ABOUT THIS EPISODE
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.
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Stay connected with us:
🌐 Website
- Watch another great interview with Stacey!
- MORE tips on communicating and presenting virtually
- Stacey's tips on communicating via Zoom/Video
- 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 for help as a new leader actually builds credibility instead of undermining it
12:30 The pivot from corporate pharmacometrics to consulting on presentation skills
17:00 Job talks are about you, not the science (what hiring managers are really evaluating)
20:30 How to handle interruptions and questions you don't know during a job talk
27:00 Common presentation mistakes that cost scientists job offers
33:00 Dense slides kill presentations (build content gradually or break it up)
38:30 Why your slides need a life outside of you (annotate with take-home messages)
43:00 Practice until you're bored, then memorize the first 30 seconds
