The challenges of entering industry in after a Master or a PhD in the Life Sciences

For the past six years, I have been actively involved in helping academic researchers transition from academia to diverse professional fields after completing their PhD or postdoctoral research. Through organizing events, managing this platform, and now through my current role organizing the Biopôle Discovery Day 2024 and 2025 editions and, since January, leading the Biopôle Postgraduate Consulting Group I continue to support this mission.

It was therefore natural that I was asked to share my thoughts on the challenges of entering industry in Switzerland after completing a Master's, PhD, or postdoctoral research in the Life Sciences, in an article published in Le Temps.

I shared that: "After completing a Master's or PhD, people often lack the tools to identify jobs that could be a good fit for them. There’s also a language barrier, with difficulties translating academic abilities into skills sought in industry.”

Another issue is that: “Researchers and students are often very focused on their research and have little time to work on their network or their CV. So I urge young researchers to start thinking about these questions early.”

I encouraged in the article companies to consider candidates who may not check every box at the time of hiring: "Often, it’s the first industry experience that is the hardest to get, but once they have it, these individuals become highly effective in a short amount of time."

Read the full article here.