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After earning her doctorate in cell biology at the University of Pennsylvania in June, Sierra Collins did what many freshly minted Ph.D.s. do — she went looking for a job at a biotech company. But what was supposed to be a straightforward search has turned into an odyssey.

Collins has applied for more than 53 positions (and counting). Like a good scientist, she’s gathering data along the way and uses a spreadsheet to track each company’s size and therapeutic focus, as well as whether she was referred for the position and how far she made it through the application process. So far, those efforts have been unsuccessful.

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“I try my best not to take it personally. These are companies that are trying to find an employee who’s going to help them achieve their business goals,” Collins said. “But it is pretty discouraging just repeatedly getting turned down, especially at later stages of the interview process.”

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