Authors: Aly Budny and Natalie Zimmerman
Aly Budny is one of our amazing Recruiting Partners, who originally joined the Sci.bio team in a dual role comprising marketing and recruiting. Since she joined the team almost four years ago, she’s transitioned to full-time recruiting and has developed a tailored approach to talent acquisition across various kinds of roles.
Read more below about Aly’s serendipitous path to Sci.bio, the way she tackles the day-to-day difficulties of recruiting, her passion for wildlife photography, and more!
How did you get into recruiting, and how did you end up at Sci.bio?
I got into recruiting accidentally! When I graduated from Northeastern, I knew I wanted to work in Biotech, but wasn’t sure how to break into the industry without landing in a research position. I didn’t want to work in the lab and I didn’t have plans to get a PhD, so I was seeking a way into the industry that was more business oriented. I had done a co-op in marketing while in college, giving me skills in social media marketing, event planning, and newsletter creation. I figured biotech marketing was a path I could explore, but I also did a second co-op at SQZ Biotech supporting the CEO, which exposed me to other areas like business development, HR, investor relations, and even recruiting. I saw an opening at Sci.bio and applied. In chatting with Eric, I learned that Sci.bio had a need for marketing support, and we decided I would join in a dual position – marketing and recruiting. I got to learn something new (that has turned into my career) and continue to develop on the marketing side. I ended up liking recruiting more, and transitioned to being a full time recruiter in 2022.
What do you enjoy most about being a recruiter?
I really enjoy the opportunity to work with so many different people across the industry and even specifically within an organization. At this point in my career, I have supported all the baseline functions a biotech company may have – G&A, Clinical, Research, and more recently Commercial. I look forward to developing a relationship with my hiring managers and building a partnership that can lead to successful hiring. You can draft a JD, look at some resumes, and guess on paper what will be a fit, but if you aren’t taking the time to meet with a hiring manager to understand their personality, their management style, their goals, you can spin in circles looking for the right candidate. Everyone has a unique approach, and I learn something new every time I kick off an opening with a new hiring manager.
What do you find most challenging about recruiting?
Lately, small tasks can be a challenge. Resume review, scheduling interviews, and keeping a hiring process moving forward can involve a lot of small steps. I get excited when I know we have the right candidate moving through the process, and sometimes I have to step back, remind myself what steps need to occur, and make sure I am consistent from a process perspective.
What are your passions and interests outside of work?
I currently play on multiple tennis teams throughout the week, which nicely breaks up the amount of time I sit at my desk! I also love wildlife photography and am looking forward to warbler season (IYKYK). Photography has led me to be a lot more active and spend more time outside – even in the winter!
What do you think your greatest strength is as a recruiter?
I think my greatest strength as a recruiter is that I don’t give up easily. I have worked through many difficult positions – from lack of clarity on the requirements, to multiple offer declines, to one specific role that arguably only 10 people on the planet could do, I will find the right fit, no matter how long it takes. You can always work with a hiring manager to shift expectations, priorities, and even hiring location, but I interpret that as a last resort.
What advice would you give to someone entering the world of biotech recruiting, or recruiting in general?
Patience is a virtue. There will be jobs you don’t fill, jobs you lose out to another agency, jobs that will be cancelled right when you get a good candidate in the mix. This job requires being in it for the long haul, and the benefits will outweigh the struggle, you just have to have the patience to get there.
What are your goals that you hope to accomplish as a recruiter?
I could list metric based goals or processes I want to improve, as there are always things to think about in this sense, but I really enjoy what I am doing currently, and my goal is to continue to enjoy what I do.
Here at Sci.bio, we work with a variety of candidates from new graduates to experienced executives and have myriad open roles. We pride ourselves on connecting our highly discerning clients with candidates who fit their specific needs. Check out our job search page to see current openings and follow us on LinkedIn for more information.
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