Philipp Gramlich and Karin Bodewits are founders of Natural Science Careers - a company for career counseling and soft skills seminars for natural scientists. For the Nachrichten aus der Chemie, both write about observations from their consulting work.
"A horse only jumps as high as it needs to," I say and nod to John, one of the participants in my workshop on writing grant proposals. He seems thoughtful. He has just asked me whether it would make sense to apply for a small travel grant. Because his professor has enough third-party funding to finance a last-minute trip to Mars - should NASA ever come knocking.
Most of the PhD students in my workshops have never submitted a grant application before. They seem to think that submitting a grant application is like preparing for an event as distant – and perhaps unpleasant – as the end of the world.
But writing proposals is a valuable skill that can benefit your Career . Whether you want to stay in academia, work for an NGO, or enter the private sector, this experience brings significant benefits.
In science, grant proposals are about more than just funding. They're about paving the way for your future. Studies show that people who receive small grants early on are more likely to get larger ones later on. These early successes signal that funders recognize your research and that you are able to manage projects and resources. They also show that you can make a compelling case for why your work is important.
Skills you learn from writing grant proposals are also beneficial for non-academic careers—even if you never apply for another grant. They show that you can clearly articulate how your project aligns with and advances an organization's strategic mission. For example, you might pitch a new idea to senior Management or develop a project for a socially relevant cause. So it's not just about securing funding—it's about changing your mindset. You learn to work out where your interests overlap with those of the other side. These are sought-after skills whether you end up in academia or trade your lab coat for a blazer or sport coat. It's worth jumping a little higher than you need to every now and then, so write your first proposals as early as possible.
Karin Bodewits, k.bodewits@naturalscience.careers
“Poster presentations are relevant,” I begin a workshop on the topic of the same name. This introduction is deliberately banal to stimulate thought. If something were not important, it would not be a workshop topic. When it comes to posters, however, this is not a trivial message: we often perceive the poster as a compulsory exercise. In order to be allowed to attend conferences, we usually have to make a contribution – the poster is seen as the low-threshold version of the prestigious lecture.
I am showing a survey that appeared in the Nachrichten aus der Chemie [Nachr. Chem. 2016, 64(11), 1097]. In it, chemists from industry reveal what skills they want from graduates. Poster design is in third place with 46 percent, poster presentation is in fifth place with 41 percent. Proud numbers for this simple compulsory exercise.
I look around: "As an industrial chemist, will you present posters? Probably not. So why does the industry attach so much importance to it?" After thinking for a while, Olga speaks up. "Scientists are said to not get to the point. And if we try to squeeze a full paper onto a poster, we'll spend the poster session alone."
She's right: a good poster provides information in a concise and short manner. The title - it shows visitors whether the poster is interesting for them - and a graphic eye-catcher are central to a good poster design. Add a few clearly explained images and clearly visible conclusions and the work is complete.
What applies to design should also be applied to poster presentations. “How do you feel when you walk up to a poster and are immediately overwhelmed by a long monologue about a tiny detail?” The nodding around tells me that this is a recurring phenomenon. A good presentation is a dialogue that is geared towards the interests of your visitors.
These are precisely the reasons why industry is interested in whether you can design and present posters. In the private sector, you have to communicate with a wider range of colleagues and partners than at a university. Ideally, you have a poster award that shows with a simple line on your CV that you can communicate specifically to a target group and do not get lost in details.
Philipp Gramlich, p.gramlich@naturalscience.careers
In a workshop on applications, Hans tells us about a frustrating experience. "I applied for a postdoc position that was advertised. I was not invited. When I visited the research group's homepage a few months later, I saw that no one had been hired!"
It happens surprisingly often that a position is advertised that doesn't actually exist - or that there is someone who will definitely get the job.
“How can you tell that there is an insider, meaning that you have no chance from the start and could save yourself the time?” I want to know from the group.
I have experienced such a situation myself - from the other side. My own postdoc position was originally planned for 18 months. When I applied for a six-month extension, we had to officially advertise it. Of course, there was no interest in pushing me out of my position.
“How do you think we worded this job advertisement to save time for ourselves and the applicants?” I rephrase my question.
"I would phrase it so specifically that only you would fit it," Josh replies. That's exactly how it went: In the job advertisement, we asked for experience in the field of my doctorate, which had nothing to do with the postdoc, and also for fluent German. The university administration was satisfied: target of zero applications achieved thanks to overly specific job description.
"How should I deal with it if I don't get a response from the employers?" Urzula asks. It's easy to say 'don't get upset'. But if we understand why we sometimes don't get a response, some of our anger will disappear. Of course, sloppiness or even disrespect can lead to us not getting a response. The most common reason, however, is a legal one: if the employer gives a reason for rejecting you, there is always a risk. Because you could try to read a form of discrimination into the arguments for the rejection.
The application process can be very patient. If you understand the motivations of the employer, you can avoid frustration or at least frame it in a way that doesn't get you down.
Philipp Gramlich, p.gramlich@naturalscience.careers
In a consultation, postdoc Daniel told me about his boss: "She's a great scientist, manager and person. But she seems to have a few blind spots when it comes to cultural differences, which often leads to frustration." As an example, he cites how the professor spent half an hour questioning a Chinese doctoral student about her project in front of the entire team. The boss probably wanted to show interest and find solutions to the scientific problems together. The tone was matter-of-fact, but the doctoral student felt that the persistent questioning in front of the group was a loss of face: "Later, she stood at her desk shaking, with tears in her eyes." Daniel offered to talk to her about it, but in vain. "Am I obliged to support my colleague more? Do I perhaps even have to speak to our boss?"
It is nice how much he thinks about interpersonal issues in addition to science. However, people with such a complex consciousness often feel overwhelmed by their sense of duty. How far does our responsibility extend as a boss, colleague or employee?
"What would your job description say," I want to know, "if it were really carefully written and not just filled out as a bureaucratic exercise?" It would say that you should behave constructively towards your colleagues and superiors. Acting as a coach or advisor to your boss would not be part of it. This realization can make this difficult decision easier for you: you can, but do not have to, point out your boss's weak points. If you do, it is honest and praiseworthy, and you can be proud of yourself. On the other hand, you should be lenient with yourself if you do not always exceed your target: above all, you are committed to your core tasks and your mental health.
You can apply this knowledge not only to questions about your duties, but also to your rights. For example, when you consider whether it is OK for you to work towards your professional development and a varied range of tasks. The answer will now be easy for you: Yes, of course that is OK. You are not a robot, but a highly qualified professional who should keep fit through lifelong learning - a clear core task of your job profile.
Philipp Gramlich, p.gramlich@naturalscience.careers
Clara is overjoyed: A top law firm has offered her a position as a patent attorney candidate. However, the salary in the draft contract is below the market rate - Clara is astonished. Nevertheless, two days later she writes to the HR manager saying that she would be happy to accept the position. Who knows whether such an opportunity will arise again? The HR manager's answer blows Clara away: "We do not want to offer you a position. The document sent was only a draft contract for viewing, without our signature." When Clara asks why she is suddenly no longer wanted, she is told: "If you work for us, you have to charge clients at least 350 euros an hour. That requires a certain business mindset. If you don't even demand a market-based salary for yourself, then you probably won't do so on behalf of the law firm either."
When it comes to something as important as an employment contract, you should always make sure that it is in the correct written form. That was Clara's mistake. She also disregarded a principle that applies to the entire application process - every step is a sample of work. Advocating for a salary in line with the market is not greed, but shows your future employer that you will confidently represent their interests.
We know the classic hidden work sample from films: the quirky doorman is the first test of whether your manners are polite. I was put to the test myself when I was invited to an interview after an open application. When I wanted to know what kind of position we were actually talking about, I was told that it would only be discussed towards the end of the interview - a test of how I would deal with this uncertainty. Such tests occur at many different moments. Because of all types of interview questions, work samples provide the employer with the most information.
Does the employer call you without prior notice to clarify a few key points in your application? Simply ask yourself how you would react in a similar situation in your new job. This reduces stress and makes it clear which tactic would be the right one. A good strategy: apologize for your indisposition and arrange a time when you can talk without being disturbed.
Philipp Gramlich, p.gramlich@naturalscience.careers
“Chemists get a doctorate! If you don’t like it, drop out!” First-year students are still greeted with such words. Is this still up-to-date? 25 years after the Bologna reform was signed, are bachelor’s and master’s degrees still not established as professional qualifications in chemistry?
The doctorate rate in chemistry in Germany was 85 percent in 2023. Anyone looking to start a career with a bachelor's or master's degree is still swimming against the tide. Employers usually equate bachelor's graduates with chemical technical assistants - despite their stronger theoretical foundation.
The only jobs in the private sector where a doctorate is almost essential are responsible positions in research. Nevertheless, a doctorate in chemistry - in contrast to almost all other disciplines - is often accepted as a God-given constant. Yet with a master's degree and four years of experience in industry, you are at least as well qualified for most jobs as a doctoral graduate entering the workforce.
How do you get your foot in the door without a doctorate? A classic chicken-and-egg situation, you might think. However, the job market is currently shifting: the shortage of skilled workers that has long been a concern across the country is only now having an impact on chemistry due to the high number of students. Companies that are prepared to break with the traditions surrounding doctorates will probably compete more strongly with doctoral mothers for master's graduates. First-year students will then increasingly hear: "We hope that you will stay with us after your studies to do a doctorate."
If you want to start your career straight after your bachelor's degree, let your supervisor know that you would like to take on tasks outside of everyday laboratory life and that you are willing to undertake further training to do so.
If you are starting a career straight after your master's degree, you should be aware that employers in Germany traditionally like to portray themselves as elitist in job advertisements. So don't take everything literally. If you explain why you already have the necessary qualifications, you show that you understand which attributes and characteristics are important in everyday professional life. This is a good example of your ability to research information.
Philipp Gramlich, p.gramlich@naturalscience.careers
When I was still working in the lab, one morning I found a note above a colleague’s lab bench: “If you touch my glassware, I will break your fingers. Sincerely, Czeslaw.”
I like to use this example to introduce the topic of direct and indirect communication. Direct communication is understandable, but can be perceived as harsh. Indirect communication, on the other hand, hides the actual message behind politeness and is therefore difficult to understand.
In a workshop we discussed a particularly difficult case: How do you tell a colleague that he has a strong body odor? Sascha approaches the challenge with a few tips. "Perhaps you haven't noticed it yet, but your office smells a bit. Maybe it's coming from the ventilation system?" Renata starts laughing: "You mean, you smell like the dead rat that was found in the ventilation shaft recently?"
Sascha's back door was intended to help the recipient save face. However, he unintentionally made the problem bigger than it is - a good example of the complexity of indirect communication.
Daniel speaks up. "My professor recently just wanted to give a tip, but it went really wrong: 'Perhaps the use of deodorant is unusual in your culture.' Not surprisingly, many people found that racist."
"Do you know how I came across the topic of body odor?" I ask the group. "The smelly person was me. I had to take strong medication for two weeks, but I was still able to work." I tell how a colleague took me aside and asked me sympathetically if I was OK, as he had never noticed my body odor before. "I was aware of the problem, but not of its extent. I was infinitely grateful to my colleague for taking on the unpleasant task of giving me this well-intentioned tip."
There is no right or wrong when it comes to choosing between direct and indirect communication. The idea that direct communication is necessarily rude is not true. My colleague was direct. He chose the right context, a confidential one-on-one conversation. He made me feel that his goal was to prevent harm from coming to me, not to put me down.
The intention counts more than the packaging of our words.
Philipp Gramlich, p.gramlich@naturalscience.careers
In a consultation, Laura reveals to me her problem with her current employer: "My company is currently receiving a lot of negative press. And there is at least a grain of truth in the allegations." She talks about adventurous constructs in tax havens, raw materials from sensitive natural areas, and Marketing full of greenwashing.
Your working conditions are good: your colleagues form a functioning, friendly team; your tasks are pleasantly challenging. Your manager is actively committed to her employees and their needs and development. At the same time, the company works with controversial means and partners, as long as the legal and regulatory provisions are complied with. This creates an internal conflict among employees: the company's development is contrary to their own beliefs. And Laura asks herself: "Can I still stay with this company, or will it break me?" There is no general answer to this. It should be considered: are there any practical consequences if the employer behaves contrary to your own morals? If the work is perceived as empty or even destructive, this can, in the worst case, lead to burnout - without any overwork.
Even if your ideals are the same as those of your employer, but the rest of society thinks differently, you are constantly being subjected to nagging questions. Standing up for your beliefs can be nice, but it is often perceived as tiring.
Moral conflicts can make it difficult for employers to find suitable employees. This could either lead to wages increasing out of necessity, or the employer could be destabilized by such a long-term problem. In the academic environment, you can make similar considerations. Almost a fifth of third-party funding comes from industry, which as a funder can set conditions. Scientific independence is central for researchers. In addition, it is easier to recruit doctoral students and postdocs if your own research is perceived as useful.
Moral considerations are always deeply personal. Don't push them aside, but ask yourself: Do not only the development prospects but also the moral values of this employer fit?
Philipp Gramlich, p.gramlich@naturalscience.careers
In a career workshop, Malaika talks about her move to Germany. "I was really scared to move to a small town like Neuburg. But I was pleasantly surprised: the town is very young, actually like a big university campus. The population is very international, I was able to settle in quickly."
Sometimes the demographics of a place are helpful in getting a sense of whether you might fit in: age structure, average level of education, origin of the population and even voting behavior can provide information.
"Can we make similar considerations for future employers?" I ask the group. "Well, I wouldn't go to Betzler's working group ," says Tim. "He's never had any international doctoral students, most of them even come from our city. I find that a bit provincial." "Can it be a warning sign if the group is very international?" I want to know. Stefan replies: "Hardly anyone who has studied here applies to Professor Schulke. She has a reputation as an extreme grinder, which only the locals know."
In industry, how long employees stay also plays a role. If the throughput is high, this indicates an unpleasant working environment. Due to the lack of continuity, little knowledge is built up. In such a company, you learn less than at employers where employees stay longer. If employees stay with an employer for a long time, three cases can be distinguished:
Employee loyalty, which the employer earns through good leadership and work culture. Does this make it a rigid environment? - Only if employees rarely change jobs within the organization.
Dead end. A few jobs have no logical connection to other areas if you want or need to change direction. This is not the case in industry, but there are jobs in government offices or as a teacher that are difficult to move away from.
Golden cage. Some jobs are so well paid that changing jobs almost always means significantly less pay. Once your life is adjusted to higher running costs, the transition can be painful. Jobs in patents and company Management fall into this category.
Neither internationality nor length of service with the company allow for a judgement on their own. However, if you notice a swing to extremes, consider this a warning signal. You can get this information quite easily by looking at profiles on professional social media such as Linkedin.
Philipp Gramlich, p.gramlich@naturalscience.careers
Karl is at the end of his doctorate - and has applied for a position that is advertised for master's graduates without professional experience. “Why do you think this is a suitable position for you?” I want to know. “With such a top employer, I thought I would have more chances with a position for lower qualified applicants.”
About half of the participants in our workshop think that Karl could be successful with his tactics. However, there are objections: “Don’t they still have to pay you the PhD salary?” asks Maurice. “And would you even be an attractive candidate?” asks Julia.
Being overqualified reduces Karl's attractiveness to employers instead of increasing it. The question will arise: Will Karl get bored after a few months and leave the company? Then the entire recruitment and training process would possibly be invalid. The employer will certainly also think about whether the candidate has a timid personality.
The shortage of skilled workers has now reached the chemical industry. For most applicants, there is no reason to sell yourself short. Only in a few exceptions can an application at a lower level make sense: if you have a career break, are moving from abroad or if - apart from the level of qualifications - the position suits you exceptionally well.
Applications as overqualified people are very difficult to write. How do you allay the employer's fear that you will quickly leave, but at the same time be perceived as appropriately ambitious? Show what appeals to you about the position and what you can learn despite being overqualified. How does this fit with your previous career decisions? Can you paint a picture of an employee for whom it's okay to do simpler tasks instead of making decisions and taking initiative and still - or perhaps because of it - provide valuable service to the team? Outline a growth perspective for your professional future that fits with your past and shows the employer that you will enjoy the position, at least for some time.
By the way: Whether the employer has to pay you according to your qualifications depends on whether the employer is subject to the collective agreement. This is usually only the case with larger companies; for smaller companies it is a matter of negotiation.
Philipp Gramlich, p.gramlich@naturalscience.careers
In a consultation with a doctoral student in the application phase, we discuss questions that could come up in the interview: “Looking at your profile, I can well imagine that you will be asked whether you can imagine working in another area.” As usual, she answers simply: “I would like to work on the simulation of catalysts, ideally in the area between a university and a small company.” I pause and we both laugh. “Ok, so I guess I get extra points for 'not flexible',” she sums up with a smile.
With questions like this, employers want to see that your idea of your own professional future is not too fixed - but at the same time that you know what you want. If you say you're willing to do anything just to get your foot in the door with this employer, they'll perceive you as desperate.
My conversation partner concentrates and makes a second attempt. “At the beginning of my doctoral thesis I worked in the laboratory, which I enjoyed. I think it is very important to keep in touch with colleagues who work experimentally. After all, we simulate your experiments.” She recently stopped by the laboratory to talk to a colleague, she says. “He showed me a transition metal alloy that shone gold. I was expecting a silvery color and learned during the conversation that the color can be explained by relativistic effects." Crucial information for her: "That was important for my simulations - if these effects are left out, then my models will no longer be correct. I could certainly imagine moving closer to the laboratory again in the future.”
I'm speechless. This answer is in many ways better than the first: the doctoral student explains her interest in simulation and in the same breath indicates in which directions her interest could plausibly develop in the future. She does this using a real and understandable example, which portrays her as an interested and self-critical scientist.
If you want to explain something, it will be more understandable for those listening if you start with a concrete example. Based on this, you can then derive general conclusions.
Philipp Gramlich, p.gramlich@naturalscience.careers
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last modified: 17.12.2024 11:59 H from N/A
