Biotech Career Coach

This episode is a practical playbook for biotech job seekers and career climbers who want to interview with clarity, energy, and impact. Carina breaks down 25 common mistakes that quietly cost candidates offers, from rambling to over‑indexing on technical detail to skipping metrics. You’ll learn how to answer the actual question asked, thread a positive through‑line across job changes, balance “I” and “we,” and anchor answers with outcomes and numbers. There’s tactical guidance for recruiter screens and onsite loops, including how to read cues to be concise, translate jargon, and prepare questions that reveal culture, expectations, and first‑90‑day success metrics. If you’re targeting roles across R&D, Quality, Clinical, or G&A in high‑growth biotechs, this episode will help you tighten your elevator pitch, signal motivation for the role and company, avoid negative framing, and follow up like a pro, so you leave every interviewer thinking you’re the obvious next hire.

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 Opening: why interview mistakes cost offers

01:00 Mistakes 1–2: rambling past 90s and talking too much

02:00 Mistakes 3–4: CV rehash and over‑indexing on technical detail

03:30 Mistakes 5–7: answer the question, why this role/company, show up with questions

05:00 Mistakes 8–10: no negativity, credit the team, use metrics and outcomes

07:00 Mistake 11: ask first‑90‑day success metrics

08:30 Mistakes 12–15: comp/title fixation, interrupting, sounding scripted, ignore cues

10:45 Mistakes 16–18: jargon with recruiters, own failures, replace “no/but” with “yes/and”

13:30 Mistakes 19–21: highlight JD tools, follow‑up in 24h, handle tech issues fast

15:45 Mistakes 22–25: bring energy, positive through‑line, ask success metrics, close the loop

This week, Carina shows how to turn a short recruiter phone screen into a competitive advantage across the entire hiring process. Learn specific recruiter screen questions that uncover role must-haves, disqualifiers, and success criteria in the first 90 days, plus how to identify the tools, platforms, instrumentation, and assay techniques used by the team. Learn to gauge scope, autonomy, cross-functional collaboration, and culture signals without asking vague questions like “what’s the culture like?”, and use the responses to tailor your resume immediately with the right keywords, skills, and project language. Carina walks through a fast post-call workflow: capture tool names, assay types, team interfaces, and process timelines, then rewrite your highlights and bullet points using the company’s terminology to pass keyword screens and resonate with hiring managers. You’ll also get a concise thank‑you email structure that reinforces fit and provides your updated resume. Finally, Carina shares an advanced technique for using smart questions to surface your strongest story even if the interviewer doesn’t prompt it, so you can showcase your skills even if an interviewer doesn’t ask the right questions.

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 the recruiter screen matters more than you think

01:00 Don’t monopolize the call. Aim for a real conversation

02:05 Questions that reveal must-haves, disqualifiers, and keywords

03:05 What does success in the first 90 days look like and how is it measured?

04:05 Tools and techniques: ask specifics (platforms, instrumentation, assays) to show fluency

05:00 Scope and independence: owning work vs. being a cog

05:45 Team interfaces and workflows to expect, collaboration signals

06:20 Understanding process and timeline. When to follow up

07:05 Turn insights into resume updates with company language and ATS keywords

08:00 Capture tool names, assay types, and lingo that signal fit

09:00 Use AI notes or a prompt set to tailor your resume quickly

10:30 Thank‑you email structure that reinforces fit and invites forwarding

12:00 Avoid weak, generic questions candidates often ask

13:00 Advanced technique: use questions to surface your strongest, relevant story

15:00 Why guiding the conversation matters when interviewers miss key topics

In this career chat, I had a fun conversation with Nicole Gampp, Senior Alliance Manager at Compass Therapeutics. Nicole shares her unique, non-linear career journey from research to HR and medical affairs, eventually leading to alliance management. We discuss the intricacies of an Alliance Manager's role, the importance of networking, and career transitions. Nicole emphasizes the significance of finding a mission-driven company and offers insights into work-life balance differences between the US and Abroad, as well as large and small companies. We also cover handling rejections, leveraging transferable skills, the pros and cons of pursuing advanced degrees, and the importance of self-advocacy. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to strategically navigate their career path.

• Connect with Nicole Gampp in LinkedIn
• Learn more about Compass Therapeutics

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

We're revisiting a powerful episode from our earlier catalog because it's a good reminder as we move into the fall job-seeking season. We discuss whether your job search is on the right track by examining key metrics. I give a blueprint for a gold-standard job search, informed by a decade of experience and interviews with thousands of successful candidates in the biotech industry. We review metrics for networking, application-to-interview ratios, interview progression rates, and offer negotiation tactics. By the end of the episode, listeners will understand how to measure their job search effectiveness and address any bottlenecks in the process to achieve better outcomes.

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 Introduction: Is Your Job Search Going Well?

00:49 Understanding the Job Search Funnel

02:13 Networking: The Key to Job Search Success

07:33 Applications: Maximizing Your Hit Rate

11:06 Interviews: Advancing Through the Process

13:27 Offers: Negotiating Your Worth

16:57 Conclusion: Recap and Final Thoughts

This week I’m sharing some exciting news: we’ve officially launched our new community on Skool, and it’s free to join.

I created this space to make job seeking and career development less isolating and more actionable. Inside, you’ll find resources, tools, and a network of peers who understand exactly what you’re going through.

Here’s what’s waiting for you when you join:

• The 7-Day Interview Accelerator to get you interview-ready fast
• Access to all of my existing courses and free resources
• My AI Career Coach On Call, trained on 500+ hours of coaching and teaching
• Weekly live Q&A sessions where I answer your career questions
• A gamified system that rewards participation, including monthly prizes like hot-seat coaching sessions with me

In this episode, I’ll also walk you through some of the great questions we tackled in our first live Q&A and show you how the new platform makes it easy to connect, contribute, and grow together.

Join today, lock in some early perks, and start building the connections that will carry you through every stage of your career.

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 Exciting Announcement: New Community Launch!

00:56 Past Attempts and Lessons Learned

02:02 Introducing the New Platform: School

02:22 Free Resources and Membership Tiers

04:07 Exclusive Tools and Weekly Q&A Sessions

06:21 Community Features and Navigation

10:13 Q&A Highlights and Career Tips

13:27 Join Us Today!

This week, I participated in an American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) panel discussion with Brandon Miller on salary negotiations. We answered audience questions that explored creative strategies for successful negotiations, addressing topics such as counter offers, flexibility beyond base salary, and handling 'best offer' scenarios. We also discussed the importance of understanding the entire compensation package, including stock and equity considerations, as well as maintaining regular feedback with managers. Brandon and I both offered common negotiation mistakes and effective mindsets to adopt for a successful outcome. For more resources, join our community and access the full webinar on the AAPS website.

• American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
• Brandon Miller | LinkedIn

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 Introduction and Overview

00:41 Panel Discussion Recap

01:29 Creative Salary Negotiation Strategies

01:56 Considering Work-Life Balance

03:41 Handling Firm Offers

05:41 Beyond Base Salary: Perks and Flexibility

06:35 Salary Disclosure Tips

08:14 Understanding Stock and Equity

10:32 Negotiating Raises with Current Employers

12:27 Common Mistakes in Salary Negotiations

15:04 Mindset for Successful Negotiations

16:35 Conclusion and Resources

This week, join me for our monthly Ask Me Anything event where I address your questions about the biotech job market, effective networking strategies, and making successful career transitions. I discuss the impacts of the NIH and HHS funding uncertainty, tackling employment gaps on resumes, leveraging connections after a bad interview, and which to update first: LinkedIn profile or resume. Additional topics include how to translate academic experience into industry, the importance of career journaling, crafting compelling cover letters, and strategies for starting a biotech company in Michigan. Tune in for practical advice and actionable insights to boost 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 Welcome and Introduction

00:25 New Resources and Updates

02:13 Biotech Job Market Insights

03:49 Addressing Employment Gaps

05:13 Effective Networking Strategies

07:35 Job Search Tips and Strategies

13:39 Transitioning Between Roles

20:23 Starting a Biotech Company

22:14 Cover Letters and Resume Tips

24:38 Final Q&A and Conclusion

Ready to make 2025 your most organized and productive year yet? In this episode, I'm sharing a powerful Notion template that transformed my own annual planning process. Whether you're a Notion newbie or a seasoned pro, you'll discover:

• A step-by-step system for setting meaningful goals that align with your values

• How to leverage AI prompts for deeper self-reflection and creative problem-solving

• Practical strategies for turning big dreams into manageable quarterly milestones

• A unique approach to accountability through "letters to your future self"

• Smart automation tips using ChatGPT to streamline your planning process

Plus, I'll show you exactly how to customize this template for your needs and maintain momentum through strategic check-ins with your manager. If traditional planning methods haven't worked for you, this AI-enhanced approach might be exactly what you need.

• Grab The Free Notion Template!

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 Introduction to the Notion Template

01:17 Getting Started with the Template

02:52 Navigating the Template and Resources

04:53 Journaling for Annual and Quarterly Reflections

11:00 Using AI for Enhanced Journaling

16:05 Writing Letters to Your Future Self

22:52 Goal Planning and Setting

28:01 Setting Specific Goals

28:11 Customizing Your Goal Template

28:35 Defining Annual and Quarterly Goals

30:36 Breaking Down Goals into Milestones

32:01 Tracking Progress and Adjusting Plans

32:35 Adding Personal Goals

38:48 Weekly Check-ins and Manager Meetings

43:58 Using Notion's Features and Automations

48:33 Final Thoughts and Feedback

Happy New Year! In this episode, I take you through my comprehensive strategy for annual career planning. We start by reflecting on achievements from 2024, followed by a journaling exercise where you write letters to your future self for one, three, and five years out. I guide you through breaking down these goals into manageable milestones and mini-milestones, translating them into SMART goals, and then seeking feedback from a mentor or supervisor. Learn about effective time blocking, the importance of community support, and creating systems that seamlessly integrate into your life. Stay tuned for a free Notion template packed with AI tools to help streamline your planning process.

• Get The Free Notion Template!

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 New Year, New Beginnings

00:47 Reflecting on the Past Year

01:31 Writing Letters to Your Future Self

03:24 Breaking Down Big Goals

07:20 Setting SMART Goals

10:45 Getting Buy-In from Your Manager

13:45 Building Habits and Systems

21:33 Conclusion and Upcoming Tools

This week, listen to our monthly live virtual event, 'Ask Me Anything.' Attendees get insights on how to navigate job applications on LinkedIn, including strategies for contacting hiring managers and effective networking. We discuss tailoring resumes for biotech positions, transitioning from academia to industry, and navigating job market trends. I share tips on increasing energy in Zoom interviews and detecting potential job scams. The Q&A session covers alternative career paths within biotech, the value of work experience versus advanced degrees, and how to communicate relocation willingness on resumes effectively.

• BioSpace Career Coach: How to Boost Your Job Application by Networking

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 Introduction and Event Overview

01:01 LinkedIn and Networking Tips

06:37 Breaking into Industry: Entry-Level Positions

07:30 Crafting an Effective Resume

11:21 Applying for Internships and Entry-Level Jobs

19:10 Market Trends and Job Search Strategies

23:38 Q&A: Scam Job Posts and Recruiters

26:53 Exploring Alternative Career Paths

28:54 Final Thoughts and Conclusion