Susanne Kortendick doesn’t begin the Tbh-Conference session “Beyond Academia – The Employer’s Perspective” with a list of achievements – she begins with honesty: at 62, she says, not a single step in her career was meticulously planned. And yet, she brings decades of leadership experience in corporate HR and consulting, helping organizations and individuals navigate change. Birte Seffert, Head of Funding Programs and Advisory at GSO advises researchers on their career development in academia and beyond. Together, they offered a candid look at what matters when researchers want to move beyond academia – and why having a perfect plan isn’t the key to success.

For postdocs contemplating a shift to industry or other sectors, one challenge stands out: translating their academic experience into something employers value and understand. German employers do hire PhDs, but they read CVs through a different lens. Here’s what they’re looking for at the job market—and how you can position yourself successfully.

Understanding What Employers Really Need beyond Academia and the Postdoc Experience

German companies operate within clearly defined pay structures, such as public sector tariffs (TV-L, TV-ÖD) or collective industry agreements. Your CV must signal that your experience aligns realistically with these pay bands. For instance, a position graded at TV-L E10 will not accommodate a PhD candidate expecting E13-level compensation. This mismatch often explains why qualified researchers are labeled “overqualified.” To avoid this, always research typical salary bands and frame your experience within realistic pay expectations.

Navigating the German Labour Market

Many postdocs eye prestigious corporations, but Germany’s labour landscape is broader and more complex. Large enterprises—those employing over 250 people—represent just one percent of German companies yet account for 40% of employment. In contrast, 82% of firms employ fewer than ten people. Often overlooked, the Mittelstand, often highly specialized and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), employs approximately 60% of the workforce. These hidden champions, particularly in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and North Rhine-Westphalia, offer substantial opportunities for researchers, especially in fields like advanced manufacturing, automotive technology, and pharmaceuticals. If you prioritize job security and R&D investment over geographic preference (e.g., insisting on Berlin), your chances may improve significantly.

How Your CV Gets Read—Or Ignored

Employers do not reject candidates for being too clever or academic. Rather, they dismiss applications that fail the clarity test. Recruiters typically scan CVs in seconds, meaning yours must quickly and clearly convey value. Avoid lengthy CVs packed with jargon or technical language; instead, communicate in clear, concise terms, that can be easily understood by someone with no or little knowledge of the academic system. Emphasize your impact through measurable outcomes, such as budgets managed, people supervised, or processes optimized – all of them being skills of your postdoc experience.

An effective formula is pairing an action with a measurable result. For instance, stating that you “Built a three-million-row database that reduced screening times by 40%” immediately communicates value. If you performed tasks without direct metrics—like editing journals or leading workshops—highlight scale: indicate how many articles, how much budget, or how participation grew under your leadership.

Addressing Concerns About Age, Gaps, and Personal Circumstances

Hiring committees at the German job market look carefully at age, career gaps, and personal circumstances—but these factors do not have to be barriers. If you’re over 40, focus on postdoc experiences that demonstrate maturity and dependability, such as managing significant budgets or crisis management. For parental leave or caregiving gaps, briefly acknowledge these periods in your CV and showcase continued professional engagement, such as conference presentations or freelance projects. If you have disabilities, mentioning visible needs upfront prevents misunderstandings during interviews, while invisible conditions can be disclosed once mutual trust is established. German law and federal support often mitigate any practical concerns employers might have.

An Invitation to Grow

Authenticity remains the heart of it all. Researchers enter fields to communicate new knowledge remaining hidden benefits less. While many fear “self-promotion”, reframing the process as “community-building” offers a more constructive lens. If you all do is quietly accumulating results, those insights might remain locked in your lab notes or behind paywalls. Meanwhile, short, consistent updates can illuminate entire fields and spark cross-disciplinary synergy.

In this *Tbh Conference session, Robert urged attendees to see genuine, measured communication not as a vanity project but as a motor of professional growth. By self-clarifying your purpose, structuring a small communication routine, and staying true to your own style, you’ll step beyond your own comfort zone. And in doing so, you’ll ensure that your ideas – whether that’s a novel gene-editing protocol or a fresh perspective on medieval scrolls – find the audiences that can benefit.

Final Thoughts: Translating Your Value

Ultimately, securing a role outside academia in Germany comes down to effectively translating your academic background into terms employers recognize and value. Clear communication, strategic salary expectations, and demonstrable practical impact are the keys to transitioning successfully from a postdoctoral role into a rewarding career beyond the university setting.

Our Partners

The *Tbh-Conference was supported by  AlumNode – your network by Klaus Tschira Stiftung, and made possible by funding from the foundation Klaus Tschira Stiftung. Thank you to TwentyOne Skills for the support!