Originally appearing in Discover La Jolla
Barbara Preston considers herself a matchmaker at heart, even while her head is firmly planted in the scientific realm.
She is the co-founder of PharmaScouts, a La Jollabased company that provides recruiting expertise for biotech and pharmaceutical companies. PharmaScouts identifies, screens and recruits top scientific talent to build effective teams for such companies, while helping scientists keep their careers on track.
“I often liken our job to matchmaking, and the interviewing process is a lot like dating,” she says. “We help both sides understand what the expectations are and bring that together. So when I’m talking to someone, I’m really focused on them as an individual. I want to know what interests them, what they would change about the job they have, what do they really enjoy? What gets them up in the morning? And because I’m a scientist, too, we build up a rapport.”