

A realistic approach to the initial transition period can make a significant difference. The first 90 days are rarely about delivering major breakthroughs. More often, they are about learning how decisions are made, how teams interact and what success looks like in that specific context.

Patience during this phase is not a lack of ambition; it is a strategic investment in sustainability

Setting appropriate expectations (for yourself and others) is key. Prioritising listening over leading, understanding processes before questioning them and building relationships across teams all help to establish credibility. These behaviours may feel passive, but they lay the groundwork for longer-term impact.

Many early-career missteps stem from misaligned assumptions. Moving too quickly to demonstrate value, focusing narrowly on technical contributions or underestimating the importance of communication can create friction. A simple transition plan can help mitigate these risks. This does not need to be formal or rigid. Identifying learning goals, key stakeholders and early feedback mechanisms provides structure without constraining adaptability.

Over time, as familiarity grows, opportunities to contribute more visibly will emerge. Patience during this phase is not a lack of ambition; it is a strategic investment in sustainability.

Execution with intention

The move from academia to industry is often discussed in terms of decision-making and preparation. Less attention is given to execution and adjustment, yet these elements largely determine whether the transition endures.

By approaching networking as relationship-building, interviews as storytelling and the early months as a learning period, PhD researchers can navigate this phase with greater confidence. Success lies not in replicating academic habits in a new setting, but in learning how to apply scientific thinking within a different set of constraints and allowing time for that adaptation to take hold.