This week, Carina discusses how to transition into a career in biotech when you don’t have lab experience. Plus, handling difficult interviews and getting a “dry” promotion.
Welcome to Career Coach, a column for job seekers and employees navigating the ins and outs of finding, landing and succeeding in jobs in the biotech industry. Each month, Carina Clingman, founder of The Collaboratory Career Hub and host of the “Biotech Career Coach” podcast, answers questions from the community. You can email her questions at hello@collaboratorycareerhub.com.
In this column, we’ll discuss how to transition to biotech with no prior experience, handle challenging interview situations and navigate promotions without salary increases.
Q: I want to have a career in biotechnology, but I didn’t train in a lab during my undergraduate degree. Where should I start in terms of additional training or finding a job?
CC: A career in biotech can be lucrative and impactful, but the barriers to entry are real! Most employers expect candidates to have worked in labs and therefore have practical hands-on experience. Even if your degree is in a scientific area, coursework and lab classes usually won’t be sufficient to land a biotech job right out of the gate.
To pave the way for your biotechnology career, I recommend looking for technician positions in academic labs. These roles often provide excellent training opportunities and hands-on experience that can boost your resume for future industry positions. Plus, you’ll get paid to get that training and experience. Academic labs are often more willing to hire candidates with less direct experience as long as they demonstrate a strong desire to learn.
Here are some steps you can take to get an academic technician position:
- Reach out to neuroscience or molecular biology labs at local universities. Many have openings for research technicians or assistants that aren’t widely advertised. During my undergraduate work, I got jobs in three different labs simply by showing up and asking!
- If you can’t immediately find a paid position, consider volunteering or interning in a lab to gain experience. I used this tactic for one of my internships, and they found money to pay me within a few weeks.
- Join professional organizations like the Society for Neuroscience or the Biotechnology Innovation Organization. These groups often have job boards and networking opportunities, and the fees for individuals to join are usually very reasonable or even free in some cases.
In science, a good attitude and lots of curiosity are valuable soft skills and will often be enough to land that first academic technician position. As you gain more lab experience, you’ll eventually be well-positioned to transition into the career you really want in biotech.
Q: I just had a really bad interview. The interviewer seemed hostile and ended things early. How can I handle bad interviews in the future?
CC: I’m sorry to hear about your difficult interview experience. It can be unsettling (to say the least) when an interview doesn’t go as expected. However, how an interviewer behaves often has more to do with their circumstances than with you.
The key to handling such situations in the future is confidence and professionalism. Try to stay calm and composed, and don’t let the interviewer’s attitude rattle you. That’s easier said than done, so keep in mind that you’re more likely to stay confident if you assume good intentions. Often, what comes across as hostility might be due to factors completely unrelated to the interview. The interviewer might be distracted by bad news, stressed about a deadline or dealing with a personal issue.
If you’re sensing a problem, it’s OK to pause and ask candidly if there’s an issue. You could say something like, “I sense that this might not be a good time. Would you like to reschedule?” Sometimes, addressing uncomfortable situations head-on can diffuse the tension. The interviewer might welcome the opportunity to move the interview to another day, and they might even tell you what put them in an irritable or distracted mood in the first place.
After the interview, send a thank-you note as usual. If you feel the interview ended abruptly, you could mention that you’re available if they have any additional questions.
Job searches can be stressful and full of uncertainty, but a bad interview doesn’t define your worth or capabilities. Sometimes, you just get caught up in someone else’s bad day.
Q: I got a promotion but no increase in salary. Is that normal?
CC: Congratulations on your promotion!
While receiving a promotion without an immediate salary increase is not ideal, it’s certainly not unheard of. In most “dry” promotion situations, your employer might want to reward your performance but may be constrained by budget limitations.
Even without an immediate pay raise, a promotion can be valuable. It adds career progression to your resume, increases your responsibilities and potentially sets you up for better opportunities in the future, either within the company or elsewhere. That said, let’s plan out how you can get paid more.
First, work with your manager to establish clear objectives and time-bound milestones for your new role. Discuss how meeting these goals could lead to a salary increase in the future. Don’t shy away from the topic of money. Increased responsibilities should mean increased pay, so you and your manager must be on the same page about what that looks like.
Since you’re not getting an immediate salary bump, consider negotiating for other benefits like professional development opportunities. Did your promotion come with increased management responsibilities? Ask for leadership training! Are you leading a project? Ask for help (or time off) from the company to get your project management professional certification! Get strategic about how you can leverage this promotion for even more resume-building benefits.
You should also keep a record of your accomplishments in your new role. This will be valuable when you negotiate for a raise in the future or if you decide to look for opportunities elsewhere. I suggest doing this in the context of weekly goal meetings with your manager so they can also document your progress and help guide your efforts.
All of that said, if you feel consistently undervalued, it might be time to explore other opportunities. Luckily, that shiny new title will be very helpful if you do end up applying to positions at other companies in the future.
