Authors: Mike Cordaro, Natalie Zimmerman
Meet Mike Cordaro, one of Sci.bio Recruiting’s wonderful Senior Recruiting Partners. Mike has been an integral part of the Sci.bio team for more than 6 years, and specializes in filling medical affairs roles, as well as expanding Sci.bio’s executive recruiting branch.
Read on for a deeper dive into Mike’s journey which led him to Sci.bio, what he loves most about the industry, and more!
How did you get into recruiting, and how did you end up at Sci.bio?
I was inspired after calling asking for donations from alumni during my college’s Phonathon. The nature of being on calls the entire time and forming relationships with people that I had never met before really struck a chord with me, and I wanted to continue developing that skill. I had joined a contract staffing company where I learned the day-day of Candidate Recruitment and built my foundational skills. After excelling in candidate Recruitment, I wanted to learn the BD nature of the business, so I joined a prominent company in the industry and ran my own 360 desk. Since I graduated with a degree in biology, I always wanted to utilize my life science knowledge in a more direct way, and Eric (Founder and Sr. Managing Partner here at Sci.bio) was someone I had been in touch with for years. In early 2019, the timing was just right, and I became a part of the Sci.bio team.
What do you enjoy most about being a recruiter?
The relationships I’ve built with my clients – not just in helping them fill their key roles and achieving their goals, but also the times when we catch up just to see how life is going and what’s new in their world outside of work. Even more so, I love the process of starting new relationships with new hiring managers and clients.
What do you find most challenging about recruiting?
The things that are outside our control: offers, hard to fill roles, contracts, and more are all second nature, and a normal part of our day-day. But things like the overall state of the economy, sudden changes in people’s lives, and other unforeseen events can be hard to rationalize and respond to at times. However, it’s what also makes our industry so unique – and over time, you learn how to deal with them, and they go from obstacles to accomplishments.
What are your passions and interests outside of work?
Traveling with my wife, hikes and long walks with both my wife and my dog, skiing, trying to be good at golf and failing every time, and my adult recreational soccer league.
What do you think your greatest strength is as a recruiter?
I’m good at discovering small, somewhat under-the-radar companies facing their own unique challenges in hiring, and coming up with creative solutions to find long-term talent for them.
What advice would you give to someone entering the world of biotech recruiting, or recruiting in general?
There are great days, and there are tough days. This piece of advice was given to me by someone I worked with previously: never get too high on yourself, and never get too low on yourself. Just keeping showing up, and you’ll find success.
What are your goals that you hope to accomplish as a recruiter?
I hope to continue to build on my network, and always follow a Kaizen method (a Japanese term meaning “continuous improvement”) to keep improving on my own skills.
