Takeaways from MCS event featuring Harvard Griffin GSAS alumni Dean Lee ’18 (Novartis) and Ben Cook ’19 (Walleye Capital).
By Aizhan Akhmetzhanova, PhD Candidate, Applied Physics
Even in today’s fast-changing job market, resumes remain a critical piece of application materials and often serve as a gateway that carries candidates from the initial application to the interview stage, where they can showcase their skills and expertise more fully. But translating academic research and graduate school training to a format suited to non-academic job applications is no small task.
This fall, MCS hosted a discussion session featuring two Harvard Griffin GSAS alumni, Dean Lee ’18 (Novartis) and Ben Cook ’19 (Walleye Capital), to help GSAS students build resumes that convey their skills and accomplishments clearly to audiences outside academia. The panelists shared their advice and insights based on their experiences from both sides of the hiring process.
Here are some key takeaways from the event:
Application review process:
While many companies now use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to automate parts of screening, others still review applications by hand. Either way, they work from carefully tailored rubrics and keywords drawn from the job description. Therefore, it is important to know your audience, explicitly state your skills and experiences, and, where relevant, to mirror the language of the posting by including keywords and phrases that match your skills and experiences with the job description. Additionally, do not forget to include your expected graduation date on the resume – this could be particularly helpful to recruiters and hiring managers looking to fill roles within a certain timeframe.
On the use of AI:
Many companies are actively embracing AI, so using it on your application materials can be welcome — as long as it’s thoughtful and shows that you can use the technology skillfully. For instance, asking an AI assistant to write your resume from scratch is strongly not recommended, but it can make for an excellent editor which cleans up your language, while still letting your own voice shine through.
It also helps to build a “bank” of your experiences, skills, and accomplishments — everything you have done in graduate school, from coursework to detailed research projects. An AI assistant can then draw on that bank when you tailor your resume to a particular job or industry.
Structuring your experiences:
When describing your experience, try the P-A-R framework, which stands for Project (the What) – Action (the How) – Result (the Final Output). It breaks each experience into three clear steps, starting with the project description, moving to the action taken, and ending with the final result.
Make sure to include relevant keywords such as the specific methods or tools you used — many of them appear in the job description itself. It is also worth looking up recent graduates from your program or field who have landed similar roles; their LinkedIn profiles or posted CVs are useful models for translating research experience to a non-academic audience.
Try to quantify your experiences, where appropriate. For example, if you helped write a grant proposal that funded part of your research, the award amount conveys the significance of that work. Same goes for the number of times your papers were looked at, downloaded, cited, and so on.
One thing to keep in mind: anything listed on your resume is a fair game for the interviewers to ask about in the interview process, so brush up on the relevant topics and be ready to discuss your past projects and work in depth.
Cover letters:
Cover letters are not always required, and some employers do not read them closely. However, they could be useful if they tell a story that runs “perpendicular” to your resume – explaining a career break or pivot, for instance, or a side passion that makes you a strong fit for a particular company or team. Make sure the cover letter does not just restate your resume, but rather adds a new dimension to your application.
Alternatively, consider including a brief executive summary at the top of your resume which highlights your skills, relevant experiences, and professional achievements, and shows why you would be a great candidate for the role. It is likely that the summary would be read more often than an entirely separate cover letter and can help your application stand out.
Referrals:
Referrals can be helpful as well, but their reach depends a lot on the industry, position, and the strength of the connection. Referrals coming from people who worked with you closely carry more weight as well, since they can speak in detail about your skills and performance and help companies identify promising candidates sooner.
Referrals coming from more senior employees tend to get more attention from recruiters and hiring managers. So while it can feel intimidating, it is worth reaching out to alumni who are further along in their careers. Alumni from the graduate programs often have strong ties to the very program they trained in, and many are willing to help out current students even 10-20 years after they have graduated, so they may be able to point you toward new opportunities.
However, a referral does not override a poor skills fit or a missed job requirement, and many candidates are hired without a referral, so do not be discouraged if you are cold-applying!
Networking and informational interviews:
Informational interviews are a great way to learn about different roles and companies, and platforms such as FirstHand Advisors are a good place to start. When reaching out to alumni and industry professionals on LinkedIn or other platforms, try to be specific in your request and ask tailored questions. Just as importantly, make scheduling effortless by suggesting a few time slots or sharing a Calendly link. Many industry professionals have packed calendars and receive plenty of these requests, so help them help you!
A few more tips:
In the age of AI, soft skills are becoming increasingly important, so make sure your resume highlights them.
If your resume could use another project or experience, platforms like Forage are a good place to look. Volunteering with an organization or initiative on work relevant to your intended career is another excellent way to demonstrate your skills, passion, and initiative.
The job landscape is continually changing, but resumes remain one of the ways for graduate students to show employers their unique talents and accomplishments and demonstrate how their graduate training prepared them for a particular role. And hearing directly from industry professionals, as we did in this session, can make the transition from academia to industry much easier to navigate!
