Notes on Preparing for an Industry Job Search

The author, who completed an NLP (Natural Language Processing) PhD at the University of Washington, summarizes their job search journey for Research Scientist and MTS (Member of Technical Staff) positions. The post contains practical advice gained through 11 companies and 57 interviews.

Key considerations when preparing for a job search are as follows.

• Adjusting interview timing: Use practice interviews to build real-world interview instincts, but manage your stamina so you don't hit burnout before reaching the companies that really matter. It's also important to understand a company's headcount (T/O) situation.
• The importance of networking: To land your first interview opportunities, interacting at conferences, collaborations, and reconnecting with existing contacts can be a huge help.
• Types of interviews: While research experience is what creates interview opportunities, whether you actually get the offer is often decided by technical skill assessments such as ML Coding.