In Women's Health

Issue #139  ·  April 6, 2026

Career Advancement

What I've Learned Watching 300+ Women's Health Job Searches — The Moves That Actually Work

The women who land aren't the most credentialed. They're the ones who got clear, told a better story, and put themselves in front of the right people. Here's what that actually looks like.

I've now watched more than 300 women navigate job searches in women's health. Different backgrounds, different roles, different stages of career. Some came in as clinicians trying to cross to the business side. Some were mid-career pivots from tech or finance. Some were already in the industry and couldn't figure out why they kept getting passed over.

After 300+ searches, the patterns are impossible to ignore.

The women who land aren't the most credentialed. They aren't the ones who apply the most. They're the ones who get clear on their value, tell a story that lands, and put themselves in front of the right people at the right time.

And the ones who stay stuck? Almost always, it comes down to the same three things: unclear positioning, a story that describes instead of compels, and a job search strategy that's really just hope dressed up as effort.

From "nurse who happened to be in sales" to leader in OB technology

Alysse Thorne came into the Mastermind at one of the hardest moments of her career. Recently laid off, months of applications behind her, no traction. She knew she had the skills. She couldn't figure out why no one was calling back.

The problem wasn't her resume. It was her story. She was showing up as a nurse who had ended up in sales — a description, not a value proposition. Nobody hires a description.

What shifted for Alysse wasn't just the reframe. It was what she did with it. During the cohort, she didn't wait for a job offer to materialize. She shaped a consulting role in real time — built proof of concept while the program was still running — and used that momentum to land the right next opportunity.

The consulting role was the move. She stopped waiting to be chosen and started building something that proved she already belonged.

From not getting interviews to landing at Spring Fertility

Remy Noveshen wasn't getting interviews. She had the background. She had the passion. What she didn't have was a clear picture of her own value — and it was showing up in every application she sent.

"I wasn't taking credit for so much of what I'd done."

That's the line that stays with me. Because it's not rare. It's one of the most common patterns I see — talented women who have quietly built something significant and then shrug it off in an interview like it doesn't count.

What changed for Remy wasn't just her resume. It was her relationship with her own story. She started owning what she'd built. She let the work speak at its actual volume instead of apologizing for it.

And then something else happened. Jodi vouched for her — connected her directly to her CEO network. Remy didn't just have a better pitch. She had someone credible in the ecosystem saying: this one is worth your time.

She landed a role she loves at Spring Fertility.

The warm introduction didn't replace the work she did on herself. It amplified it. That's the order it works in — clarity first, then the network does what networks do.

From three months of stuck to one month of real momentum

Shannan Hanson came in strategic and left tactical. That distinction matters.

A lot of people know what they want to do. They can tell you the type of role, the kind of company, the mission they care about. What they can't do is translate that into a resume that gets read, a story that lands in an interview, or a job search that actually moves.

Shannan accomplished more in one month inside the Mastermind than she had in the three months before it. Not because she worked harder. Because she finally had direct, honest feedback — the kind that tells you exactly what isn't working and exactly what to do about it.

The job market has changed. What worked five years ago — a strong resume, a clear cover letter, applying consistently — isn't enough anymore. The people breaking through have something else: a framework, feedback, and a community that holds them accountable to actually using both.

From seven years in digital health to leading partnerships in women's health

Jennifer Thomas spent nearly seven years in digital health, partnering with enterprise clients across the healthcare ecosystem to identify innovative technologies for investment and commercial application. The work was meaningful. But something was missing.

She was rarely asked to discover solutions focused on women's health — which left little room to pursue the area she cared most about. She had the expertise. She had the relationships. What she needed was a way in.

The Mastermind and Mini-MBA gave her the foundation she was missing — not just the knowledge of how women's health actually works, but access to the network of leaders and experts who are building it. She didn't have to start from scratch. She built on everything she already had.

Jennifer is now Head of Strategic Partnerships at Aavia, a daily hormone health app helping women track, understand, and reduce cycle symptoms through data-driven insights and personalized recommendations.

The through line

Four different women. Four different backgrounds. Four different pivots.

The same pattern underneath all of them.

They got clear on their value. They built a story that reflected it. They put themselves in front of the right people — and let those people vouch for them.

Kelli Kessell said it simply: "I joined the IWH Career Mastermind because I was seeing so much movement from so many great women and I wanted to learn more."

That's it. That's the move. Get in the room where the movement is happening. Learn from the people who are figuring it out in real time. Let the community pull you forward when momentum stalls.

Go Deeper

IWH Career Mastermind

The stories above aren't outliers — they're what happens when you have the right framework, the right feedback, and the right people in your corner. That's exactly what the Career Mastermind is built to deliver.

4 weeks  ·  8 live sessions  ·  200+ alumni  ·  Starts April 27  ·  Limited to 20 students

$1,249  ·  100% money-back guarantee

Stat of the Week

💡 One Thing This Week

If your search isn't getting traction, the problem probably isn't your resume. It's that you're competing for the fraction of roles that get posted publicly — while the majority are filled before they ever go live. The Career Mastermind puts you inside the network where those conversations are actually happening, with the relationships and visibility to be in the room when they do.

What We're Reading

📚 Worth Your Time

On the Radar

📅 Upcoming Events

IWH Members Only  ·  April 17  ·  2:00pm ET  ·  Virtual  ·  Free

IWH April Office Hours

Discuss recent interviews, get resume feedback, and ask career questions in a safe, confidential space with Jodi and your peers.

IWH Event  ·  April 22  ·  1:00pm ET  ·  Virtual  ·  Free

Building A 10-Step Plan for Your Career in Women's Health (Session 3)

A hands-on workshop for C-level and early/mid career job seekers. Walk away with tangible steps and templates to build your 10-step plan.

IWH Event  ·  April 29  ·  12:00pm ET  ·  Virtual  ·  Free

Get Hired in Women's Health: Inside Cofertility's Talent Playbook

Jodi sits down with Brittany Shaw Izrailov, COO at Cofertility, for a candid conversation on the trends reshaping teams, the skills leaders are hungry for, and the roles Cofertility is building toward.

Featured Roles

⭐ Roles We're Watching

Job Board

📋 120+ New Roles This Week

Across 30+ companies in women's health

P.S. If Alysse, Remy, or Shannan's story sounded familiar — this is how they changed it. The April 27 cohort is open and spots are limited. Register here →