Kyle Frankovich
If you're wondering how to leave academia for tech, an academic to industry career coach can help.
Career Coaching Offerings
Academic-to-Tech Positioning Audit
Transitioning from academia to industry can feel overwhelming—especially for PhD students and postdocs trying to break into competitive data science, machine learning, and AI roles. This personalized Academic-to-Tech Positioning Audit is designed specifically for researchers looking to translate their academic experience into a compelling industry narrative.In this 1:1 consulting session, I help STEM PhDs optimize their resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and career strategy for top tech companies including Google, Apple, Netflix, and other leading data science employers. Together, we identify skill gaps, strengthen your professional story, and position your research background for industry hiring managers and recruiters.This package includes:• Industry-focused resume review and rewrite recommendations
• LinkedIn optimization for data science and machine learning recruiting
• Career positioning strategy for PhD-to-industry transitions
• Personalized feedback on technical and transferable skills
• Clear action steps for breaking into tech from academiaIdeal for:• PhD students exploring non-academic careers
• Postdocs transitioning into industry
• Researchers applying for data scientist, machine learning engineer, or applied scientist roles
• Academics struggling to translate research experience into business impactWhether you are targeting FAANG companies, startups, or applied AI teams, this audit provides a strategic roadmap for successfully leaving academia and launching a competitive industry career.Cost: $250/one-hour session
Data Science Skill Set Audit and Customized Study Plan
A personalized career development program for PhD students, postdocs, and researchers preparing to transition from academia into data science, machine learning, and AI industry roles.Many researchers already have strong analytical and quantitative backgrounds, but struggle to identify which technical skills are actually required for competitive data science jobs in tech. This program is designed to help you efficiently close those gaps with a customized, structured learning plan tailored to your experience, career goals, and target roles.This package includes:
• One-hour 1:1 consultation to assess your current skills in areas such as Python, SQL, statistics, machine learning, experimentation, data visualization, and industry workflows
• Personalized data science study plan and curated syllabus built entirely from high-quality free online resources, projects, and publicly available coursework
• Follow-up 30-minute skills assessment once you've completed your coursework, evaluating your progress, identifying remaining gaps, and determining next steps for transitioning into industry rolesIdeal for:• PhD students exploring careers in data science or AI
• Postdocs preparing for industry transitions
• Researchers switching from academia into tech
• Candidates preparing for data scientist, machine learning engineer, or applied scientist rolesThis program is especially valuable for STEM PhDs who want a clear, efficient roadmap for building industry-ready data science skills without wasting time or money on unnecessary bootcamps or expensive online courses.Cost: $600-800 depending on complexity of syllabus-building
One-Hour Data Science Interview Intensive
A focused one-hour coaching session designed to help PhD students, postdocs, and STEM researchers prepare for competitive data science, machine learning, and applied scientist interviews in the tech industry. This option is especially valuable for candidates preparing for onsite interviews, as I can conduct a mock interview tailored to the company and role and give detailed feedback.Many highly qualified researchers struggle with industry interviews not because they lack technical ability, but because academic training rarely teaches the communication, storytelling, and business-oriented soft skills that top tech companies evaluate during hiring. This intensive interview prep session is designed specifically to bridge that gap for candidates transitioning from academia into industry.During this personalized 1:1 session, we will cover key components of the modern data science interview process, including:• Technical interview preparation for data science and machine learning roles
• Behavioral interview strategy and communication coaching
• Case studies and product-thinking questions
• Explaining research experience in industry language
• Onsite interview preparation and presentation skills
• Common hiring signals used by top tech companies
• Strategies for answering ambiguous or open-ended interview questionsIdeal for:• PhD students preparing for industry interviews
• Postdocs transitioning into tech careers
• Researchers applying for data scientist, machine learning engineer, research scientist, or applied scientist roles
• Candidates targeting Google, Apple, Netflix, Meta, Amazon, and other competitive tech employers
• Candidates preparing for onsite interviews at FAANG+ companiesThis session is especially valuable for STEM researchers who already have strong analytical skills, but want to improve the interview communication, confidence, and business-focused storytelling needed to succeed in modern tech hiring processes.Cost: $250/hour
Complete Pipeline Package: Hard and Soft Skills
A high-level interview coaching program for PhDs, postdocs, and researchers preparing for competitive data science, machine learning, and applied scientist interviews at top tech companies.Breaking into companies like Google, Apple, Netflix, Meta, and Amazon requires more than technical skill. Many highly qualified researchers struggle with industry interviews because they have never been taught how to communicate business impact, navigate behavioral interviews, or approach product-focused problem solving.This personalized coaching program is designed specifically for academics transitioning into industry roles. Drawing from my experience helping place over 100 PhDs and postdocs into tech careers, I provide targeted interview preparation tailored to elite data science hiring processes.Topics may include:• Data science and machine learning interview preparation
• Mock technical and behavioral interviews
• SQL, experimentation, statistics, and product analytics guidance
• Storytelling and communication for industry interviews
• Resume and LinkedIn optimization
• Networking and recruiter outreach strategy
• Compensation and offer negotiation supportIdeal for:• PhD students preparing for tech interviews
• Postdocs applying to data science and AI roles
• Researchers targeting FAANG and top-tier tech companies
• Candidates transitioning from academia into industryThis program is especially valuable for candidates seeking data scientist, senior data scientist, machine learning engineer, research scientist, or applied scientist positions in competitive hiring markets.Price: Variable depending on duration and goals
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