#130: Interview with Ashley Ruba on Using LinkedIn To Advance and Pivot Careers
PhD Career Stories
Are you one of the people who feels shy about using ? 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, , for an inspiring talk with , a psychology researcher turned UX researcher and career coach. Ashley is a psychologist by training, holding a PhD in Developmental Psychology from , 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...
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#129: Interview with Marie-Hélène Pelletier on How to Build Resilience and Break through Barriers
PhD Career Stories
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 and our host, . Marie-Hélène is a trained psychologist who holds a PhD and an MBA from the , 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 . In this episode, in an almost...
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#128: Interview with Flávia Sousa on Academic Mentorship and Transferable Skills
PhD Career Stories
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, has “been-there, done-that” and in today’s episode she tells our host, , how she is working on making it easier for you! Flávia Sousa holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from , in Portugal, and is currently a Senior Scientist at , in Switzerland. Her current goal is to become a full professor, and she is also the founder of her own company and passion project, , which is focused on providing mentorship and...
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#127: Interview with Gry Wester on Shifting Mindsets in order to Succeed
PhD Career Stories
Are you feeling frustrated and unproductive in academia? Do you feel compelled to quit and completely change your career? Join us for an inspiring episode hosted by , featuring , a fellow PhD Career Stories listener who transitioned from academia to consulting. Gry holds a PhD focused on health inequality and population health ethics, and she was a lecturer in bioethics in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at for nearly five years, after which she pivoted careers. Today, she works at the consultancy company , in London. In the episode, Tina and Gry reminisce about early...
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#126: Katharina Schwaiger on Starting a Career in SciComm While Finishing a PhD
PhD Career Stories
Are you a recent or soon-to-be PhD graduate trying to figure out the next steps? Have the events of the past few years gotten you interested in Science Communication? In this episode, you will hear from , who has been in a very similar spot! Katharina holds a PhD in Biotechnology from the and currently works as a science communicator at the (ACIB), a position she took on while still finishing her PhD thesis! In this episode, Katharina tells our host, , how she became interested in pursuing a career in science communication after working on a SciComm project at ACIB and also after witnessing...
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#125: Carving Your Own Path: From a PhD to the Director of Business Development with Martin Trinker
PhD Career Stories
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you realized the need for a fresh job title that better aligns with your responsibilities and skills? In this episode of PhD Career Stories, join our host as she sits down with , the Director of Business Development and Fundraising at the (ACIB) to explore the intriguing journey of creating a new job position from scratch. Martin's journey exemplifies the potential that lies in identifying gaps, embracing diverse skill sets, and creating one's own path in the professional world. Discover how Martin identified a crucial need and forged his...
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#124: Simon Rittmann on Innovating on Two Fronts: Founding a Company while Thriving in Academia
PhD Career Stories
You might have always wanted to be an academic, but what if your academic research brought up a groundbreaking technology that you knew could dramatically revolutionize industrial processes? Would you choose to stay in academia or pivot to industry and bring your idea to market? Well, it is possible to do both! This episode’s guest, , shares with our host, , all about his experience with founding a company while still holding a position in academia. Simon Rittmann is the CSO and co-founder of , a biotechnology company focused on alternative food production technologies. Additionally,...
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#123: Round table discussion with EATRIS on the power of soft skills in your professional journey
PhD Career Stories
Are you curious why soft skills are crucial for your career growth? Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, this podcast is your gateway to practical tips, real-life examples, and expert insights that will help you harness the full potential of soft skills. In today’s episode, our host will have a roundtable discussion with our guests , , and from EATRIS. is a non-profit, European research infrastructure for translation medicine that focuses on improving and optimising preclinical and early clinical development of drugs, vaccines and diagnostics, and overcoming...
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#122: Joel Baker on exploring the capabilities and limitations of ChatGPT: Tips and Tricks
PhD Career Stories
Are you feeling left behind, questioning if your traditional methods are outdated in this era of AI tools? Do you grapple with ethical concerns when utilizing ChatGPT for specific tasks, feeling a sense of cheating? Or do you proudly embrace ChatGPT as your go-to solution for all your needs? and explore the importance of striking a balance between these approaches and bring together their insightful perspectives on these thought-provoking topics. Joel Baker is an English coach from . His personal journey of learning Spanish ignited a passion within him to assist others in achieving...
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#121: Interview with Bryan Quoc Le on stepping beyond one’s comfort zone
PhD Career Stories
Have you ever stepped out of your comfort zone and excelled in something that you thought was not your cup of tea? This is one of the topics out of many that and share with us in this episode. Bryan Quoc Le is a food scientist, food industry consultant, and author of 150 Food Science Questions Answered. He earned his PhD in 2020, in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, and ended up starting and growing a food consulting business shortly thereafter. Bryan has been working with well-established companies in the food industry such as Blue Diamond Growers, The Good Food Institute,...
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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:
- If you are not 100% set on an academic career, find an industry experience as soon as possible.
- If you are considering a PhD position, make sure you have an affinity with your supervisor and future colleagues. It is also important to be fine with working conditions, infrastructure, resources and city.
- Participate in work groups of your topics of interest.
- Do not be afraid to contact researchers or interesting entities to get to know more about their work and to work in collaborations.
- If you are finishing or have just finished your PhD and are set on breaking from academia, first explore what career options are available, get information and talk with professionals from different areas. Define the area to pursue and develop the requirements to break into that area.
To know more about João’s story and the opportunities in the Life Science fields, please listen to this episode.