Name: ChiChi Xie (she/her)
PhD: Neurosciences, Stanford University, 2022
What was your main area of research?
During my PhD, I studied how neurons find their correct synaptic partners during development. I profiled the transcriptome and cell surface proteome of developing neurons to find candidate "wiring molecules". I studied the function of those molecules by manipulating their expression in developing neurons and examining how the wiring pattern is changed.
What is your current job?
I am a Scientist at Calico Labs in South San Francisco, California.
My job has been very similar to that of a typical PhD student or Postdoc. I propose projects, do experiments, analyze data, and present my data from time to time.
The best part is having access to a lot of fun and cool lab equipment.
How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?
I always knew about Calico and thought it's a cool company. I learned about a brilliant scientist at Calico looking for someone to join their team, so I applied.
PhD graduate ➡️ Scientist
Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?
I was a bit burnt out towards the end of my PhD. I wasn't confident that I could "make it" in academia and had some external pressure to stop pursuing the academic path. It seemed like an easy decision at that time, but in retrospect I think I rushed into the decision.
What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?
If you always wanted to pursue a path in academia but all of a sudden decided you don't anymore during your final year of PhD – you might be just burnt out! Take some time off to rest before you make a decision. Think about what you enjoy and value at work on a tropical beach; Talk to someone who is in the line of work you are thinking to pursue and ask tough questions; And really think if the day-to-day aligns with your passion, interests, and long-term-goals.
Tips for interviewing for non-academic careers: ask the hiring managers what they want to see before you prepare your job talk. Different people and different companies value different things. Some people value technical match and want to see if you have used the exact same machine as them, while others want to hear the coolest science discovery story and don't want any technical details.
How did you connect with those outside academia: I found the best way is to reach out to friends you know first and ask them to introduce you to their colleagues. Cold messaging someone on LinkedIn rarely works if it's just "I see you work at company X, I want to work there too. Can you give me a reference?" It's better to find some commonalities first (similar areas of expertises, similar hobbies, etc).