Transformation You Can Measure
Transformation You Can Measure
From PhDs finding purpose to universities building industry-ready talent, see how coaching and consulting deliver results that last.
From PhDs finding purpose to universities building industry-ready talent, see how coaching and consulting deliver results that last.
3x Increase in Interview Calls
"Clearer narrative, stronger visibility—offers followed fast." — Anika, PhD Biology
3x Increase in Interview Calls
"Clearer narrative, stronger visibility—offers followed fast." — Anika, PhD Biology
3x Increase in Interview Calls
"Clearer narrative, stronger visibility—offers followed fast." — Anika, PhD Biology
3x Increase in Interview Calls
"Clearer narrative, stronger visibility—offers followed fast." — Anika, PhD Biology
"I used to wake up dreading Mondays. With Tina’s support, I transitioned into a role aligned with my values and strengths. It’s the most fulfilled I’ve ever felt at work."
— Leila, Career Transition Client
"I used to wake up dreading Mondays. With Tina’s support, I transitioned into a role aligned with my values and strengths. It’s the most fulfilled I’ve ever felt at work."
— Leila, Career Transition Client
"I used to wake up dreading Mondays. With Tina’s support, I transitioned into a role aligned with my values and strengths. It’s the most fulfilled I’ve ever felt at work."
— Leila, Career Transition Client
"I used to wake up dreading Mondays. With Tina’s support, I transitioned into a role aligned with my values and strengths. It’s the most fulfilled I’ve ever felt at work."
— Leila, Career Transition Client
Postdoc to industry to Team Lead - all within 6 months!
— Jakob, Biotech Team Lead
Postdoc to industry to Team Lead - all within 6 months!
— Jakob, Biotech Team Lead
Postdoc to industry to Team Lead - all within 6 months!
— Jakob, Biotech Team Lead
Postdoc to industry to Team Lead - all within 6 months!
— Jakob, Biotech Team Lead
75% PhDs Secured Roles in 6 Months
"Tina’s coaching gave our students clarity and confidence." — Martin, Career Services
75% PhDs Secured Roles in 6 Months
"Tina’s coaching gave our students clarity and confidence." — Martin, Career Services
75% PhDs Secured Roles in 6 Months
"Tina’s coaching gave our students clarity and confidence." — Martin, Career Services
75% PhDs Secured Roles in 6 Months
"Tina’s coaching gave our students clarity and confidence." — Martin, Career Services



2x Team Retention & +25% Productivity
"Postdocs stayed resilient and delivered better results." — Eva, Lab Director
2x Team Retention & +25% Productivity
"Postdocs stayed resilient and delivered better results." — Eva, Lab Director
2x Team Retention & +25% Productivity
"Postdocs stayed resilient and delivered better results." — Eva, Lab Director
2x Team Retention & +25% Productivity
"Postdocs stayed resilient and delivered better results." — Eva, Lab Director
What our clients say…
I worked with Tina for ten months. The coaching was truly transformative for me - I thought I knew myself pretty well, but I learned so much about myself in these sessions. What I have learned has been incredibly valuable, not just for my professional life but also for my personal life. These sessions helped me really understand what my needs are in the workplace and to identify roles that would be a good fit for me, as well as building my confidence to really go for the roles I wanted. Making a career change can be a demanding process, but following Tina's process, and knowing that this process has successfully helped so many people reach their career goals was very reassuring and helped keep me on track. Tina even predicted the exact month I would sign a new contract! Tina is a fantastic coach and working with her was the best investment in myself I ever made.
Gary
Tina is an exceptional career coach and mentor. She had a profound impact on my career and life after only two small workshops and three individual sessions. In my particular case, she helped me understand that storytelling is key. Together we build a plan for growth and she guided me through my transition from constant rejections to getting three job offers in the same month.
Dr. Miguel Fernandes, Data Scientist
I learned more about industry recruitment and applications during the coaching sessions with Tina, but even more importantly I learned a whole lot about myself. Tina has excellent people skills, which she naturally used to help me find the best fitting role for my personality. Conclusively, I learned that it's important to accept myself as an employee and have faith that the best fitting job is just around the corner. I definitely recommend to try out the coaching with Tina!
Dr. Julia, Research Scientist
I sincerely recommend ‘The PhD Career Coaching Guide’ to any PhD wishing to access high-paying jobs in times of uncertainty. The book consists of appealing arguments on how to create a job search strategy and to implement it successfully. Moreover, this book is an essential reading for students and scholars wanting to learn more about modern requirements to resumes, CVs and cover letters. The reader will also learn how to use F.I.T. framework, PAR and STAR techniques, and how to attract employers via LinkedIn profile. Dr. Tina Persson is an author who shared an applicable algorithm for accomplishing PhDs’ objectives before, during and after an interview.
Dr. Ielyzaveta, Associate Professor
I met Tina a few years ago during a Career Day organized at my university and, since then, I haven't stopped following her every time I had the opportunity. I attended her workshops, webinars, masterclasses, one-to-one strategic and professional coaching sessions, I listened to her podcasts, read her book, website and blog, finding in all of this an endless source of inspiration and encouragement. I admire Tina's professionalism, integrity and courage among other values that make her a true leader, career coach, and role model for anyone with potential that needs some help to be fully understood and expressed.
Donatella, Associate Professor in Applied Physics
I highly recommend Tina as a career coach! When I first approached her, I was looking to transition from academia to industry and had only a very vague idea of what I wanted to do. Tina’s thoughtful and structured approach helped me gain clarity on the kind of career I wanted to pursue and the concrete steps needed to make the move. Thanks to our coaching sessions, I received interview invitations and ultimately landed a job.
Yevheniy Skyra
After reading “The PhD career coaching guide” by Tina Persson, I decided to request individual coaching from Tina for an optimal transition from academia to industry. Her coaching style was sometimes confrontational by pushing boundaries, but it did help me make this transition possible. For example, she advised me to get over my shame and to approach recruiters and contact persons from vacancies directly. Furthermore, she helped me reading vacancies and explaining why some positions were more or less suitable for me. Her coaching gave me the confidence I needed, resulting in a suitable job in industry. I can recommend coaching by Tina for anyone who really wants to make the transition from academia to industry. Tina Persson is a true professional and because of her extensive experience in academia, recruitment, headhunting and coaching, she has a lot of experience and insights to share. For me it felt that her motto is: if you want something, stay positive, work hard, have confidence (and patience), and eventually good things will happen!
Stéphanie, PhD, Clinical Trial Manager
A couple of weeks into my job hunt, I realized I had no clue about the jobs behind the industrial titles. Each advertised industrial job appeared as if it was a good fit for me. It was from Tina’s personalized career coaching style, her well-thought self-awareness exercises, and immense recruiting knowledge that enabled me to identify my key skills and career goals and thus devise a targeted job hunt strategy. Moreover, to help stand out from the crowd, Tina encouraged me to present myself proactively in a short video clip. I should mention that with my very first application prepared upon Tina’s advice with a perfectly optimized CV, the novel video profile, and pre-application network with recruiters, I became visible to everyone. My one piece of advice for the reader would be ‘Trust Tina, she is there to help’. Thanks, Tina!
Saba, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher
Tina’s experiences and consideration of alternatives were very helpful in understanding myself as the leader of my own career choices. In particular, Tina also ran an objective profiling – Birkman, which gave greater insights into my work behaviours both usual and under stress. It is very important to know how you work under both these conditions so you can choose places that match for you and avoid ones that don’t. For me it is important to have high levels of independence in certain areas, and Tina helped me to uncover that.
Peter Vella
I met Tina around 2019 when I was working towards my career transition to industry. After many years as postdoc, I accumulated a lot of rejections when applying for regular job in industry. Working with Tina was a challenge at the first because she used to questioning a lot and soon I realised she has seeing what I don't see due to my blind spots or desperation for not having a job at that time. I started to share situations and asked her how to approach it. As they say, 2 brains work better than one and I got a powerful ally which thought me to be calm, capitalise when indirect opportunities are offered, to be curious and think out of the box. Finally my yes came few months down the line. Many thanks Tina for your patience and to share your knowledge.
Paromita, Principal Scientist
Tina always spreads great energy around her. Tina has experiences both inside academia and outside academia and this was very valuable for me since she helped me to look for jobs opportunities outside academia. Tina has coached me when I wanted to get a job outside academia and after that things changed positively for me. She had given me great advices on how to change my CV, how to hunt for a job and great tips for jobs interviews. She is very attentive, good listener and very respectful.
Clara Duca, PhD
George Belibasakis, Professor at the Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet. Head of Research and Head of International Affairs at the Department. I have the pleasure to cooperate with Dr. Tina Persson over the past years at Karolinska Institutet. An invaluable trait of Tina´s coaching line that I have adopted is that the performance of an individual is inseparably coupled to their unique work environment, be it related to research, education or management. Therefore, development of academic leadership is a bidirectional process that aims to utilize most efficiently the competences of the available work force, while optimizing the responses to the challenges of the work environment. As a truly international coach, Tina embraces diversity, multi-disciplinarity and adaptability as major driving forces for new age leadership in an academia beyond borders.
Georgios Belibasakis, Professor, Head of Periodontology and Oral Health, Head of Research, Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet
I had the pleasure of working with Tina during a pivotal moment in my career as I transitioned from academia to industry. Her expertise, guidance, and personalized approach were invaluable in helping me navigate this challenging shift. Tina not only helped me identify my strengths but also coached me on how to translate them into the language of the business world. Her support boosted my confidence, refined my job search strategy, and helped me secure a role in my new industry. I highly recommend Tina to anyone looking for a skilled, compassionate coach.
Julien Hiblot, Biochemist
Thanks Tina! Your coaching is a continous help for me in improving career particularly to define strategies aimed for transition.
Koustav Ganguly, Associate Professor (Docent) at Karolinska Institutet
I met Dr. Tina Persson during a career workshop organized by Lund University. I then decided to sign up for individual coaching sessions with her. Dr. Persson gave me valuable advice regarding topics such as how to prepare an adequate CV, how to find and apply for jobs in industry, great tips for job interviews, and how to set up a plan for professional growth within a company. I think that anyone wishing to transition from academia to industry can greatly benefit from her extensive experience and knowledge.
Manuel Orozco Rodriguez, Protein chemist at BioInvent International AB
As a PhD working in neuroscience research, I had a hard time asking myself if I was on the correct track in my career. Luckily, I had the pleasure of finding PhD career stories podcasts (PhDCS) on Linkedin. These podcasts were very inspiring for me, and time later, there was an opportunity to join the podcast team as a video editor and I did. It was a very good decision, and of course, I met Tina.
Mariel A. Müller, M.D | Researcher
I hired Tina to help me transition from academia to industry and I can’t recommend her services strongly enough. She was part advisor, part therapist and part cheerleader throughout this very difficult transition. After every meeting with Tina, I reflected on what she had said and her insights helped me find my way and put my plans into action. There were many months when I didn’t feel like I had made much progress but Tina was always a source of non-judgmental and encouraging energy. I’m so lucky I met her. Our coaching sessions are done for now but if I need more guidance in the future, she is the first person I would call. Thank you Tina!
Morgan Ward, PhD | Consumer Behavior Specialist
I am delighted to recommend Tina, a professional coach whose expertise has been pivotal in my successful transition from academia to industry. Having attended nearly all her workshops presented at Hannover Medical School, I have witnessed first-hand the depth and breadth of her knowledge. Tina's workshops and her enlightening book on transitioning from academia to industry provided me with invaluable tools and insights. Her practical advice and clear strategies, from tailoring resumes to understanding corporate culture, have significantly eased my career shift. The book's thorough research and actionable steps reflect Tina's years of experience and dedication to professional development. Two months ago, I embarked on my new career in the industry, equipped with Tina's wisdom and motivated by her encouragement to step out of my comfort zone. Her support was not just strategic but also provided emotional and psychological strength during this significant change. I sincerely appreciate the clarity and inspiration Tina's work has brought into my professional life. Her ability to translate academic skills into industry assets is exceptional. As I apply the strategies she recommended, I am excited about the future and look forward to further guidance from her. Thank you, Tina, for your profound impact on my career and personal growth. Wishing you continued success, and hoping to learn even more from your expertise in the future.
Niloofar Tavakoli, Neuroscientist
My name is Nitesh Raj Jaladurgam, I have a PhD in materials science. I am currently working as a materials analysis engineer consultant at Condesign AB. After my PhD, I joined the PhD career stories team and has been responsible for a part of work in podcast production, and newsletter publication. It has been a wonderful volunteer time and I really appreciate the monthly meetings with the team and Tina Persson. Tina Person has always been encouraging the team with new ideas, challenges and she gives utmost importance on the team development all the way. I am looking forward to continuing the forged relationship with PhD Career Stories and Tina Persson.
Nitesh Raj, Ph.D., Materials Scientist | PhD
I had the pleasure of working with Tina as my career coach, and I can confidently say that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made for my career. When I first reached out to Tina, I was feeling lost and unsure about what direction to take. From the very beginning, Tina was incredibly supportive, patient, and knowledgeable, guiding me through the coaching process with ease. Throughout our sessions, Tina helped me get out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to explore new possibilities. Her ability to ask the right questions and listen actively allowed me to better understand myself, my values, and my aspirations. With her expert guidance, I was able to identify my strengths and weaknesses and gain clarity on the type of role I wanted to pursue. I am incredibly grateful for all her advice, encouragement, and support throughout the coaching process. I highly recommend working with Tina if you are struggling to find the right career path or need practical guidance in finding the right job for you. She truly cares about her clients and goes above and beyond to ensure their success. Thank you, Tina, for all that you have done for me – I couldn't have done it without you!
David, PhD in Materials Science
I must say that I highly recommend Tina Persson, Global ICF Leadership and Career Coach. She is exceptional in her coaching and training expertise and can unlock the true potential of high-performing executives. Tina has a proven track record of developing new leaders and helping companies build a strong leadership bench, making her the go-to choice for any company in need of a top-notch coach.
Robert Moment, ICF Certified Executive Leadership and Emotional Intelligence Coach
I had the pleasure to meet and work together with Tina Persson at PhD Career Stories since 2018, and I can attest to Tina's exceptional leadership, mentorship and coaching abilities. Throughout the years Tina has been a source of inspiration, strength and warmth to the PhD Career Stories team, even under challenging circumstances. Being always available to help & assist, Tina makes sure that the team feels supported and appreciated. On a more personal level, Tina has provided me with crucial career advice that allowed me to make more deliberate and comprehensive career choices. Whether through 1 on 1 conversations, participating in her workshops, or perusing her book for tips, Tina's wealth of knowledge, experience and insights has been absolutely pivotal to better navigate my career path.
Rui Filipe, PhD, Project Manager | Biomedical Scientist
With an unparalleled depth and breadth of experience in helping career scientists and college leaders transition to industry, Tina offers a truly invaluable guidance and insight. Her genuine appreciation for the needs of her clients makes it easy to develop and execute tailored plans that fit individual goals and aspirations. If you are ready to take the leap into building a successful career in an industry setting, Tina will provide invaluable support with her proven expertise. An experienced navigator through the uncharted waters of career change, Tina is an asset that no professional should overlook!
Sandra Menzies
I am Satyajeet Gupta, currently a postdoctoral researcher and coordinator at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden. I have been struggling to figure out career paths that align with both my passion and academic background. She was highly instrumental in helping me choose career paths that I am both passionate about and enjoy doing in the future, apart from research. She showed me ways to tailor my Resume and Cover letters to better match the job profiles, provided invaluable insights on how to optimize my job search and build networks, collect surveys and testimonials for volunteering jobs, and importance of various kinds of people we interact with, during all kinds of jobs we pursue. Her ability to challenge me to think outside of my comfort zone has not only made my thought process clearer but has also greatly increased my confidence level. I would highly recommend Tina's coaching services to anyone looking to navigate the job market and find a career path that aligns with their passion and academic background. So far, her insights and guidance have been invaluable in my own personal journey and served as a guiding light. I am confident that others having similar goals will benefit greatly from working with her as well.
Satyajeet Gupta, PhD
Having Prof. Tina Persson as my coach was an invaluable experience for both my personal and professional development. I met her in 2023 when she was invited to our PhD group at KTH for a PhD career workshop. She talked about many important factors in transitioning from academia to industry and it stayed with me to contact her. In 2024, I reached out to her about her coaching program and had an introductory meeting with her before buying coaching sessions. We had a total of five sessions together, and I definitely plan to purchase more sessions in the future. I was in an unpleasant situation with my job and uncertain about what I truly wanted, but I knew I needed professional help to figure it out. This experience led to many changes in me, most importantly, discovering aspects of myself that I was previously unaware of. These five sessions and her online course introduced a new way of thinking, busted self-esteem, and understanding cultural environments at work which greatly benefited me. Tina is very open-minded, kind, and honest. Communicating with her was very easy; we understood each other effortlessly. I could talk to her for hours and lose track of time. She was extremely supportive and patient in answering my questions and illuminating the process. I loved the wise questions she asked me during and at the end of each session because they challenged me to find answers. Moreover, she helped me structure my CV, prepare for job interviews, and understand job advertisements. This helped me to look for jobs more strategically and get into more interviews. I highly recommend anyone looking for a new transition, personal or professional, to purchase at least five coaching sessions, read her book and buy the online course. It's important to listen to and embrace the changes and trust the process. Thank you Tina for your valuable support!
Shaghayegh Bayati Ph.D., Scientist
Tina always spread energy around her! Tina has experiences both inside academia and outside academia, with her experience, intelligence and passion, she is a good at doing whatever she does. Tina has coached me when she is at Karolinska Institutet (KI) career service, after that things changed positively for me. She initiated many positive actions for students and postdoc while she is working at KI career service, including blogging. She make it very lively and attractive! In one word: Wherever Tina goes, things happen!
Yongtao Xue-Franzén, Karolinska Institutet
After many years in academia I decided that it is time for me to leave. However, it turned out to be a challenging task. First, I was not sure how all those skills and knowledge acquired in more than 12 years of being PhD/postdoc/researcher can be applied in industry. Second, leaving academia due to the career limitations I still wanted to work on some exciting projects that may be useful for many people. Third, I did not have a clear picture in my head of how to present myself in a way that is attractive for potential employers. After participating in several seminars for the job seekers I felt I needed a more personal approach. What should I do exactly in my case? Following a suggestion of one of my colleagues, I contacted Tina Persson. I had several 1-hour meetings with Tina, and I can reassure you that those hours were among the most productive hours in my life. We worked on defining my strong/weak points, clarifying the goal (what actually I want to do and why), and building the strategies for the efficient communication. And this is just a few of those things that we went through together with Tina. I can highly recommend working with Tina to everyone who is on the way from academia to industry or just looking for some professional help with their career. Soon I am starting a new position in my favourite science-based company (more updates later). I will stay close to science but at the same time will have a chance to develop a broad set of technical and soft skills that can be applicable in a vast variety of professional spheres. That is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you for your support, Tina!
Yulian Gavrilov, Ph.D. Computational Biologist
After many years in academia, I decided to pursue a career in industry. However, this was not an easy transition. I had a Ph.D., but I was unsure how to apply my skills and knowledge to the industrial setting. I also lacked a clear vision of how to present myself effectively to potential employers. Fortunately, I connected with a former alumnus who recommended Tina Persson to me. I had several one-hour sessions with Tina, who helped me identify my strengths and interests. These sessions made me gradually understand my direction. Tina encouraged me to keep exploring, learning, and improving. The process was not always smooth, but Tina’s guidance and support were invaluable. I highly recommend working with Tina to anyone who is looking for a career change or professional development. Thanks for your support, Tina!
Zhen Qiu, PhD
"A book is only as good as its reader." That’s what I used to tell my mom when I was little and she asked why I kept rereading Harry Potter. I always felt there was more to discover — something new to learn each time. The same was true for Dr. Tina Persson’s Career Development Series, which I attended twice during my PhD at Hannover Medical School. Making time for extra workshops wasn’t easy, but I had a strong feeling this investment would pay off — and it did. In the first round, I focused on listening and reflection. Tina’s insights into the job market, self-discovery, and career fit were eye-opening. Between the sessions, I spent time understanding who I am and where I want to go. By the second time, I was ready to fully engage — and the experience was transformative. As PhDs we often assume we can adapt to any role because we are used to adapting and acquiring new skills all the time. But what truly makes a difference is discovering your personality, values, and natural strengths. Tina’s program helps uncover exactly that. Because there are no jobs for “someone” — but there are plenty for you once you know who that is. With Tina’s guidance, I learned how to identify my ideal job fit and express my transferable skills with clarity and confidence. Her sessions on resume building, LinkedIn, and interviews were filled with practical tips and honest, personalized feedback. Thanks to this, I left the program with clarity, confidence — and successfully transitioned from academia into the industry after my very first interview. This wasn’t because I’m exceptional. I’m no different than any other PhD student, that's what I know for sure. The main point was that I knew exactly what I wanted and that I was able to show why I was the right fit for the job I applied for, right from the start. Tina’s coaching gave me that clarity. Her program doesn’t offer a formula — it helps you find your own path. And once you do, everything else falls into place. What kind of job makes you smile? If you don't know yet, ask Tina. :) I highly recommend her amazing and inspiring coaching!
Dr. Talia Samara Schneider, Network Manager Rare Disease I Pfizer | PhD I Background in protein biochemistry
”When I contacted Tina, I was struggling with my professional development and asking for her help was one of the best decisions I took in my career so far. Tina challenged my perspectives, helped me to find new ones and develop my adaptation potential. All that from the solid base of her strong life science background. I always left the coaching sessions inspired!! Tinas energy and own will to change, develop and adapt are contagious! I am very grateful for her support and for being able to taking this investment in personal growth.”
Elisabeth Reithuber, PhD in Medical Science
Proof That Change Works
Real shifts. Lasting results. These journeys reflect the power of guided transformation—at every level.
We don’t just coach, we co-create your next chapter with clarity, strategy, and grounded support.
How We Work
How We Work
We don’t just coach. We co-create your next chapter with clarity, strategy, and grounded support.
We don’t just coach, we co-create your next chapter with clarity, strategy, and grounded support.
We don’t just coach. We co-create your next chapter with clarity, strategy, and grounded support.

Clarity
We help you cut through noise and uncertainty, so you can see your career path with fresh perspective and confidence.

Strategy
Our methods are built on real-world insight, from recruitment, industry, and academia. You won’t guess your way forward—we map it together.
Our methods are built on real-world insight, from recruitment, industry, and academia. You won’t guess your way forward, we map it together.

Empowerment
Coaching with us isn’t about advice, it’s about unlocking your voice, strengths, and ownership of your journey.



About Passage2Pro
Passage2Pro is the career coaching company I founded to guide academics, researchers, and professionals through career transitions, with confidence and clarity. We blend coaching with industry insight, helping you move from uncertainty to a role where you truly thrive.
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Still Figuring Things Out?
Still Figuring Things Out?
Not everyone arrives with answers, and that’s okay. If you’re unsure which path fits best, we can explore that together.
Not everyone arrives with answers, and that’s okay. If you’re unsure which path fits best, we can explore that together.