Free checklist
The PhD-to-Pharma Resume Checklist
Run your resume through these 12 checks before you send it anywhere. Most academic CVs fail five or more.
12 checks before you apply
- It's two pages or less.Industry reviewers spend under a minute on a first pass. Your full publication list goes on LinkedIn or a separate page, not here.
- The top third says what job you want.Open with a 2–3 line summary naming the role, e.g. "Cell biologist with 5 years in assay development (flow cytometry, qPCR, ELISA)."
- Experience comes before education.Your PhD counts as work experience. List it as a job: title, institution, dates, bullets.
- Every bullet starts with a strong verb.Led, developed, validated, reduced, delivered. Never "responsible for" or "worked on."
- Most bullets show a result.What changed because of your work? A method others adopted, a timeline shortened, a grant won, a paper published.
- There are numbers.Samples run, people trained, % yield improved, budget managed, papers, citations. Aim for a number in half your bullets.
- Techniques use industry names.Write "HPLC method development" or "cell-based potency assay," not your lab's nickname for a protocol.
- Keywords match the job posting.Copy the exact terms the posting uses (GMP, ICH, CAPA, IND) where they honestly apply. Software screens for them.
- Soft skills are shown, not claimed.Replace "strong communicator" with "Presented results to 3 pharma partners" or "Mentored 4 undergraduates."
- Collaboration is visible.Industry is team work. Name cross-functional work: core facilities, clinicians, industry collaborators.
- Formatting survives software screening.One column, standard headings, no tables or text boxes, saved as .docx or a text-based PDF.
- Your LinkedIn headline matches.Recruiters check LinkedIn before calling. Same target role, same keywords, a professional photo.
CV-to-resume translation table
Industry values the same work you already did. It just uses different words.
| You wrote | Industry reads it as |
|---|---|
| Ran my thesis project | Managed a multi-year research project from design to delivery |
| Wrote papers | Authored technical reports and peer-reviewed publications |
| Kept a lab notebook | Maintained documentation to good documentation practice (GDP) standards |
| Troubleshot experiments | Performed root-cause analysis and resolved method failures |
| Trained new students | Trained and mentored junior staff |
| Ordered lab supplies | Managed lab inventory and vendor relationships |
| Wrote a grant | Secured funding by writing successful proposals |
| Presented at conferences | Communicated technical results to scientific and non-specialist audiences |
| Collaborated with another lab | Led cross-functional collaboration with external partners |
Keywords by role
Use the ones that truthfully describe your experience.
Regulatory Affairs
IND, NDA, BLA, CTD, Module 3, FDA, ICH, submissions, regulatory strategy, health authority queries
Quality Assurance / Control
GMP, CAPA, deviations, change control, SOPs, batch release, audits, data integrity, 21 CFR Part 11
Analytical Development
Method development, method validation, ICH Q2, HPLC, LC-MS, SEC, stability, specifications, tech transfer
Medical Science Liaison
KOL engagement, scientific exchange, clinical data, therapeutic area, medical affairs, advisory boards
Medical Writing
Clinical study reports, protocols, investigator brochures, regulatory documents, plain-language summaries, AMA style
CMC / Process Development
Scale-up, CDMO management, process characterization, critical quality attributes, control strategy, comparability
Next step
See these checks applied to real bullets in the full guide.