Chiara Giuliano
Associate Director at AstraZenecachanging career path is not a failure, it is using your skills and knowledge to align yourself with your current needs and expectations.
changing career path is not a failure, it is using your skills and knowledge to align yourself with your current needs and expectations.
Yes, I felt pretty confident overall. I enjoyed my PhD and felt it equipped me well for any intellectual challenges that other roles might throw at me.
If you want to make the transition, do a lot of soul searching to figure out which skills you have that are marketable and if they are sufficient to reach your goal
There are so many opportunities out there. Planning every step carefully is crucial, taking the next step in a timely manner is essential.
I had heard that industrial science can be quite restrictive, that you don’t have the freedom to follow interesting science as you do in academia. It may be that I have been lucky in my role, but I have had quite a lot of freedom to investigate what I believe may be interesting biology.
I felt isolated when I was exploring a transition, but now I realize that there are tons of ex-academics leading fulfilling work lives in a variety of sectors.
It’s very rewarding working directly with patients and exploring their experiences on different treatments. I also love the collaborative atmosphere and working across multiple areas, as you gain a lot of experience over a relatively short period of time.
If you are a successful researcher, you can solve a problem and you can write. These are invaluable skills in any sector.
My research training set me up to never lose my scientific curiosity.
I love working in a challenging, diverse and fast-paced environment with a great team of people who make work fun and enjoyable.
The skills I acquired from the years spent in academia have been invaluable in this role and I am very grateful that I can continue to put them to good use.