PhD Career Stories

#130: Interview with Ashley Ruba on Using LinkedIn To Advance and Pivot Careers

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are you one of the people who feels shy about using LinkedIn? Do you know about its potential but still hold back, in fear of having nothing worth sha...

#129: Interview with Marie-Hélène Pelletier on How to Build Resilience and Break through Barriers

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do you feel stuck? Do you tend to procrastinate taking the next steps in your career? If you want to find out why this happens and how to move forward...

#128: Interview with Flávia Sousa on Academic Mentorship and Transferable Skills

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Has your academic path lacked solid mentorship and support? Do you feel that, in order to move up, you need management skills that weren't passed on t...

#127: Interview with Gry Wester on Shifting Mindsets in order to Succeed

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are you feeling frustrated and unproductive in academia? Do you feel compelled to quit and completely change your career? Join us for an inspiring epi...

#126: Katharina Schwaiger on Starting a Career in SciComm While Finishing a PhD

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are you a recent or soon-to-be PhD graduate trying to figure out the next steps? Have the events of the past few years gotten you interested in Scienc...

#125: Carving Your Own Path: From a PhD to the Director of Business Development with Martin Trinker

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you realized the need for a fresh job title that better aligns with your responsibilities and skills...

#124: Simon Rittmann on Innovating on Two Fronts: Founding a Company while Thriving in Academia

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You might have always wanted to be an academic, but what if your academic research brought up a groundbreaking technology that you knew could dramatic...

#123: Round table discussion with EATRIS on the power of soft skills in your professional journey

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are you curious why soft skills are crucial for your career growth? Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, this podcast is your ...

#122: Joel Baker on exploring the capabilities and limitations of ChatGPT: Tips and Tricks

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are you feeling left behind, questioning if your traditional methods are outdated in this era of AI tools? Do you grapple with ethical concerns when u...

#121: Interview with Bryan Quoc Le on stepping beyond one's comfort zone

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever stepped out of your comfort zone and excelled in something that you thought was not your cup of tea? This is one of the topics out of ma...

#120: Interview with Thalyana Stathis on pursuing a postdoc career in the USA

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are you looking forward to pursuing a postdoc career in the USA? Are you living in Europe, but dreaming of a long-term career in the USA? Are you look...

#119: Interview with Sajni Haria on transitioning from a PhD in Chemistry to a Business Development Manager

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

During your PhD, have you ever thought if the world actually needs your research? Would people want to use your product? In this episode, Tina Persson...

#118: Interview with Sara Andersson about the conflict between her PhD interests and her personality

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

'I really never knew how I felt in the lab, what does it really mean [for me]?... I'm a creative person, I love to meet people [and] I realised that b...

#117: Interview with Aditya Parekh on can you trust your gut to guide yourself in your career?

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"[On average,] one farmer commited suicide every 30 minutes in India",  Aditya Parekh remarks as he talks to our host, Tina Persson. This fact is wh...

#116: Interview with Priya Rangan on transitioning from academia while moving out of her comfort zone

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In an age of misinformation, it has become essential for science to reach the public audience in a transparent manner. As a graduate in science, have ...

#115: How did Marisa Pereira develop resilience and self-confidence during her PhD?

28 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Am I fit for a PhD? My experiments are going nowhere. Will I see the end of this PhD? I only have academic experience, how will I find a job in the in...

#114: Interview with Andrew McKee: On quitting a PhD and a journey of self-discovery

15 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes life hits you hard, and then you have to make new decisions you hadn't imagined making.  Previous goals and ambitions can evaporate, especi...

#113: Interview with Isabeau on strategies for making better career decisions

09 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Have you spent so much time thinking through career choices that  you could make but ended up making no decision at all? Sounds familiar? This is cal...

#112: Mark Herschberg on how to train to become an entrepreneur: Tips and Tricks

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Tina Persson talks to Mark Herschberg about how to learn to become an entrepreneur. Mark's recently published book "The Career Toolki...

#111: Interview with Niba about the turning point in her career

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Tina Persson interviews Niba Audrey Nirmal, a science communicator. Niba is dedicated to hosting and producing science videos related...

#110: Interview with Headhunters from GE Hunter

10 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Tina Persson interviews Grażyna Żywot-Ciecierska and Ola Samuelsson, who are co-founders of a global company called GE Hunter. They...

#109: Kathleen Champlin Story

13 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kathleen Champlin graduated with a doctorate in Contemporary American Literature from Ball State University in Indiana (USA) in 2015. Currently, she i...

#108: Adriana Bankston Story

08 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this new episode, Adriana Bankston tells us about her career story. Adriana is a Principal Legislative Analyst at the University of California Offi...

#107: Rachel Kindt Interview

11 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Tina Persson interviews Rachel Kindt. After a PhD in Biology and a postdoctoral fellowship, Rachel dove headfirst into the biotech w...

#106: João Graça Story

11 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

João Graça holds a PhD in Biosciences from Cardiff University and currently works as an R&D Project Manager for LIPOR, the entity responsible for wa...

#105: Interview with Lauran Fuller

14 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Tina interviews Lauran Fuller. Lauran is a mother of three, an entrepreneur, and a doctoral student. For the past 7 years, she has ow...

#104: Interview with Bärbel Tress

10 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, Tina Persson interviews Bärbel Tress. Bärbel is a Research Career Expert & Advisor. Her main expertise is to advise young researche...

#103: Interview with Adam Sierakowiak

05 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, Tina Persson interviews Adam Sierakowiak with a focus topic: the career transition into the pharmaceutical industry. Adam is a medica...

#102: Interview with Ofer Yizhar Barnea and Elena Itskovich

15 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Tina Persson interviews Elena Itskovich and Ofer Yizhar Barnea. Elena has a PhD in stem cell biology from the University of Cambridge...

#101: PhD Career Stories returns

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dear listeners, it is with great joy that we welcome you to our new home and to episode 101 of PhD Career Stories. After a year-long pause, we return ...

#100 Round Table Discussion

12 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to episode 100 of Phd career story, where we have a round table discussion with 9 members of our team. In this episode we talk about the impac...

#099: Rui Cruz Story

08 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to a new episode of PhD Career Stories. In today's podcast, Dr. Rui Cruz tells us about his career path and how he went from doing a PhD in bi...

#098: Evelina Kulcinskaja Story

26 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to today episode where Dr. Evelina Kulcinskaja tell us the story of her transition from academia to industry. Evelina received her PhD in bioc...

#97 Natalia Bielczyk Story

10 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to a new podcast in PhD Career Stories. In today's podcast, Dr. to be Natalia Bielczyk shares her journey from her homeland Poland to the Neth...

#096 Ulrikke Voss Story

29 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Ulrikke Voss   has a PhD in medical sciences from Lund university, and and has  been working as a postdoc and associate researcher at Lund univ...

#095: Interview with Laura Pozzi

13 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, Tina Persson, the founder of PhD Career Stories has an interesting interview with Dr. Laura Pozzi, who is currently working as a...

#094: Dr. Naresh Thatikonda Story

28 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

  Dr. Naresh Thatikonda, a senior scientist at Cobra Biologics shares his story and about his transition from academia to industry. Naresh did his un...

#093 Sabine Englich Story

14 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr. Sabine Englich shares her career story from the perspective of a coach and tells us about the essence of developing a satisfying ...

#092: Francesca Capellini Tips and Tricks

31 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is the second episode of Dr. Francesca Capellini, in which she will talk about the importance of networking in order to broaden your career oppo...

091; Francesca Cappellini Story

17 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to this new episode where Dr. Francesca Cappellini shares her experience about her career path as a scientist. Dr. Francesca Capellini is work...

#90: Interview with Sven Totté

03 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, Tina Persson,  the founder of PhD Career Stories has an interesting interview with  Sven Totté, who is a Management Consultant usi...

#089 Svante Hedstrom Story

20 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr. Svante Hedstrom will tell us about his story and about his transition from academia to industry. He will also share with us some...

#88: Ben Hartwig Tips and Tricks

06 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This is the second episode of Dr. Ben Hartwig, in which he will talk about resilience and will share tips on how to stay resilient and how to deal wit...

#87 Kate Evans Story

22 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Kate Evans, Founder and Director of charity called Elephants for Africa, shares her story and tell us how her passion and interests in elephants sh...

#086: Interview with Martin Blaser

08 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, Tina Persson,  the founder of PhD Career Stories has an interesting interview with  Dr. Martin Blaser, who is a postdoc coordinator...

#85: Ben Hartwig Story

25 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

 In this podcast, Dr. Ben Hartwig shares his story and lessons he learned during his PhD. Dr. Ben Hartwig is a German scientist, entrepreneur and a...

#084 Sonia Jaeger Story

11 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sonia Jaeger is German-French psychologist, psychotherapist, and PhD. She has been living a location independent life as a digital nomad for the past...

#083 Matt Hotze Story

13 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Hotze graduated with a doctorate in Environmental Engineering from Duke University in 2008 and he is currently Administrative Director at Nanotec...

#082: Pearl Osirike Story

30 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Pearl Osirikeshares her story and some of the most important lessons she has learned during her PhD so far. Pearl is a biochemist with...

#081: Fabian Taube Tips and Tricks

16 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This is  the second episode of Fabian Taube, in which he will share five tips on how to survive outside of academia after an academic career.  In hi...

#080: We celebrate the three years anniversary and talk about resilience

02 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

PhD Career Stories podcast marks its third anniversary! We can hardly believe it ourselves, but we are extremely proud that for three years we manage...

079: Presenting the team: Nika and Alice Stories

19 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode two member of PhD Career Stories podcast team, Alice and Nika, talk about their experience during PhD, earned skills and their career ...

#078: Michalina Lewicka-Yammine Story

05 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Michalina Lewicka-Yammine's passion for Neuroscience evolved during her master degree at the Jagiellonian University and her exchange studies at Uppsa...

#077: Anne Schreiter Story

21 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Anne Schreiter advocates for researchers and scientists. At the German Scholars Organization she and her team offer guidance and programs to help PhDs...

#076: Deborah Rupert Story

06 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Déborah Rupert was born and raised in France where she did her undergraduate studies in physics. Her passion for blending physics and biology bro...

#075: Fabian Taube Story

24 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Fabian Taube studied Environmental and Health Protection, Chemistry and Education during his Bachelor and Master study at the Umeå University in S...

#074: Tina Persson on the resilience during the job hunting

10 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

  In this episode, the founder of the podcast Dr. Tina Persson talks about two of the most important qualities you need to have during the job search...

#073: Interview with Anastasia Moiseeva on life coaching during and after a PhD

26 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Anastasia Moiseeva is a life coach, mentor, teacher and a life-learner. In 2005 she moved from the cold far-away Siberia to the Netherlands to pursue...

#072: Aoife O Dwyer Story

12 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Aoife O Dwyer was born and raised in Ireland where she did an undergraduate degree in Genetics and Cell Biology, followed by a PhD in Immunology. Two ...

#071: Chris Armbruster on how (and why) to become a Data Scientist

29 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Data Scientist is often called "the hottest job of the 21st century", but what makes it so attractive? And how can a PhD-graduate transition into this...

#070: Elvira Ganic on how to succeed in your job hunting

15 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Elvira Ganic is back for another uplifting episode and this time she shares her best tips and tricks from her job hunt experience when transitioning f...

#069: Chris Humphrey on how to break into finance and banking

01 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined by Chris Humphrey who is a project manager and careers consultant, and the founder of the popular careers website Jobs on Toast. Chris o...

#068: Elvira Ganic Story

14 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The job search period that comes after the PhD hardly can be called "fun", "exciting" and definitely not the one "to enjoy". It is the time when you q...

#067: Kajsa Hallberg Adu Story

01 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today you will have a chance to get to know Kajsa Hallberg Adu, who was born and raised in Sweden and nowadays lives and works in Ghana. Kajsa Hallber...

#066: Interview with Magda Schiegl

18 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In September 2018 Tina Persson attended the annual Max Planck alumni meeting in Berlin and had a chance to speak with the professor for Applied Mathem...

#065: Ali Al-Sawalmih's Story

04 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Ali Al-Sawalmih is the director of the Marine Science Station (MSS) Research Institute in Aqaba, Jordan and a researcher on Marine and Coastal Sci...

#064: Fulvio Caruso's Story

21 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Fulvio Caruso received his Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering in Palermo, Italy with a focus on hybrid inorganic-organic materials for photonics and opt...

#063: Girish Kedar Story

07 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Girish Kedar was born and brought up in Mumbai, India. For his higher studies, he moved to Sweden in 2009 and since then he studied and worked in diff...

#062: Andrew Quitmeyer Story

23 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The career path of the guest of our today's episode is anything but conventional. Dr. Andrew Quitmeyer studied Engineering and Film Making during his ...

#061: Per Olof Arnäs Story

09 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined by Dr Per Olof Arnäs who is a logistics researcher, podcaster, public speaker, blogger and entrepreneur with an - as he puts it - unhea...

#060: Joakim Muschött on making career choices with courage

20 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back Joakim Muschött, ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and founder and CEO of Skifta Utveckling AB. In episode episode #58, Joakim ex...

#059: Tips&Tricks Tina Persson: on taking a postdoc position after a PhD

12 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, the founder of the podcast Dr. Tina Persson discusses the question that every PhD faces sooner or later in his/her academic career: "...

#058: Joakim Muschött on the topic of coaching

28 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined by Joakim Muschött who is an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) that has coached leaders at all levels in Sweden and internationall...

#057: Karin Bodewits Story

14 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Karin Bodewits studied Biology in the Netherlands and is a PhD graduate from the University of Edinburgh. She founded the career platform NaturalScien...

#056: Priya Revathikumar Story

31 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Priya Revathikumar is an Indian researcher with a pharmaceutical technology background that moved to Sweden in 2010 to do a Master's project at Kar...

#055: Tips&Tricks Maria João Pereira: how to get a job in industry after PhD

17 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Maria Perreira is a Portuguese researcher with a biochemistry background, who moved to Sweden in 2011 to do a Master's project. Her interest for stem ...

#054: Dennis Fink Story

03 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In 2011, after his PhD in Marine Microbiology at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Dennis Fink started a company on science ...

#053: PhD Career Stories Two Year Anniversary: team discussion

20 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today marks the PhD Career Stories' two year anniversary - hurray! Of course we want to celebrate this great occasion and for this we have prepared a ...

#052: Matthias Antonin Story

06 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Two years into his PhD studies, Matthias Antonin realised that he needed a plan B. Although doing a PhD at first seemed as the most logical step after...

#051: Luca Forcucci Story

22 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Luca Forcucci is an artist and scholar of Swiss and Italian citizenships based in Berlin. His research observes the perceptive properties of sound, sp...

#050: Tips&Tricks Johanna Dutton: resume writing for researchers looking to transition from academia to industry

08 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Johanna Dutton is the Biomedical Engineer that after 10 years in industry decided to return to academia to pursue a PhD. She is also the Founder of Th...

#049: Martjin Bijker Story

25 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Martijn Bijker was born and raised in the Netherlands where he did both his Masters and PhD in immuno-oncology. In 2007 he moved to Sydney, Australia ...

#048: Tips&Tricks Lina Tengdelius: how to find a job after a PhD

11 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We are very happy to welcome Lina Tengdelius back to the show, this time to provide us with a tips & tricks-themed podcast on how to find a job after ...

#047: Erik Alexandersson Story

27 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Tina Persson interviews the associate professor Erik Alexandersson from the  Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Alnarp (...

#046: Magnus Eneberg Story

13 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Magnus Eneberg defended his PhD thesis Beyond the Product - Enabling Design Services in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises at Lund University in 2...

#045: Max Planck Alumni Association group discussion

30 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guests today are the Max Planck Alumni Irene, Maria, Sneha and Arnold, whom we met at the 2nd Max Planck Symposium for Alumni and Early Career Res...

#044: Wolfgang Nellen Story

16 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In episode #44 of PhD Career Stories, we are very happy to welcome Professor Wolfgang Nellen to the show. Professor Nellen was born in 1949 in Velbert...

#043: Interview with Jon Tennant about Open Science

02 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Johanna Havemann will talk with an expert in scholarly communication and publishing Jon Tennant. He will tell us why he has decided t...

#042: Tips&Tricks Anestis Dougkas: how to best prepare for an international career

16 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In episode 42 of PhD Career Stories, Anestis Dougkas returns for a tips & tricks-themed podcast. In this episode, we learn more on how you can prepare...

#041: Gizeh Perez Tenorio Story

02 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Gizeh Perez Tenorio is an Associate Lecturer  within experimental oncology and Online Facilitator in the Open Networked Learning courseat Linköpin...

#040: Lina Tengdelius Story

19 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

  Dr Lina Tengdelius holds a MSc in Chemistry and a PhD in Materials Science with specialisation in Thin Film Physics from Linköping University, Swe...

#039: Alex Rutherford Story

05 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Alex Rutherford is a freelance data scientist and entrepreneur with a PhD in Physics from the University College London. He has subsequently undertak...

#038: Katrin Franke Story

22 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

When attending the third Max Planck Career Fair at Harnack-Haus in Berlin earlier this fall, we got the chance to talk to Katrin Franke, Professor of...

#037: Yorick Peterse and Maria Eichel on Mental Health of PhD Candidates

08 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to a special episode of PhD Career stories. Our guests today are Yorick Peterse and Maria Eichel, whom we met at this year's Max Planck Sympos...

#036: David Alich Story

24 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

When attending the third Max Planck Career Fair at Harnack-Haus in Berlin earlier this fall, we got the chance to talk to Dr David Alich who works at ...

#035: Prateek Mahalwar Story

10 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Prateek Mahalwar is originally from India and completed his PhD under the supervision of Nobel laureate Prof. Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard at the Max ...

#034: Susanna Bächle Story

27 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Susanna Bächle is a scientist with a background in Immunology and Virology. Originally from Germany, she has lived, studied and worked in Germany,...

#033: Tips&Tricks Michael Gralla: what non-scientific skills are important for your career building

13 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Gralla returns for a Tips & Tricks on Career Building, to shed light on what else is important to work on despite your scientific skills. In...

#032: Anestis Dougkas Story

29 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Anestis Dougkas is a Researcher in nutrition, health and eating behaviour at the Centre for Food and Hospitality Research at Institut Paul Bocuse, Lyo...

#031: Jenny Zie Story

15 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In episode 31 of PhD Career Stories, Jenny Zie tells us about her journey from marine research to career coaching and what she has learned along that ...