Name: Rahul Mohan (he/him)
PhD: Anatomy/Neuroscience, University of New South Wales, 2016
What was your main area of research?
I studied the impact of a spinal cord injury to downstream neurons within the motor circuit.
What is your current job?
I am a Strategic Solutions Lead at Havas Life in Singapore.
I develop scientific narratives that describe and contextualize data for healthcare brands. I’m also tasked with developing business solutions for brands that seek to evolve their communications to internal and external stakeholders.
The best part of my job is the team. I work with an incredible group of talented individuals who are passionate about what we do. Also, I love the inherent intellectual challenge of the job.
How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?
I found this job through a recruiter reaching out to me on LinkedIn.
PhD Graduate ➡️ Brief postdoctoral stint ➡️ Intern medical writer ➡️ Medical Writer ➡️ Medical strategy
Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?
I wasn’t comfortable with the lack of job security in the near to long run, with research funding being unpredictable despite doing the best work you can.
What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?
LinkedIn is your friend. Use it. Find people who’ve gone through this transition: find people with a similar academic background, look at what they’re doing now. Connect with them. Ask them about their journeys, find out about their best practices: what’s worked well for them, what’s not. Shape your job strategy based on this feedback from people who’ve made this journey before you.
Double down on your grit. It may not be an easy journey. You will face rejection. People may not see the value in your PhD. And that’s fine. All you need is a single yes to open up the path ahead of you. So keep at it.
Be open to continue learning and evolving your competencies. While it’s true that we have a lot of transferable skills, it needs to be refined to better suit a business environment (if that’s what you’re looking for). Read and research how to better communicate and function within the context of a business.