What was once a strong job seeker market is becoming increasingly competitive as companies continue to downsize and layoffs across the industry. Whether you’re an active candidate looking for a new job or a hired professional looking to advance your career, you find yourself doing everything on schedule and not getting the results you want. maybe.

In some cases, a new perspective on job search strategies and promotion approaches can make a big difference in the world. Using a career coach or consultant is a great way to enhance what you are already doing and learn new techniques to get more out of your networking and professional development activities. Providing coaching opportunities is beneficial for employers looking to retain key talent. This is to show that the organization believes in them, is willing to invest in their future, and cares about their success.

We have compiled a short list of life sciences-focused career coaches that industry professionals and biotech companies can use as a resource for career advice and professional development efforts.

Contact: Melissa Lawrence

Specialties: Biotech Careers, Women in Biotech

Melissa Lawrence is a seasoned talent professional who started her own company after a successful career in the biotech industry. She now brings her training and talent development experience at AstraZeneca, Emergent Biosolutions and Covance to help women in the biotech industry take their careers to the next level.

Lawrence provides one-on-one coaching to women in the biotech industry and partners with biotech companies to support talent strategies. She also has a podcast called “Navigating Your Career.” Her Chris Frew, president of BioBuzz and her CEO of Workforce Genetics, made a guest appearance on her podcast in 2021. Lawrence has multiple certifications as her Career and Life Coach, is an ICF Professional Coach, holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology, and is a member of the Women In Bio leadership team for her team.

Her website says: I wanted to make a big impact and be the best. Now, I’m here to help people like you find your own path and reach the next level. Whether you want to stand out in a role, I’m a coach to help make your goals inevitable.

Lawrence is based in Frederick, Maryland, but provides coaching for the BioHealth Capital Region and beyond. For more information on what she can do for your career, email melissa@melissamlawrence.com or contact her via LinkedIn.

Contact: Karen Lertra

Areas of Expertise: Internal Coaching, Change Management, Career Advancement

Another AstraZeneca HR alumnus, Karen Lertra, spent 14 years at AZ as HR Global Business Partner and Global Lead, Director Leadership/Organizational Development, Commercial and R&D. Prior to that, he spent three years at Pfizer in a Sales and Leader Development role. She also holds multiple coaching, talent, and facilitation certifications.

Lertora brings her experience with/with Fortune 500 companies to address strategy, leadership and team challenges. She works with her science organizations in Biotechnology and Life to identify root causes of challenges, create practical solutions, and drive sustainable change. She specializes in coaching/supporting senior executives her leaders as they face new roles and challenges, helping leaders build stronger relationships with key figures to improve performance, and manage change. We help leaders who need to or are looking to take their careers to the next level.

You can connect with Lertora through their LinkedIn page.

Contact: Deepa Kumar

Expertise: Lean Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, Women in Technology/Biotech

Deepa Kumar is a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma/Operational Excellence and a transformation coach with deep experience in engineering, biotechnology and quality. She is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and has worked for leading pharmaceutical/biotech companies including Human Genome Sciences and her GSK. Currently, she is a Senior Solutions Consultant in her Life Sciences division at OpenText Americas.

Kumar’s revolutionary coaching business, as stated on her LinkedIn page, “…helps busy professional women not only ‘work smarter, not harder’, but also maximize their impact on the world.” It helps create a space where you can have more time and energy to pursue your passions.”

Kumar has written several guest blogs for BioBuzz over the past year, providing expert coaching advice on a variety of topics. Kumar has experience in Coaching, Matrix Management, Stakeholder Management, Mentoring, Lean He Six, He Sigma, Consensus Building, Root Cause Analysis, Training, Workshop/Kaizen Facilitation, Process Statistical Analysis, Technical He Authoring, etc. We offer a wide range of skills to individuals and businesses. , Biopharmaceuticals, Value He Stream He Mapping, Strategy Deployment, Policy Management, Vision Factory, Performance Management, A3 Planning.

You can connect with Kumar by checking out her website and contacting her via LinkedIn.

contact: Crystal Richards

Specializations: Career Coaching, PMP/Agile Training, Industry Agnostic

MindsparQ™ is a talent development consulting firm led by project management expert Crystal Richards, who has helped thousands of business professionals across a wide range of industries achieve their PMP® and PMI-ACP® certifications.

Richards had great success in project and healthcare management before launching his first business ventures, Mosaic Research Group and most recently MindSparQ. Both are in Bowie, Maryland. She holds MHA, PMP®, PMI-ACP®, and her CSM® certifications and is a graduate of Georgetown University. She holds a master’s degree in health administration from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and has been a lecturer at the Project Management Academy for the past seven years.

MindsparQ offers project management and PMP and PMI-ACP test preparation with a 99% pass rate among our clients. Over the past 15 years, Richards has helped start-ups, healthcare organizations, nonprofits, and government agencies improve project outcomes. The company offers a variety of service his packages at different commitment levels to suit most needs.

To contact MindsparQ for more information, email info@themindsparq.com, call (240) 203-9176, or contact Richards via LinkedIn.

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Steve brings nearly 20 years of experience in marketing and content creation to the WorkForce Genetics team. He loves writing compelling content and collaborating with partners, businesses and individuals to share their own stories and showcase their work. Steve holds a BA in English from Providence College and an MA in American Literature from Montclair State University. He lives in Frederick, Maryland with his wife, two sons, and dog.