Episodes

  • Presentation Skills Can Make or Break Your Career
    Jan 16 2026

    Your technical skills might be perfect, but if you can't present them clearly, you won't get the job. Most scientists treat presentations like data dumps, and it costs them opportunities.

    In this episode, I sit down with Stacey Tannenbaum, PhD, a presentation skills consultant with over 25 years as an industry pharmacometrician and leader. Stacey has coached scientists across biotech to move beyond overly technical talks and become visible, credible communicators who actually advance their careers.

    What you'll learn:

    -Why job talks are completely different from conference presentations (and what hiring managers are really evaluating)

    -The biggest mistakes scientists make in presentations (dense slides, burying the lead, reading scripts, being monotone)

    -How to handle interruptions and questions you don't know the answer to without losing credibility

    -Practical techniques to add energy and clarity to technical presentations without dumbing down the science

    -Why your slides need to stand alone after you present them (and how to make that happen)

    -The one thing you must memorize before any high-stakes presentation

    -How to know when you're giving the audience too much technical detail versus the strategic insights they actually need


    Whether you're preparing for a job talk, presenting to leadership, or speaking at a conference, this episode will help you communicate your science in a way that opens doors instead of closing them.

    Join our Biotech Career Coach Skool community for scripts, practice drills, and feedback from peers navigating the same challenges


    Learn more about the Collaboratory Career Hub community and access our free resources:

    Join our Skool Community

    Take the Free 7-day Interview Sprint Challenge

    Check out our sister podcast: Building Biotechs

    Send Carina a connection request on LinkedIn!

    Stay connected with us:

    🌐 Website

    📱 Facebook

    📷 Instagram

    💼 LinkedIn

    • MORE tips on communicating and presenting virtually
    • Stacey's tips on communicating via Zoom/Video
    • Watch another great interview with Stacy!
    • Listen to another great podcast interview with Stacey!
    • Connect With Stacey
    • Stacey's Website


    01:00 What pharmacometrics is and why it's a career path worth knowing about

    05:00 How networking and volunteering at conferences can profoundly change your career trajectory

    08:30 Why asking...

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    49 mins
  • Quick Momentum For Your 2026 Biotech Career Goals
    Jan 2 2026

    January brings fresh biotech hiring budgets, energized hiring managers, and real momentum after a tough 2025. If you've been waiting for the right time to level up your biotech career, this is it.

    In this episode, you'll discover:

    1. Why January is the best month to apply for biotech jobs after a slow December
    2. How the December Networking Challenge helped members grow their LinkedIn reach and profile visibility
    3. The Application Challenge launches January 6th with five days of live teaching to build daily job search habits
    4. An annual career planning session on January 12th to map your 2026 goals
    5. A presentation skills workshop that can accelerate both job offers and promotions
    6. A 10-week AI course to help you work smarter and meet employer expectations in 2026
    7. The Fire Horse approach to bringing bold, unstoppable energy to your career goals

    Whether you're job searching, seeking a promotion, or building new professional skills, this episode gives you the roadmap and momentum to make 2026 your breakthrough year.

    Join our Biotech Career Coach Skool community and start the year with structure, support, and a community that gets it.

    Learn more about the Collaboratory Career Hub community and access our free resources:

    Join our Skool Community

    Take the Free 7-day Interview Sprint Challenge

    Check out our sister podcast: Building Biotechs

    Send Carina a connection request on LinkedIn!

    Stay connected with us:

    🌐 Website

    📱 Facebook

    📷 Instagram

    💼 LinkedIn

    00:00 Biotech hiring outlook for January 2026 and market momentum

    00:30 Office updates and the community move to Skool platform

    01:00 Seven Day Interview Accelerator and weekly Q&A with office hours

    02:00 December networking challenge results and evergreen access

    03:00 December interview challenges versus networking opportunities

    04:00 January Application Challenge launch with five days of teaching

    05:00 Annual planning session and presentation skills workshop details

    06:00 Ten week AI course for automation and employer expectations

    07:00 Fire Horse energy and setting bold intentions for career progress

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    10 mins
  • LinkedIn Networking for Biotech: Give First to Get Better Results
    Dec 12 2025

    Networking in biotech doesn’t have to feel awkward or transactional. In this episode, Carina shares how giving first is the simplest way to build authentic biotech networking on LinkedIn that actually leads to stronger relationships and better opportunities.

    If you’re an introvert, early-career professional, or making a career change, this is your practical roadmap to connect with confidence.

    In this episode, you’ll learn:

    • Why “give first” makes networking feel easier (and work better)
    • How to add value even if you’re early in your career or switching fields
    • What to say when you feel you’ve got nothing to offer
    • The biggest outreach mistakes that make messages feel transactional
    • Simple LinkedIn actions that build visibility and trust over time
    • Insights from the Biotech Career Coach community’s December networking challenge (and what drove major reach growth)

    Want support, templates, and challenges to stay consistent?

    ✅ Join the Biotech Career Coach Skool community to connect with peers, access templates, and take part in challenges to grow your LinkedIn presence and your biotech network.

    Learn more about the Collaboratory Career Hub community and access our free resources:

    Join our Skool Community

    Take the Free 7-day Interview Sprint Challenge

    Check out our sister podcast: Building Biotechs

    Send Carina a connection request on LinkedIn!

    Stay connected with us:

    🌐 Website

    📱 Facebook

    📷 Instagram

    💼 LinkedIn

    00:00 December networking challenge and results from the community

    00:30 Why introverts struggle with networking and common fears

    01:00 The psychology of giving first and why people enjoy helping others

    02:00 Reciprocity as a natural instinct and how to nurture contacts

    03:00 Building reputation by engaging meaningfully on the platform

    04:00 You have more value than you think as an early professional

    05:00 Strategic introductions and becoming a connector

    06:00 Using PubMed and Google alerts to share relevant content

    07:00 The power of genuine enthusiasm and gratitude

    08:00 Networking is a long game that pays off over years

    09:00 Tracking metrics and seeing platform reach grow

    10:00 Common pitfalls to avoid when networking

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    12 mins
  • I Challenge You: Build your Biotech Network in 28 days
    Dec 5 2025

    Biotech networking doesn’t have to feel random. In this video, I’ll walk you through a 28-day biotech networking challenge you can actually stick to.

    Perfect for biotech job seekers who want a clear, daily plan to grow their biotech career network in December and beyond.

    Here’s what you’ll learn:

    -Why December is secretly a powerful month for biotech networking

    -How to track your LinkedIn analytics so you know what’s really working

    -A simple system to map out target companies, teams, and hiring managers

    -How to send authentic, personalised connection requests that don’t feel salesy

    -Easy ways to nurture existing connections without being pushy or awkward

    -How to create and share quick LinkedIn content that expands your reach

    -Strategies to comment on posts so you stand out (without sounding generic)

    -Exactly how to ask for coffee chats that open doors in biotech

    -How to keep each step under 30 minutes a day so you can stay consistent

    -Turning this 28-day challenge into a repeatable, year-round networking habit

    This 28-day biotech networking challenge is the same one we’re running inside my Biotech Career Coach Skool community. You can join in with us or follow along solo – it’s designed so your “Day 1” can start whenever you’re ready.

    By the end of the challenge, you’ll have:

    -A stronger biotech network

    -More visibility to recruiters and hiring managers

    -Clearer data on what’s working in your job search

    -Real momentum heading into interview season


    👉 Ready to start your biotech networking challenge?

    Join the Biotech Career Coach Skool community and jump into the challenge any time.


    Learn more about the Collaboratory Career Hub community and access our free resources:

    Join our Skool Community

    Take the Free 7-day Interview Sprint Challenge

    Check out our sister podcast: Building Biotechs

    Send Carina a connection request on LinkedIn!

    Stay connected with us:

    🌐 Website

    📱 Facebook

    📷 Instagram

    💼 LinkedIn

    00:00 Why biotech networking beats job applications during the chilly December hiring season

    00:30 Join the evergreen biotech networking challenge in our community

    01:00 Track your LinkedIn for biotech analytics to measure networking impact

    02:30 Build strategic biotech networking connections at target companies

    03:30 Personalize LinkedIn for biotech connection requests with authentic messaging

    05:00 Nurture your biotech networking relationships without being pushy

    06:00 Expand your LinkedIn for biotech reach by creating shareable content

    07:00 Master thoughtful engagement for biotech networking on LinkedIn

    08:30 Turn biotech networking into coffee chats with proven ask templates

    09:00 Build sustainable biotech networking habits in under 30 minutes daily

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    11 mins
  • Six Second Resume Test: Make Your Biotech Resume Survive the Scan
    Nov 28 2025

    Does your biotech resume pass the six-second test? That's all the time most recruiters spend deciding who gets rejected and who deserves more attention.

    In this episode, we show you how to build a resume first page that survives the scan and wins interviews in today's biotech job market.

    Carina breaks down exactly what needs to go at the very top of your resume so a busy recruiter can see you meet the bar in just a few seconds. Drawing on real applicant tracking system data and years of biotech recruiting experience, you’ll learn how to design a sharp, focused top section that works in the real world.

    In this episode, you’ll learn how to:

    • Use the job title and language from the job description to create a clear one-line headline
    • Handle education, location, and work authorization without wasting valuable space
    • Build a tight highlight reel that acts like a movie trailer for your career, not a generic skills dump
    • Choose and place the right keywords so you work with, not against, applicant tracking systems
    • Avoid long paragraphs and formatting choices that backfire during recruiter scans

    Whether you’re a scientist, operations professional, or business hire moving into biotech, this episode will help you avoid outdated advice and turn the top of your resume into a powerful hook instead of a missed opportunity.

    Learn more about the Collaboratory Career Hub community and access our free resources:

    Join our Skool Community

    Take the Free 7-day Interview Sprint Challenge

    Check out our sister podcast: Building Biotechs

    Send Carina a connection request on LinkedIn!

    Stay connected with us:

    🌐 Website

    📱 Facebook

    📷 Instagram

    💼 LinkedIn


    00:00 The six-second recruiter test and the biotech resume

    01:00 Why traditional advice fails modern biotech resume scans

    02:30 How recruiters actually run a resume scan in applicant tracking systems

    03:30 Above the fold and why the top of a biotech resume matters

    04:15 Where degree and work authorization live on a biotech resume

    05:00 Writing a sharp, tailored biotech resume headline

    05:45 Using job description language in a way that passes the resume scan

    06:30 Turning experience into a professional highlights reel on your biotech resume

    07:30 Why long skills lists hurt you during a quick resume scan

    08:00 Passing the six-second resume scan and getting to the shortlist

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    9 mins
  • How to Use AI to Improve Resumes, Cover Letters, and Networking
    Nov 21 2025

    AI can completely change how you write resumes, cover letters, and networking messages for biotech roles, but only if you use it properly.

    In this episode, I show biotech professionals exactly how to use AI to improve applications and outreach without creating generic AI slop.

    If you're spending more than 30 minutes tailoring each resume, you're wasting time. And no, you will not be blasting out the same AI-generated resume to every job. In this episode, you'll learn to use AI as a strategic tool to help you think more clearly, present your experience better, and align with what companies are actually looking for.

    This episode covers the key takeaways from my full workshop, including:

    • Going from job posting to a tailored resume and cover letter in about 10 minutes
    • Picking the right AI models for different tasks (ChatGPT 5.1 vs Claude Sonnet)
    • Understanding what AI agents are and how they differ from simple prompts
    • Creating a strong base resume, then tailoring it to specific biotech job descriptions
    • Keeping your own voice while still matching the language companies use
    • Writing cover letters that connect your experience to a company's mission
    • Crafting networking and outreach messages that actually get replies
    • Avoiding AI hallucinations and generic wording that weaken your application
    • Using more than one model to double-check facts and phrasing before you send

    This system is designed for biotech professionals who want to apply smarter, get better results, and stop spending hours on each application.

    Want to see the full workshop with live demos? Watch the YouTube version where I build resumes from scratch, show every click, and demonstrate the entire workflow in real time.

    💬 Want all the prompts, templates, and AI agents?

    Join the Biotech Career Coach Skool community, where you can:

    • Download the resume, cover letter and outreach templates
    • Copy the exact AI setups I use
    • Get feedback on your applications and job search strategy

    Learn more about the Collaboratory Career Hub community and access our free resources:

    Join our Skool Community

    Take the Free 7-day Interview Sprint Challenge

    Check out our sister podcast: Building Biotechs

    Send Carina a connection request on LinkedIn!

    Stay connected with us:

    🌐 Website

    📱 Facebook

    📷 Instagram

    💼 LinkedIn

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    16 mins
  • The LinkedIn Setting Turning Your Profile Into A Mess For Recruiters
    Nov 14 2025

    Is a hidden LinkedIn setting making you look disorganized to recruiters?

    In this episode, I show you the LinkedIn setting that quietly pulls messy CV text into your profile in the LinkedIn Recruiter view, and makes you look less professional than you really are.

    If you have carefully curated your LinkedIn profile for job searching, you might be shocked to learn that recruiters often see a completely different version inside LinkedIn Recruiter. In this quick walkthrough, I show you exactly what is happening and how to switch it off.

    In this episode you will learn:

    • How your public LinkedIn profile can look clean while your recruiter view is a wall of text
    • What the “Enhanced by resume” label means in LinkedIn’s hiring tools
    • How old CVs from “Easy Apply” can secretly overwrite your carefully edited experience section
    • Why this makes you look disorganised and less clear than you really are
    • Where to find the “Share resume data with hirers” setting in LinkedIn
    • How to turn off resume data sharing and remove old CVs from your profile settings
    • Why it is smart to review your LinkedIn data and AI settings regularly

    If you would like another pair of eyes on how recruiters see your profile, you can share it in my community, and I can check it from the LinkedIn Recruiter side.

    If you found this helpful, subscribe for more smart LinkedIn and job search tips, and stay tuned for my next episode on using AI intelligently in your job search.

    Learn more about the Collaboratory Career Hub community and access our free resources:

    Join our Skool Community

    Take the Free 7-day Interview Sprint Challenge

    Check out our sister podcast: Building Biotechs

    Send Carina a connection request on LinkedIn!

    Stay connected with us:

    🌐 Website

    📱 Facebook

    📷 Instagram

    💼 LinkedIn

    00:00 The hidden LinkedIn setting affecting biotech professionals

    00:30 Creating organized LinkedIn profiles for biotech career searches

    01:00 Real biotech profile example showing LinkedIn setting issues

    01:30 How recruiters see your LinkedIn profile differently

    02:00 LinkedIn setting enhanced by resume adding unwanted content

    02:30 Duplicated roles from LinkedIn setting causing first impression problems

    03:00 Where to find your LinkedIn settings and privacy controls

    03:30 LinkedIn data privacy settings and AI training for biotech professionals

    04:00 The LinkedIn setting for job seeking preferences and resume sharing

    04:30 How to turn off the LinkedIn setting sharing your resume data

    05:00 Real biotech student example with four shared resumes

    05:30 Wrapping up the LinkedIn setting PSA

    06:00 Free biotech career community offer and next week's AI episode

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    7 mins
  • Networking That Works (Without Being Awkward or Cringe)
    Nov 7 2025

    Most biotech professionals dread networking because it feels like cold calling, pushy, or inauthentic. If you've ever avoided reaching out because you didn't want to seem transactional or you felt stuck not knowing how to start a conversation, this episode is for you. Carina breaks down a strategic, human-centered approach to networking that leverages your natural curiosity as a scientist and turns it into your biggest career asset. You'll learn how to reconnect with former colleagues, build targeted networks within companies you want to work for, lead coffee chats that feel comfortable and genuine, and maintain momentum without burning out. Whether you're an introvert who freezes at networking events or someone who's been asking for jobs instead of building relationships, this episode will shift your mindset and give you scripts, strategies, and actionable steps to build a network that works for you long before you need it. Plus, Carina shares insider tips on volunteering, referrals, and how to follow up without feeling awkward. Ready to make networking less scary and way more effective? Join our free Biotech Career Coach Skool community for all the scripts, templates, and peer support to put these strategies into action.

    Learn more about the Collaboratory Career Hub community and access our free resources:

    Join our Skool Community

    Take the Free 7-day Interview Sprint Challenge

    Check out our sister podcast: Building Biotechs

    Send Carina a connection request on LinkedIn!

    Stay connected with us:

    🌐 Website

    📱 Facebook

    📷 Instagram

    💼 LinkedIn

    00:00 Why biotech networking feels like cold calling and how to reframe it

    01:00 Networking for biotech professionals is a long game strategy

    03:00 Stop asking for jobs through networking and build relationships instead

    04:30 Leverage your curiosity as your biotech networking superpower

    05:30 LinkedIn networking strategy for reconnecting with former colleagues

    07:30 The virtual coffee networking offer that opens doors

    08:30 How to grow your biotech network through warm introductions

    09:00 Company targeted LinkedIn networking for biotech job seekers

    11:00 The LinkedIn networking script for reaching out to biotech professionals

    13:00 Turning networking coffee chats into job referrals

    14:00 Biotech networking through volunteering for introverts

    15:30 Networking coffee chats and the 80/20 rule for success

    16:30 LinkedIn networking questions to prepare before your coffee chat

    18:00 Following up on LinkedIn networking without being pushy

    18:30 Daily networking habits that build your biotech career network

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    21 mins