Career Development for Scientists & Technical Professionals
When the next step isn't obvious.
Career decisions · Professional growth · Leadership
Gain clarity. Make better decisions. Build a career you're proud of.
You can be experienced, competent and doing well professionally, and still reach a point where the next step is not obvious.
Perhaps you are considering a new direction. Perhaps you want to grow where you are. You may be stepping into leadership, questioning your priorities, looking for more autonomy or recognition, or simply noticing that what worked for a long time no longer feels quite right.
These are not always problems to solve. Sometimes they are questions that need space, perspective and a better conversation.
What brings people here?
What do I want my next professional chapter to look like?
Should I stay, move, change direction, or change something where I am?
How do I grow without simply taking on more?
How do I lead when I was trained to be an expert, not a leader?
Why does my experience not translate into the recognition or influence I expected?
What matters to me now?
Complex careers rarely come with simple decisions.
Scientists and technical professionals are trained to analyse complex problems, evaluate evidence and develop expertise. But career decisions are different.
There may be several valid options. The variables are personal as well as professional. Values, identity, ambition, context, relationships, risk and timing can all matter. And sometimes more analysis does not produce more clarity.
Transforming complexity into clarity.
You don’t need enough light to see the entire path. Sometimes you need enough to see the next step.
Mentoring & Professional Coaching
Professional coaching creates a structured space to think, explore assumptions, clarify what matters and make your own decisions.
When relevant, I also bring perspectives from more than 20 years working across science, research, leadership and international environments.
Sometimes you need better questions. Sometimes another perspective helps. Often, you need both.
Meet Adriana Giongo
Scientist. Mentor. Professional Coach.
I have spent more than 20 years working in science and research across Brazil, the United States and Germany.
My career has taken me through research, teaching, interdisciplinary collaboration, mentoring and leadership, and through many of the questions that come with building an international professional life.
Today, I combine that experience with professional coaching to work with scientists and technical professionals navigating decisions, growth and leadership.
20+ years
Science & research
Brazil · USA · Germany
International scientific career
Research · Teaching · Leadership · Mentoring
Professional Coaching
What does working together actually look like?
A session is a structured conversation. You may arrive with a specific decision to make, or with something that is still difficult to name.
We work to organise the question, examine perspectives you may not have considered, clarify what matters and turn reflection into meaningful next steps.
Depending on the situation, our work may include questions, exercises, tools, mentoring or reflection between sessions.
Two people can come with similar questions and need very different conversations.
A conversation is a good place to start.
You don’t need to know exactly what you need before we talk.
Tell me what is happening, what you have been thinking about, and what you would like to make clearer.
If we decide to work together
Our work may combine professional coaching and mentoring, depending on the question, the goal and what would be most useful to you.
Who I work with
Scientists · Researchers · Technical professionals · R&D professionals · Scientific & technical leaders
Academia and industry.
Online · English & Portuguese
You don’t need to be changing jobs to benefit from this work.
Ideas for complex careers
Career Decisions
Ready for a new challenge, but not sure what it should be?
Leadership
A new title does not automatically create a new way of working.
Professional Identity
We are always more than the roles we occupy.
Stay for the conversation.
Reflections on career development, professional growth and leadership for people working in science and technical environments.
Frequently asked questions
What is professional coaching?
Professional coaching creates a structured space to think, explore assumptions, clarify what matters and make your own decisions.
How is coaching different from mentoring?
Coaching creates a structured space for you to think and make your own decisions. In mentoring, I also bring perspectives from more than 20 years working across science, research, leadership and international environments. Sometimes you need better questions. Sometimes another perspective helps. Often, you need both.
Is this only for people considering a career change?
No. You don’t need to be changing jobs to benefit from this work. You may want to grow where you are, be stepping into leadership, or be questioning your priorities.
Do you work with people in academia and industry?
Yes. I work with scientists, researchers, technical professionals, R&D professionals and scientific and technical leaders, in academia and industry.
Do I need to know exactly what I want before we talk?
No. You don’t need to know exactly what you need before we talk. You may arrive with a specific decision to make, or with something that is still difficult to name.
How long does a coaching process usually last?
[Answer to be defined]
Are sessions online?
Yes. Sessions are online.
Can we work in English or Portuguese?
Yes. We can work in English or in Portuguese.
Do you work internationally?
Yes. Sessions are online, and I work with people in different countries.
What does it cost?
[Answer to be defined]
How do I get started?
With a conversation. Book a Coffee Chat and tell me what is happening, what you have been thinking about, and what you would like to make clearer.
When the next step isn't obvious.
You don’t need to have everything figured out before we talk.
Sometimes a conversation is a good place to start.
The Candeeiro Trail
Transforming complexity into clarity.