The Career Scientist

Victoria Vicari
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Careers

The Career Scientist is the podcast for scientists, PhDs, postdocs, and researchers who want to leave the lab and academia and transition into meaningful, high-paying industry careers. Hosted by Victoria Vicari, former regulatory specialist turned career strategist, who has helped 340+ scientists land industry roles, this is the space to say what every scientist is thinking but may be too afraid to say. We explore how to gain career clarity, build confidence, communicate your value, and position your scientific skills and experience so that industry wants to hire you into a role you absolutely love. Because your last 10–15 years of hard work should turn into more than another job. They should turn into a career that gives you the impact, financial stability, recognition, and freedom you imagined when you started your scientific journey. Whether you're an MSc, PhD, postdoc, or already working in industry and looking for your next move, The Career Scientist is your space to get clarity, get strategic, and build the career you actually want. Your science got you here. Now let's build the career you really want.

Episodes

  1. Oct 18

    Why perfect interview answers don't get you hired (scientist-industry version)

    You’ve landed the industry interview. Now the nerves kick in: will they see my experience as relevant, do I need to know every answer, what if I don’t answer perfectly? In this episode, I explain why most PhD scientists and postdocs don’t fail industry job interviews because they’re underqualified. They fail because they answer the questions literally, the way we were trained to in academia. You’ll learn: How to read between the lines of common interview questions like “Tell me about your research”, “Why are you leaving academia?” and “Tell me about a time you had a conflict”, and what hiring managers are really assessingWhy every interview question is a risk assessment, with a real client example of a cell culture contamination question that shows the difference between listing protocol steps and showing how you thinkWhy your energy and mindset matter before you say a word, and how nerves, chaos, over-apologising and desperation can cost you the roleInterview body language basics: eye contact, scanning a panel, shoulders back, staying composedHow to walk in like you’ve already got the job, and how preparation and networking helped me land my role at IQVIAIf you’re a scientist moving from academia to industry, whether into regulatory affairs, medical affairs, clinical research, R&D or project management, this episode gives you three actionable interview tips you can use in your next interview.

  2. Oct 16

    10 CV rules I give to scientists (you won’t like all of them) to land industry interviews

    If you’ve been sending your CV to industry jobs and hearing nothing back, this episode is for you. I’m sharing the 10 rules I give every scientist I work with, from reverse engineering the job ad to deleting your thesis title, and a few of them might sting. You’ll learn how to write a CV that a department head actually wants to read: one that shows your skills, the results you got and what the company gains from hiring you, at the level of a PhD or postdoc. By the end, you’ll know exactly what to cut, what to rewrite, and why your CV alone won’t get you the job. Want to have a CV review or consultation with me to land your industry role? Message me on instagram at username TheCareerScientist

  3. Oct 15

    Why I left the lab (and said no to a PhD offer) and transitioned into industry

    In this episode I’m sharing something I’ve never really talked about on Instagram: why I left the lab and chose industry. I go back to where it started, with my dad explaining molecules to me instead of bedtime stories, then chemical engineering, biomedical science, and my master thesis in organ transplantation. I loved that research. I also did 24-hour protocols where the kidney went into the MRI at 7pm and I cleaned up at 7am. Then came the crossroads: PhD or industry. My supervisors told me companies would always be there and a PhD opportunity wouldn’t. I got offered a PhD in cardiology at Erasmus, an interview I only went to as practice, and I said no. I talk about the PhD students I saw around me, why I wanted to be the corporate girl in the blazer walking into the glass buildings in Amsterdam, and what changed when I broke in: my evenings, my weekends, and no work stress after 5pm. If you’re a PhD, postdoc or master’s graduate stuck between academia and industry, I end with the exercise I’d give you to make the decision. Message me on Instagram and tell me if this resonates. And the next episode is how I actually broke into industry.

  4. Oct 14

    Ditch the academic identity and get hired into industry faster

    You’ve done the PhD, maybe the postdoc, you’re applying and networking, but it’s not clicking. After coaching 150+ scientists, I can tell you it’s almost never your skills. It’s that you’re still thinking and talking like an academic, and hiring managers put you in the “academic” box. In this episode, I share the shifts I made going from an academic lab to a CRO and then into pharma: Zooming out from your protocol to show how your research moves healthcare decisions forwardMaking quick decisions and owning your results instead of waiting until you’re 100% sureGiving yourself permission to go to industry instead of waiting for your PI’s approvalI also talk about closing the lab chapter without losing everything it taught you, and I leave you with one question to answer today: what would you tell a CEO about your research?

  • 4 Episodes

About

The Career Scientist is the podcast for scientists, PhDs, postdocs, and researchers who want to leave the lab and academia and transition into meaningful, high-paying industry careers. Hosted by Victoria Vicari, former regulatory specialist turned career strategist, who has helped 340+ scientists land industry roles, this is the space to say what every scientist is thinking but may be too afraid to say. We explore how to gain career clarity, build confidence, communicate your value, and position your scientific skills and experience so that industry wants to hire you into a role you absolutely love. Because your last 10–15 years of hard work should turn into more than another job. They should turn into a career that gives you the impact, financial stability, recognition, and freedom you imagined when you started your scientific journey. Whether you're an MSc, PhD, postdoc, or already working in industry and looking for your next move, The Career Scientist is your space to get clarity, get strategic, and build the career you actually want. Your science got you here. Now let's build the career you really want.

Information

  • Creator
    Victoria Vicari
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Victoria Vicari
  • Show Website
    The Career Scientist