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May 2, 2024 54 mins

In this PostdocTransformation Show episode, Dr. Irène Kilubi shares her experience from being employed as a consultant based on her industrial engineering background and growing into entrepreneurship with two marketing boutiques. She shares her strategies and insights for individuals transitioning from academia to business, discussing personal growth, early supporter networking, humility, continuous learning, mental health, and gratitude. She is an advocate for age diversity in the workplace, and we celebrate her new book “Du bist mehr als eine Zahl” – You are more than just a number, Murmann Verlag. 

 

Listen to this 54 min episode, as Prof. Dr. Eleonore Soei-Winkels interviews Dr. Irène Kilubi! Capitalize on our chapter markers as needed.

 

Click here to find the shownotes with the full transcript, all mentioned links to our free career transition resources!

 

In this episode we gift you our free email course with ten email lessons until you start your new job in business!

1) Check your readiness to leap out of science (episode 0001)!

Introducing myself, I share how I capitalized on my PhD as a mom, professor and business owner!

2) How to build your sustainable LinkedIn profile?

3) How to read social media & network?

4) How to research your fave jobs & employers?

5) How to do informational interviews to get insights?

6) How to create your customized applications?

7) How to prepare your thesis from a business POV?

8) How to apply to your fave employers?

9) How to choose the right job offer?

10) How to prepare for your new job?

 

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Postdoc Transformation,postdoc transformation.
Postdoc transformation.
Invest in your postdoc transformation.

(00:23):
Welcome to the seasonal show forscientists leaping into business.
In every sponsored episode, we are happyto recommend employers of choice for you.
Make sure to check your readinessto leave out of science with us for
free, as linked in the show notes.
For your career transition, weoffer customized career transition
e courses and memberships, also atgraduate schools all over the world.

(00:46):
Maybe yours too.
And if your university isn't yet ourcustomer, enroll in your free email
course for career transition madesimple as linked in the show notes.
I'm your host, Professor Dr.
Eleonore Soei Winkels, with myteam who is rooting for you.
And let's build your postdoctransformation with this episode.
Hello, PostdocTransformer.

(01:06):
I have a special guest today for you.
You will want to listen to Dr.
Irène Kilubi, who is sharing aboutpersonal growth and career transition, and
she will be talking about the importanceof early supporters while starting
a network for a career advancement,pursuing a PhD alongside a demanding
job, and the significance of mentalhealth and humility, and asking for help.

(01:31):
And that comes from no one less than Dr.
Irène Kilubi, and we actuallyhave gone a long way.
Back in June 2020, Dr.
Irène Kilubi saw me when I was strugglingduring the first COVID 19 lockdown.
I was lecturing from home with twolittle kids in kindergarten age,
and she wanted my perspective ondiversity in her #OnPoint campaign.

(01:56):
At first I did not react due totime constraints, but While she was
asking again and again, I realizedthat my LinkedIn bubble actually
decreased because many caregivingwomen minimized their online presence.
So I thought, well, you know what?
That really is a diversity issue.

(02:17):
COVID impacts us differently.
I must support Dr.
Irène Kilubi in herinitiative for more diversity.
And if you're curious aboutmy statement, you can click
on the link in the show notes.
But now let's talk about who is Dr.
Irène Kilubi with Roundabout50,000 followers on LinkedIn?

(02:37):
You must know her.
Alright, so she's a doctor and industrialengineer and she's been working
as a consultant in top companies.
And that alone makes her a perfectguest for our show, but she's also a
natural and proven marketing expert.
And nowadays she's focusingon JointGenerations, which has
been awarded multiple timesas a social impact initiative.

(03:00):
Her personal growth willhopefully inspire you for creating
your own impactful career.
I am proudly one of manyadvisors of JointGenerations.
Why we at JointGenerations aim tosustainably foster age diversity.
We want to do that by innovativeand gamified communication and

(03:21):
collaboration across all generations.
So we want to share insightsand encouragement from business,
society, politics, and also media.
We do that by developing and offering aco creation app and reverse mentoring app.
We also organize and host theGenerations Festivals so that our

(03:41):
future can be co created by youngand old as joint generations.
Irene Kidubi is a community builderacross many social platforms, and
she supports companies in settingup corporate influencer programs.
She's a juror in many entrepreneurialand startup competitions.
She's a celebrated speaker, no wonder.

(04:02):
She also lectures digital marketingand entrepreneurship at an applied
university in Germany, whereshe is actually based in Munich.
has been recognized by awards andappreciations from the Business
Insider, Xing, Beyond Gender Agenda,Zukunft Personal, and Sales, Impact

(04:22):
of Diversity, and the German FederalMinistry of Education and research.
I was literally begging her to cometo my show from day one, and I'm
really happy to celebrate her nowwith her new book, Du bist mehr als
eine Zahl, You are more than just anumber, and why age does not matter.

(04:44):
So, Drumroll, andwelcome to the stage, Dr.
Irène Kilubi, and if I haveforgotten something, let us
know what we need to know.
Hello, Ellie.
Great to see you again.
I hope you're doing fine.
I'm so happy that you're alreadyholding my book in your hands.
So as you correctly pointedout, I'm a fresh born author, I

(05:09):
have initiated the social impactinitiative joint generations.
And our motto is the future is young andold besides the social impact initiative,
I also founded a small marketing boutiquecalled Brandpreneurs and Brandfluencers.
And here we have the focuson corporate influencers.

(05:29):
You probably know it, most commonlyunder the term employer brand
ambassadors or employee advocates.
And we also do, communitybuilding, as you know, right?
So we've been working together onquite a few small project and you've
been supportingJointGenerationsfrom day one on, and I'm so
happy to join your podcast today.

(05:51):
Yeah, it's been a really long timecoming in and it really is so valuable
for me because your work is so close tomy values of honoring and also building
the future for all of our children.
So as a first time author,why did you write your book?
I Could tell so many different thingsbut my mother and my sister work in the

(06:14):
elderly care So I grew up with Knowinghow other people feel and under which
circumstances they live here in Germany.
And next, during my studies,one of my major courses was
human resources management.
I studied industrial engineering and Iwanted to write an essay on age diversity.

(06:39):
And my professor was very surprised and hesaid like, Oh, this is not a sexy topic.
Why don't you talk about, Culturalaspects of companies and so on still I did
it and after that he was so impressed andhe said like oh, this is a very exciting
topic and as you know after my studies Ijoined several companies as BMW Siemens

(07:02):
in house consulting and at the end Iworked for Deloitte And was, strategic
advisor for several companies such asthe European Central Bank for Allianz
Global Investors, Vodafone, you name it.
And, besides, I've been alwayspursuing different side projects.
So, since then, I've been also auniversity lecturer, for example.

(07:23):
Nowadays, I'm sitting in theadvisory board of many different,
companies and organizations and Imet lots of great people, founders,
entrepreneurs, as well as people whowere involved in female empowerment.
And I still work with them today.
So I realized that many people focuson gender diversity, a bit on like, so

(07:48):
to say, cultural background, ethnicity.
However, I felt there wasa lack on talking about age
as a diversity dimension.
So And this is so surprisingbecause age is the only diversity
dimension that we all have in common.
And once you have determined yourreadiness to leap and want to transition

(08:12):
into business or industries, then youcan enroll in your free email course with
10 actionable, bingeable email lessonsuntil you start your job in business.
You'll get 10 emails like this.
Number 1.
How to leap out of science.
Number 2.
How to build yoursustainable LinkedIn profile.
Number 3.
How to read social media and network.

(08:33):
Number 4.
How to research yourfavorite jobs and employers.
Number 5.
How to do informationalinterviews to get insights.
Number 6.
How to create your customizedapplications with ChatGPT.
Number 7.
How to prepare your thesisfrom a business point of view.
8.
How to Apply to Your Favorite Employers 9.

(08:55):
How to Choose the Right Job Offer 10.
How to Prepare for Your New Job
We're all babies, children,teenagers, adults, and then
hopefully, happy grandmothersand grandfathers one day, right?
Ellie?

(09:15):
So, I did my research and waslooking for organizations that
I can support in this undeaver.
However, I didn't find any initiativeor organization where I felt comfortable
with, you know, because there are somany initiatives focusing on young
people and just a few on elder peopleand rarely any organization focused

(09:38):
on bringing all generations together.
So, the idea of Young Generation was born.
And, after encountering so manyprejudices because I was always
too young for something and I don'tknow, maybe I'm too middle aged now.
However, I know that soonI'll be too old for something.
And this is something I want to protectour children from, you know, to be

(10:03):
discriminated because of their age.
Oh, this is so important.
Age diversity reallyimpacts us intersectionally.
Aging is different for men versus women.
And that really dovetails nicelywith one of my previous episodes on
PictureAScientist with, Professor Dr.
Richa Chandra and Dr.
Amber Miller.

(10:23):
And to your point, aging is fortransgender people even harder.
I know a transgender woman who has beenfeeling beautifully in her younger years,
but now growing older, she has returnedto dress like a man because she doesn't
feel beautiful enough anymore as a woman.
This is what our society can do withus, you know, and as you pointed out, we

(10:47):
as women, we're never in the right age.
We're always too young or too old.
And I love the fact that you're mentioningthe intersectional aspect of this
topic because it's totally different.
A man who is homosexual, lives in abigger town, urban city, like Berlin
for example, and let's say 30 years old.

(11:11):
And someone who is homosexual and 60 andlives in a small suburb, for example.
It's a total difference, this issomething we have to consider.
In particular, if related tothe age, other dimensions come
into place as well, you know?
Absolutely, this is the reason why yourbook and also this interview should

(11:34):
be listened and read by a lot of HRrepresentatives of companies who want to
make a difference from within the system,
who want to become the peoplewho support the people at work.
So coming back to your book, what areyour favorite chapters and insights
that you want to share here with myaudience, the postdoc transformers who

(11:55):
are scientists leaping into business,but also with my students in real life,
the bachelor and master students ofindustrial and occupational psychology.
What are the things that you wantto share with them as they become
fathers and mothers in the near future?
Absolutely.
And there's one very important factorthat you forgot to mention, dear Ellie.

(12:16):
That you are also part of the book.
You contributed.
Yeah, I know.
But to be honest, weboth know how that came.
Right.
So you were thinking of me.
And I'm grateful that you did so.
And did you know that we offerdeep dive e course workshops and

(12:37):
memberships at graduate schools,maybe also at yours in the future?
Ask your graduate school coordinator,whether they want to book my services
so that I can deliver them to you24 7, 365 on your mobile device.
And even better, if you get us paid byyour grad school, we will pay you 50

(12:59):
percent recurring sales commissions.
So, you will earn money with us aswe help you and your PhD besties
to transition into business.
We can build ourPostdocTransformation together.
Woohoo!
Thank you so much.

(13:19):
So, coming back to your question,there's, for example, one chapter that
I really like it's called, I need totranslate it from German into English.
I hope that it's, close to it.
It means like, don't fear anything.
Why we should, , give youngerpeople more responsibility, right?
Something around this lines.

(13:40):
So I talk about reverse leadership.
Because nowadays, this is alsosomething that one quarter of all
companies are facing right now,that we have younger people who are
managing older employees, right?
So, I'm talking about my experienceis when I was young and people, thought
that I was too young to take on anydecisions or to take on responsibility.

(14:03):
However, I didn't have that much ofthis problem because they believed
that I was competent enough, butstill, they were so stubborn.
Stick and tie to my age.
They said, Oh, you're too young.
Just wait a couple more years.
You're performing.
You're great.
And so on and so forth.
So why, if I have all the requiredskills and I'm motivated, you
are only focusing on my age.

(14:26):
What is the difference if I'm 20 or 30,if I have the skills to do something
bigger or to advance in my career.
So this chapter is totally devotedto this topic, and also many
experts come to word and I havementioned several statistics as well.
My personal experiences, somevoices from the community, what

(14:47):
they think about reverse leadership.
And then also at the end of eachchapter, you have a little exercise
and time to reflect on the chapter,what you have learned from it.
I'm also presenting some methods,strategies, and tied to best
practices from people, fromorganizations like yourself or from
companies, corporates and startups.

(15:09):
So I'm so excited about thisbook and I really want people to
take the most out of it, right?
There are some chapters that arereally close to my heart, one is called
staying hungry and why the color ofyour life journey should be colorful.

(15:30):
I don't know how it's called inthe English speaking countries,
but in Germany we say, Oh, youshould have a red line in your CV.
And I think that's so awkward becausered is a color signal, it's always like
danger, you know, and I thought like,why shouldn't it be like green or yellow?

(15:52):
And I said, at the end of theday, it should just be colorful.
The journey of yourlife should be colorful.
It's not in a way like in the past,like for our parents, you know,
Ellie, they did their apprenticeshipor their studies whatsoever, started
their professional career and remainedat one company until they retired.

(16:13):
You know, so make your life colorfulbecause you are facing many different
life stages and you have a greatpersonality with many different
facets and many different skills.
So live it out, right?
Make your life journeyand your CV colorful.
And this applies to every age, youknow, like if you're very young,

(16:35):
you still don't know what to do.
Try out things.
You know, you don't need to bestuck in your comfort zone and
the other, the same thing appliesto people who are older as well.
Even though you're 50, if you thinkthat there's a career move, the right
thing for you to do, so go for it.
Absolutely.
And you know, for me, becoming a mom wasalmost one of the most profound decisions,

(16:59):
if you can call that a decision,because it really is a gift, you know?
It made me so much stronger in whatI advocate for myself and my kids.
So, talking about your picture ofa thread that is really colorful, I
could spin that a little bit further.
You know, you could also think of it ashaving a lot of threads that you can braid

(17:21):
or dovetail and they become stronger.
So, instead of having one thread ofone color, you can have a stronger and
more colorful rope, which is even moreelastic and resilient for your future.
So now, let's come backto your book again.
As you know my various audiencegroups, for whom is your book relevant?
As I aforementioned, age issomething that applies to everyone.

(17:45):
Something that is relevant to all of us.
So, in the first place, of course,it's dedicated to HR professionals.
I hope that it will help them to Changetheir mindset in terms of people being too
young or too old to, on the one hand, theyoung people to take on responsibility or
to make the right decisions or to be takenseriously when they have great ideas,

(18:08):
great concepts that they want to follow.
On the other hand , older people,where HR professional might probably
think, Oh, they're too old to, to.
Still possess certain competenciesor even to learn new skills, right?
So for them to not think in terms of age,but in terms of passion, potential, skill
level and motivation as well, right?

(18:32):
So it's a good thing, for them to reflecton that, to be aware of that and also to
understand, how people in that positionfeel when they apply or when they're in
the company, working with teams togetherand Also to understand the different
generations and their life stages, right?
But still, there are also some exercises,some thought provoking chapters for

(18:57):
every individual out there becauseeveryone can relate to it and feel it.
Everyone has been Perceived either asbeing too young or too old and also
to reflect on that and to be aware oflike, how do I feel about my own age?
How do I face challenges when it comesto societal life or professional career?

(19:19):
How do I face the situationand how do I overcome that
can come along that, you know?
Just to mention one example.
Maybe you are 50 and you want to trysomething new or you want to make
yourself independent, but you are doubtingbecause you feel like, okay, no one
will employ me or I'm too old for that.

(19:41):
Will I be accepted beingperceived as old, right?
And also do I limit myselfdue to my age, right?
And if I do so, whatcan I do to overcome it?
You know, and what does it mean interms of the way I live my life?
Because the book is called youare more than a number, you know?

(20:05):
So do you live a life where you are anumber or where age does not play a role?
Absolutely agreed.
I really do think that age as anumber shouldn't matter that much.
And now, it's time to thank CompanyABC who sponsors this episode of

(20:25):
the Postdoc Transformation Show.
I will now be reading the company'sanswers to one of six bold questions
so that you can choose to apply.
For example, number one, describeyour most valuable experts
versus leaders in your company.
Have they typically earned a doctor title?
Number two, For whichever companyroles or units do you encourage

(20:46):
somebody with a doctor title to apply?
Number 3.
How would you describe your organizationalculture in which your most valuable
experts and leaders thrive in?
To nominate an employer ofchoice so that we can ask our own
formative bold questions, let usknow via the click on the link.
If you are a company representative,like in recruiting and employer

(21:08):
branding, and now you want your companyto be highlighted as an employer
of choice for our audience, youcan become a sponsor of a dedicated
Postdoc Transformation Show episode.
Just click on the link in theshow notes, and now, back to the
PostdocTransformation episode.

(21:29):
And looking at your book, it's more like aworkbook for the individual, but also for
companies who can offer discussions aroundthat during a Lunch Learn, you know, to
talk about this in a group or whatever.
So, what are ideal outcomesfrom your book, Irene?
I also want to emphasize thatthis book is an action book
for every generation, right?

(21:51):
So, the ideal outcome wouldbe, just put it simple.
That age does not matter anymore.
This would be the ideal world, thatwe also focus on our commonalities
rather than our differences.
Because this is what unites us.
Let's take work life balance as anexample because sometimes older people
claim, Oh, those young people, theyonly care about work life balance.

(22:14):
We didn't have work life balance.
We worked hard.
You know, but I say like, nowadayswe live under Totally different
circumstances, different context.
And the funny thing is, our parentsclaimed for themselves to have work
life balance, but they didn't havethe opportunity to realize it because,
here again, the societal and politicalcircumstances were totally different.

(22:37):
And now, The so called Generation Z, forexample, has the opportunity to really
claim it and Also say like if there'san employer who doesn't provide it, I
go to the to another employer, right?
Say goodbye.
Why should I be loyal towards you ifthe values And the company culture

(22:59):
you promised me don't stick to reality
Yeah.
And I really do encourage also myown bachelor and master's students
to be valuable and contributinghigh performance today so they can
also be picky as they can afford it.
They are our future of work.
Now, we may look into your future,what's coming next around your

(23:19):
book, but also your own business,which you mentioned in the intro,
Brandpreneurs and Brandfluencers.
Yes.
So as you know, I had myrelease, last week on Thursday.
So there's a lot of marketing, spreadingthe words and also talking about
marketing, Marketing a book is one ofthe toughest things you can do, right?
So, it definitely helps if youhave a community that pushes it

(23:43):
forward and posts about it until,people can not see it anymore.
Then it's the right time, youknow, it's the right level,
the right level is reached.
You know why?
Because for every other product,you need five to seven touch
points until people buy it.
But for books, it's nine touch points.
It means they have to see thebook like nine times somewhere.

(24:05):
Listen or see people talking aboutit nine times until they buy it
because you know Buying booksis something highly emotional.
Why should a person buy a bookfrom someone they don't know?
you know who's not a celebrityor a TV star or a soccer star.
Selling books starts like insurances withyour family friends and community and

(24:28):
then it spreads the word You know andif it doesn't spread the word It will
be lost in transit somewhere, you know,because the first one, two weeks are very
important for a book to get this traction.
If it doesn't, you know, like thebookstores, they will not present
it in their shelves and make itvisible and then you're gone.

(24:51):
So it's a pretty tough time right nowfor me, but I hope that it will help
make JointGenerations more visible thatmore and more people also support the
mission and more and more organizationsinitiatives, um, get founded, you know,
like to, to make this topic more visibleso that not so much responsibility rests

(25:14):
on my shoulders alone, you know, so Ifeel really excited about it that also
other people are joining this mission.
So it's great to see.
And I also want to jump in,dear PostdocTransformers, you
are currently listening to aLinkedIn Rockstar in Germany.
I call Dr.
Irène Kilubi the Community Queen.

(25:34):
She's got over 40 000 followers andthe list of the co contributors is
the WhoisWho on LinkedIn Germany.
I follow a lot of them becausethey themselves are inspiring for
leadership, new work, age inclusion,employer branding, diversity, digital
marketing, and entrepreneurship.
So, I'm now talking especially to mybachelor and master students in real life.

(25:59):
If you are planning a career inGermany, This book is full of people
you should know and follow on LinkedIn.
Irene is really in the trenchesof these topics since many, many
years, and she's got a gift for you.
Drumroll!
You can win a book by sharing in yourTikTok, Instagram stories, or posts

(26:20):
in LinkedIn, X, YouTube, or commentwith your podcast app or whatever.
And very important, tag me and her, Dr.
Eleonore Soei Winkels, whyyou want to win her book.
And I will send you one of the copieswhich she graciously sent to me for this
episode of the PostdocTransformation Show.
Woohoo!

(26:41):
Yes, absolutely.
And you know what?
There are two people from my network,that presented me a great idea.
They said like, it's the bestbirthday present ever because
you know, sometimes people feelfrustrated getting one year older
and then say like, hey, look at this.
You know?
And, one of my friends, she'll havebirthday, round birthday, 70 years old,

(27:02):
she'll turn, and she said, like, you haveto come, we will present some of your
books, because that absolutely fits tome, me and my current situation, because
every time I get frustrated gettingolder, I would just see, like, you.
You're just more than a number andyour age doesn't matter, you know,
it's like also like a feel good book,you know To feel good about your age

(27:29):
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(27:50):
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(28:12):
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And that really is the perfect segueto the next topic, because now I want
to talk to specifically the scientistsleaping into business who may feel a

(28:36):
little bit old compared to all the, youknow, freshers who come from the bachelor
and master studies when they enterthe business world and they then find
themselves in very similar roles becauseall of them are very fresh in industries.
So, Dr.
Irène Kilubi is also someonewho leaped into business.
Can you tell us a little bit moreabout your own PhD story, Irène?

(29:05):
Well, you know I did all myeducation here in Germany.
I did my university entrylevel certification.
Then I studied in Germany.
I studied one year in theUK, did my master's there.
And then I joined the industry.
As aforementioned, I'm a corporatekid, I worked at corporates a
lot, but doing some side hustling.

(29:27):
I also learned the world ofstartups and entrepreneurs, which
I found very exciting as well.
And nowadays having two companies.
I'm also getting to know the smalland medium, enterprises, you know,
like depending on the context Iwork with different industries.
And so I realized that totally different.
The corporate is totally differentfrom a startup or scale up and from

(29:50):
a small and medium enterprise, youknow, in terms of company culture.
And in particular, in terms of the wholeprocesses that work together, and most
of the time a corporate is larger and,the employees are dispersed globally.
And processes can take on lots oftime until you make any decisions

(30:11):
and startups are so fast pacedand very quick, very agile.
And I would say like small andmedium enterprise, something in
between, you know, they are tryingto take the best of both worlds.
And so for me working there, it wasvery exciting when I entered, BMW, it
was my first employer after my studies.

(30:32):
I was.
By far the youngest in the department.
The next older colleague was 43.
So we had like 18 to 19 years of agedifference and this is where I also
particularly realized how relevant,irrelevant my age is, because everything

(30:52):
I did was always tied to my age.
Oh, you're so young and dynamic.
You think you can change theworld and you're so excited and
you're always in a good mood.
Wait a couple of years that will change.
Those who are older, they saidlike, Oh, I'm getting paid for being
present and not for my performance.
You know, and I was.

(31:13):
I always thought like, how sad isthat, that you spend like at least
80 percent of your lifetime atwork, and you feel so negatively
about About working, work itself andyour working environment and so on.
I said like, I don't want to livethat, that life, you know, and wait

(31:35):
until I retire to be happy finally.
And this is something Ican recommend to everyone.
Be it that you are in yourmid twenties or you are fifty.
Don't wait until it, it hurts, you know.
Change it immediately when you realizethat you're not happy or you're not

(31:57):
living your full potential because atthe end of the day studies have shown
that the most important thing foremployees is if they feel that they
can bring value add to the company.
So it's a win win situation forthe employer and for the employee.
So ask yourself, do you feel whereyou are right now you can bring

(32:18):
value add to the company or not?
So if it's not the case.
Either you should talk to yoursupervisors or like look for
another activity within the company.
If this still doesn't help, youhave to look for something where you
really find a way to bring together.
I think that those twocomponents are very essential.

(32:40):
Passion and performance.
You get my point?
Because if you're pursuing an activitywhere you only feel passionate about,
but you feel that you're Your performanceis mediocre and so many other people
are better than yourself, you won'tbe happy if you, pursue a job where

(33:02):
you bring a lot of performance butyou don't feel passionate about it.
You won't be happy either.
So here, the art of all things isfinding a way to bring both together.
And this is also one of my methods in thebook, the soul analysis, so to say, right.
Irène, I already introduced you asmy community queen on LinkedIn, so

(33:26):
tell me, what is your secret sauce?
You mentioned it LinkedIn being visible,personal branding, networking, you know.
Start networking, building your personalbrand as soon as you can and it's not
only about social media, it's alsooffline because I would, I would tell
that my network is even stronger outsideof social media, you know, because not

(33:51):
everyone in my network is on socialmedia and to be honest, most of the
great, great deals I get from offlineactivities and people that I know
offline, or they recommend me, right?
So.
At the end of the day, I feel likebringing both together, balancing
it out is a perfect match, I wouldalways say that social media is

(34:12):
only the starting point, but thereal partnerships, the strong bonds
can only be realized in persona.
And oftentimes I experienced, I'vebeen talking so many times with people
online or also via conference calls.
And it took so long until wefinally made a deal, but once I met

(34:34):
them, after five minutes, so Dr.
Kilubi will sign the contractand say like, what is the
difference now after five minutes?
And we talking for months and weeks,but I think that sometimes people
just need this personal connection,and this is absolutely valuable.
So, and to be honest, I already startedbuilding my network early on without

(34:56):
even thinking of building my own companyjust because I enjoyed networking.
I enjoyed exchanging with people andthat's the the number one thing to
be successful, you know, to enjoyit and not to consider it as work.
I don't consider it as work, youknow, if it feels like a burden,

(35:18):
you will not be successful.
Just imagine like going for fordinner or for lunch with several
people enjoying your time.
That's the same thing.
From episode one and counting, Ihave proudly hosted all our Postdoc
Transformation Show episodes on Podbean.

(35:39):
As a former IT strategy consultant,I have high requirements on my
tech stack and Podbean is myperfect fit for a podcast host.
If you want to create your own individualpodcast or want for, you know, internal
upskilling and communications withina company, DM or email me podbean so I
can share my experience and consult you.

(36:00):
You can also use my affiliatelinks for perks, launching
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ActiveCampaign is a musthave recommendation.

(36:20):
I use it daily.
If you want to create your owndigital business with various lead
markets and funnel options, DM oremail me ActiveCampaign so I can
share my experience and consult you.
You can also use my affiliate links forperks launching your own digital business

(36:41):
can absolutely attest to that because,and you and I have also met in Duisburg,
which is a city nearby, and you toldme by that so many things in the sense
of how can considerate you can be,you send me a message that you will be
nearby and let's meet because you knowthat I don't travel nowadays anymore,

(37:02):
that really made such a huge impressionon me and I absolutely cherish this
meeting and I haven't posted about itbecause it's so rare and valuable for me.
And now your interview here in thePostdocTransformation Show is the
perfect place to show that picturebecause I really agree with you.
Meeting someone in person can evenmake a bigger impact than just a

(37:23):
post, just a like, just a comment.
So I second you here, Irène.
Apart from networking on LinkedIn, etcetera, on social media, which is arguably
great for introverts, I encourage allPostdocTransformers, if you don't go
out and meet the key people in person,you will miss out on opportunities for
your career transition into business.

(37:45):
All right.
So let's switch gears a littlebit and look at your background.
I already alluded to it earlier.
You are an engineer.
So, how come you are so great on marketingwith your engineering background?
Yes, to be honest, it's also a littlebit of my history because when I grew up,
people always tend to say like, Oh, you'reso outgoing, communicative, you should

(38:08):
be something, do something creative.
And my marketing professor, shewas always very impressed with me.
And she was like, you have to beSomeone in the marketing field, she
always called me, you're a marketingrock star, it totally matches.
And I always felt upset when people toldme that because I said like, I'm good at
math and technical fields, but no one seesit because I was thought like marketing.

(38:33):
It's easy.
Everyone can do it.
And being communicative,networking, talking to people,
how difficult can that be?
You know, it's nothingspecial, you know, and.
So I decided not to pursue a careerin marketing, you know, at that
moment here again, it's somethingthat you have to learn along the way.

(38:54):
At the end of the day, Icouldn't change it anymore.
You know, now I can say.
Yes, I'm damn good at marketingand networking, and I'm very
good at talking to people.
Not everyone can do it, and inparticular, in the way I can do it,
you know, that's the difference again,so, I couldn't imagine myself saying

(39:16):
like, I have a marketing agency.
I have a marketing boutiquebecause I said, I felt like.
Oh, so cliche, you know, a black lady,of course, what else should she be doing?
Right?
Other than something creativeor something with marketing.
Nowadays, yes, I'm really proud of it.
And, I feel happy about it.
That's the main thing.
I'm happy and confidentand comfortable with it.

(39:40):
You know?
So this is also what I can recommend.
So I went back to the roots, butstill, I also enjoy everything I
learned in terms of innovation,digitalization, working with people.
And this is something I can also stilllive with joint generations, right?
Because we are always tryingto build the bridge, yeah?

(40:01):
Between age diversity and improvedproductivity and innovativeness.
So.
You get my point?
Nothing is lost.
Nothing that I learned fromthe past and all the skill set.
It's still mine.
It's still there.
It's not lost.
You know, I can stilldo something with that.
Absolutely.
And to even take it a stepfurther, I really do think

(40:25):
it's a compound effect, right?
So whatever you have learnedin engineering really makes you
understand the mechanisms of marketing.
And that really is, you understandwhy and what and how it needs to be
operated also in technical terms.
And you can also communicate with people.

(40:45):
So that really makes you a uniqueintegrator and you bring so much to
the table as an engineer looking atmarketing from an unusual point of
view, and that's why I'm so glad thatI have you here as a role model Irène as
you are so encouraging to many people.

(41:06):
In the sense of whatever my next stepis, it doesn't have to be the last.
It doesn't have to be the end.
I have a lifelong learning curve andthe next step is just the next step.
It doesn't have to be the last.
The next iteration for me is myopportunity to try new things out and

(41:28):
to play around with all the experiences,all the skills that I have and I can
now Be proud of myself that I havereached that point in time, and I can
look back, but I also can look andexpand on top of that, and one day,
I can even choose to spiral back.

(41:48):
So, this is the bookthat you should all read,
absolutely.
You know, sometimes I dwelled aboutWhy did I spend so many years, right,
nine years at corporate, but at the endof the day it helped me, it served me
because I understand their languages, Iunderstand their challenges and they're
my greatest clients and also it taughtme so many things, to work in a complex

(42:11):
matrix organization and To understandhow people operate, how they think, act,
and react in different circumstances.
It's also a very Psychological thing putit this way, you know, like so many human
factors that you can only learn whenyou Work as an employee rather than just

(42:33):
starting to work and I always feel likeit was good for me to serve first before
You know, to serve first and it's always athing like to, to have some, a supervisor,
you know, because now you can applyeverything you've learned to your own
employees without having this experience.

(42:53):
I think I wouldn't be where I am rightnow, you know, and also like there's
so little things that you learn likemeeting deadlines, connecting with
other people, like brainstorming withothers, exchanging, and then sticking
to processes and guidelines, you know?
So it taught me so many things toconsider while starting my own businesses.

(43:17):
and there's so much else to say.
I want to highlight our paneldiscussion in the podcast of Karin
Tischler, on job sharing and beyond.
And the theme was Canada's Career Month.
So, we talked about career transitionand career advancements for everyone,
not just scientists, but especiallyfor bachelor, master's students,

(43:38):
and also young minded people whowant to transition their careers.
So, if you remember our conversation, itreally dovetails nicely into this topic.
So, instead of sidetracking, I wannarefer our listeners to that conversation.
And now we'll link to our panel discussionon Karin Tischler's podcast, job
sharing and beyond in our show notes.

(44:04):
Remember, you are a Postdoc Transformer.
You are highly intelligent, welleducated, a bachelor, master, and
maybe you have already your doctorunder your belt, or you are a postdoc.
You are internationally experienced,fluent in English, a leader and
expert in your prior research field.
You're resilient, brilliant inadaptation and problem solving.

(44:27):
You are eager to bring in thetransferable and monetizable
skills needed in many companies.
To embrace the future and to become orremain an innovator in their markets.
Have you found this episodeso far helpful for yourself?
Well, maybe you can subscribe onYouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts,
Podbean, or wherever you get our show.

(44:48):
And also share this episode with yourPhD bestie because that would encourage
us to help the underprivileged,underrepresented, and underserved early
career scientists leaping into business.
This would also ensure that youdon't miss a future episode.
Also, Our subscription and listeningnumbers are key for finding the
right sponsors for our show sothat we can help you for free.

(45:12):
And now, back to the show.
But now back to you andthe PostdocTransformers.
Irène, what is your best advice forcurrent PhD students and postdocs?
I would say, while you're doingyour PhD, it's a phase where you're
learning, where you're growing.

(45:34):
I would always recommend younot to think that, okay, I know
everything and this is my topic area.
Ask as many questions as youcan because this is the time
everyone will forgive you.
If you're 40 and asking questions thatyou should already know with 25, people
would think that it's a bit weird.
You know, you've been inthis profession for so long.

(45:57):
No ask, ask, ask questions becausethis is the way you learn the most.
You know, because if you are just assumingto know it better, assuming that you
are the hero for this research field.
So, it's not a good thing to actlike this and always be humble.
You know, people who areexperienced appreciate what they

(46:19):
have done and also helping hand.
You know, that's always a good thing.
You know, like.
You are in a research field,and you are seeking advice from
someone else, or need support.
Also, ask them from time totime, do you need support?
Is there anything I can help you with?
So, those are, in fact,now it's two things.

(46:41):
Asking questions, and alwaysasking to provide your support.
You got it right, Ellie, withthe nine touch points, right?
Yes, I was actually counting.
No, no, I'm not counting, but now I know.
It's time to show this book againbecause it really is fantastic.
And honestly, I'm so proud to havethis book in my hands because, you
know, the only reason why I am inthis book is really because Dr.

(47:05):
Irene Kiloubi is so, so generous.
I have to say, I did notplan to be in this book.
I didn't even know how faryou were already in your
writing and publishing process.
And when you asked me toread the manuscript, I was
like, sure, I'll do that.
And of course I will promote it.
And then I was like, what?
I'm in there?
And it's like, wow.

(47:26):
So you just surprised me withthis unexpected, sweet surprise.
And I'm really touched by you because.
In my current life stage, writinga book is really at the back
burner of my plans, so to speak.
So, thank you.
That really speaks for you.
Sorry.
No worries.

(47:46):
You know, for me, it's always like this.

it's also the third thing (47:49):
never forget where you're coming from.
And never forget the people whosupported you at the beginning.
You can you can be a rising star in yourresearch field, you'll be probably a
great star professor at Harvard, everyone of you out there, I'm pretty sure.
However, never forget those people whowere with you at the beginning, you
had nothing, because those are peoplebelieving before seeing, you know?

(48:12):
And of course, You popped into my mindalthough several times we didn't have
contact, but it was not due to you itwas just due to my circumstances and
the corona and so many stuff, you know,and But still for me, it was totally
clear that you will be part of the book.
Definitely Yeah, you are the supporterfrom the first hour for JointGenerations,

(48:36):
so If not you, who else right?
Uh, and before we part is thereanything that you want to share
with my listeners as well?
So, Elli, I also really appreciate thework you're doing for all the PhD students
out there, because I know how tough andchallenging it can be, because I did my
PhD while working full time, so I didit besides my full time profession, so

(49:01):
I think that the Mental support you'reproviding is also very valuable and this
is something I was missing, you know,because it was also very on delivering
content, writing, conducting thestatistics, the studies, but the human
factor was lacking a little bit, youknow, because sometimes I needed someone
to motivate me and also to, to bringme back on track and so I think that

(49:25):
you're a great supporter for people outthere and keep on doing the great work.
And that is the moment where Ihave to say drop mike, right?
I want you, dear PostdocTransformer,to connect with Dr.
Irène Kilubi on LinkedIn.
You just have to follow her, she reallyis an inspiring role model for me.

(49:47):
And I want you to also learn from her.
On TikTok, on Instagram.
And if you also want to listen to ourprevious panel on Career Advancement and
Career Transition in Karin Tischler'spodcast, Job Sharing and Beyond, then
you will find all that in the show notes.
If you want to win this book, Thencomment below why you want to win

(50:10):
this book and connect with Dr.
Iréne Kilubi and me if you want,but especially with her so that
you can impress her with yourcomment and that really is a
great investment of commenting.
And if you can't win, buy this book,get this for your mom, get this for
your dad, because really, Du bistmehr You are more than just a number.

(50:33):
Do you want a transcript of our episode?
And our episode sponsors answersto all six bold questions so
that you can choose to apply.
Do you want to nominate yourpotential employer of choice so that
we can ask them our bold questions?
For all of that, click on our links inour show notes and on our website, www.
postdoctransformation.

(50:54):
com.
Remember to check your readinessto leap out of science and to
enroll in our free email courseCareer Transition Made Simple.
Thanks for your attention.
I'm Prof.
Dr.
Eleonore Soei Winkels, the host of yourseasonal Postdoc Transformation Show.
Have you ever wondered how to makeyour grad school stand out in the
crowded landscape of academia?

(51:15):
Do you aim to attract the bestmaster's students from all over the
world to learn from and work with yourprofessors so that your research remains
globally recognized and well funded?
Do you wish to repel bad applicationswhich aren't tailored towards your
grad school's research profile?
Now, let's talk about a powerfulbranding tool, podcasts.

(51:36):
They're a game changer forhigher education institutions.
As a professor, active on TikTok,Instagram, LinkedIn, and a podcast
host and producer of this PostdocTransformation Show, I'm here to
encourage all the graduate schoolrepresentatives to think beyond the
conventional marketing mechanism.
Instead of being one of many vendors,At a time limited grad school fair, why

(51:58):
not create a podcast that showcases yourgrad school as the ultimate destination
for the world's best masters students.
Share inspiring and encouragingstories of your top PhD students,
high profile alumni, your future.
Your faculty and the incredibleopportunities your grad school offers.
A podcast can be a window intoyour school's vibrant community.

(52:22):
It's cutting edge research andunique experiences, and in times of
AI generated marketing material, apodcast with your academic leaders.
This is a very humane and innovativeway to attract prospective PhD students.
You can inform them everyday,everywhere, not just during the typical

(52:42):
grad school application seasons.
This would prepare your bestcandidates for the application.
Even better, you can supportand make your current Ph.
D.
students and postdocs visible for theirnext career steps in academia or business.
Remember, successful graduateselevate your grad school's reputation.

(53:04):
So, if you are a universitychancellor, grad school dean,
speaker, professor, Consider this.
By launching a podcast for your gradschool, you can elevate your grad
school's brand and tell aspiringscientists and employers what makes
your grad school the best choice,with scalable, evergreen content.

(53:25):
If you're interested, watch this video.
Forward this to your marketingrepresentative and get our list of
30 sample episode titles customizablefor your grad school podcast.
And just enter an emailaddress on my website, www.
postdoctransformation.
com as linked in the show notes.
As a seasoned professor and podcaster,I'm also happy to strategize about

(53:50):
how you can launch your grad schoolpodcast on Podbean, the podcast
hosting platform we use for thePostdoc Transformation Show, supporting
scientists leaping into business.
Postdoc Transformation
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