SUCCESS STORIES
We’ve helped thousands of clients across the United States find rewarding careers and high-paying jobs outside of academia. Read their stories of how we’ve helped them succeed here.
“I am transitioning from working in academic biomedical research to working as a medical research analyst outside of academia. Before contacting Josh, I felt stymied in putting my resume together and in searching for jobs. I searched for a career counselor because I needed to talk with someone in the business of science who would understand my education and background experience. In my most recent work, I had been working on a literature review writing project in an environment that afforded little interaction with colleagues. For a period of time, Josh became my colleague and mentor. Although I knew the type of work that I wanted to get into, I did not know the keywords to appropriately communicate with employers. Josh was able to see my big picture immediately and pinpointed quickly and accurately how my interests and talents would be valuable to an employer. Since working with Josh, every day I am progressing toward my work goal and this is an empowering feeling. If you want another scientist to constructively criticize your resume, to strengthen your message, and to increase your confidence, Josh is the career counselor for you.”
Rania Milleron, SM, PhD
Microbiologist at Texas DSHS | Public Health Specialist in Infectious Disease | Molecular Biologist
“Dr. Josh Henkin is the most professional and dedicated career coach one could ask for. He really wants you to succeed in getting your dream job and knows exactly how. He truly enjoys helping new STEM graduates through one-on-one meeting to listen and specify who they are and what they can do to prepare and improve for today’s competitive job market. He helped me to identify my strength and practice on communicating and presenting myself. As a program manager who hires STEM graduates, he reviews hundreds of resumes and he is essentially the one you need to impress. I would highly recommend him to anyone who is going through their next-step professional transitioning and not trained to impress anyone outside of academia.”
Sherry Xu-Fuery
Protein Scientist | Co-Inventor
“Working with Dr. Josh Henkin helped me build confidence in myself after a few discouraging months of job hunting. He helped me translate both my bench-top research experience and government analyst work into marketable skills employers are looking for. He taught me how to read between the lines of job postings to determine if a job really was a good fit for me and how to effectively convey my experience to hiring managers. He was incredibly patient in helping me work through my frustration with the job searching process. After working with Dr. Henkin for a few months, I am now much more confident in my ability to target and land a job that fits my career aspirations.”
Sarah (Mueller) Reuter, PhD
Problem Solver | Relationship Builder | Food Network Addict | Consultant with ClearView Healthcare Partners
“Josh was extremely helpful in my recent job search. I was about 12 years into my career as a scientist in the biotech industry, and felt I needed some help finding a position in my subfield, because most companies in the DC area focus on healthcare and related products and services. Josh seemed to be well connected, aware of many opportunities in the DC biotech scene, and to really know his stuff, with the track record to show for it, so I decided to give his services a try. He led me through a thorough initial questionnaire that helped illuminate for the first time that a government or military contractor position might be a great fit for my experience and interests. He then helped me raise my resume to the next level and led me through the construction of a new, comprehensive skill-based master resume from which I could select the most salient points and examples to fit any posting. Josh showed me how to let my personality, values and leadership traits shine through my resume in a way I had not previously seen, despite having reviewed hundreds of resumes in my career. Through my search and interviewing process, Josh provided insider tips to help me understand the federal contractor landscape and its various hidden attributes and incentives. When I received an offer, Josh helped me understand some of the finer points, suggested questions to ask about the underlying government contract, and helped with my negotiation strategy. Thanks in large part to Josh’s expert assistance and instruction, I’m embarking on a new chapter in my career that I have every expectation will provide the fulfillment, growth and technical challenge I was seeking.”
Alex Tobias
Biotech Professional & Team Leader: Assay Development & Automation, Protein & Strain Engineering, Synthetic Biology
“After 15 years exclusively in academia, I found myself struggling to interpret the language of posted position descriptions and preliminary phone interviews. I was not confident that I fully understood what organizations were looking for or that I was clearly presenting my skills and experiences so that they fit well with the job requirements. I felt that I needed help relating my skills to the job description in a way that would be irresistible to the hiring manager.
I decided to work with Josh from STEM Career Services because I had seen him give seminars on a couple of different career development topics, and I found his clarity and honesty appealing and well-suited for my needs. Josh helped me develop a clear template for building an attractive cover letter and resume/CV. He gave me a good understanding of the purpose of each document and their subsections. He also taught me to find the key elements in a job description that are the foundation of what the searching organization is looking for.
Since working with Josh, my applications have become very well organized with a shorter time from discovering an open position to submitting an application. I have felt more confident in my interviews because I have a clearer vision of how well I fit for the position, and I feel better prepared for the negotiation process as well due to knowing my value. I have now accepted an offer for a very exciting position that is a perfect match not only for my skills, but also my career goals. The process of negotiating the final offer package (with which I am very happy) went very smoothly, and I believe that it was because I had a clear picture of what was reasonable given my fit for the position.
I would highly recommend Josh as a career counselor for his ability to teach a new way of thinking that helps you understand the perspective of organizations seeking to fill positions. He provides clear structure that breaks the process into segments that can be more easily managed. He is dedicated, responsive, open and understanding. He worked with me throughout the application and interview process without making me feel at all silly for not already knowing what to do. Instead, I appreciated the learning experience and felt more confident after talking with Josh. I highly recommend Josh to anyone seeking clarity in their career goals or the application process.”
Andrew Bankston, PhD
Program Manager, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
“Working with Josh genuinely turned my job search around. He really taught me how to view my skill set through the lens of industry as opposed to academia. Most importantly, he showed me how to effectively convey my skills and accomplishments in my resume with the right vocabulary and phrasing. In fact, one of the first resumes I’ve submitted since working with Josh has resulted in an interview!”
Valerie Hillgren, PhD, PMP
Research Scientist at Carnegie Institution for Science
“Josh’s consultation has greatly improved my job hunt. For over six months, I have had trouble finding the right jobs and landing interviews, but with Josh’s guidance, I’ve learned how to find jobs that fit my career goals and how to market myself to hiring managers. Thanks to Josh, I now craft superb resumes that clearly portray my appeal as a candidate. I would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone that is having challenges in their job search.”
Sheldon Bish
Senior Scientist, New Method Development – L’Oréal USA R&D
“This year, I began seeking new work in a new field. I’d tried for a long while to do it on my own. Things weren’t coming together. I knew I needed help. Josh has been so very helpful in rejuvenating my job search. I am much more clear about my career objectives and the types of positions which I am best suited for since meeting with Josh. Confidence and focus are key for success during the job search. I liken my work with Josh to that of my actual running coach. I am able to reach milestones which I wasn’t able to on my own (some I never considered). Even when I’m having a tough time, Josh as a coach has been helpful keeping me focused and achieving my next steps. Investing in one’s self and getting the extra help when you need it is vital. I’m glad I realized this and sought out Josh’s help. His constructive input and feedback have been extremely meaningful. I look forward to continuing my work with Josh.”
Carla Cotwright-Williams, PhD
Consultant | Mathematician solving complex problems for business & government
“Josh is an excellent career counselor! He reviewed my resume and helped me rebuild it in a completely fresh way that allowed me to present my experience more coherently. His expertise evaluating resumes is invaluable. He worked with me, line by line, and offered great suggestions. My new resume tripled (at least) the number of interviews I got over the ones I had with my old resume. Josh Henkin’s help was crucial in the success of my job search.”
Mayra N. Hernandez Montrose
Program Executive, Flight Programs at NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration
“I had reached a career roadblock and had been job searching for some time, with little to no success. I was despondent and Josh helped on several fronts. He suggested that I change my search strategy, and not only offered encouragement but concrete suggestions about what to change. He brought the viewpoint of a hiring manager, which was incredibly insightful. With his help, my resume underwent a total makeover and I landed three interviews and a job offer!”
Alysia vandenBerg, PhD
Scientific Communications Professional supporting researchers and physicians
“Josh is extremely thorough in his resume revisions. He gives specific examples and suggestions when reviewing materials for the job application process. He was helpful in providing insight into a potential employer’s mindset. After speaking with Josh and adding his revisions to my resume, I received positive feedback from multiple potential employers. I am confident that he could help many people with his solid advice. I would highly recommend his services to any professional.”
Kelsey Steele
Front End Web Developer
“Josh provides the help you need to get the job you want. He introduced me to the consultancy world and gave me constructive feedback on my resume. Most important, he gave me the perspective of a hiring manager and how I can make it easier for hiring managers to notice what I know and what I can do for them. Here is the result: I got job offers. Transitioning from academia was a big change for me and I was grateful to have Josh’s advice. He understands this process and he is willing to help.”
Janetta Lun
Senior Behavioral Scientist at National Institutes of Health
“I’ve been at NIH for 11 years, so it’s like a home to me. But, I’m definitely excited for this new position and am really looking forward to it. My co-workers in my lab asked how I got the position, because many of them are looking for a change, so I have a number of people that I will refer to STEM Career Services. Josh’s advice really helped me get this job. I appreciate it greatly.”
Lisa Nolan Wright
Senior Regulatory Science Specialist at Cote Orphan, LLC
“I didn’t know how much I didn’t know about consulting until after I met with Josh. I am now much more prepared to find a Government Consulting job.”
Travis Dittmer
Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton
“I got my resume previously reviewed by several university career consultants and reviewers at international conferences, but Dr. Henkin is the best resume reviewer I have ever experienced. He shared valuable suggestions to rebuild the resume to present my skills and capabilities in more effective and coherent ways. He is not only an excellent career consultant but also a great professional counselor and advisor, welcomes discussion on any professional concerns and shares thorough and logical advice.”
Mahendra Sreeramoju, PhD
Research Investigator at US WorldMeds
“Dr. Henkin’s services are both top-notch and conveniently available. I employed his services to help me determine both what I am good at and what fields I may be good at, though had never contemplated. Perhaps more valuable than his thorough knowledge of the technical field was his ability to probe and work to understand me, often asking Socratic questions that led me to delve into self-reflection that I would not have otherwise done. This is the attribute I found to truly set him apart from other advisers and that will prompt me to recommend him specifically in the future. While getting to know one’s clients is certainly helpful to both parties, I truly felt like he went above and beyond in this category and helped me find not just another job, and not just a job that relates to the skills I’ve learned, but his clever insights have led me toward a career that I will genuinely enjoy, as well as be able to financially grow within. Thank you, Josh. I hope you help many more post-millennials with finding the job they are apt to feel the best at in the long run.”
Hamilton Clark
Field Service Engineer at Plasma-Therm, LLC