Unspoken Rules: Dr. Carmen Banks on the Hidden Curriculum of Career Advancement in STEM
One of the most practical workshops from the 2026 AdaMarie Career Navigation Summit is now available inside the AdaMarie Professional Network. Here’s what you’ll take away from it — and how to watch the full session.
In school, success comes with instructions. At work, the rules that shape your career growth are often never written down.
Dr. Carmen Banks calls this the hidden curriculum, and her Career Navigation Summit workshop explores the workplace lessons many STEM professionals have to learn the hard way.
As a cell and molecular biologist who advanced from scientist to director across food tech and pharma, and the founder of MelanInScience, Dr. Banks brings experience from both sides of career advancement. She shares what managers notice, what influences promotion decisions, and why working hard alone doesn't always translate into recognition.
The session tackles common career assumptions, from keeping your head down and saying yes to everything to believing your manager automatically knows the value of your work. Dr. Banks offers practical guidance on communicating your impact, navigating workplace dynamics, asking for help, and building relationships that support your growth.
She also reframes networking as something that happens every day, not just at industry events. The colleagues you build genuine relationships with today may become your future mentors, managers, collaborators, and advocates.
Whether you're moving from school into your first STEM role or trying to understand what it takes to advance, this workshop offers a clearer picture of how to navigate the workplace with intention.
Watch the full workshop inside the APN
Dr. Banks’ complete session, including all the workplace myths and how to navigate each one, is available now in the AdaMarie Professional Network, alongside every other session from this year’s summit.
Inside, you’ll find:
The full summit replay library, including the sessions you couldn’t catch live
Live workshops and expert conversations year-round
Our spring Career Accelerator
A growing library of career resources
A Slack community full of people navigating their next steps right alongside you
