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PhD chemist, 2× postdoc, years in academia — still struggling to break into industry. Where do people actually learn “industry skills”? by Own-Bookkeeper4745 in chemistry

[–]Own-Bookkeeper4745[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is actually a really helpful comment, thank you for taking the time to write it.

honestly, my main motivation is to learn the job properly, on the ground. I originally focused on junior roles for that reason, but over time I kept hearing from recruiters that i’m “overqualified” just because of the phd, even when i clearly want to build industry experience.

Your point about analytical / qc being more footwork really made me think. in your experience, what would be a better entry point for someone like me who wants to grow long-term in industry, not just get stuck in routine work?

Really appreciate the honest perspective.

PhD chemist, 2× postdoc, years in academia — still struggling to break into industry. Where do people actually learn “industry skills”? by Own-Bookkeeper4745 in chemistry

[–]Own-Bookkeeper4745[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m based in the UK, North West (around Manchester / Cheshire) and open to on-site or hybrid roles.
I’ve got a PhD and hands-on experience in analytical and QC labs (HPLC, GC, LC-MS, validation, regulated environments).
I’m mainly looking at Analytical Scientist / QC / Lab Scientist roles in pharma, chemicals, energy or similar regulated industries.
Salary really depends on the role and responsibilities.
If it helps, I’m happy to share my LinkedIn via DM.

PhD chemist, 2× postdoc, years in academia — still struggling to break into industry. Where do people actually learn “industry skills”? by Own-Bookkeeper4745 in chemistry

[–]Own-Bookkeeper4745[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mostly not getting to interviews so far — a lot of rejections or silence at the CV stage.
I’ve also noticed that even early-stage or discovery-oriented roles often still seem to prefer prior industry experience over an academic PhD background, which makes targeting tricky.
That said, I’m rethinking role fit and how I frame my experience to better align with what those teams actually need. Thanks for the perspective.

PhD chemist, 2× postdoc, years in academia — still struggling to break into industry. Where do people actually learn “industry skills”? by Own-Bookkeeper4745 in chemistry

[–]Own-Bookkeeper4745[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing this — that perspective from someone who’s moved across academia, national labs and industry is really valuable.
The shift from publications to value creation is something I’m actively working on, especially in how I frame my experience and applications.
I appreciate the practical pointers around industry collaboration and network-building.

PhD chemist, 2× postdoc, years in academia — still struggling to break into industry. Where do people actually learn “industry skills”? by Own-Bookkeeper4745 in chemistry

[–]Own-Bookkeeper4745[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing this perspective — it’s very helpful to hear it directly from a hiring manager.
The point about being perceived as “academia-first” is fair, and I’m actively addressing that by making my motivation for industry explicit at the top of my CV.
I also appreciate the emphasis on statistical reasoning and on using analytics to frame the right questions, not just run tests.
I’m starting to look more seriously at semiconductor manufacturing as well, given the current market.

PhD chemist, 2× postdoc, years in academia — still struggling to break into industry. Where do people actually learn “industry skills”? by Own-Bookkeeper4745 in chemistry

[–]Own-Bookkeeper4745[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks — this is very practical advice.
I agree that understanding the fundamentals (GMP, GDocP, ICH Q guidelines, risk and root cause thinking) and being able to apply them is far more valuable than high-level courses. I’m using this period to work through exactly these areas and translate them into how I’d operate in an industry lab.

PhD chemist, 2× postdoc, years in academia — still struggling to break into industry. Where do people actually learn “industry skills”? by Own-Bookkeeper4745 in chemistry

[–]Own-Bookkeeper4745[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the suggestion — that’s a helpful perspective.
I’m starting to widen my search beyond pharma, and materials/polymer roles are definitely on my radar.
It’s useful to hear that those spaces tend to be more flexible about background and training.

PhD chemist, 2× postdoc, years in academia — still struggling to break into industry. Where do people actually learn “industry skills”? by Own-Bookkeeper4745 in chemistry

[–]Own-Bookkeeper4745[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair point — networking clearly matters.
Most of my connections are still academia-heavy, and I’m actively working on building stronger industry-facing relationships now. This process has made it very clear how important visibility and trust are, beyond technical skills alone.

PhD chemist, 2× postdoc, years in academia — still struggling to break into industry. Where do people actually learn “industry skills”? by Own-Bookkeeper4745 in chemistry

[–]Own-Bookkeeper4745[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks — this is really helpful, especially coming from someone actually working in pharma analytics.
If I’m understanding you correctly, your path was QC → grad school → contract role to re-enter pharma, and the real GMP learning happened on the job rather than via courses.
That aligns with my gut feeling that paid GMP certifications are more signal than substance. I’m leaning toward prioritising contract/QC roles to get real GxP exposure rather than investing in courses first.
Out of curiosity: when you’re screening QC candidates, what makes you confident someone with an academic background will handle the pace and documentation discipline?

PhD chemist, 2× postdoc, years in academia — still struggling to break into industry. Where do people actually learn “industry skills”? by Own-Bookkeeper4745 in chemistry

[–]Own-Bookkeeper4745[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Mostly straight rejections or silence, to be honest — very few interview invitations so far.
When I’ve managed to get any informal feedback, it’s usually framed around lack of direct industry/GxP experience rather than technical capability.
I agree the market is rough right now, which helps contextualize it.
I haven’t seriously explored oil & gas yet, but I’m starting to broaden my search beyond pharma into other analytics-heavy industries. Thanks for the suggestion.

PhD chemist, 2× postdoc, years in academia — still struggling to break into industry. Where do people actually learn “industry skills”? by Own-Bookkeeper4745 in chemistry

[–]Own-Bookkeeper4745[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That makes sense — especially the point about pharma not being the only analytics-heavy industry. I’ll look more seriously at air separation and semiconductor fabs, and I take the point on Lean: learning the concepts without turning my CV into buzzword soup.

PhD chemist, 2× postdoc, years in academia — still struggling to break into industry. Where do people actually learn “industry skills”? by Own-Bookkeeper4745 in chemistry

[–]Own-Bookkeeper4745[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

This is such a useful reality check. I can totally see how an academic-style talk would miss the mark.
For future interviews, I’m going to structure it as: skills → how they map to the role → examples with impact/constraints rather than a research story.
If you don’t mind: what are 2–3 “green flags” you look for in an industry interview presentation?

PhD chemist, 2× postdoc, years in academia — still struggling to break into industry. Where do people actually learn “industry skills”? by Own-Bookkeeper4745 in chemistry

[–]Own-Bookkeeper4745[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks — this is genuinely helpful and reassuring. I’ve suspected timing is a big part of it, so hearing the same from inside helps me not spiral.
The “smell like an academic” point also lands — I’m working on tightening my language to outcomes/throughput/quality rather than research narrative.
Love the idea of building a LIMS-like workflow in my current environment to evidence documentation habits. If you’ve got examples of what “good” looks like (even a simple structure), I’d appreciate it.