January 8, 2015
By Angela Rose for BioSpace
The famous theoretical physicist Albert Einstein once said, “You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.” It’s a statement that’s as true in a biotech job search as it is on a basketball court or football field. Whether you’re looking for your first research assistant position or pursing an opportunity as vice president of business development after years in the industry, consider these six essential rules every biotech job seeker should know (and play by).
1. Don’t apply without the necessary skills and experience.
You’re smart, you pick new tasks up easily, and you aren’t afraid to take on a challenge. While these are all valuable qualities in the workplace, biotech and pharma employers tend to hire applicants they believe already have what it takes to do a job well—not plucky go-getters who may still require additional training and assistance. While this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aim high, it does mean you should be able to demonstrate how your background, experience, and current skills are relevant to any new position. If you cannot do so, don’t waste your time.
2. Accept that skills and experience alone are not enough to guarantee a biotech job.
You appear to be a perfect fit for the instrument engineer job. You submit your resume, complete what feels like a successful interview, yet you still receive a rejection letter. Why did this happen? It’s possible the biotech employer didn’t feel you were the best “fit” for their company. Perhaps you expressed goals that were bigger than the position’s potential. Maybe he or she felt your temperament would be at odds with the rest of the engineering department. It’s even possible that they thought you’d do better at a company with a different culture. Whatever the reason, accept it and move on. The hiring manager likely did you a favor in the long run.
3. Never submit a resume that is nothing but a rehash of past job descriptions.
If everyone follows rule number one, we can assume that most of the candidates under review for a particular biotech or pharma job will have fairly similar histories. If you want to land your next position as a computational biologist or boinformatics scientist, your resume needs to convince the hiring manager that your prior experience is superior to that of the rest. What’s the simplest way to do this? Ditch the “responsible for” statements and focus on bullet points describing challenges you faced in your previous position, the actions you took to overcome those challenges, and the results of those actions. Throw in concrete data—dollars saved, productivity increased, revenue earned—whenever possible.
4. Pare your resume down to the past 10 to 15 years.
Technology changes, processes evolve, and the equipment you used as a laboratory technician back in the ‘80s is likely no longer relevant in today’s workplace. Don’t waste valuable resume space detailing positions you held more than 10 or 15 years ago. Instead, focus on the more recent experiences, skills, and expertise that will benefit your potential employer right now. If you happen to have an extensive job history, it’s always acceptable to include a line at the end of your resume stating something like, “Earlier employment history available upon request.”
5. Be prepared to answer questions about salary.
No hiring manager wants to waste her time pursuing a candidate who expects a higher salary than what the biotech or pharma organization is prepared to pay. For this reason, you should prepare yourself to answer questions about recent compensation and future expectations before your first conversation with her. Respond politely and confidently, and then put him or her at ease by stating that you understand salaries often vary due to differences in job description, organization size, geographic location, and other factors.
6. Don’t allow the biotech job search to destroy your positive attitude.
You may follow all the rules and still receive numerous rejections. This can happen in any industry—and to anyone, regardless of experience, gender or age—and doesn’t diminish your current value or chances of future success. Don’t take rejections personally. Don’t wallow in self-pity. Don’t look for someone to blame. These actions only sap your energy and impede your job search. Instead, maintain a positive attitude. Believe the right job is out there waiting for you—you just have to find it. Then, keep looking.
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