Resume Checklist
Free
- 12 checks before you apply
- CV-to-resume translation table
- Keywords by role
Where PhDs land
Industry has more doors than "scientist."
Most PhDs apply only to bench roles. These functions hire PhDs, pay well, and value the rigor you built in grad school.
Regulatory Affairs
Turn data into submissions
Write and defend the CMC and clinical sections of IND, NDA and BLA filings.
Quality
Own GMP compliance
Review methods, investigate deviations and keep products release-ready.
Analytical Development
Build and validate methods
Develop HPLC, MS and biophysical assays that hold up under ICH Q2.
Medical Science Liaison
Talk science with physicians
Field-based role explaining clinical data to key opinion leaders.
Medical Writing
Write what regulators read
Protocols, clinical study reports and lay summaries of trial results.
CMC & Tech Transfer
Move drugs to manufacturing
Coordinate CDMOs, scale-up and the chemistry behind every batch.
Role finder
Not sure which door is yours?
Answer three questions. You'll get the industry role that fits how you like to work, and what to do next.
Your match
Answer all three questions to see the role that fits you best.
Resources
Start free. Go further when you're ready.
Everything is self-paced, so you can work through it around lab hours.
Industry Resume Kit
$39
- 3 editable resume templates
- Cover letter template
- 20 before-and-after bullets
- LinkedIn headline formulas
Coming soon
PhD to Pharma Course
$149
- Choose the right role for your PhD
- Resume, LinkedIn and networking
- Behavioral and technical interviews
- Offer negotiation
- Includes the Resume Kit
Coming soon
Done-for-you Rewrite
$450 / package
- Full resume and LinkedIn rewrite
- 60-minute strategy call
- Two rounds of edits
- A few clients per month
To apply, email hello@smartphds.com
Why SmartPhDs
Built from the hiring side of the table.
Industry language
Every template and guide is written the way recruiters and hiring managers actually read resumes, not the way committees read CVs.
Pharma and biotech only
Roles, keywords and examples come from regulatory, quality, analytical, medical and CMC work. No generic career advice.
Free first
The checklist, role finder and guides cost nothing. Pay only if you want ready-made templates or the full course.
Free guides
Read before you apply.
- How to write an industry resume as a PhD9 min
- PhD to Regulatory Affairs: what the job really isSoon
- Should you do a postdoc before industry?Soon
- The 5 interview questions every pharma PhD getsSoon
- What a CMC scientist does all daySoon
- Turning publications into resume resultsSoon
Questions
Before you start
I'm not in chemistry or biology. Will this help?
The resume method works for any STEM PhD. The role guides focus on pharma and biotech, where most life-science PhDs land.
Do I need a postdoc first?
Usually not. Many industry roles hire straight from a PhD, especially in quality, regulatory and analytical development.
Is the checklist really free?
Yes. Open it, print it, and use it. No sign-up needed.
How do I get in touch?
Email hello@smartphds.com.
Fix your resume in one evening.
Twelve checks, a translation table and keywords for six industry roles.