#077: Anne Schreiter Story
PhD Career Stories21 Juni 2019

#077: Anne Schreiter Story

Anne Schreiter advocates for researchers and scientists. At the German Scholars Organization she and her team offer guidance and programs to help PhDs on their career path – in academia and beyond. In this episode Anne talks about why she believes in planned coincidences and what question turned out to be the tipping point for her career.

Anne holds a PhD in Organization Studies and Cultural Theory from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, and spent a year as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Berkeley. She studied Communication in Social and Business Contexts and Sociology in Berlin before embarking on a year long adventure in China.

Today she lives and works in Berlin again.

You can connect with Anne on LinkedIn and Twitter. She shares posts on science policy, leadership topics, and occasionally also on the odd and curious.

Whether you want to become a professor or do something else, it helps to make yourself visible and heard. And after a while you won't have to chase opportunities, but instead they will present themselves to you.

Dr. Anne Schreiter, Executive Director at German Scholars Organization e.V.

Transcript

Hi, I am Paulius Mikulskis from PhD Career Stories. It is my pleasure to introduce Anne Scheiter. In today's podcast Anne gives tips how to set yourself up for a successful career even when you do not know where you want to be in 5 or 10 years.

Hi, my name is Anne. I hold a PhD in the social sciences and have been working in the non-profit sector for the last 4 years. Today I'd like to share two pieces of career advice that have proven true for me on my professional journey thus far.

Number one: Answer the question how much you are willing to suffer for a career in academia.

Asked by a career counselor shortly after I finished my PhD, this question really hit me. It triggered me to actively question my career and life choices and forced me to figure out what I really wanted - because, quite frankly, during my time as a PhD student I never really thought about the next career step. I somehow drifted into my program and later into the great opportunity of being a visiting postdoc at the University of California Berkeley. I guess I really loved the atmosphere in academia, I loved the exchange with tremendously smart people, and the flexible lifestyle. But soon the doubts crept in, and this crafty question made them very obvious. I wasn't so passionate about my research that it outweighed the disadvantages of an academic life, such as instability, a narrow job market, moving around a lot, you name it. I wanted to live in Berlin, I felt that I wanted my work to have an immediate impact, and I was more interested in hands-on tasks. However, for many PhD students and young postdocs such as myself back then, academia is the only path they're familiar with - even though statistically, academia is the alternative career for PhDs. Questioning my priorities in life helped me to make an informed choice. Once I knew that the hardships of an academic career were not for me, I could then lead my energy towards pursuing another path. If however a career in academia is the right thing for you – go for it! But make it a proactive and informed choice. I can also highly recommend the TED talk by Ruth Chang on how to make hard choices.

Advice Number two: You don't have to know what you want to do in 5 years – but you can set yourself up for lucky coincidences.

I am currently executive director of a non-profit that supports scientists and researchers who want to pursue a career in Germany – either in academia or in other sectors. My team and I do that by offering career coaching, facilitating career workshops, and developing and managing programs that fill gaps in the current funding landscape, for instance a leadership academy for academics, or a boost fund that supports independent and flexible research for postdocs. We've been building a network of PhDs, who work in all sectors, and are able to connect them with those researchers who are about to take the next step in their careers. I really like this job because it combines many things that I enjoy doing, while interfacing with a diverse intellectual community.

5 years ago, after having talked to the career counselor at UC Berkeley, I would have never guessed that I'd do what I do today. However, in retrospective the outcome wasn't all pure chance and luck.

During my PhD studies I also worked as a research assistant. Back then I learned that I really enjoyed organizing workshops for fellow doctoral students, I enjoyed being an advocate for young researchers as representative on the university board, and that I was good at building and fostering networks. I felt more at home giving talks and managing people than evaluating data and writing on my own. That didn't change while doing my postdoc.

After I decided to look for a job outside of academia, I started to gather information on how to transition into another sector. I found resources in the United States, but hardly any in Germany. So I set up a blog about career topics and experiences for job searching beyond academia in German. Gaining traction with online visibility, I then conducted a bunch of informational interviews on life beyond academia, and landed some side hustles moderating panel discussions and writing. At the time, I was also working part time organizing a leadership program for students at a non-profit called Common Purpose. I got this job in Berlin after doing quite a bit of homework on how to build a CV and letter of motivation that appeals to the world outside of academia. Importantly, I highlighted my transferable skills and strengths, demonstrating what I could bring to the table in a non-academic sector with an academic background. There was trial and error in this process - before landing this job, I was rejected for positions I thought I was qualified for, but not having the right work experience wasn't really helping that much.

However, only a few months after I got my foot in the door of my first non-academic job at Common Purpose, I received a call from a headhunter asking if I was interested in a leading position in a research management-related non-profit. As a sociologist with hardly any work experience in the sector, I was not at all used to getting this kind of call. Apparently someone working at the organization had suggested me as a potential candidate after talking to me at a conference and following my blog. I was curious and went through the application process. I honestly thought that I wouldn't stand a chance of getting the job due to my lack of experience. But to my surprise, I did get an offer. I was intimidated at first by this new role – I'd never led a team before, never was responsible for the finances of an organization, or raised funds other than my own stipends. However, I quickly realized that my previous training had prepared me at least enough to learn these skills on the fly, and I find myself constantly learning on the job. This is a „transferable" skill I carried with me from academia into my new role – analyzing problems, solving them in real time, quickly adapting my thinking to new information – that comes with PhD training regardless of the specific field. More important than the hard skills are communication and problem solving skills, the ability to deal with uncertainty, as well as understanding my target group of young academics.

To sum it up, whether you want to become a professor or do something else, it helps to make yourself visible and heard. And after a while you won't have to chase opportunities, but instead they will present themselves to you. And by the way, I have no idea what I'll be doing in 5 years. But I look forward to finding out.

I hope you enjoyed the podcast. Feel free to contact us on all the usual social media channels, have a great rest of your day and see you in two weeks!

Avsnitt(130)

#074: Tina Persson on the resilience during the job hunting

#074: Tina Persson on the resilience during the job hunting

In this episode, the founder of the podcast Dr. Tina Persson talks about two of the most important qualities you need to have during the job search. If weeks of unemployment have turned to months for you, if you feel that you do not have the required skills and there are no jobs, this podcast is for you. Tina, being the professional career coach and recruitment specialist in the present and the Assistant Professor in Molecular Biology in the past, provides a unique perspective on this issue and gives valuable advice.   For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the podcast, visit www.phdcareerstories.com. You can also find us on social media: www.facebook.com/PhDCareerStories www.twitter.com/PhDCareerPod www.instagram.com/phdcareerstories www.linkedin.com/company/phd-career-stories

10 Maj 201910min

#073: Interview with Anastasia Moiseeva on life coaching during and after a PhD

#073: Interview with Anastasia Moiseeva on life coaching during and after a PhD

Anastasia Moiseeva is a life coach, mentor, teacher and a life-learner. In 2005 she moved from the cold far-away Siberia to the Netherlands to pursue a master's degree in Urbanism. In 2013, she defended her PhD in Urban Sciences and Systems at the University of Eindhoven.  Her way after receiving the PhD degree was not straightforward: after working less than a year as a coordinator and analyst in the ABN ARMO bank and then refusing several high-profile positions in academia, she landed a challenging position as a tutor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Rotterdam (EUC) in 2016. Today. she dedicates all her time and energy to work on her own project "Urban Life Coaching", which aims to help current and former PhD students to get control of their project, to get out of negative thought spirals and find balance by focusing on the right things in life.  In this interview, she reflects upon her own journey from a master student to a life coach and tells how life coaching helps to overcome various difficulties like finishing a thesis, finding a dream job, or reconciling personal and professional lives.   For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the podcast, visit www.phdcareerstories.com. You can also find us on social media: www.facebook.com/PhDCareerStories www.twitter.com/PhDCareerPod www.instagram.com/phdcareerstories www.linkedin.com/company/phd-career-stories

26 Apr 201926min

#072: Aoife O Dwyer Story

#072: Aoife O Dwyer Story

Aoife O Dwyer was born and raised in Ireland where she did an undergraduate degree in Genetics and Cell Biology, followed by a PhD in Immunology. Two weeks after her PhD was awarded, Aoife moved to Melbourne, Australia in search of her first Medical Science Liaison job. Today, Aoife still works full time as a Senior Medical Science Liaison in Melbourne, Australia. In 2018, Aoife published "Medical Science Liaison - The Ultimate Step by Step Guide" and founded MSL Consultant to help PhD graduates transition from academia to a medical science liaison position in the pharmaceutical industry. In this podcast Aoife tells about why she almost quitted her PhD and where she found  motivation to stay and finish it. She also shares with the listeners what challenges she encountered on her first MSL position. For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the podcast, visit www.phdcareerstories.com. You can also find us on social media: www.facebook.com/PhDCareerStories www.twitter.com/PhDCareerPod www.instagram.com/phdcareerstories www.linkedin.com/company/phd-career-stories

12 Apr 201917min

#071: Chris Armbruster on how (and why) to become a Data Scientist

#071: Chris Armbruster on how (and why) to become a Data Scientist

Data Scientist is often called "the hottest job of the 21st century", but what makes it so attractive? And how can a PhD-graduate transition into this field? Chris Armbruster, a PhD graduate in Sociology from the Lancaster University, spent two years at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy studying the emerging R&D and innovation landscape in Europe. Later he has moved "from innovation research to doing innovation" and first worked on rolling out digital infrastructures for the Max Planck Society, and then dived into start-up life in a variety of roles encompassing digital technologies, customer-centric business models, and product development. Today he is a Director of Community Development at The Drivery - the mobility innovators' club in Berlin, which goal is to push for innovation in the mobility sector, e.g. autonomous driving, electric kickscooters. His key mission is to cover the shortage of talent for Data Science & Artificial Intelligence, more specifically for roles in Data Analytics, Data Science, and Machine Learning in Europe. He writes a blog on Medium about Data & AI field and professional opportunities and drives the "10,000 Data Scientists for Europe" initiative, which we can be found on Eventbrite, Meetup, and Facebook. For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the podcast, visit www.phdcareerstories.com. You can also find us on social media: www.facebook.com/PhDCareerStories www.twitter.com/PhDCareerPod www.instagram.com/phdcareerstories www.linkedin.com/company/phd-career-stories

29 Mars 201919min

#070: Elvira Ganic on how to succeed in your job hunting

#070: Elvira Ganic on how to succeed in your job hunting

Elvira Ganic is back for another uplifting episode and this time she shares her best tips and tricks from her job hunt experience when transitioning from academia to industry. Amongst other things, she explains why a growth mindset will help you succeed and also make the journey more enjoyable. Elvira received her PhD from the Stem Cell Center of the Lund University. After her defense, through the career coaching sessions with Tina Persson and the long job searching process with 27 interviews, she landed on the position of the Regulatory Affairs Specialist at a pharmaceutical and medical device company in Malmö in Sweden. Want to know more about Elvira? Listen to her inspiring story on how coaching changed the way she sees herself and her skills: #068: Elvira Ganic Story. "The other thing that was also defining for me was getting over this feeling of failure. I remember getting my first rejection. I found it very difficult and of course you feel like you failed and you wonder what you could do better, you take it personally." - Dr. Elvira Ganic, Regulatory Affairs Specialist For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the podcast, visit www.phdcareerstories.com. You can also find us on social media: www.facebook.com/PhDCareerStories www.twitter.com/PhDCareerPod www.instagram.com/phdcareerstories www.linkedin.com/company/phd-career-stories

15 Mars 201910min

#069: Chris Humphrey on how to break into finance and banking

#069: Chris Humphrey on how to break into finance and banking

We are joined by Chris Humphrey who is a project manager and careers consultant, and the founder of the popular careers website Jobs on Toast. Chris originally completed a PhD in Medieval Studies at the University of York, before leaving academia for a career in the private sector. Over the past 15 years Chris has worked in the areas of technology, transport, financial services and sustainability. Today he works as a project manager for a leading sustainable bank. Chris is passionate about helping people with their careers and personal development. He has given numerous careers talks at universities in the UK, Ireland and the US, and has taken part in live Q&A events on The Guardian's website, and for jobs.ac.uk. In 2012 Chris Humphrey founded Jobs on Toast in order to raise awareness amongst Masters students and doctoral graduates of the abundant career opportunities outside of higher education. His motto is 'If I can do it, you can do it'!' In this episode, Chris will introduce the range of careers that are available to PhDs in the financial services sector. He will also provide some tips and tricks for how to break into this line of work. 'You don't need to have a finance degree to get a job in the finance industry - certainly I didn't!' - Dr. Chris Humphrey, Project Office Team Leader and Careers Consultant For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the podcast, visit www.phdcareerstories.com. You can also find us on social media: www.facebook.com/PhDCareerStories www.twitter.com/PhDCareerPod www.instagram.com/phdcareerstories www.linkedin.com/company/phd-career-stories

1 Mars 201910min

#068: Elvira Ganic Story

#068: Elvira Ganic Story

The job search period that comes after the PhD hardly can be called "fun", "exciting" and definitely not the one "to enjoy". It is the time when you question your achievements, re-assess your skills and talents, restlessly scout job-boards hoping to find a "fit" to your unique set of skills, attend exhausting interviews, and, inevitably, face numerous rejections before you get that one job. In our new podcast, Elvira Ganic argues that shifting your perspective can make this process bearable and even joyful. Elvira received her PhD from the Stem Cell Center of the University of Lund. After her defense, through the career coaching sessions with Tina Persson and the long job searching process with 27 interviews, she landed on the position of the Regulatory Affairs specialist at a pharmaceutical and medical device company in Malmö in Sweden.   In this uplifting episode, she tells what she learned on that way - how coaching changed the way she sees herself and her skills, what the transferable skills actually are, how to stay open-minded when looking for a position and why the transition period is an important life phase that you should fully enjoy and learn from it. For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the podcast, visit www.phdcareerstories.com. You can also find us on social media: www.facebook.com/PhDCareerStories www.twitter.com/PhDCareerPod www.instagram.com/phdcareerstories www.linkedin.com/company/phd-career-stories

14 Feb 201918min

#067: Kajsa Hallberg Adu Story

#067: Kajsa Hallberg Adu Story

Today you will have a chance to get to know Kajsa Hallberg Adu, who was born and raised in Sweden and nowadays lives and works in Ghana. Kajsa Hallberg Adu is a lecturer in Communications, Leadership, and Political Science at Ashesi University. She holds a PhD degree in African Studies (University of Ghana) and a Master degree in Political Science (Uppsala University, Sweden). Her research interests turn towards the future as she studies youth in Ghana and beyond, student migration, labor migration, knowledge societies, social media in the classroom, social media in elections, the intersection of internet freedoms and democratization, uses of augmented reality and decolonizing the academy. Outside of her academic career, Kajsa is a blogger and activist.  In this episode, she tells what can help when you want to quit the PhD program, how activism and teaching are excellent companions to research, and what beckons after you have completed your dissertation and finally could sleep properly again. For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the podcast, visit www.phdcareerstories.com. You can also find us on social media: www.facebook.com/PhDCareerStories www.twitter.com/PhDCareerPod www.instagram.com/phdcareerstories www.linkedin.com/company/phd-career-stories

1 Feb 201910min

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