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Berkeley Lab Postdoc Programs
Industry Career Coaching


If your goal is a career in the biotech or pharmaceutical industries, you're in the right place.
Together with Berkeley Lab, I offer one-on-one career coaching to help you create a manageable and actionable strategy for your application, job search, interview, and negotiation for industry positions.


Discover your options

Coaching Options

Land Interviews with
Standout Application Materials

You need tailored and targeted application documents that communicate you're a top candidate.

Let's create them together.

This option is intended for those who:
  • are entering the job market and need to transform their academic documents into industry-targeted documents; or
  • have been on the job market but are not receiving interview invitations with their current documents; and
  • want to build a LinkedIn profile targeted at recruiters and hiring managers
Each session is 50 minutes.
Session 1

Primary Resume

Before we meet:

  1. Complete a short pre-coaching survey.
  2. Submit your current CV/resume and cover letter.

In session:

  1. Introductions & goal setting: Let's get acquainted and discuss your goals.
  2. Current CV/resume review: We'll review your current document and your success with it
  3. Primary resume development: We'll discuss how to convert or edit your current document into a primary resume.

Homework:

  1. Create your primary resume.
  2. Search job postings and select one that interests you.
Session 2

Working Resume & Cover Letter

Before we meet:

  1. Submit your primary resume draft.
  2. Send a link to a job description to which you'd apply

In session:

  1. Primary resume review: We'll discuss your experience writing a primary resume and review the draft.
  2. Working resume strategy: We'll review the job description and discuss how to create a working resume from your primary version.
  3. Cover letter development: You'll learn general formats and how to write a targeted cover letter.

Homework:

  1. Create a working resume for the selected job.
  2. Write a targeted cover letter for the selected job.
Session 3

LinkedIn Optimization

Before we meet:

  1. Submit your working resume and cover letter drafts.
  2. Connect with me on LinkedIn.

In session:

  1. Final review: We'll review your drafted application documents.
  2. Optimize LinkedIn: I'll share my recommendations and strategies to optimize your LinkedIn based on your goals.
  3. Next Steps: We'll discuss methods to organize and track your applications.

Deliverables:

  1. A polished primary resume.
  2. One tailored working resume and cover letter for a specific job application. 
  3. Actionable suggestions and examples for your LinkedIn profile.
  4. Email support for followup questions.

Design and Execute
Your Job Search Plan

If you’ve heard the phrase, “Applying for jobs is a full time job,” that’s because it's true.

Together, we’ll create a strategy for your job search that is structured, efficient, and manageable.

This option is intended for those who:
  • are entering the job market and need a structured and organized approach to their job search; or
  • are on the job market and feeling overwhelmed or disorganized with their job search approach; and
  • wish to add intentional and structured networking to their job search efforts.
Each session is 50 minutes.

Session 1

Strategy Foundations

Before we meet:

  1. Complete a survey about your job search efforts.
  2. Submit a copy of your resume.

In session:

  1. Introductions & goal setting: Let's get acquainted and discuss your career goals.
  2. Job Search Foundations: Let's set expectations, boundaries, and goals for your job search.
  3. Getting Organized: We'll discuss how to organize and prepare for your job search.

Homework:

  1. Complete the Foundations activities.
  2. Complete the Getting Organized activities.
Session 2

Strategy Development

Before we meet:

  1. Submit a short reflection survey.
  2. Connect with me on LinkedIn.

In session:

  1. Goal Breakdown: We'll breakdown your career goal into smaller, actionable objectives.
  2. Platform Selection: We'll discuss and select platforms best suited for you and your job search.
  3. Networking Intentionally: We'll define how to be intentional with your networking efforts.

Homework:

  1. Complete the Goal and Platform activities.
  2. Find and create an application for one job.
  3. Research and select three professionals with whom to network.
Session 3

Strategy Implementation

Before we meet:

  1. Schedule a networking conversation.
  2. Apply for one job.

In session:

  1. Check-in: Let's discuss how your plan is working for you.
  2. Alterations: We'll make adjustments to your plan based on your experience with it so far.
  3. Next Steps: We'll discuss next steps in your job search and how to prepare.

Deliverables:

  1. Job search strategy guide with application tips and tracking sheets.
  2. Templates for networking outreach and discussions.
  3. Ongoing email support.

Speak with Impact in
Interviews and Negotiations

Securing the job you want depends on communication – your ability to tell your story and connect with people.

Learn to communicate your expertise and the value you bring to a project, team, and company
and convince them you will help meet their goals and creatively solve problems.

This option is intended for those who:
  • have upcoming interviews and want to prepare for them; or
  • have been interviewing, but are experiencing rejections and not receiving offers; or
  • want assistance evaluating job offers and planning to negotiate their terms.
Choose up to two hours of coaching from the following options.

Option 1 (60 minutes)

Define Your Interview Strategy

We will discuss your career goals, the types of roles you are applying for, and develop a customized strategy for presenting your skills and experiences effectively.

Before we meet:

  1. Complete a short survey about your interview efforts.
  2. Submit the job description.

In session:

  1. Who Are You?: We'll develop a positioning statement adaptable to interviews and other career conversations.
  2. What is Your Story?: Let's identify key experiences and develop the stories that demonstrate relevant skills.
  3. What is Your Message?: We'll align interview conversation with your central message and career objectives.

Homework:

Complete your Interview Strategy guide.

Deliverables:

  1. Personalized interview strategy and planning document
  2. Email support for refining your strategy

Option 2 (30 minutes)

Learn to Answer and Ask Questions

Learn how interviews are structured, prepare to confidently answer common interview questions, and develop insightful questions to ask potential employers.

Before we meet:

  1. Complete a survey about your job search efforts.
  2. Submit a copy of your resume.

In session:

  1. Interview Structure: We'll discuss interview structure and review common technical and behavioral questions.
  2. Answering Questions: We'll review methods to craft structured interview answers
  3. Asking Questions: Let's develop questions designed to get you the information you need to assess the opportunity.

Homework:

  1. Draft responses to at least five common interview questions.
  2. Write five tailored interview questions.

Deliverables:

  1. Interview question and answer templates
  2. Developed questions to ask employers

Option 3 (30 minutes)

Mock Interview

We’ll conduct a recorded 20-minute mock interview tailored to a specific role, followed by immediate feedback, written feedback, and actionable advice for improvement.

Before we meet:

  1. Submit your resume and a job description.
  2. Prepare for your interview as you would on your own.

In session:

  1. Interview: I'll conduct a simulated and recorded interview via Zoom.
  2. Feedback: You'll receive real-time feedback on responses, body language, and overall presentation.

Homework:

Implement actionable advice and suggestions for future interview preparation

Deliverables:

  1. Personalized feedback summary with advice and improvement suggestions.
  2. Recorded video file
Option 4 (30 minutes)

Mock Interview, Part 2

Perfect practice makes perfect. We’ll conduct a second recorded 20-minute mock interview to further refine your skills, followed again by immediate and written feedback.

Before we meet:

Prepare for your interview incorporating learning from your first mock interview.

In session:

  1. Interview: I'll conduct a second simulated and recorded interview via Zoom, focusing on identified areas for improvement from the first mock interview .
  2. Feedback: You'll receive real-time feedback on progress since your first mock interview.

Homework:

Implement actionable advice and suggestions for future interview preparation.

Deliverables:

  1. Personalized feedback summary with progress report.
  2. Recorded video file
Option 5 (30-60 minutes)

Prepare or Practice Your Job Talk

We’ll discuss the goals of an industry job talk, and how to approach crafting it. If desired, we can conduct a practice session for feedback on your delivery, clarity, and pacing.

Before we meet:

Complete a short survey about your upcoming interview.

In session:

  1. Overview: We'll review the content and structure of the job talk presentation
  2. Review: You'll walk me through your slides and receive feedback on design and storytelling.
  3. Practice: Conduct a timed-run through with feedback on delivery, clarity, and pacing (60-minutes only).

Deliverables:

  1. Feedback on presentation content
  2. Tailored tips for delivering an effective and engaging job talk
Option 6 (30 minutes)

Plan for Negotiation

Whether you’re expecting an offer, or already received one, we’ll discuss the offer process, dissect and evaluate your offer, and develop a strategy to negotiating terms.

Before we meet:

  1. Submit the job description.
  2. Submit a copy of your resume.

In session:

  1. Offer Review: Review you offer in details, including salary, benefits, equity, and other terms.
  2. Priority Identification: We'll create a list of priorities with negotiation points.
  3. Negotiation Structure: You'll learn how to structure a negotiation conversation.
  4. Identify Opportunities & Red Flags: Learn how to identify opportunities and red flags in a negotiation conversation.

Deliverables:

  1. Offer letter evaluation checklist 
  2. Negotiation strategy document with scripts


To get started, follow these steps.

1

Select one of the coaching options above.

Only one package per postdoc, please.

2​

Complete the coaching request form below.

It will send an email to the Career Pathways office and to me.

3

Receive approval from Berkeley Lab Postdoc Program

They'll contact you with the required documentation prior to approval.

4

Once approved, I'll invite you to schedule your first session.

We'll get started right away!

Coaching Request Form

Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*). Submitting this form will send an email to Berkeley Lab's Career Pathways Office and to Mike Matrone.

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