Julie

I did a PhD in molecular biology. During my PhD I realised staying purely in the lab would be too competitive. My husband — also a computational biologist — strongly encouraged me to learn programming. I started with Python. I'm not an amazing programmer, but I learned enough to apply it to biological questions. That combination became powerful. A postdoc combining biology and bioinformatics eventually opened industry doors.

“Programming gave me an edge. It changed the direction of my career.”

I moved without a job. We were in the U.S., I was doing a postdoc, I had a baby. My husband got a position in the Netherlands, so we moved. I assumed I would find something quickly. I was wrong. I was unemployed for six months — the first time in my life.

Transitioning from academia to industry was especially hard. You're highly specialised, but you have to prove you can function in a completely different environment. In the end, I got my job through a contact. Every job ad I applied to rejected me.

Very specialised. There aren't many relevant positions at my level. About 40 applications in six months. Maybe 10 answered. Around 10 first interviews, 8 second interviews. Zero offers — until the contact opportunity.

English wasn't the issue — my academic background is fully international. My PhD was recognised. But many roles still require Dutch, and the biggest challenge was switching from academia to industry.

The interview process is long: screening, first, second, third, case study, free labour. I once spent two full days preparing a 30-minute case — and received a rejection without feedback. I asked three times for feedback. No answer.

“They ask you for days of work — and won't give you five minutes of feedback.”

Speed. If you don't apply within 24 hours, you're probably too late. Recruiters look at the first 50 applications. At first I spent too much time perfecting cover letters. Later: apply fast. Another lesson — apply even if the post is in Dutch. A friend with A1-level Dutch applied and got the job.

On LinkedIn I posted occasionally, even though I hated it. Keywords matter. Activity matters. But honestly: applying immediately matters more than anything else.

In the Netherlands, daycare support from the government only lasts four months during unemployment. After that, you lose financial support. So I registered as a freelancer and started consulting in bioinformatics. That allowed me to keep my child in daycare, stay professionally active and avoid a visible gap on my CV.

“Even small consulting work looks better than a big hole in your CV.”

He was one year old when we moved. Three days a week in daycare. I searched for jobs three days a week. That was probably good for my mental health — not to search the whole week.

Surprisingly, moving with a child wasn't the hard part. Being unemployed was. The Netherlands is much more child-friendly than the U.S. — daycare was easier to arrange (we found it before we found a house).

“You cannot stay at home. You have to keep working.”

My husband insisted I continue my career. He shared childcare. He was there for every interview. Many women get stuck in stay-at-home roles simply because they don't see another option.