3 Takeaways from an Industry Career Panel

A couple of months ago, I collaborated with the Pharmaceutical Club of New York and New Jersey to assemble a panel of professionals from various biopharmaceutical companies in the New York metro area. Industry is an obvious nonacademic alternative for science PhDs yet the various positions scientists hold and how to get them is not always as clear. Our event From the PhD to Industry: Careers for Scientists in Biotech and Pharma held at the Academy on October 27, 2010, aimed to shed light on the industry job search. Below I’ve summarized some of the main points I took away from organizing and moderating the event.

1.  There is a staggering array of job titles in industry so become familiar with how biotech and Pharma companies work. While “scientist” seems like a no-brainer, our panelists also held positions like “senior clinical manager”, “global program manager”, and “formulation scientist”.  Another panelist scheduled but unable to attend was a “specialist” in the global agreements group. What do these titles mean and what kind of work do they entail? To appreciate the titles, you have to know the various stages in the drug development pipeline, from discovery research to preclinical and clinical development, product development, and regulatory affairs. Other potential homes for scientists are also in intellectual property, business development, and as medical science liaisons between companies and doctors.

Do your research to understand the range of opportunities and how they interconnect before going on the market (see the Pharma & Biotechnology resource page on this site and the book Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and Drug Development by Toby Freedman; From Alchemy to IPO: The business of biotechnology by Cynthia Robbins-Roth is also a good read for understanding the business side of biotech and its history). And note: if you want to experience a little bit of everything, consider joining a startup.

2.  As an extension of the above, once you’re in industry there is great potential to move around and take on new roles and responsibilities. The current projection is that most people will hold 7-10 jobs in their lifetime and so you will likely be bouncing around a lot within a company, across companies, and even into different but related industries. Most of our panelists had changed jobs or companies at least once since their graduate degrees/postdocs; one of our panelists had successfully transitioned into the financial sector; another had moved to a non-profit. Your first position outside academia is a stepping stone, the important thing is breaking in and getting the industry experience on your resume. How do you get your foot in the door in this competetive market? Cue takeaway #3 below.

3.  Networking and good communication skills are imperative for scoring highly coveted industry positions (or any job, for that matter). PhDs are facing an extremely tough job market right now and successfully landing a job requires significant effort beyond listing your research achievements on a resume. Networking and good communication skills are key and this point was reiterated throughout the panel. In fact, networking may be responsible for upwards of 70-80% of jobs acquired. What does this mean for you? It means moving past anxieties and misconceptions about networking. Not only for the extroverted, it’s a skill that can be honed and developed. Better to start early when you can practice and have time to slowly build professional relationships than to wait until you’re already on the market and desperate for a job.

If you need help with the basics, many career development centers and postdoc offices offer networking seminars. If you’re ready to network, then get active with your school’s biotech club, attend career panels and talk to the speakers, join professional societies, and hit up science-oriented networking events (for some ideas in NYC click here). Finally, don’t forget about maintaining your network through online platforms and utilizing more than one. LinkedIn is a must for everyone; Nature Networks, BioMedExperts, and Epernicus are just a few tailored to scientists.

If you’re interested in hearing more from this event, a meeting summary and the audio can be found here (Academy membership required for access to the audio). 

A Career in Academia: Rachel O'Neill

Rachel O’Neill, PhD
Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut

Associate Professor Rachel O’Neill uses molecular genetic approaches to study centromere determinance; centromere function and evolution; small RNA biogenesis; transcriptional control and chromatin modifiers during stem cell differentiation; chromosome evolution; speciation and hybrid dysgenesis in several model systems, including human, mouse, marsupial and platypus. Using techniques such as transgenics, in situ hybridization, microarray screening, cell assays, and next-generation sequencing platforms, Rachel is addressing the hypothesis that small RNA forms mediate epigenetic controls. Recently, she has applied these techniques to study species-specific placental development and evolution with respect to retroelement load; transposable elements and retroviruses; and, the epigenetic effectors of gene expression and chromosome structure in models as diverse as deer mice and matrotrophic fish.

Rachel received her BA Hns at the University of Texas at Austin and her Ph.D. at La Trobe University in Australia. She was later a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Melbourne Royal Melbourne Hospital, Princeton University and Rutgers University. She is now an Honors Faculty Fellow and serves as Director of the Next Generation Sequencing and Microarray Facility in the Center for Applied Genetics and Technology at the University of Connecticut.

For more information on a career in academia, click here.

Postdoc Appreciation

During postdoctoral appreciation week, I heard an inspiring talk on “Being a Postdoc in Difficult Times”.  Dr. Kelly Mack, a Biology Professor and Program Director for the National Science Foundation ADVANCE program, gave this keynote presentation at the UMDNJ-Rutgers Second Annual National Postdoc Appreciation Day Symposium.

These are difficult times for postdocs and Kelly addressed this head on. Coveted faculty positions are extremely competitive and too few. Salary remains paltry and benefits, while improving, are not uniform. Formalized training and oversight is nonexistent for many. Not to mention that we have yet to reach gender parity as women comprise only about 30% of postdocs across all disciplines. Kelly had quite the challenge to present something uplifting.

"I Appreciate You"

Because of these “difficult times” postdocs seem to forget how invaluable they are to research. Kelly reminded us that postdocs: design and conduct the experiments, generate the data for their advisor’s grants, are the drivers of innovation, end up fulfilling the mentoring roles of students, and comprise the pool of future faculty.  For all these things, “I appreciate you,” Kelly said.

She presented two examples of achievement by postdocs to show the power and reach you can have as a postdoctoral fellow. First, it was the seminal work by two postdocs that essentially launched the movement for gender equity in academic research and research on gender bias. Second, a grassroots movement by postdocs led to the founding of the National Postdoctoral Association in 2002, a membership-based organization of around 27,000 participants and that advocates for postdocs in the US. [MK note: the number of members has been edited since the original posting]

Navigating the Difficult Times

Of course, not everyone will launch a new movement or national initiative but there are practical things postdocs can do to enhance their experiences and get through these difficult times. Kelly referenced the article “Ten Simple Rules for Selecting a Postdoc” and highlighted three of the recommendations.

    One, negotiate authorship before you start. Tying in to a larger message, it is very important to have a written plan and to take responsibility for your own career development.

    Two, strive for your own fellowship money. Take the time to learn and know the rules for grant writing.

    Three, select the lab that suits your work and lifestyle. Not all PIs and labs are the same so find out what the culture is like before you join. Kelly expanded on this last rule further by emphasizing the need for a balanced life and that you have to take care of “you” no matter what.

My top suggestion would be to assess your strengths and weakness and map out your career and professional goals. A sample template has been developed by FASEB called the Individual Development Plan for Postdocs. It is recommended to complete this along with your advisor.

Do you have any rules or suggestions that have helped you?

Recap: Management Consulting: Using Your Scientific Mind to Solve Business Problems

The Science Alliance fall season kicked off last Monday, September 20 with an event highlighting an exciting career option for scientists outside academia. Management Consulting: Using Your Scientific Mind to Solve Business Problems, led by McKinsey & Company, aimed to demystify the profession through a series of talks and a hands-on case that simulates what consultants do. The three speakers from McKinsey also addressed how a PhD can transition into the field and why a science background is good preparation, and were able to speak from personal experience as all three obtained their doctorates in science before joining the firm as Associates.

This was my second collaboration with McKinsey; the first was when I was organizing career and professional development events at Harvard Medical School and I worked with McKinsey to offer the two-part “nanocourse” Consulting in the Life Sciences and Healthcare. My goal for the nanocourse was to provide field specific content and a hands-on experience that would (a) expose scientists to the kind of work professionals do outside of bench research and (b) help them make better-informed career decisions.

The nanocourse at HMS was very well-received and so I was delighted when they were willing to give a repeat performance for Science Alliance (I even snagged one of the consultants for a future career path video). The event at the Academy was equally successful, drawing over 100 students and postdocs from institutions across New York City. So what exactly did the attendees learn in the three hour workshop with McKinsey?

They, of course, heard what management consulting firms like McKinsey do: work with clients to solve complex business problems and devise innovative strategies for improvement. In the past century, organizations and industries have grown to the point that it is often necessary to seek outside counsel to understand questions like why a company is experiencing a profit loss or where the opportunities for growth lie. To help these companies, a team of consultants are tasked with gathering and analyzing information, prioritizing issues, and developing a set of recommendations, often in a short window of time.

Sound vague? That’s okay- it’s often difficult to grasp the concept of a profession so drastically different from what we have experienced. The best way to gain a clearer picture of management consulting is to try tackling a business case on your own. You can find practice cases on the internet and in bookstores, along with guides on how to crack them (a popular one is here). Business cases are the crux of the consulting interview so if you are serious about applying for positions, it is advisable to practice with others and to seek out student-run consulting clubs.

What about some examples? The following scenarios were presented during the workshop to get the attendees’ minds thinking like consultants. I. A coffee shop comes to you because it has started losing money about three months ago. What would you explore to get to the root of the problem? II. A pharmaceutical company wants to optimize their disease targets and needs a comprehensive analysis of the market. What are all the facets you might consider to be able to rank or categorize diseases in terms of their attractiveness as drug targets?

Seems interesting, but why do they want scientists? According to the consultants from McKinsey, scientists possess the top four skills that make a successful consultant: problem solving skills, communications skills, analytical and quantitative abilities, and scientific knowledge (particularly for dealing with cases in life sciences and healthcare). In most cases, though, you will not be applying the specific subject matter that engrossed your life for years while doing research; rather you will be using all of these other transferrable skills you developed in your training as a scientist.

Your interest has been piqued, now how do you get the job? Consulting positions are highly coveted and so the interview process is very competitive. In order to be a strong candidate for consideration, firms are looking for individuals who, aside from having the PhD after their name, can also demonstrate examples of achievement, leadership, initiative, and team work. Having these on your resume will help you get an interview; the rest lies in how well you perform on the case interviews and your “fit” with the company.

For more information about careers in business, click here.

From the PhD to Career Counseling- Laura Stark Malisheski

Laura Stark Malisheski, PhD

Office of Career Services, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University

Laura Stark Malisheski holds a PhD in neuroscience from Yale University and completed post-doctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania before making a transition to career counseling. She has ten years experience counseling graduate students and PhDs through the challenges of graduate study and into careers, both within and outside academia. Laura specializes in working with those seeking academic faculty positions and those considering career transition beyond academia.

In addition to career counseling, Laura coordinates an extensive line-up of career events for graduate students and presents many career and professional development workshops. She has spoken at numerous professional conferences, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society for Microbiology, and the American Chemical Society and has written career articles for media outlets such as ScienceCareers.org and the Chronicle of Higher Education.