Do you want to get a job in the biotechnology industry? This article will teach you exactly what steps you need to take to land your first job in biotech.
Step 1: Get Educated
Let’s get this out of the way – it is very difficult to get an entry-level job in biotech without a 4-year degree, however, it is possible. Ideally you need a BS in biology, biotech, chemistry, or a related field. A Master’s degree is icing on the cake. A PHD can volley you past all the entry level roles and into a scientist position.
Ok, now that is out of the way –
The first questions you need to ask yourself are:
What is biotech? What is a biotech job?
Many people (especially sci-fi fans) think biotech sounds awesome, but have no idea what the day-to-day experience entails. They assume we in the biotech industry are working on human exoskeletons, spiderman suits, and T-Rex / Housecat hybrids.
In truth, biotechnology is quite broad and can be defined as the combination of biology and technology. This includes biofuels, genetically modified crops, and practically anything else where we are developing technology from living organisms to our benefit.
However, if you work in biotech, there is a 98% chance you work in drug development/production!
Why? Quite simply, it’s where the money is. And where there’s money, there are jobs.
For most of us, biotech is all about developing groundbreaking medicine by harnessing the powers of biology. In order to get a nice job in biotech, you should learn what your options are, and what the day-to-day tasks are.
Jobs in the industry involve:
Growing specialized cells that produce specialized molecules, in a process that is quite similar to fermenting beer. (performing cell culture in incubators or bioreactors)
OR
Purifying those special molecules to isolate them and make an injectable therapeutic drug. (working with chromatography, TFF, virus inactivation, isolators)
OR
Other essential tasks to keep the above processes running smoothly (Research and Development, Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Validation, Microbiology, etc.)
These therapeutic drugs often treat life-threatening illnesses. Many types of cancers and genetic disorders can now be treated, which 20 years ago would have been a death sentence.
There are thousands of new drugs in development today. By working in biotech you *will* have a positive impact on human health.
Many people right out of college have no idea what the industry actually looks like. They might remember an academic lab they worked for as an intern, and assume everything in industry is about the same. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Any preparation you make to understand the industry better will be a huge leg up against the competition.
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Step 2: Create a Professional Resume
Now that you have some idea of what it is like to work in biotech, your next step is to make your resume as professional as possible. Check out this website for a nice template: https://resumegenius.com/blog/resume-help/how-to-write-a-resume
If you have any lab experience at all, try to highlight this. Be specific and quantify your experience and achievements if possible. For example, if you have experience with chromatography in college, definitely write that! Be specific about your experience, and prepare for questions about it in interviews. Otherwise, keep your resume clean and succinct. Typos and formatting errors are big red flags for hiring managers. Don’t write that you’re proficient in Microsoft Word – show them you are with a well-designed resume instead.
Step 3: Reach out to someone in the industry (optional)
Do you know anyone in the biotech industry? Is your mom, cousin or uncle well-connected? Maybe your microbiology professor has industry experience? Try to reach out in your existing network for job leads. If you know anyone well-connected, or working in biotech, let them know you are interested and want to learn more. Ask if they would review your resume, or send it around to other folks. It can’t hurt to ask!
Step 4: Find Jobs, Tailor your Resume, and Apply
Now it is time to search for an entry level job. Find a list of biotech and pharma companies in your area, and search their job sites. I recommend https://biopharmguy.com/career-by-location.php to help find jobs and companies sorted by geography. You may be limited in your options if there are no companies near you. If this is the case, figure out where you want to move! The main biotech hubs are around Boston and San Francisco, but there are smaller hubs scattered around the US, mostly on the coasts.
Check out the careers page for each company you’re interested in.
In general, the hardest jobs to get will be at the pharma companies everyone has heard of. Merck, Pfizer and Genentech are not most people’s first stops in their career. Most people will work at a smaller company for a few years, build their skillset, and then get a new job at the company they really want to work at.
So, just because you haven’t heard of a company doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply. Basically, apply everywhere and see what sticks. This is not your lifelong career, just your first stepping stone. Don’t be too picky!
Here are some keywords use to find entry level positions:
Upstream: Upstream means you are growing cells. Day-to-day activities include preparing, operating, documenting, and cleaning the bioreactors or incubators in which cells grow. You will be sampling and analyzing the cell culture to ensure everything is going according to plan.
Downstream: Downstream means you are purifying the product from the cells. Day-to-day activities include preparing, operating, documenting and cleaning the chromatography columns. You may be operating virus filtration skids, TFFs, and other technologies too.
Tech/Technician/Technologist/Specialist/Associate: This generally means an entry-level position. Almost all job postings say they require 2 years of experience or more. Don’t let that prevent you from applying, unless they ask for 5+ years of experience. If you are properly prepared you should not need any previous experience.
I/II/III: If the job title has ‘I’ at the end of it, it is often an entry level job. Avoid II or III as this indicates higher experience requirements.
Scientist/Manager/Director: Jobs with these words in their title indicate that you need either a PHD or significant industry experience in order to be considered. The good news is that if you excel at an entry level role you can be promoted to these prominent positions – no additional schooling required!
For each job, slightly tailor your resume to match the job requirements. This does not mean to lie on your resume. I suggest for you to have an introduction section near the top of your resume that you can tweak depending on the job you are applying for. For example, if I were a new graduate applying to be a bioreactor technician at Amgen, I would say
“Highly disciplined new graduate seeking to evolve my laboratory skills into a career with Amgen. Experience passaging cells in t-flasks and creating cell culture media from scratch at UCLA. Hungry to achieve and prove myself in the biotech industry.”
Of course I just made this up in 10 seconds, but hopefully you get the idea. If you don’t have any relevant experience or knowledge, check out this link: https://biotechmagic.com/
Step 5: Repeat Step 4 100x!
Here comes the hard part. Keep applying! Set a goal to apply to 10 jobs per day, or whatever you feel comfortable with. If you don’t hear back right away, don’t worry. It takes some companies weeks, months, even years to finally respond to some applications. And most companies will never get back to you. It’s just how it works, unfortunately. Keep applying, and use any free time to learn more about the industry so you can prepare for your interview. Don’t get down on yourself if you don’t receive instant positive feedback. And don’t forget to take care of your mind and body during this process.
Step 6: Ace the Interview
Eventually you will get some interest and score an interview. Your first interview will likely be on the phone. This might make you nervous, or you might be super comfortable with it. Either way, the key is to come prepared. Don’t just wing your interview. If you’re unsure what to say, I recommend the STAR method for entry level interviews: https://www.themuse.com/advice/star-interview-method
Make sure you research the job and company thoroughly. Google it and read about it on Wikipedia. Ask a friend if you have one in the industry. Search https://www.reddit.com/r/biotech/ for what their community has to say. If you really want to blow your interviewer away, check out my course: https://biotechmagic.com/
Come prepared with high-level questions for the interviewer. Again, tailor the questions to the company and job you are applying for. Make the questions open ended. For example, instead of asking, ‘is x a good company to work for?’, ask ‘what makes x such a good company to work for?’ Ask questions that show you are fully engaged in the conversation. Ask questions that show that the company would be lucky to have you, rather than that you would be lucky to work for their company. Do not sound desperate for a job! If you don’t have other options currently, simply pretend like you do. For more questions to ask your interviewer, check out this link: https://biotechmagic.com/?p=598
Finally, at the end of the interview, make sure to ask your interviewer what the next steps are. They should then lay out the next steps of the hiring process.
Typically there is another interview, sometimes in person, but not always. This may be with a group of people, or multiple interviews with different individuals. Follow a similar process to the phone interview outlined above. If you know in advance who you are interviewing with, research them on LinkedIn, and ask them questions about their job and how they view the company.
If the interviewer does not get back to you within a week, don’t worry. Just reach out to them again with a polite and professional email. If they still don’t answer within 2 days, follow up again. Then let it go. Reflect on what you can improve for your next interview. Move on and continue your process of applying for jobs and learning more about the industry.
Step 7: Negotiate
Congratulations! You have received an offer of employment. Depending on your expectations, you may not be super happy with the initial salary the company offers you. Unfortunately there is not often much room to negotiate with entry level jobs. It typically doesn’t hurt to ask for another 10% in salary, but if you ask for double you might get laughed out the door. Either way, you need to plan your finances to ensure the salary will be enough to support you. For example, 50k in Boston or San Francisco doesn’t get you very far, but in a lower cost of living area it should be plenty.
Step 8: Gainful Employment
Congratulations, you received an offer of employment and a start date. You are well on your way to a successful and happy career in biotech!
The good news is that with a year or two of experience you can get a much higher-paying job. It is almost a rite of passage in the industry to switch jobs after 2 years of initial employment. Some people switch jobs every two years for their entire career (not recommended). The company that originally hired you simply won’t pay enough to keep you. If you are talented and work hard you can make 100k within a couple of years and a company switch. But even with average performance you should be making that within 5 years of starting your career.
So take advantage of your new job and learn everything you can. Treat every day as an opportunity to learn, and update your resume every time you learn a new skill.
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