Networking 101

Did you just apply for a job through an online application portal?

Oftentimes, hiring managers will review only 10 resumes among the 1,000 submitted, then interview 3 and maybe pick 1 person for the position. To get your resume in the hands of a hiring manager, you need to defy the odds.

Networking is one way in which you can potentially create job opportunities and place your resume in the hands of hiring managers.

Your resume, along with thousands of other resumes, will now be screened by computer algorithms. These resumes may be further filtered by a Human Resources person who may or may not be intimately familiar with the technical skills needed for the open position. Nevertheless, they will be responsible for handing the hiring manager a short stack of resumes to review.

WHO is in your network?

Peers: Your current and former colleagues or classmates constitute your immediate professional network. Chances are, some of these people in your network have or will have industry careers.

• Example: The postdoctoral trainee in your graduate school lab who landed a job in the pharma company that you might be interested in one day.

Laboratory Alumni: If you struggled with choosing a small or large lab to join in graduate school, knowing that lab alumni who have joined industry after completing training could serve as a distinguishing factor.

• Example: Knowing that you both underwent a rigorous academic training program, plus were successful in the same lab, means that alumni are more likely to help with career development.

School Alumni: Many colleges and universities offer alumni databases that are searchable by industry or company.

• Example: Attending the same university is a great starting point for reaching out to people and asking for an informational interview.

Principal investigators, Faculty members, Postdoctoral Mentors: While trainees are often hesitant to discuss their career goals with their superiors, the best mentors actually find it most useful to understand how they can help their trainees succeed in the careers they want to enter.

• Example: Mentors may have peers who work in industry and might introduce you to them.
• Example: If your lab has an industry collaboration, then you may directly interact with people who work in industry and who might appreciate the relevant science that you are doing.

Family: Near or distant, keep in contact with them.  

• Example: Aunt Jane is a VP at Big Pharma company. It is totally okay to engage with Aunt Jane about her work and her company. Not everyone has this as an option, so take advantage.

Professional Organizations: Not only do professional organizations host regular scientific conferences, they also often organize Meet and Greet events or networking sessions.

• Example: Engage with people when presenting your work at scientific meetings or when you’re browsing the poster aisles.

Secondary contacts: Your network includes everyone that you know and everyone THEY know. The latter are your secondary contacts.

• Example: The friend of your postdoc mentor or faculty member is now at a company that just posted an open position. It is okay to reach out to that postdoc/faculty to ask for an introduction.
• Example: Your new neighbor mentioned that his brother, who is at the biotech you’ve been eyeing, is working in a similar field as you. Definitely ask if you might be introduced to learn more about his career path.

HOW to network?

There is no single right way to network. Here are some strategies that have worked for us:

• Start networking before you need a position.
• Create, build, and maintain your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is an excellent way to keep in touch professionally with former classmates, faculty, mentors, colleagues, and other people that you might meet in your networking activities. LinkedIn allows you to make contact with new people in your network. You can also share relevant articles or news about your work (like presenting a poster at a conference or starting a new job).
• Attend scientific meetings or conferences.
• Be social. Stay for that wine and cheese session. Find someone in the room that you don’t know, and go talk to them. This might sound scary and could take a little practice. The conversation might be a complete flop. But you won’t know until you try.
• Attend scientific or professional networking or meetup sessions.
• Present a poster at a conference. Use this as an opportunity to interact professionally and scientifically.
• Set up informational interviews.
• Engage the network you have already. Your classmates or coworkers are your network.
• Have your “elevator pitch” prepared.
• Get business cards and remember to bring them with you.

Networking Pitfalls

This is what NOT to do when networking:

• Ask for a job when you first meet someone.
• Ask for a job during an informational interview.
• Treat LinkedIn as Facebook! Share a relevant article for your field or profession, but don’t share anything political, please!

Our own networking examples

Michelle:

• The moment I told my postdoctoral mentor I wanted to go into industry, he called up his friend who worked in a major pharma company and introduced me to her.
• I know of at least 3 people who went on to positions in industry after working in academic labs that had ongoing collaborations with industry. Even if they did not get a position directly with those companies, they at least had very relevant work experience.
• In graduate school, I used the alumni database to find people with whom I could conduct informational interviews to get an understanding of what different fields are like.

Wenny:

• After I submitted my resume online at my current company, I searched my LinkedIn network for anyone who worked at that company. A classmate from grad school had just started working there, and he sent my resume into the company’s internal referral system. Read more about this story here.
• My trusted friend at a large pharma company in Boston had offered a position to a recent PhD graduate. But this candidate wanted to move to the Bay Area with her partner. So my friend introduced me to her, and I passed her resume to the head of our group in the Bay Area, and now this talented candidate works for my company!
• While researching a possible career choice, I first reached out to people in my network who worked in that field. Then they introduced me to several others. All of my notes from the informational interviews helped me prepare relevant talking points when I had my first interview for an opening in that field.