Presentation Skills Can Make or Break Your Career
Fri 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 virtuallyStacey's tips on communicating via Zoom/VideoWatch another great interview with Stacy!Listen to another great podcast interview with Stacey!Connect With StaceyStacey'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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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 virtuallyStacey's tips on communicating via Zoom/VideoWatch another great interview with Stacy!Listen to another great podcast interview with Stacey!Connect With StaceyStacey'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...