Rima Dey Ph.d  📘

Smart Dumb club

●	Generated $20,000+ in revenue through strategic implementation of coaching programs and career development workshops, resulting in successful placements of Ph.D. professionals in Fortune 500 companies including AstraZeneca, Nokia, and Siemens. 
●	Led 7 community workshops on key competencies such as team management, effective communication, and career transition strategies tailored to STEM professionals. 
●	Coached over 100+ international scholars, providing tailored guidance on navigating career pathways in academia, industry, and government sectors. 
●	Organised 15 + career panels via LinkedIn, bringing together diverse stakeholders worldwide from varied industries to provide real-world insights into non-academic career trajectories with participation of 2000+ Ph.D’s worldwide.
●	Established strategic partnerships across 4+ countries, designing industry-aligned career accelerator programs integrating hiring managers and global leaders. - (https://learn.rimadey.com/stemcareeracceleratorprograme). 
●	Created digital career resources, including 500+ posts demonstrating thought leadership that has sparked more than 25000+ engagements on posts from experts worldwide. 

Want to know any further? Connect @ rima@rimadey.com

Founder 

Rima Dey Training & Consultancy

Rima Dey Image consultancy is a state of the art consultancy focussed at empowering professionals & aspiring students. Be it professionals looking to better themselves for lucrative career opportunities that leads them to the ladder of success or be it students, wanting to be career ready by working on their employability skills, or even organisations looking for tailored solutions to train their employees, Rima Dey Image consultancy provides customised sessions for, accelerating growth & impactful results

Consultant

National Metallurgical Laboratory

Research Associate & Postdoctoral Researcher

●	Selected for prestigious Quick Hire Fellowship, awarded to exceptional scientific talent, recognizing pioneering research as the first woman globally to specialize in multiaxial fatigue of stainless steel
●	Led development of competitive research grants and technical proposals valued at approx. $55,000, demonstrating ability to secure funding through compelling technical and commercial justifications
●	Successfully managed multiple concurrent R&D projects under strict timelines, coordinating with cross-functional teams across 3 departments while navigating complex regulatory requirements.
●	Designed and executed 100+ advanced biaxial/multiaxial fatigue testing & characterisation experiments for 304Ln stainless steel, resulting in 6 high-impact publications and 1sponsored international conference proceeding in International Conference on Multiaxial Fatigue and Fracture 2019.
●	Spearheaded industrial collaboration with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) on industry funded projects of national importance. Collaboratively worked in the field of multiaxial fatigue & fracture of stainless steel, structure property relationships & structural integrity of the materials.
●	Implemented Six Sigma methodologies for root cause analysis and process optimization, resulting in 30% improvement in experimental efficiency and data quality. Performed Failure analysis studies using various microstructural studies including Scanning Electron Microscopy-SEM, Transmission Electron Microscopy- TEM, X-ray diffraction -XRD & Electron Backscatter Diffraction-EBSD.

Fellow Scientist

General Electric

●	Received GE's Inclusiveness Award for successfully bridging laboratory innovations to commercial scale, serving as key liaison between R&D and pilot plant teams across 60 stakeholders in 3 continents, demonstrating ability to drive cross-functional collaboration 
●	Authored 4 comprehensive internal technical reports translating complex R&D findings into actionable insights, facilitating informed decision-making for senior leadership and manufacturing teams
●	Developed & optimised formulations to make fire retardant grade of commercial plastics, in addition to working with thermoplastics & composites for assessing structure property correlation for diverse real time engineering applications 
●	Demonstrated expertise in Six Sigma methodologies through successful completion of Green Belt certification, applying principles to optimize laboratory workflows and improve operational efficiency
●	Led technical benchmarking initiatives, analysing industry best practices and proposing innovative solutions that reduced product development cycle time by 25%

Scientist 

GE Research

Analysis of fatigue performance in engineering thermoplastics
Optical properties (birefringence) evaluation in fatigue specimens 
Interpreting the effect of impact modifiers on fatigue performance in engineering thermoplastics                                    
Fundamental studies of polycarbonate/polyester blend compatibilization
Micro patent analysis (basic understanding)

Student intern pursuing M.Tech Project

Apollo Tyres Ltd.

Elaborate idea of the various process operations involved in manufacturing tyre both Radial and Bias tires.
 Reverse engineering to analyze competitor’s tires with various analytical equipment's such as Thermogravimetric analyzer, IR Spectroscopy, High performance liquid chromatography.

Graduate Engineering Trainee

Transforming careers for Ph.D's, Eng’s & researchers | Scientist (Ex-GE) by default People's Engineer by Choice | Career Elevation Coach | Founder Dynamic Professionals Hub | Spoken @ IITs & corporates|

They asked me what I do for a living.

I said: “Some days I coach Ph.D.s out of imposter syndrome.
Some days I run training workshops that make engineering grads say, ‘Why weren’t we taught this earlier?’
And some days, I am on vacation yet helping someone from hotel room to negotiate a leadership offer with more confidence than they thought they had.”

So what do I do? I'm Rima, ( and some know me as Dr Rima - courtesy Ph.D ) once a scientist at General Electric, now a training consultant, career coach, and project manager of people’s turning points.
A Ph.D. in engineering sciences who traded lab coats for laptops, and technical fatigue studies for the emotional fatigue of brilliant minds stuck in the wrong roles.

Over the last 3 years, I’ve coached 100+ international STEM professionals, placed researchers in companies like AstraZeneca, Siemens, GE, Oracle, and built the Smart Dumb Club a community of scientists, scholars, and seekers who are done living invisible lives behind citations.

What makes me different? I don’t teach from textbooks.
I teach from trenches: being rejected, pivoting mid-career, writing grants worth $55,000, and still wondering if I belong, until I claimed the stage.

I don’t just help people find jobs.
I help them find their voice, redesign their self-concept, and become visible in rooms they never imagined being in.

I combine project management, business development, psychology, and communication to design transformative training programs used across IITs, XLRI, and colleges across India and Canada.

Whether I’m hosting a career panel for 2000+ Ph.D.s, creating a negotiation playbook, or building a course on Ikigai and Clarity using AI one thing stays the same:

💡 I believe your career should be a mirror, not a mask.
And I help you polish it until the reflection feels finally, fully like you.

Ready for your turning point?
Book a 1 on 1 call with me. Not someday. Today & so head to my featured section right away!!

Because this might be the conversation your career has been waiting for.
And if you scroll past it… you might miss the one moment that changes everything.

Founder

Dynamic Professionals hub is founded in the year 2022 to help science and engineering professionals both aspiring/current to, become dynamic  job attractors capable of creating opportunities for themselves through the RRAPID Framework. 
The dynamic professionals hub helps you become more confident in your dream job search by implementing 4 c's which are
Coaching (BiWeekly)
Challenge
Courses
Community Support 
& certification.
Want to know any further? Connect @ rima@rimadey.com

3 things missing on Ph.D. resumes that actually get interviews and how to fix them with AI (and most importantly HI).

I’ve reviewed resumes from over 200+ Ph.D.s across 7+ countries, & Ph.D's working with me have landed interviews at Astrazeneca, Clarivate, Nokia, Seimens, Oracle, & Many more, so I can tell you this:

95% are missing the same 3 things and without them, the “no response” loop continues.

Let’s break it down:

1️⃣ Metrics.
Most Ph.D.s can calculate error margins to the 4th decimal but forget to add a single number on their resume.

Numbers = proof. Proof = credibility. 
(Want examples of what metrics to include? Check the comments, I’ve dropped a link there.)

2️⃣ Section headings.
“Academic Experience”? “Research Experience”? Meh.
Those are fine, but they don’t guide the reader. 

Customize headings to the role you’re targeting - Industry Projects, Strategic Collaborations, Innovation Leadership… these reframe how your work is seen. It has landed by clients multiple interviews.

3️⃣ Bullets that show impact.

Most bullets just list responsibilities. But hiring managers don’t want to read your job description they want to know what changed because you were there.

So how do you fix this without rewriting your resume 20 times? Simple !!

Here’s a prompt I wish more Ph.D.’s used with AI tools like ChatGPT:

“Hi, As a Ph.D. I will be applying for this job role [insert the job description], and here is my resume. Based on the job description, consider yourself the hiring manager for this role with 10 years of experience. Give me 3 resume bullets that don’t overlap, use metrics, show impact, and use varied action verbs in the format: Did X, using Y, accomplishing Z, that would make you call this candidate immediately.”

❌No, this won’t magically fix your resume. 
But it will give you a mirror a peek into what hiring managers actually look for.

Because resume is a persuasive tool built on psychology and empathy written from hiring managers/recruiters point of view, not yours.

And AI alone won’t solve that. You will.

That's why I always say: don’t forget to add HI to your AI. (HI = Human Intelligence 😊) 

screenshot this. Save it. Repost it🔁.
Because the next time you're stuck rewriting your resume, 
this is the prompt you will need.
 
You’ll thank me later - maybe not out loud, but definitely in your head. 😊

#rimadey #phdcareertransitions #smartdumbphd

P.S: Want to get your resume reviewed ?? My career clarity slots are open. Limited slots so, book yours through the link.

Rima Dey Ph.D📘

I didn’t know I would land high-paying jobs at GE and Honeywell during a recession.
 I didn’t know I would publish 5 papers in high-impact journals.
 
I didn’t know I would leave research to become a PhD career coach.
 I didn’t know 28k people would follow my work in two years.
 
I didn’t know premier institutes would invite me to speak.
I didn’t know I could build a life without a 9-5.
 
I didn’t know I would work with PhDs from 7+ countries.
I didn’t know I would feel comfortable charging what my work is worth.

I didn’t know PhDs I coach would land roles at AstraZeneca, Citi, Nokia and more.

I didn’t know my writing would bring clients, trainings, and quiet opportunities.
And I still don’t know many things.

All I know is this:
 I will figure it out. And I will do what it takes.

This is where predictive coding shows up.
 Your brain predicts the future from your past.
 Great for analysis. Terrible for growth.

If the past holds rejection, your brain predicts more rejection.
If the past holds silence, it predicts more silence.
The loop becomes familiar.
You start believing that nothing new can happen.

That belief keeps many PhDs stuck.
Because the brain prefers the comfort of the known.

But every turning point in my life came from the unknown.
Every line above was something my brain could not predict.
 
And that’s the point. Your career transition works the same way.
Let the not-knowing " How will things work out ??" move you forward.
Let it open rooms your brain cannot imagine yet.

Becasue You already navigated uncertainty in your PhD.
 You solved problems no one taught you.
 You wrote a thesis without knowing the final chapter.

Would your PhD feel special if everything was predictable?

So I’ll leave you with this:
 Can you become a radical believer that your career will unfold the right way…
 and then show up, adjust, learn, repeat?

#rimadey #phdcareercoach #smartdumbphd

P.S. I taught this idea in my last community session because 
 Being a believer pays you back every single time.

This Sunday, in our inner circle calls, a hiring manager who has  led global R&D teams said something that every Ph.D. needs to hear:

“We would always pick the second answer.”

And that hit me.
Because I see this every week in mock interviews too.

How to answer - You don’t have industry experience ??? 
That 1 question has 2 answers.
And only one gets the Ph.D. hired.

After 300+ hours of interview coaching, I’ve seen the same pattern repeat.
Most Ph.D.s don’t lack experience. They lack translation.

Here’s what happens 👇
Academese version:  “I spent five years studying stainless steel fatigue, published five papers, and mentored students.”
 Polite nods. “We’ll get back to you.”

Businessese version:
 “I led a 3-year project with three stakeholders, managed a €200K budget, and delivered a solution that cut testing time by 40%.” Instant interest. Follow-up questions. Momentum.

Same work. Different framing. Different result.

The truth is, industry isn’t rejecting you for lack of experience 
 it’s because they don’t see it in the language they hire for.

That’s why I created this 1-minute clip.
 Watch it and tell me - Which is the one you are still speaking in your interviews?
Academese or Businessese?

#smartdumbphd #rimadey #phdcareertransitions

There are TWO ways to find a Job as a STEM PROFESSIONAL
👉 You either search for job
👉Or the Job finds you.
Most fall in the first category.
Even if you are very good at your job, you remain invisible to your current or future employers.
On top of that you probably are getting lots of self doubt, dont feel confident to project your competence in the right way.

Hi. I am Dr. Rimad dey, and I have been there and experienced it all. 
Founder of the community Dynamic Professional Hub, I am a Confident, people orieneted and passionate scientist/engineer turned career coach 
I have a an experience of more than a decade as a scientist in research and developement in best of corporates such as GE to public sectors like the CSIR LABS.

My mission is to help engineering and science professionals, both current and aspiring, to attract career opportunities that light them up, through my job coaching courses

Now imagine, if you could get past those doubts, and act everyday as if you are born to have the best carer ever.  Opportunities are coming to you at ease, and you are deciding which to choose. 
Is that even possible? YEs it is. But how?
This is where i invite you to my CAREER 🚀ELEVATION MASTERCLASS where I decode the exact 6 steps to building a recession proof career and landing your dream job in less than 12 weeks.

Whether you are an aspiring or an early career Engineering or science professional, this webinar will help immensely in setting a framework for building your dream career or landing your dream job.

And I love working with the people who are courageous and energetic enough to act fast for becoming better versions of themselves. 

Now if you are serious about building a career that is much more than a paycheque, then lets make it happen. We can meet live through my design your career webinar ( you can get registered through link in the featured).

On a personal note I am a vitiligo thriver and a professional painter

We can connect on rima@rimadey.com or will be happy to recieve your messages on DM or a connection request with a personalised message.

Why do I call my podcast Smart Dumb?

Because you need to be smart enough to do whatever it takes to reach your goals, and dumb enough to believe it’s going to work out in ways you can’t yet predict.

And Supreet Kaur’s story is the perfect proof of that.
From being rejected after applying to hundreds of roles
to building a digital brand on LinkedIn that quietly opened doors she never imagined, 

One of them was an offer from Microsoft.
The other? The EB-1 visa - a U.S. recognition for individuals with extraordinary ability.

Her road to “extraordinary” started with doing things that felt awkward, even embarrassing.
 
What changed her path wasn’t luck. It was choice.
She chose to build her digital voice long before anyone cared or listened.

And here’s the part I hope every Ph.D. hears, You don’t need another paper, degree, or title to be seen. You need to show your thinking to the world.

I spoke with Supreet on the Smart Dumb Ph.D. Podcast about what happens when you stop hiding behind your expertise and start leading with it.

🎧 Check out the episode link in the comments.

If you’re feeling stuck in your career, this might just be the Monday digital diet you need to to understand how building  digital brands can get you oppotunities & so much more.

#smartdumbPhd #phdcareertransitions #rimadey

When a Ph.D. tells me one of my free resources helped them get started on their career transition journey --yaaaayyyyyy that makes my made.
 
Because I do get Dm's - but Dm's about how my content is specifically helpful is not that frequent. 

So if you are a Ph.D getting started this this carousel might be your nudge.

 with 10 roles across industries hiring Ph.D.s 

And if you're thinking, “But it’s not that simple…”
 You’re right it isn’t for many of you!!

Because getting hired isn’t just about having the Technical skills.
It’s about learning to speak the language that hiring managers & recruiters understand easily.

And That’s where I come in.
 I have helped & helping Ph.D.' in life sciences, nano-materials, AI, neuroscience, chemistry, and even astrophysics from 7+ countries make the switch.

A once Scientist in corporate & a Ph.D myself.. I was dumb enough to quit academia & smart enough to have survived two career transitions :).

Hence I now call myself a smart dumb Ph.D.

And if you need 1 on 1 help in your. journey along with a community, then my career clarity calls are open. Link in comments.

#rimadey #phdcareertranstions #smartdumbphd

11 Job roles for Ph.D's & A Prompt to get started

One of my clients in Europe wants to land a role in a FANG company.
 
The skills are there. The record is there.
But the belief that they belong in those companies was low.

This is where I begin with the RRAPID system.
 With the first R: Rewire.
 Because no amount of strategy works when the belief system keeps saying,
 “Not me. Not at that level.”
So we started small. Found out One decision maker.
 Wrote one thoughtful cold email.
 Despite no job opening, no referral, but just the right intent of adding value.

They heard back in a day. 
This was the first cold email they ever wrote for their job search.

Most Ph.D.s think people in FANG roles sit behind walls that only a perfect resume can cross. But cold email done right reaches rooms your resume can’t.

That one reply, I know has changed how my client sees their own path.
 They now know these roles are not “for others”.
 They are within reach. This is the work inside Smart Dumb club.
 
To be smart enough to act.
And dumb enough to question the old story you keep telling yourself

#rimadey #phdcareertransitions #smartdumbphd
P.S. Cold emails only work when they are written with intent.
 The generic ones never get a reply.

P.P.S. My cold email methods come from years of studying how people think and decide. I used the same skills to land interviews and offers that were never meant for me on paper. I now teach the same inside RRAPID.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey this is Rima, a scientist turned Ph.D career coach, helping Ph.D from 7+ countries land roles in pharma, tech & consultancy, & my starting point of career trasition was not resume or linkedin, but belief that I can do it :). it was hard but worth it.

One of my closest friends, a Ph.D. with stellar publications and a strong reputation in his field , works in one of the top manufacturing companies.

He’s in a senior role, solving complex problems that excite him every day.

However, since his Ph.D. days, his long-term dream was always to teach.
Despite his credentials, he’s struggled for years to land a role in a premier academic institute.

Why am I sharing this?
 Because your career choices as a Ph.D. can’t be made in a vacuum.

👉 Academia or industry - neither is “better” or “worse.”

But choices need to be made with demand in mind, not just passion.

If academia is where your heart lies, understand the supply–demand imbalance: too many qualified Ph.D.s, too few seats.

And if that path isn’t opening doors no matter how niche or brilliant your research it may be time to look where the market does have room. That’s often industry.

Here’s a decision matrix I built to help you compare the two & I want to acknowledge that this may be a very simplified version but it will give clarity when getting started.

I’m not here to glorify industry or dismiss academia.

But the market doesn’t bend to your passion. It bends to demand.

And in the current state of affairs, industry is often the stronger bet — both in opportunity and financial stability. 

Thats something I have seen to be true with most Ph.D's I am working with who transitioned into tech Pharma & Consulting.

Ignoring that truth can cost you your career.
So… what’s your opinion of this table?

#rimadey #smartdumbphd  #phdcareertransitions 

P.S. Without industry experience, your opinion on this table is, at best, partial. And I’ll take it with a pinch of salt.

P.P.S My Career clarity calls are now open starting next week, apply to book your slot. Only 8 slots available.

It is super heart warming to see when Ph.D"s in India are taking the initiative to extend the impact of their Ph.D in real world through their starts ups.
Kusumika Sinha Roy best wishes. 

If you are from biotechnology bioinformatics or related field, please reach out & share it anyone you know, needs this opportunity.

Hiring an intern to join me on an exciting research project this December!
We are an early-stage, grant-funded startup incubated at NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore. I am looking for someone with prior experience in molecular docking or molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.
Students pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s in Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, or related fields are encouraged to apply.

Ever found yourself in an interview for a role you didn't want?

A Ph.D. candidate recently asked if it’s smart to say during an interview, 
“I’m actually more interested in another position at your company.” 

They had applied for 2 roles, got shortlisted for 1, but preferred the other. 
Torn between honesty and strategy, they faced a dilemma.

Imagine this: You are at the final interview. 
The hiring team is comparing two equally strong candidates. 
Mentioning a preference for another role might make them wonder, “Will they even stay if we hire them?” 

This could shift you from top contender to potential flight risk.

I have seen this firsthand. 
During my final interview at Unilever the 2nd time, I was honest about why I was leaving my previous company. Despite a strong technical performance, I didn’t land the role. 

An insider later told me that my honesty raised concerns about my commitment. So, think twice before sharing preferences that might unintentionally signal the wrong message.

Hiring Managers aren't just asking, “Can this person do the job?”

They’re silently also asking, “Do we like this person?” “Can we trust this person?” 

Expressing interest in another role might sound transparent, but it can raise doubts about your reliability. 

In tight hiring decisions, trust tips the scale.

My advice? 

See the process through before sharing preferences. Stay curious. 

You might discover, like this candidate did later, that the role you once dismissed actually fits you better than expected.

Before saying something that feels “harmless,” pause and ask: 
Is this helping, or hurting, my chances? 
What signal am I sending without realizing it?

The smallest cues often decide who gets the offer. 
So I will leave you with the question -
Are you aware of the silent signals you might be sending in your interviews?

#rimadey #phdcareertransitions #smartdumbphd

How’s your IOS doing? No, not your iPhone.
I mean the one that decides if you adapt or become obsolete.

A while back, a Ph.D. from Belgium told me, “I chose you not because I was impressed, but because you were honest.”

I laughed out loud. The old me? That would’ve crushed me. Back then, I wanted to impress everyone. Today? I’d rather be real.

Most Ph.D.s I work with from Belgium, Poland, the UK, Germany, Canada, India, Japan, the U.S.have resumes way more impressive than mine ever was. Yet here I am, helping them transition into industry.

Why? Because two years ago, when nothing was working no brand, no system, no plan I decided to upgrade my IOS - Inner Operating System.

I started learning:
Selling, - facing 20 rejections a day and staying calm.
Public - speaking my first Instagram Live? Terrifying.
Automation- a never-ending loop of updates I’m still catching up with.
Copywriting - turns out, I love it.
Personal branding - an infinite game I’ll never “finish.”
Lead generation - learning how to make people care.
Influence building - leading by being the product of my own work.

Each step felt foreign. I failed publicly, looked foolish, lost my peace of mind. But I showed up again.

Here’s what I realized: tools and strategies expire - first yearly, then monthly, soon hourly. Crazy, right? You can feel it happening.

But your Inner Operating System? That never expires.
It’s the mindset to learn faster than things change,

The courage to act when you’re scared,
And the instinct to follow your curiosity.
You can’t outsmart AI with IQ.

But you can with HI, Human Intelligence: curiosity, courage, and the nerve to stay kind while learning fast.

That’s the real future skill. And Ph.D.s already have that muscle.
It’s what got you through your dissertation.
It’s what will carry you through every pivot after.

That’s what we build inside the Smart Dumb Ph.D. Community not just resumes or LinkedIn strategies, but an IOS that keeps you human while the world spins faster.
Y
ou don’t need to be the smartest person in the room.
You just need to be brave enough to keep learning when it feels dumb.

Will you?

#rimadey #smartdumbphd #phdcareertransitions

A pattern I have seen in almost every woman in tech or manufacturing including myself is this: when things don’t go as planned, we overthink to the power of infinity.

We replay the moment. We overanalyse the tone.
We carry the mistake long after the meeting ends.

Because in our heads, it always feels bigger than it actually is.
When I asked Supreet Kaur about it, it seemed she has been there too.
 
But now she’s learning to move past mistakes faster, to treat them as part of the process, not a personal flaw.

And maybe that’s the shift many of us need  less rumination, more recovery.

have you experienced the same as a woman in Tech ??

🎧 Find the link to the entire episode in the comments.

#SmartDumbPhD  #WomenInTech  #Mindset  #Leadership

➡️‘‘ Don’t worry, papers will come’ said my mentor when he sensed the anxiety in me, for not having publications.

Transitioning from a polymer’s scientist to diving into the complexities of mechanical metallurgy was a huge shift for me.

Starting from scratch in mechanical metallurgy was daunting, especially when colleagues with specialised degrees in metallurgy seemed to have a head start.

The worrying feeling of not knowing enough - haunted me, but I was
fortunate to have two exceptional mentors who embraced my unconventional career trajectory. 

They pushed me beyond my comfort zone, guiding me through complicated equipment found only in a handful of labs globally.

I vividly recall a moment of panic when a super expensive machine malfunctioned. 

And my heart was sinking, thinking I would be blamed for this.

But to my surprise, my mentors searched the manual, and looked for reasons for the machine not functioning, to rule out the possibility of human error

That day not only did I feel relieved, but I learned how to and how not to mentor🙌. 

Equipment’s not functioning to papers not getting published I had their support when it meant the most. 
❌Never did I hear, I can’t do it, or I don’t have the capability.

The years spent with my mentors were fun and lot of learning.

Does that mean, we didn’t have any bitter or heated moments ?🤔

OHHH!! You bet, We did, 

I had discussions with them challenging their assumptions, I felt like not speaking to them many times, I did accuse 😂them secretly in my mind for not believing in my theories 

And possibly they too know that.😉

➡️Point is being a mentor isn't just about shaping scientific minds; it's about setting an example for leadership in your field over the next 4-5 years. 

Because I keep saying Ph.D is a PROCESS HAPPENING DAILY that stays with you even beyond the degree.

Therefore mentor needs to ensure they are leaving the right impact.

✅And as a mentee, you need to know that, Mentorship is a two-way
street, so, while honouring your responsibilities as a mentee - 

if you don't feel uplifted, it might be time to reconsider your mentors-  if possible, or at best seek help!!

So yeah - my one and only piece of advise to anybody doing a Ph.D, choose a good mentor !! What's yours???

#rimadey #smartdumbphd #phdcareertransitions

The most harmful belief Ph.D.’s inherit from academia that keeps them stuck and here’s what replaces it👇

Many Ph.D.’s that I work with carry this belief that for a career transition they have to know everything in great depth and detail.

Listen, academia teaches you to explore depth of knowledge, and
honestly that is super valuable. 
However everything has an upside & downside too.

So when you are deep into something, for a good 4-5 years –
you also become prone to the downside of doing it for that long.

And that is you believe in researching a lot, before acting on it.
Science has a term for it named as enantiodromia, where the exact opposite happens.

Like in your career transition - You believe that collecting more information & doing more research will help you figure out things – but you are in a constant loop of collecting free resources, free advises but that is never executed or yielding results.

I did hear this from one of my client who told me “ I was drowning in information and had no clue how to act on it “

And so this is where you need to understand, researching is a precious skill,
but research without implementation is a wasted one.

You need to move from less research → to → more execution.

This is exactly what one of my clients did to land her industry job in telecom sector.

However it wasn’t straight forward at the outset. 

She had to understand what were her foundational skills (FS) & what were her Minimum Viable skills (MVS).
She worked with petabytes of data, & radio transmission which were the foundational skills required for the role of data scientist in telecom sector.

And we then worked on the MVS to build on top of the FS - which are skills that are an absolute requirement for the job she was pivoting into – in her case it was Power BI & SQL.

Now she didn’t need to know every use case of Power BI & SQL, but built something relevant for the role – validating further you don’t need to know everything in  great depth & details as you did in your Ph.D.

And that is your super power as a Ph.D. to quickly  learn things because you have the foundations for many skills.

So this Monday ask yourself, What are the Foundational skills required for the job I want to pivot into ?

Do I have it ?  If yes, what are the MVS required for the same & how can I build it at the earliest ?

And I repeat – you don’t need to know everything in great depth & details for you career transition.

You just have to act & move fast with what you know.
That’s your Monday reminder :).

#rimadey #phdcareertranstions #smartdumbphd

4 Ph.D.s. 4 domains. 4 different transition outcomes.
 
But one question kept coming up in every coaching call:
“Should I make a work sample or portfolio for my industry transition?”

Let’s decode this using real data from my community.

Here’s what actually happened 👇

1. The AI Scientist
 He built a portfolio, and it helped him land initial interviews for leadership roles.
 Those interviews didn’t convert into offers.
 He eventually moved into fintech through the larger job search process, not because of the portfolio itself.

2. The Computational Biologist
 She built a portfolio too.
 But for her job search, the portfolio didn’t play any meaningful role.
 She landed a consultancy role that required a case study, and later moved into pharma.
 
3. The Network Engineer
 Her portfolio genuinely helped in the interview.
 We used it to show how her Ph.D. work connected to the company’s goals.
 That clarity strengthened her conversations and made her positioning much   sharper.

4. The Astrophysicist
 Her work sample played a central role in getting the offer.
 And the company later featured her work sample publicly on their pages.
 This was one of those rare cases where the work sample wasn’t just useful — it became a highlight of her onboarding.

So… do portfolios work?
Sometimes yes. Sometimes not at all.

It depends entirely on the role, domain, and hiring process.

But here’s what stood out across every case:

Nobody regretted making a portfolio.
Even when the portfolio wasn’t used in hiring, the act of creating it helped them:

 • understand their work better
 • articulate impact more clearly
 • connect their research to business needs
 • interview with stronger confidence

And for most Ph.D.s, that clarity alone changes the game.

So here’s the real question:

If creating a portfolio gives you clarity, confidence, and sharper interview answers… is it still a wasted effort?
Tell me below , Would you create one for your transition?
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If you’re new here, I’m Rima a Smart Dumb Ph.D. helping researchers from 7+ countries move into pharma, tech, and consulting roles.
(My clarity call slots for this month are listed in the comments. Apply to book a slot for your free 1 on 1 call )

How do you know if the hiring manager is a good person to work with?

This matters more than most people admit.
 
You don’t just work for a company.
You work under a human being.
And that person can shape how you sleep, think, speak, and feel.

If you’ve had a bad supervisor during your Ph.D., you already know the cost.
 
It follows you home.
It sits with you at dinner.
It stays in your mind long after the workday ends.

That can happen in industry too.

So before you sign an offer, watch for these cues.

Cue 1: How they treat you when you get stuck during interview ?
If you have been doing things right, the right boss -
they will nudge you to the right response when stuck.
 
While other might simply move forward to the next question.

Cue 2: How they treat their own team in the interview room ?
 
This came from a hiring manager I interviewed during my Inner Circle call.
 Watch how they speak to their colleagues.
 Do they interrupt?
 Do they dominate?
 Do they listen?
 Do they treat junior members with respect?

People don’t switch personalities between meetings.
You are seeing the person you will report to.

Cue 3: How consistent they are across the process ?
 
Some people act warm when HR is present and cold when the room changes.
 A stable manager stays stable. An erratic one shows small cracks if you pay attention.

These cues won’t give you the full picture.
 Because Humans are complex & Culture is layered.
 A great company can still have one poor manager.

But these signs give you a starting point.
And for Ph.D.s, this matters deeply.
Your autonomy, your confidence, and your mental space depend on the kind of person you sit across from.

So here’s my question for you:
What did you discover about your boss only after you joined?

#rimadey #phdcareertransitions #SmartdumbPhd

AI is rewriting entire fields faster than academia can update a curriculum.
And it keeps leaving me with one question.
What role will Ph.D.s play in the world we’re walking into?

I am not talking about 2024 Ph.D.s. I am talking about scholars who start in 2026 and graduate in 2030.

Four years is a long time when models double their capability every few months or even weeks. And academia… well, moves at the speed of an ant.

I know the textbook answer:
Ph.D.s bring deep thinking, pattern recognition, problem framing, and creativity.

But here’s the part most people won’t say out loud.
These skills can now be developed outside the Ph.D. pipeline, faster and meanigfully. So the real question is not about skills.

It’s about relevance.

Which research areas will matter?
Which skills will compound?
What will industry still pay a premium for?
Where will Ph.D.s lose ground because AI now does that work better and faster?

This is why I’m running this poll today. 
I am also eager to learn about, your opinion on this matter.

#rimadey #smartdumbphd #phdcareertranstions

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