Stefanie Dobitz, PhD - Senior Innovation & Startup Advisor

Stefanie Dobitz, PhD - Senior Innovation & Startup Advisor at Bern University

Where are you from and what is your educational background? Where did you study?

I am a chemist by training and did my BSc & MSc at Justus-Liebig University Giessen. I earned my doctoral thesis from ETH Zurich on the synthesis and biological evaluation of peptide-based ligands targeting prostate cancer cells. In addition, I received a CAS Innovation Management and CAS Management in Life Sciences.

Why did you decide to pursue the PhD/Post-doc journey?

I did not feel like I knew enough to stop studying and learning chemistry after my master thesis.

It is often said that the PhD is a marathon not a sprint race. What are your thoughts about it?

I agree. My PhD took approx. 4.5 years of research and lab work, so definitively not a sprint.

When did you decide that you didn’t want to pursue an academic career? Was it before starting your PhD journey or during your PhD Studies (at the start, mid, at the end or after)?

I think at some point middle of my PhD. I realized there are so many talented and skilled chemist and that I needed to find my own niche. The niche I discovered was then not in the lab, but outside.

When did you transition into industry?

 Right after my PhD.

What is a current position? What was/were your previous job(s) (If this is not your first job in private)?

I am currently Senior Innovation & Startup Advisor at the Innovation Office of the University of Bern. At the Innovation Office I support researchers, clinicians, and students on their first entrepreneurial steps. Prior joining the UniBE, I led an international sales team for a Swiss CDMO, wherein we supported the pharma and biotech industry in the lead finding of future drug candidates, medical devices, as well as cosmetics.

Is your job related to what you have done during your PhD/Post-doc?

Yes, it is. I am working with lots of scientists from different disciplines, e.g., medicine, chemistry, biology, etc., on a daily basis. Having a (broad) scientific background makes it a lot easier to quickly grasp the technological advancements they have made in their research. Plus: Science is pure fun and I just enjoy learning from all the people I work with.

Which are the aspects that you like the most about your job?

Seeing ideas turn into innovations, helping people to grow and develop, as well as being close to drugs and devices that will cure future patients.

How has your work-life balance changed since moving to industry?

I am as dedicated as before to my job. However, there are more important things in life, and over time I learned to find a good balance between life and job that works for me.

How did you adapt to the cultural and operational differences between academia and industry?

It went well, but it was a complete change in terms of priorities. In research, you look for the next piece of knowledge to discover. In industry, your priorities are on the company and its balance sheet, edge over to competitors, etc. Both are very interesting, lots to learn, and I am happy to have been part of each.

Were there any new skills or knowledge areas you had to develop for your role in the industry?

I started with a sales job in the industry, so I had quite a steep learning curve right away as I had not sold anything before and did not really know how to do that.

How difficult was it, to gain the required knowledge when you first started your job(s)?

It was not difficult; you just need a good team of people around you that you can ask for help.

What was your experience concerning the transition into industry? What were some of the challenges you faced during your transition?

It was fun, but also hard and required resilience to keep on learning and growing after you have just received a PhD. The biggest challenge for me was really the priority and mindset change – What is our focus as a team and company.

What helped you before the transition (career events, workshops, contacting people on LinkedIn, friends)?

All the things you mention. I was first figured out the direction of what I wanted to do as 1st job, and then I asked people I know to help me.

According to you which are the personal/soft skills that are mostly needed to undergo a successful transition into industry? Or in your case what helped you during your transition into industry?

Being a team player and not being afraid to ask for help. As with research, work in the industry is a marathon, so prepare for that as well as you can.

What advice made a difference in your professional development?

I was always lucky to have supervisors who were honest with me and with what they saw in me professionally. Therefore, I always had a good idea of what I was capable of. At the same time, whenever my supervisors had the opportunity to give me space to grow and learn, they did that, either by transferring key projects to me or via promotions. 

What aspects of your academic studies helped you during your transition in industry (ppt presentation, public speaking, teaching, scientific project management, teamwork, multitasking…)?

Being curious, humble, and open to learn. You come with such an expert knowledge into industry and then you need to accept that there is so much more out there, where sometimes you do not even understand the language or abbreviations as a beginner (which is weird position to be in given you have a PhD, right?). Do not be afraid of that, ask for help and you will find your way.

It is also said that networking plays an important role in transitioning into industry. Was it the case for you?

I fully agree – If you can make connections, go out there and do that. If you have a good conversation with someone, always ask her or him to refer you to a person in their network.

Did you do one or multiple internship(s) in the private sector after your PhD studies or Postdoc before being hired for a more “permanent” job in this sector? If yes, was it via the unemployment program?

No, I did not do an internship, I was lucky to find a job right away.

What advice would you give to PhDs and postdocs who are willing to look for opportunities outside academia/in industry?

With a PhD in hand, you have a great basis to start your future career upon. The things you have learned, e.g., asking analytical questions, validating hypotheses, being resilient, etc., no one can take away from you and they are useful in any future job. Now it is time to be brave and discover new grounds outside your comfort zone – This is where your personal growth takes place.

If you could go back, would you change anything about your career path?

Nothing honestly.

What can I wish you for the next coming years?

Being happy and healthy. Have a job that is exciting and motivating.

Stefanie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdobitz/