Not too long ago, I was looking for podcasts on career development in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry. Of course, bonus points if the podcast has a focus on women. So far, I haven’t come across any in this particular niche (hey, Michelle, project idea… you know, for when our kids finally go to school after this pandemic!). Dear readers, if you know about a women-in-pharma-careers-relevant podcast, please leave in the comments below or send us a note!
Of course, there are many podcasts on pharma trends, biotechnology, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and other technical or pharma business topics. Some pharmaceutical companies, like Eli Lilly, Genentech, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer, have rolled out their own podcasts to engage consumers, healthcare professionals, and current or future employees. Even the FDA just came out with a new podcast called FDA Insight.
Search for Podcasts on Career Development in Pharma
In my search, I found that PharmaVOICE.com hosts a Women of the Week podcast. This features senior executives and thought leaders in the healthcare industry who talk about their area of expertise. Some of these visionary female leaders do also share good advice and lessons learned from their career journeys. However, it’s a bit like squinting down at the lighted stage from the nosebleed seats when sometimes it’s helpful to hear how the peer next to you is navigating career and life.
Next, I found a mention of a “Women in Pharma podcast” from the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE, not to be confused with the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology, also ISPE, which is my professional jam). Starting the career development podcast series is a goal for the pharmaceutical engineering group. Thus, I hope to hear more about it soon.
Still in its nascent state, the Hopkins Biotech Podcast is likely relevant for exploring careers in pharma and biotech. Hosted by PhD students at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the podcast aims to illuminate life science career opportunities outside of academia in a variety of private sectors, such as the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. I’ll save this as a career development podcast and resource for students and early-career professionals.
Career-Focused Podcasts We're Listening To Right Now
1. Women at Work
This podcast from the Harvard Business Review is hosted by editor Amy Bernstein and author Amy Gallo. True to the tagline of “Conversations about the workplace, and women’s place in it,” they combine the context of how businesses operate with career development and career advancement. The podcast interviews thought leaders who have advice for professional women. Early in Season 1, the Couples at Work episode really resonated with me. Jennifer Petriglieri talks about the mindset of thriving dual-career couples who, instead of being in competition, are psychologically supporting each other. Perhaps, one of my favorite episodes was Season 4’s Let’s Talk About Money. The guest Amelia Ransom said, “If you have a mentor, and you’re not talking about pay, I don’t know what you guys are talking about… we are having that conversation.”
2. How’s Work
Esther Perel’s workplace relationships podcast shines a light on the “invisible forces that shape workplace connection, conflict and dynamics through one-time therapy sessions with coworkers, cofounders and colleagues.” I (Michelle) am a huge fan of Esther Perel. What I find fascinating is the impact of history and upbringing on how we work and interact with others. We also spend a lot of time at work and develop deep relationships with our business partners. This podcast explores how our past can influence who we are today. Guests range from business partners starting a new venture, to business partners separating, to sisters finding the courage to make the leap into an independent venture.
3. HBA Podcast
Healthcare Businesswomen's Association is a global nonprofit serving individuals and organizations from across the healthcare industry. The association is committed to “achieving gender parity in leadership positions, facilitating career and business connections and providing effective practices that enable organizations to realize the full potential of their female talent.” Several podcast episodes focus on topics such as career transitions, building teams, and mentoring. As a resource for women within the healthcare industry, HBA also recommends episodes from other podcasts.
4. Work Life with Adam Grant
Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist whose podcast features extraordinary people at work. He and his guests share insights on highlighting how to make our time at work “worth our time”. In Season 3, he covers timely work-related topics like burnout, procrastination, loneliness, remote work, negotiation, professional decline, and job interviews. In a bonus episode he features Esther Perel on relationships at work.
Mom Podcasts We're Listening To Right Now
If you’re a mom like we are, then we understand it’s impossible to separate career from kids. Michelle demonstrated this in her work-life integration post. Here are a couple mom podcasts we love and recommend.
1. Best of Both Worlds
Laura Vanderkam and Sarah Hart-Unger, hosts of this podcast, are women that I emulate. They are both busy professionals with large-ish families (5 and 3 children, respectively) and partners who also have demanding careers. They “discuss work/life balance, career development, parenting, time management, productivity, and making time for fun.” Therefore, this is a podcast for women who love their careers AND their families so want to hear about strategies to thrive in all spheres of life. I love how the hosts are unapologetic about the childcare and outsourcing needed to achieve their career aspirations and maintain sanity! This podcast gives solid advice about how to prioritize and manage life. The hosts have recognized that they and their guests mainly come from positions of privilege so are trying to incorporate more diverse voices.
2. Motherhood Sessions
Both Michelle and I both listen to this voyeuristic and riveting podcast from reproductive psychiatrist Dr. Alexandra Sacks. This podcast normalizes counseling and therapy. It gives the listener a good idea for what talk therapy can be all about. What I find fascinating is that even when I think the episode description isn’t appealing or relevant to me, or if I likely will have nothing in common with the patient, I always end up being able to relate in some way. That speaks to the universality of motherhood. In Season 2, Mom’s Not There When I Need Her features a mom who worries about what will happen with her kids. Yet, she continues to prioritize her career because she fears doing mediocre work. The session with Dr. Sacks made her realize that she needed to redefine personal success as happiness rather than career achievements.
Last Notes on Career Development Podcasts
A couple years ago, Michelle and I were interviewed on a podcast ourselves. We discussed maintaining our career and professional identities while supporting our spouses’ medical journey. For me, it was a fun and nerve-wracking experience (ack, is that really how I sound?). That experience partially pushed us to start this blog and share career development stories.
Let us know if you’ve heard about any career development podcasts for women in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry!