I sat down with a scientist with 25+ years of industry experience to talk about how PhDs can better prepare for careers beyond academia (Part 3).
Here’s what he said:
⏳ In academia, we’re trained to wait for certainty.
⚡ In industry, we’re expected to make decisions and move — even without perfect data.
There’s a critical mindset shift PhDs need to make:
Certainty → Speed
That doesn’t mean being reckless.
It means being willing to act with what you know now — and learning to make it work as you go.
🎙️ In Episode 3 of this series, 20-2-1: How to Prepare for Industry, Dave Giltner and I dig into this tension between analysis and action — and how you can start practicing faster, more confident decision-making now, even as a grad student.
P.S. If you’re interested in watching the video version of this podcast, check out the TurningScience YouTube channel!
