Under the Microscope, Biotechnology Jobs in California From the Employment Development Department California EDD in its new publication 'Under the Microscope, Biotechnology Jobs in California', highlights 36 careers vital to the Biotech industry. The report includes a wide variety of biotechnology occupations - from Animal Handler and Greenhouse Assistant to Bioinformatics Specialist and Scientists. The occupational analysis includes a job description, skills, knowledge and abilities, wages, training requirements, job outlook, and additional sources of information. Wage information is updated to include 2004 data. The occupations covered in this report include: Animal Handlers Animal Technicians Assay Analysts Biochemical Development Engineers Bioinformatics Specialists Biostatisticians Clinical Research Associates Customer Service Representatives Documentation Coordinators Documentation Specialists Graphic Designers Greenhouse Assistants Instrumentation/Calibration Technicians Laboratory Assistants Laboratory Support Workers Library Assistants Manufacturing Engineers Manufacturing Research Associates Manufacturing Technicians Medical (Technical) Writers Microbiologists Plant Breeders Process Development Associates Process Development Engineers Production Planners and Schedulers Quality Assurance Auditors Quality Control Analysts Quality Control Engineers Quality Control Inspectors Research Associates (R&D) Safety Specialists Sales Representatives Scientific Programmer Analysts Scientists Technical Service Representatives Validation Technicians "Under the Microscope, Biotechnology Jobs in California" report at http://www.calmis.ca.gov/file/occmisc/BioTechReport.htm, has been divided into three parts: Part 1 - Executive Summary, Introduction, and Overview Part 2 - Biotechnology Occupations Part 3 - Appendices IN THE JOB-MARKET: PERSONAL EXPERIENCES My Job Search, 2004 Contributed By: Brian West Mechanical Engineer & Excel Wizard Medical Device Manufacturing http://www.wasitova.net When my previous employer progressed through a series of layoffs and finally closed my division, I reacted quickly to create a connections Yahoo group for us and succeeded in attracting over half of the employees. It was a great help in the first few months to keep in touch and periodically meet with people. I initially dove into the job search networking groups, such as CSIX ( http://www.csix.org) Promatch (http://www.promatch.org), but my heart was not in it. I needed time to recuperate after such a long period of stress created by increasing layoffs. The emphasis on networking was daunting, not something I felt comfortable doing. I used this new time freedom to explore a wide range of opportunities through attending technical presentations and conferences from software to chip design to electronics to manufacturing to entrepreneurship to nanotechnology to bioinformatics to biotech and more. Though many topics were fascinating, I discovered that my greatest affinity is for the medical device seminars because they consistently captured my interest. (Many conferences have either free exhibits, allow the unemployed at the reduced student pricing, or have volunteer opportunities. Always ask! Volunteering for Bio2004, http://www.bio.org, was great!) I have one year’s experience working as a process engineer for a high volume manufacturer of cartridges for point of care blood diagnostics (http://www.istat.com/products/cartridges.asp), but this is not enough to spark much employer interest, so I set out to enhance my knowledge of the medical device and related industries. The local chapter of the American Society for Quality (http://www.asq-silicon-valley.org/) runs a great series of biomedical classes on various quality related topics. They provide a discount for the unemployed that makes them very reasonably priced. I decided to take every one of them to enhance my knowledge and make contacts in the industry. I am very glad that I did because this lead me to the ASQ Biomedical Division’s Northern California Discussion Group (http://www.asq.org/biomed/project/), to which I have recently been nominated for a board member position, in large part because of my active participation in any class that I attend. My perspective is "If you are going to be somewhere, be there 100% and participate fully." A couple months ago I finally became ready to go to work again, so I have greatly increased my participation in a variety of networking groups. I have focused on being involved and finding ways to help others because it energizes me and because it provides recognition and returns many dividends. At The BioDevice Group (http://www.biodevicegroup.org), I took the initiative to help people get involved with LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com) and started a cooperative project to research local biospace companies. This earned me a position on their governing council. I now have many people approaching me to both request help and to offer me help and connections. A Peak Potentials course that I took recently (http://www.millionairemind.com) emphasized that by being active, giving, always participating at 100%, you will attract people that share your views and want to provide you with opportunities. I believe that is true. It is working for me. I encourage you to do this and hope that it works as well for you as it has for me. My current challenge is ensuring that I follow up with 100% of new contacts 100% of the time. You can greatly differentiate yourself simply by following up. Good luck, Brian West http://www.wasitova.net Job Search: The Road to Biotech by W. Nat Baker, wnatbaker@yahoo.com All job markets are uncertain and unpredictable during economic downturns but the market of the past 2-3 years has been unlike any of the recent past. Previously a cyclical economic downturn would ultimately run its course and in time the job market would recover. This time, however, major structural changes in the economy were occurring, which dramatically changed the job market forever. In technology this was particularly true as productivity increases, globalization, off-shoring, and the technology meltdown wrecked havoc on Silicon Valley. After achieving a very successful IPO on NASDAQ for a European software company, the entire American management team was terminated in stages. I was part of that team in the finance function. From the status of the economy it could not have been at a worse time. The technology meltdown was severe and worsening. The shock from 9/11 stymied economic activity for months. Companies were downsizing or closing their doors. Numerous high-tech startups ran through their first round of venture capital money, could not secure additional funding, and simply folded. This was the situation in which I found myself. In past layoffs I merely waited out the recession by doing contract consulting work or teaching business courses at USF. Then when the job market improved I networked into a new position. This time was different. At a dinner of the Silicon Valley chapter of the Financial Executive Institute I learned that one out of six were actively seeking employment. These were the elite CFOs, Finance VPs, Controllers, and Treasurers of Silicon Valley. A sea change had occurred and I realized that a new strategy was required. That conclusion wasn’t arrived at immediately but only after months of networking yielded nothing because no finance jobs were available. Recruiters were in desperate straits themselves. Rather than go with immediate opportunities as happenstance presented them a new career strategy was called for. The road to biotech: First step was to seek an industry in which the U.S. had a commanding technological lead and growth potential. In the SF Bay Area many indicators pointed to biotech, so from scratch I began to research the industry. Biotech was an entirely different space than my previous experience so expectations of successfully transitioning in finance to a new industry were tempered with the obstacles of entry into a new industry. Although finance and start-up experience is not industry specific, biotech seemed to have a high psychological barrier to entry for those not already in the industry. The joke about biotech was that companies wanted their janitors to have undergraduate degrees in bioscience. Though seemingly daunting this barrier could also prove to be a benefit once breached. I knew the road to enter biotech would not be a simple one and would take an investment of time and energy but I decided that the results would be worth the effort. To research biotech I targeted conferences, dinners, and panel discussions that had anything on biotech. At a Churchill Club discussion I learned from a biotech CEO that many biotech companies need business experience early on but don’t have it. Founder scientists are scientists first and don’t think in business terms, either strategically or operationally. Many lack business models to evaluate actions or have action plans to convert technology into revenue-producing products. The idea dawned on me that with my experience in strategic business planning, financial planning and analysis, corporate finance and accounting, start-ups, and 18 years in high-technology this was where I could add value to a biotech company particularly for a finance person without a scientific background. To gain fundamental knowledge of the biotech industry I asked my friend Dr. Helen Wang if she knew of a primer to read or series of articles. This resulted in an invitation to the BioScience Forum dinner to hear Dr. Cynthia Robbins-Roth speak on the Evolution of the Biotech Business. I posed the same question to Cynthia who recommended reading her book, "From Alchemy to IPO-The Business of Biotechnology". I bought the book, read it, and set up a meeting with her. She suggested taking the Bio Science Essentials course at UC Berkeley. I set up a meeting with Steve Burrill of Burrill & Company and he indicated that many biotech companies could use my skill set. I read his book Biotech 2003. My interest increased more. I had entered a new world with terms like genomics, pharmacogenomics, proteomics, and monoclonal antibodies but they were Greek to me. To understand the science on which the business of biotech was based and to be able to discuss fundamental concepts in financial and business planning of a biotech company, I took the intensive course, Bio Science Essentials from Dr. Mary Alice Yund at UC Berkeley Extension. Here I learned the fundamental principles of biochemistry, cellular biology, immunology, proteins and genomics. At another BioScience Forum meeting I met the speaker, Dr. Cori Gorman of DNA Bridges, who discussed the business of monoclonal antibodies. She graciously agreed to meet with me several days later to discuss my goal of working in biotech. She convinced me to sign up for the BioEntrepreneurship Certificate Program jointly offered by the Berkeley Center for Executive Development (Haas School, UC Berkeley) and the Women’s Technology Cluster. This course which spans several months covers key biotech issues such as intellectual property, regulatory approvals, clinical trial strategies, global biobrands, etc. and is an excellent way to establish a base knowledge of the business and its key issues. Given the decision to transition my finance background to biotechnology from high technology I concluded that recruiters would be of dubious value. My experience has been that recruiters seek candidates that fit exactly the specs defined by their client and rarely break out of defined confines and propose a change to that definition. That meant networking would be the key to finding the position I sought. Fortunately from my classes not only did I know the vocabulary of biotech but knew what a recombinant human monoclonal antibody was and how it was created. My strategy is not to just meet numerous people in biotech but to establish a connection with those I meet so that they regard me as the best and safest candidate for a biotech finance job when they learn of one or have one. Hiring decisions are made on an emotional level and justified later on a rational level; thus the importance of establishing a true connection with biotech contacts and to continue increasing my knowledge of the industry and its issues. My biotech networking involves going to monthly meetings such as the BioScience Forum, BioE2E, the Association of Biotech Financial Officers (ABFO). Additionally I continually meet with contacts made among biotech professionals, academics, VCs, angel investors, etc. Through this process I hope to find a finance position in biotech. For a company developing new scientific products, my expertise in economics, finance and strategic business principles will drive the company forward to create economic value and, consequently, shareholder value. Contributed By: Helen Wang Nicely, Ph.D. Nicely Done Consulting, Biopharma Scientist, Writer and Market Analyst, Microbiology, Forensic Science, Immunology, Oncology, Neuroscience and Proteomics My Job Search, 2004 When the proteomics lab closed at the Buck Institute for Age Research and my employment as Staff Scientist ended this May it was not a completely novel experience. A similar shock had happened once before in 1998. Thus, I was more prepared than other colleagues to set in motion all my old strategies. First of all I obtained a hard copy letter of reference from my supervisor. I broadcast my "newly available" job status to all my colleagues working in biotech and to leads that had given me contracts in the past 4 years. Immediately I was offered a short contract doing market research for a biotech tool supplier. Within a week of being laid off I had heard from a contact about a part-time Research Information Coordinator job and eventually interviewed for this job. The following week I received an e-mail from a friend about her new job at a hot UCSF spin off and looked at that company’s web site. They needed a grant writer/business development director and so I also interviewed with them. They are still interviewing and I am keeping in touch with emails and phone calls. Simultaneously when hearing of the pending unemployment, I updated my resume on a host of career web sites, including Hotjobs.com and Monster.com, assigning electronic scouts that search for key words and deliver job selections regularly to my e-mail account. I scour the local newspapers for jobs in biotech and any upcoming job fairs. From previous experience I have learned that networking is most useful to securing employment, so I revised my resume, designed and ordered 250 free business cards at Vistaprint.com and started attending more meetings. I store the parking cost receipts and dinner receipts for tax purposes. There are many advantages to living in a big biotech metropolis such as the San Francisco Bay Area. There are multiple dinner events featuring biotech presentations and workshops where business cards are exchanged and elevator statements are pitched between the employed and the eminently employable. Such meetings include but are not limited to BioScience Forum, (where I was on the board), BioE2E, The Churchill Group, UCSF’s Entrepreneur’s Discussion Group/UCSF Innovation Acclerator Group, AWIS, and BioDevice Group. I attend free weekly career meetings at local churches such as Calvary Presbyterian Church, 2515, Fillmore Street (at Jackson) in San Francisco and Grace Cathedral on California Street in San Francisco, and First Presbyterian in Burlingame. These organizations sometimes have speakers and always offer spiritual support, encourage check-in on progress in the job search, advice and networking opportunities. They use Yahoo Groups to distribute job postings to email accounts and most require a single attendance at a meeting to get on the group’s e-mail list. Alumni regularly send in job opportunities available at their companies. I enjoy volunteer work and as a result I have managed to add skills to my resume with some business development, editing and fundraising for the Lou Gehrig’s disease association (see www.alsa.org) . I have done pro bono research work for Compassion in Dying (see www.compassion.org) . Recently, I was happy to adopt a dog and this has not only kept me fit but optimistic about life as well. I have discovered that networking can happen anywhere! For instance at dog training class I met a biotech contact. In another instance I have suggested walking dogs as another way to network with people in my field who have dogs! Since the crystal ball has not been invented yet, and no one knows when their next W2 job will start, I aim to fill my time doing medical writing and market research "gigs". Thus, I have opted to run my own consulting business. I named my business and stated the scope of work on my business card as broadly as possible. The purpose of my business card is to get potential employers, clients and contacts to visit my website ( www.hslwang.com) , where I have the space to go into much more detail.