Speakers:

Edouard Fouché, Data Scientist for Product Innovation at Siemens

Ulrike Boehm, Optical Scientist & Project Lead at Carl Zeiss AG

Pradnya Bivalkar, Senior Project Manager at Robert Bosch Stiftung

Moderation: Birte Seffert

Key Messages:

Our speakers left academia right after PhD, six years into the Postdoc or as a group leader, showing that transitioning is possible at different stages. 

On the one hand, this process can be time-consuming and challenging: You may have to build your reputation again. You might miss academia. Your colleagues might not understand what academia is all about and what you have been through. 

»Be ready for the unexpected if you leave academia.«

On the other hand, our speakers also found their new career surprisingly satisfying: More teamwork, better work-life-balance, less isolation – and encouraged participants to be open to the adventures outside of academia.

Helpful Tools & Tipps for a career after academia:

• Understand and build your skillset: Talk to people, get a realistic impression of job profiles, and take (online) courses
• Know your values – and learn about the company´s values to see if and how they align
• Invest in learning German to understand nuances and how the system works
• Learn the industry jargon in job ads and show that your skills & experiences fit the job
• Show what you are worth and communicate it!

»Approach your career planning like a research project: Strategically!« – Ulrike Boehm