Illustration: Tiago Galo
The e-mail arrives on a Friday afternoon. It’s a job alert. The research focus matches your expertise perfectly. The laboratory group has funding. The city works for your family. But then the familiar doubts surface. Your past four applications received no reply. How can you make this one succeed?
Hiring in science
This question can keep scientists awake at night as they hunt for jobs in research. To find answers, Nature surveyed more than 1,100 hiring managers, ranging from lab heads to senior faculty members across academia, industry and other sectors. Their insights reveal surprising patterns about what makes candidates stand out — and what makes them stumble.
This guide translates their collective wisdom into clear, actionable steps. Whether you’re a postdoctoral researcher dreaming of independent research or a seasoned researcher plotting your next move, these tips will strengthen your candidacy. (This guide is for formally advertised jobs. Another effective way to find a new position is to directly e-mail lab leaders you want to work with. Nature’s Careers team will publish an article on how to nail these ‘cold applications’ in early 2025.)
Study the job description
Start by examining the role’s essential responsibilities. Hirers in our survey said that they look for evidence in applications that candidates have read the job description and tailored their application to it. This was by far the most common tip that hirers said they’d give to applicants.
Consider whether the project’s direction matches your specialism and your career ambitions, both in the short and the long term. Pay attention to the language used. Mirroring the posting’s text in your application by repeating keywords is a good way to signal that you understand the requirements.
Before applying, learn about the hiring group or company — study its web page, read some of its research and try to get a feel for whether its research trajectories match your own. Hirers said that it can be a good idea to contact the hiring team before you even start preparing an application. Sometimes, job adverts are written by human-resources personnel rather than the hiring scientist, and speaking directly to the latter can uncover the true demands of the job.
Make a note of the steps involved in the application. These often differ between jobs in academia and industry (see ‘Common elements of the job-application process’). For example, hirers in academia are more likely to check references or ask for letters of recommendation and evidence of previous research or publications than industry hirers are. If you don’t already have reference letters to hand, think about who in your network to approach for recommendations and reach out early to give them ample time to respond.
Remember that some job postings will be designed to target someone specific that the hirer has in mind. This is more common in industry, in which 46% of hirers say they ‘always’ or ‘very frequently’ do this, compared with just 25% of academics. A telltale sign of such postings is that they look for a weirdly specific list of skills, one hirer in academia told Nature.
Top tips. “Make sure you know about the lab you are applying to, read their latest publications and understand their research questions.” — Academic biology lab leader in Poland.
“Applying even though they don’t fully fit the role is the biggest mistake I see candidates make.” — Academic medical researcher in Malta.
Customize your CV to the role
Some 73% of the hirers Nature surveyed require applicants to provide a CV or résumé. In academia, this rises to 86%.
Don’t send out a one-size-fits-all CV or résumé. Instead, tailor it to the job, emphasizing the skills and experiences that the employer will find relevant for the post. For example, if a position calls for project management or leadership skills, make sure that your CV clearly spells out the evidence that you have them.
How job-seeking scientists should walk the line between high-calibre and humble
The hiring survey identified differences between academia and industry hiring priorities that are worth bearing in mind when crafting your CV. In academia, publication records and technical expertise hold more weight. Industry places more value on leadership experience. For example, 54% of hirers in academia place ‘primary importance’ on applicants’ publication records, compared with just 25% of industry hirers. By contrast, 31% of industry hirers place primary importance on leadership experience, either in candidates’ working or in their personal lives, compared with just 19% in academia. And teaching experience, ironically, pulls more weight in industry than in academia.
The survey findings reflect industry hirers, preferring more-rounded candidates with a range of skills over those with the narrow expertise sought in an academic position, says Adriana Bankston, a former academic and research-policy specialist who is now working in the US Congress in Washington DC. For industry, she says, leadership skills are important because often you must take a project that you aren’t specialized in and run with it. Soft skills such as leadership and teaching could therefore be more sought after, she notes. “For industry, teaching is another soft skill in a sense. You might have to teach other people about your subject matter,” she says. It’s also a way to show communication skills, which are valued more in industry than in academia, she adds.
Whereas the content of your CV is crucial, the presentation also matters. A clear, polished layout demonstrates attention to detail and professionalism. Although spelling and grammar errors are not a major source of concern for hirers in Nature’s survey (only 23% of hirers identified this as a common mistake, compared with 31% who were irked by poor formatting), they should still be avoided to present a first-rate application.
Top tips. “Ask a friend or colleague to read and give feedback on the first draft of your CV.” — Academic biology group leader in Ethiopia.
“Make any figures in the CV yourself. It shows dedication, talent and potential for good publication figures. Even something simple such as contact information with a little telephone made out of a mathematical function.” — Government physical-sciences group leader in Estonia.
“Prepare a different CV for every application.” — Academic Earth- and ocean-science group head in Italy.
Write a short, personal cover letter
Only half of the hirers surveyed by Nature said that they require candidates to write cover letters. However, it might be good to write one anyway, even if you just paste it into the application e-mail.
As with your CV, it’s crucial to tailor the cover letter to the position offered. A lack of knowledge about the hiring team’s research and generic applications are the two most common mistakes that applicants make, according to our survey, and poorly customized letters quickly end up in the bin.
Credit: Getty
You should provide evidence of your motivation and qualifications rather than including generic phrases such as “I’m interested in this role”. A more effective approach is to explain why you’re interested in the position and how your background makes you the right fit.