Engineering Career Advancement Strategies

I constantly get recruiter reachouts from big tech companies and top AI startups- even when I’m not actively job hunting or listed as “Open to Work.” That’s because over the years, I’ve consciously put in the effort to build a clear and consistent presence on LinkedIn- one that reflects what I do, what I care about, and the kind of work I want to be known for. And the best part? It’s something anyone can do- with the right strategy and a bit of consistency. If you’re tired of applying to dozens of jobs with no reply, here are 5 powerful LinkedIn upgrades that will make recruiters come to you: 1. Quietly activate “Open to Work” Even if you’re not searching, turning this on boosts your visibility in recruiter filters. → Turn it on under your profile → “Open to” → “Finding a new job” → Choose “Recruiters only” visibility → Specify target titles and locations clearly (e.g., “Machine Learning Engineer – Computer Vision, Remote”) Why it works: Recruiters rely on this filter to find passive yet qualified candidates. 2. Treat your headline like SEO + your elevator pitch Your headline is key real estate- use it to clearly communicate role, expertise, and value. Weak example: “Software Developer at XYZ Company” → Generic and not searchable. Strong example: “ML Engineer | Computer Vision for Autonomous Systems | PyTorch, TensorRT Specialist” → Role: ML Engineer → Niche: computer vision in autonomous systems → Tools: PyTorch, TensorRT This structure reflects best practices from experts who recommend combining role, specialization, technical skills, and context to stand out. 3. Upgrade your visuals to build trust → Use a crisp headshot: natural light, simple background, friendly expression → Add a banner that reinforces your brand: you working, speaking, or a tagline with tools/logos Why it works: Clean visuals increase profile views and instantly project credibility. 4. Rewrite your “About” section as a human story Skip the bullet list, tell a narrative in three parts: → Intro: “I’m an ML engineer specializing in computer vision models for autonomous systems.” → Expertise: “I build end‑to‑end pipelines using PyTorch and TensorRT, optimizing real‑time inference for edge deployment.” → Motivation: “I’m passionate about enabling safer autonomy through efficient vision AI, let’s connect if you’re building in that space.” Why it works: Authentic storytelling creates memorability and emotional resonance . 5. Be the advocate for your work Make your profile act like a portfolio, not just a resume. → Under each role, add 2–4 bullet points with measurable outcomes and tools (e.g., “Reduced inference latency by 35% using INT8 quantization in TensorRT”) → In the Featured section, highlight demos, whitepapers, GitHub repos, or tech talks Give yourself five intentional profile upgrades this week. Then sit back and watch recruiters start reaching you, even in today’s competitive market.

I’ve reviewed thousands of job applications from academic scientists looking to move into biotech startups. Here’s how the best applications stood out ⤵️ Sharing this for folks graduating from PhDs this year or thinking about a change - it’s still a tough market out there, but one that’s hopefully improving! _______ 1️⃣ Show how your personal values align to the company mission. Why? Startups want to change the future. Demonstrate you’ve been independently working towards that same future → this indicates you’ll work hard & find the day to day meaningful. How? Example, for a company developing phages to treat antibiotic resistant bacteria: ✅ My PhD research focused on optimising a gene therapy for children suffering from grey platelet syndrome. During that time, I volunteered in the pediatrics ward. I am motivated by improving health outcomes for the most vulnerable. ❌ Having finished my PhD, I am looking to make the jump into industry. _______ 2️⃣ Directly explain how your scientific expertise can solve the startup’s problems. Why? This shows your ability to connect the dots between “the company problem that needs to be solved” and “the impact I can have.” Startup MVPs have proactivity in spades. How? Example, for a company developing cultured meat: ✅ A big problem for the cultured meat industry is developing immortalised, scalable cell lines. As a genetic engineer, I can generate cell lines capable of feeding millions of people. ❌ My 6 years of experience with mammalian cell culture and background in genetic editing make me a great fit for your company. _______ 3️⃣ Incorporate metrics (beyond publications!) into your resume. Why? Publications = academic currency. Scientific breakthroughs allowing a company to get profitable and survive = startup currency. Publications require detailed science capable of getting past peer-review. Startups require time-boxed, outcomes-oriented science. That’s really different! Metrics indicate you already understand that shift in mindset - and no matter what your project focused on, you can frame it in terms of startup-relevant metrics. How? ✅ Supported two summer students to achieve xyz outcome in three months ✅ Generated 5 novel immune complexes in 2 months ✅ Achieved XYZ while dropping experiment costs by 20% ❌ Conducted a research project analysing how XYZ ❌ Published in a prestigious journal. _______ 4️⃣ Show - don’t state - your communication & collaboration skills. Why? These skills are 10x more important when working at a fast pace with people from different professional backgrounds. How? ✅ Three-minute thesis contest ✅ Industry/startup work experience ✅ Engagement with an entrepreneurship community ✅ Cross-discipline collaboration ✅ A well-written career summary connecting the dots between your skills & the value you can bring to the company. As always, builds or add-ons welcome: I made some of these mistakes when I first graduated from my PhD, you don’t have to ����

If you are starting an MS or PhD in biotech this Fall, here’s the advice I wish someone had given me on Day 1: The science will be hard—but the job market after might be harder. 1. Don’t wait until graduation to build your resume. Translate your skills into industry language each semester. For example: - Western blot → biomarker validation - qPCR → diagnostic assay development - Flow cytometry → cell therapy QC - Confocal microscopy → imaging biomarkers Collect bullet points the way you collect data. 2. Don’t just aim for technical knowledge. Learn to explain your work in terms of outcomes, timelines, and value-add. Practice explaining every project or experiment in simple language and be ready to answer: why does it matter? 3. Pay attention to where the funding flows—cell therapy, RNA, AI-biology. Fields shift quickly. Choose electives, side projects, and optional subjects with an eye on where investors are backing the future. 4. Make genuine friends with your classmates, peers, and professors. Think long-term. These relationships will help you find opportunities, discuss roles, and navigate life beyond the lab. 5. Get in the habit of writing. Careers grow when you can package ideas into papers, talks, or even LinkedIn posts. It could even start in a personal journal. Communication is leverage. Your degree will make you a scientist. You make yourself a professional. And through it all—have fun. These might just be the most formative years of your life :) For those who’ve already been through it: Feel free to add one piece of advice you wish someone had told you before grad school?

An important realization: Failure is a skill. 4 steps to use your next failure to succeed: We've all felt the pain: • A bad review at work that caught you off guard • Passed up for a promotion you felt you had earned • A weak presentation in front of the leadership team • Harsh feedback from a colleague or partner • A missed quarterly sales quota or target Here's the system I developed to fail better—to handle, deconstruct, and use every single failure to set the conditions for future success. Step 1: Set a Failure Timer Give yourself a fixed amount of time (~24 hours) to feel frustrated or angry about the failure. During this time, you don't need to do anything but sit with the feelings and emotions. Allow yourself the grace of that period, but when the time is up, you move forward to the next step. Step 2: Become a Scientist Once you've made it through your grace period, it's time to learn. You need to approach the failure as a scientist does an experiment: Gather Information: What happened? How did it differ from my expectation? Analyze Information: Why might this have happened? What elements of my process might have contributed to this outcome? What are the underlying insights from the unexpected result? The important piece here is that the cold, emotionless, disciplined analysis establishes accountability for the failure that sparks you into your next action. Becoming a scientist means determining the variables that are within your control, understanding them in detail, and focusing your energy on improving them for the next attempt. Step 3: Time Travel Imagine yourself one year from today: You're in flow, celebrating a great success. Looking back at the prior year, you point to the failure you just experienced as the turning point, as the critical moment that set the conditions for this win. Ask your future self a few questions: • What actions did you take to make it so? • What changes did you make in your life after the failure? • What behaviors, mindsets, and routines did you adapt? Use these questions to guide your actions in the present. Step 4: Take Action In my experience, the hardest part of coming back from any failure is putting yourself back out there. Information is nothing without action. In the wake of a failure, default to action. Remember: Action doesn't have to be perfect for it to be right. The world isn't run by perfect people who never failed. The world is run by imperfect people who failed over and over again—but who used every failure to set the conditions for their future success. Maybe that failure you just experienced isn't the end after all. Maybe that failure you just experienced is your starting line. P.S. Interested in self-improvement? Join 800,000+ others who get my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/esGsF85Q If this resonates, repost to share with others ♻️ and follow Sahil Bloom for more in future. Visual by the talented Pejman Milani!

I stopped obsessing over publishing… and that’s when my research career took off. (Here’s what I discovered) Four years ago, I believed publishing was the only path to academic success. My inbox? Empty. My collaborations? Stagnant. My impact? Limited to footnotes in other people’s papers. Then, I did something radical: I shared my work outside journals. A blog post about the LCA work I did for a partner. A LinkedIn post breaking down techno-economic assessment and process design methods. A webinar sharing my research outputs. Crickets. For weeks. Until a founder DM’ed: "Liked the recording of your webinar. Can you do something like this for us to verify our TEA?" A week later, an academic mentor slid into my DMs: "Saw your recent work on carbon capture. Can we co-write a research bid?" I wasn't sure what to do. This wasn’t “real” academic work. I’d been pre-conditioned to share my work only in scholarly journals and conferences. But suddenly, my research was solving problems, not merely gathering dust. So I leaned in. I built a simple system:  1. Every paper made available as PDF with posts on problem, method, outputs  2. Conference slides became PDFs shared with key takeaways  3. Complex science converted into trade magazines and blog posts The response? A FTSE 250 energy company invited me to perform a market study for their new direct air capture business strategy. Learned societies invited me as a keynote speaker for their events. And yes, citations keep coming, but now tied to real-world impact. Here’s what academia won’t tell you: Visibility isn’t vanity. It’s the bridge between your work and the problems it can solve. You don’t need 100 papers to make a difference. You need the right people to see your work. Now? I teach researchers to build this bridge. Because your career shouldn’t hinge on how many journals you’ve cracked. It should hinge on how many minds you’ve changed. Start there. Let the papers follow. P.S. What is the most significant challenge that pre ents you getting your research seen by others? #science #scientist #research #publishing #phd #postdoctoral #professor #academia #highereducation

Yesterday’s news hit hard: a wave of canceled meetings at The National Institutes of Health (NIH)—the nation's primary biomedical & public health research agency—arrived without warning. Even more devastating, some professors learned their funding was terminated immediately. For those of us working hard to make new discoveries, this isn’t just a delay—it’s a serious setback. Behind every NIH-funded project are real people—brilliant, dedicated researchers fighting to cure diseases, improve health, & save lives. This disruption doesn’t just pause progress; it stalls breakthroughs, derails teams, & jeopardizes the futures of many. What does this mean in human terms? For labs, it’s a blow of uncertainty—researchers, students, & postdocs depending on grants may find their work & livelihoods in jeopardy. For patients awaiting advances in treatments, it means more waiting. For communities burdened by health disparities, it means delayed solutions & extended suffering. This moment is heavy, but it’s not the end of the story. To those impacted: You are not alone. Here’s how we can weather this storm together: 1️⃣ Lean into your community. Support networks of colleagues, mentors, & allies can provide strength, clarity, & solutions in uncertain times. 2️⃣ Document everything. Track delays, canceled projects, & personal impacts—this information could be vital for advocating change. 3️⃣ Use your voice. Share your story with legislators, on social media, & in your community to emphasize the importance of research funding. 4️⃣ Focus on what’s in your control. Whether mentoring, submitting a paper, or brainstorming ideas, small, consistent actions still move progress forward. 5️⃣ Don’t lose #hope. Science has weathered crises before, & our community’s resilience will help us rise again. Above all, remember: Science is about people. It’s about those who fight for discovery, those who benefit from it, & those whose futures depend on progress. We owe it to them—and to each other—to keep going, hold leaders accountable, & ensure science remains a beacon of hope. Reflecting on this, I recall a recent lesson from my two-year-old son. Last year, while decorating windows for Christmas, he grew frustrated when the clings wouldn’t stick or tore. With some guidance, he learned to slow down, try again, & ultimately found joy in the process. His lesson? With patience, determination, & support, setbacks can lead to something beautiful. To everyone in this fight: You are seen, you are valued, & you are not alone. 🙏🏾 #HealthEquity #ScienceMatters #NIH #Advocacy #HopeInAction -- P.S. Dear leaders: Before asking for updates, check in with your team. What’s happening in this country is overwhelming for many—don’t overlook the importance of empathy. A small moment of care can make all the difference.

🚨 Very few PhD graduates will ever become full professors. And realizing this early is not depressing. It is liberating. When I started digging into the data for my book Career Options in the Life Sciences, I realized how far reality is from the story many of us were told during our PhD. 📉 The numbers are uncomfortable but consistent across countries and disciplines: • ~0.5% of science PhDs become full professors • 3–10% reach a professorship at any level • Even among postdocs, only 10–20% transition into stable faculty roles This is not about talent. This is about system design. One professor can train dozens of PhDs and postdocs. But only one position opens when that professor retires. Mathematically, the system cannot work for most people. No matter how hard you work. For years, I also believed that publishing more, sacrificing more, wanting it more would somehow change the odds. It doesn’t. That realization changed how I mentor scientists. 👉 If you don’t become a professor, that is not failure. 👉 It is the statistically expected outcome of an oversupplied system This is why the introduction of my book starts with a simple truth: most of you will not become professors. And that’s okay. The real risk is not “leaving academia”. The real risk is spending 10–15 years optimizing for a <10% outcome, while ignoring dozens of careers where your skills create impact, stability, and growth. My advice is always the same: 🔹 Redefine success beyond one title 🔹 Treat career exploration like research. Collect data, test hypotheses 🔹 Build optionality, not a single fragile path Your value as a scientist is not determined by a professorship. It is determined by how you use your training to solve meaningful problems. In any environment that lets you do that sustainably. If you are a PhD or postdoc and this resonates, you are not late. You are right on time. #PhDLife #AcademicCareers #BeyondAcademia #LifeSciences #CareerStrategy #Scientists #Postdoc #EvidenceBasedCareer

Conference etiquette. I shouldn’t have to say these things, but as NRF has reminded me, I do. When you’re waiting to meet someone and they’re having a discussion with someone else - don’t crowd them. Stand out of eyesight and patiently wait your turn. I promise you, they know they’re running late and they see you Put your mobile # in calendar invites. Plans change. It’s way easier to text someone “Hey I’ll be five minutes late” vs rely on email Gentlemen - wear clothes that are professional and that fit. When you show up in a 20 year old suit that’s now two sizes too large, everybody notices. Tailoring is cheap. Do it Remember that the conference doesn’t end until you’re in your car at your home airport. You wouldn’t believe the discussions I’ve overheard while traveling Gentlemen - if you can, stand up to shake someone’s hand. Eye to eye. And don’t let your hand go limp Ladies - visibly put out your hand if you want a handshake rather than a hug. Men can't tell and things can get awkward Always say “Nice to see you” rather than “Nice to meet you.” Doing so avoids an awkward “We met 7 years ago for 30 seconds, don’t you remember me??” When you ask to meet with someone - tell them why up front “How’s the show?” or the eternal “How was the flight in?” are lazy icebreakers. Be more creative Don’t mingle with your colleagues at events - you’re there to acquire customers and build partnerships. Go introduce yourself to a stranger. Keep moving When you’re talking to a stranger at an event and you find there isn’t a mutual personal or business interest - politely move along. It’s not rude When you say hello to someone you don’t know well - provide context. “I’m [name] and we met when I worked at [company]. We last met in [city] at [event].” I meet thousands of people in a year. People look familiar but I need a little context if it’s been a while Have your badge clearly visible and flipped the right way. So many people have their badges tucked in and they then become useless for identifying you - their primary purpose There’s a very fine line between social drinking (good) and being drunk (very bad). In a professional context, stop drinking long before you normally would. Everyone watches how much you drink. You may think you’re the life of the party, but you may have easily crossed into unprofessional territory without realizing it. You don’t want to develop a reputation Stay at a hotel where your colleagues are not staying. Walls between hotel rooms can be paper thin. In years past I’ve heard colleagues say and do things I wish I hadn’t If you’re pitching me your product, tell me WTF it actually does. Concisely and without marketing gibberish Don’t butt into other people’s discussions. Even close friends. Let them pull you in if they want At the end of the evening, spend 10 minutes and do a brain dump of everything from the day. You think you’ll remember everything at the end of the event - you won’t

Almost every time I speak with juniors or college students, I get asked the same question: “I’m not sure what field I want to work in. How do I decide what to do?” It’s a completely normal feeling — and honestly, I’ve been there too. When I first entered college, I had no clue what specialization to take or what career path to pursue. But here’s the truth: You don’t need to have it all figured out right away. What you need is a plan to explore and narrow it down. Here’s what I tell anyone who asks: 📍 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 — 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 List a few things you genuinely enjoy or find intriguing — like writing, data analysis, designing, or public speaking. Don’t worry about how they translate into a career just yet Action Step: Write down your interests without worrying about how they translate into a career. The point is to recognize your natural inclinations. 📍 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁-𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 Try out your interests through short-term activities like joining a club, taking a beginner’s course, or volunteering for a project. Give it 2–4 weeks and see if you enjoy the process Action Step: Try something for 2–4 weeks and assess: Did you enjoy the process? Did it feel meaningful? 📍 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘁 Reach out to people working in fields you’re curious about. Ask about their day-to-day work, the skills they use, and what they enjoy or dislike about their roles Action Step: Message 3 professionals on LinkedIn and politely ask for a 15-minute chat. Most people are willing to help if you’re genuinely curious and respectful of their time. 📍 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀 Identify the skills you want to develop rather than getting stuck on job titles. Whether it’s data analysis, storytelling, or management, skills are transferable and will shape your career regardless of the role Action Step: Pick one skill you’re curious about and spend an hour a week learning or practicing it. 📍 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁 Your first choice doesn’t have to be your final choice. Reflect every few months to see if you’re still enjoying your current path. It’s okay to change directions as you learn more Action Step: Set a reminder to reflect every 3 months: Are you still enjoying your current path? If not, what’s next? The Bottom Line: You don’t have to know your exact career path at 20. Just focus on exploring, learning, and building foundational skills — the clarity will follow. To everyone feeling overwhelmed — take it one step at a time. And remember, not having it all figured out is okay — it’s part of the journey. What’s one career option you’re currently exploring? Share below — I’d love to hear your thoughts!👇 #CareerAdvice #CollegeTips #FindingYourPath #SkillBuilding #CareerExploration #EarlyCareerInsights

Most professionals chase the biggest stage they can find. My friend Phillip Van Nostrand had the opposite goal: get into the smallest rooms possible. While others networked their way toward conference keynotes and packed auditoriums, Phil deliberately sought intimate gatherings. Ten people max. Sometimes five. It sounds backwards, but Phil understood something most people miss: Depth compounds in ways scale never will. You can shake 200 hands at a conference and walk away feeling productive. Or you can have three dinner conversations where people actually remember what you said six months later. The handshakes become forgotten faces. The dinner conversations turn into referrals, partnerships, and opportunities that surface when you least expect them. Here's why smaller rooms create bigger influence: ✅ Choose depth over volume ↳ Ten people who understand your thinking beat a hundred who recognize your name. Deep connections advocate for you in rooms you'll never enter. ✅ Make large events smaller on purpose ↳ Host a dinner during the conference. Organize breakfast for five key people. Turn the massive gathering into multiple intimate moments. ✅ Optimize for substance, not visibility ↳ Long-term recognition comes from changing how people think, not from being seen by the most people. Quality conversations create lasting impressions. In smaller rooms, everything changes. You listen more carefully. You contribute more thoughtfully. You build relationships that compound over years instead of connections that disappear by next Tuesday. The biggest opportunities often happen in the smallest spaces. ➕ Follow Dorie Clark for insights on building influence and relationships that compound over time.