Strategies for Success in the Life
Sciences Industry: How to land
that first job
Henry Haringsma
B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology, 2005
[email protected]
10/18/2012
Background and experience
• B.S. Cell and Molecular Biology, 2005
• July 2006 – November 2007: Research Technician at the
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• February – May 2008: Contract Research Associate at
FibroGen
• May 2008 – March 2011: Staff Biologist at Sirna
Therapeutics
• March 2011 – Present: Research Associate at Clovis
Oncology
Life after GVSU
• …begins before you graduate
• Graduate school
– Masters degree/certificate programs
– PhD and/or MD
– non-CMB advanced degrees
• Research in academia
– DFCI, MD Anderson, MSKCC, etc.
• Contract positions
– Aerotek, Kelly, LabPros, etc.
• Biotech/pharma
Grad schools
• Masters programs
– M.S. considered 2 years of work experience
– Non-research programs
• Business, law, marketing, management, etc.
• Patent agent, clinical research associate, quality
assurance, forensic science, etc.
• PhD programs
– Recommend a gap year
– Necessary to shatter glass ceiling for “research”
positions
• Medical School
– Flexibility to do research and/or practice medicine
Research in academia
• Focus on institutions with many research
labs:
• INTENSE!
– Long hours and low pay, but invaluable and
extremely rewarding experience
• can bolster grad school and job
applications
Contract positions
• Kelly Scientific, Aerotek, LabPros Inc.
– Easiest way to get an interview in industry
– No benefits, hourly pay
– Contracts are typically 6-12 months
– NOT IN THE MIDWEST!
• Foot-in-the-door approach to a full-time
position
Biotech and big pharma jobs
• Internships at Merck, Eli Lily, Genentech,
etc.
• Without a PhD, you need to be local to
interview
– using a relative or friend’s address improves
likelihood of interview
Which research setting is right for me?
Academia
Big Pharma
• Less resources/pay
• Best job security
• More intellectual
freedom
• Greater opportunity for
publications
• Lots of money and fancy
equipment
• Highly
compartmentalized and
bureaucratic
• Poor job security
• Defined career path
Early stage biotech
Effective job hunting
• You need to be around a job to get a job
– Biotech hubs = SF Bay, Boston, San Diego
• Duplex your job search
– Register with a contract agency while applying on
your own
• Find jobs:
– Indeed.com > Monster.com
– Individual company websites
• Biospace.com lists all biotech/pharma companies within a
given state
• Follow-up one week after applying
CVs and cover letters
• Need to clear the HR hurdle
• A CV is always better than a resume
– Formatting matters!
– Be concise on the first page, descriptive on the
following pages
– Word, PDF, and plain text formats
• Cover letters
– Unless specifically noted, always include
– Personalize the first paragraph, but the rest can
be templated to make life easier
Universal skills
• Microsoft Excel
• Basic image editing
– Photoshop or Gimp
• Time and data management
– Lab notebooks
– Effective multitasking
• People skills
– Vendor relations, data communication
– Ability to ask for help when lost
How to interview like a champ
• RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!
– Competitors, recent news, staff history,
Glassdoor.com
• Express willingness to learn
• Interviews are a two-way road
• Ask tough questions
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Status of clinical trials?
Contingency plans for failures?
Opportunities for publications/presentations?
Career advancement track?
I got the job! Now what?
• Confusion is normal, and you’re going to screw
up many, many times
• Research doesn’t follow a 9-5 schedule, but
don’t work yourself to death
• Take advantage of every opportunity to present
your work
• Expose yourself to other facets of the industry
• Don’t be afraid to leverage the resources
offered
• Network as much as possible
Q&A
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Details on my job at Clovis?
The future of cancer therapy?
Emerging fields in biotech?
Which skills are most valuable?
Tips on surviving the CMB curriculum?