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Specifically, biotechnology uses both
living cells and cell-produced materials to create pharmaceutical, diagnostic,
and other products. It can also involve the altering of genetic information in
animals and plants in ways that improve their usefulness to society. The United
States is currently the leader in the research, development, and marketing of
biotechnology products, which makes this a good time for people with a
multi-cultural perspective to enter this field. As the industry expands, so
will the demand for U.S.-educated, experienced, biotechnology professionals to
go to other countries and expand the work being done there. As Latin America
moves into the market, bilingual English/Spanish biotechnology workers with
excellent communication skills will be able to translate their work experience
into training tools for these companies.
Although there are hundreds of jobs in the
biotechnology field, we have focused on entry-level positions, organized by the
type of educational requirements that are necessary. The information that was
used to put together these job descriptions and educational requirements was
obtained from the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)'s career guide, and
from materials produced by Genentech and Bio-Rad.
High School Diploma Level
Positions
These positions all require a minimum of
completion of high school. Laboratory experience is necessary, and can be
obtained through a two-year science technical training program at a community
college.
Clinical Research
Administrator
This scientific administrative position is
responsible for data entry and validation in a clinical setting, under the
guidance of physicians and their staff. This person may audit internal patient
files and studies, and assist with the development and evaluation of clinical
documents, in addition to normal clerical duties.
Glasswasher
A glasswasher is not just a glorified dishwasher. This person is
responsible for washing and drying the glassware used in the laboratory, and
distributing the cleaned items to the appropriate locations. Other duties
include maintenance of the glass washing facility, and the sterilization of
glassware and other items using an autoclave.
Validation
Technician
Working under the guidance of the
validation engineer, the validation technician is responsible for the
day-to-day test validation procedures that must be performed to ensure that the
facility is producing materials while meeting all in-house, industry, and
government mandated standards. The Validation Technician compiles and analyzes
validation data, writes reports, and makes suggestions for changes and
improvements.
Associate Degree in Science Level
Positions
These positions all require a minimum of
completion of an associate degree in science from an accredited institution.
Laboratory experience is necessary, and can be obtained through hands-on
laboratory classes, and volunteering in school and community-run laboratory
settings.
Animal Handler
The daily care and feeding of research
animals is the responsibility of the facilities animal handlers. These
employees clean animal cages, maintain observation records, groom animals, and
engage in other minor clinical tasks.
Animal
Technician
This position supervises the animal
handlers and coordinates the flow of information between animal vendors and
supervisors. Animal technicians perform some minor surgery, procure animals and
related supplies, do daily observations to check on the animals' health, and
maintain records to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations.
Laboratory
Assistant
Laboratory assistants perform a wide
variety of tasks in research laboratories, including making detailed
observations of the experiments, analyzing data and interpreting the results,
under the supervision of a research associate or study director. Daily tasks
can include maintaining laboratory equipment and inventory levels of supplies,
writing reports and summaries relating to experiments, and some troubleshooting
and calibration of laboratory instruments.
Media Prep
Technician
The preparation of media in the research
and development area is the overall responsibility of the media prep
technician. These technicians perform experiments as outlined, and maintain
records of the procedures and experiments performed. Some company
on-the-job-training may be required.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and Above Level
Positions
These positions all require a minimum of
completion of a four-year science program at an accredited university and the
attainment of a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. Hands-on laboratory
experience is essential, and can be obtained through laboratory courses,
internships, and out-of-school work in academic laboratories.
Analysts
The day-to-day work of a biotechnology
analyst includes analyzing raw materials, patient samples from clinical trials,
the production process, and final products. Analysts are responsible for
insuring product quality for items in the product pipeline.
Biochemical
Technicians
Cell cultures, bacterial fermentation,
protein purification and process automation are the duties that Biochemical
Technicians perform on a daily basis.
Chemist
New graduates with a B.S. in chemistry with
good communication skills and hands-on lab experience are eligible for these
positions. Duties include aseptic techniques, DNA/phage manipulations and
purifications, protein purification, DNA and protein electrophoresis.
Clinical Data
Specialist
The design, documentation, testing, and implementation
of clinical data studies is the responsibility of this clinical staff member.
The clinical data specialist develops systems for organizing data, and analyzes
the data collected.
Clinical
Programmer
A Clinical Programmer is responsible for
coordinating and monitoring the data processing done by the clinical research
administrator. This person monitors the data for inconsistencies, resolves data
processing problems, and implements data management plans to meet project
deadlines. This person also assists with the design of clinical trials,
protocols, and forms. Although a B.S. is the minimum requirement for this
position, an M.A. plus experience in pharmaceutical research is preferred.
Clinical Research
Associate
The design, planning, implementation and
overall direction of a clinical study is done by a clinical research associate.
This person evaluates and analyzes clinical data, and oversees others involved
with the study to make sure quality and internal procedure methods are
followed. Some travel to field sites may be required. A B.S. is standard, but
applicants with an R.N. degree and experience with medical research or the
pharmaceutical industry are also eligible to apply for these positions.
Pharmaceutical Materials
Specialist
The major responsibility of a
pharmaceutical materials specialist is the coordination of the raw materials
that go into the production of drug products at pharmaceutical and
biotechnology companies. Accepting, sampling, and labeling incoming raw
materials are also part of this employee's duties.
Research Associate or
Assistant
Research associates engage in research and
development in a collaborative setting. In addition to making observations,
analyzing data, and interpreting results, research associates prepare technical
reports, summaries, protocols, and quantitative analyses. Entry-level workers
are expected to maintain familiarity with current scientific literature, and
contribute to the process of the project using the background from his or her
scientific studies. They may also be encouraged to investigate, create or
develop new methods and technologies for project advancement. As they gain
experience, research associates may be asked to attend scientific conferences
and contribute to scientific journals.
Quality Assurance
Auditor
This member of the quality control team
performs audits of both production and quality control procedures. This person
makes sure that everyone complies with in-house specifications, government
standards, and good manufacturing practices.
Quality Control
Analyst
The process of making sure that the company
is conducting all of its experiments according to industry and government
guidelines and regulations falls under the job description of the Quality
Control Analyst. Duties also include compiling data for documentation of test
procedures, and reporting any abnormal results. The Quality Control Analyst is
also responsible for revising, updating, and maintaining the standard operating
procedure (SOP) documents.
Quality Control
Engineer
The development, application, revision and
maintenance of quality standards for processing materials is the responsibility
of a facility's quality control engineer. This person designs and implements
the procedures used by the staff to inspect, test, and evaluate the precision
and accuracy of products and reports. This person will also be involved with
the training of the staff in quality-control governed procedures. If there are
multiple members of the quality control department, the quality control
engineer is the one who supervises them.
Technical
Writer
The writing and editing of Standard
Operating Procedures (SOPs), study protocols, laboratory manuals, and other
facility documents is done by a technical writer in large companies and
facilities. This person writes and edits materials so that they conform to a
uniform style and meet all applicable regulations. Experience in scientific
writing is a must for people trying to enter this field.
Validation
Engineer
The calibration and validation of a
facility's equipment is the major duty of the validation engineer. This person
is involved with the selection and ordering of new equipment, and the
maintenance of the validation documentation. They work with equipment vendors
and the validation technician.
The Job Market
As of 1993, there were approximately 1,300
biotechnology companies in the U.S., according to BIO. This reflects an 11%
increase from the previous year. The $8.1 billion industry employed about
80,000 people in the U.S. in 1992, with that figure expected to increase
rapidly.
These companies compete for the best and
brightest science graduates from the nation's universities, and offer many
incentives, such as 401 K retirement plans, employee stock purchase plans, and
cash bonuses. Genentech even offers free health club memberships and an on-site
day care center.
Given the attractiveness of this field, the
companies can be choosy. There are, however, a few ways to distinguish yourself
from your peers.
"An applicant with a life science major or
background, and high tech manufacturing experience would stand-out from his or
her peers when applying at Bio-Rad," says Vickie Cardenas, Bio-Rad's technical
recruiter. She also notes that "a student with an internship and/or some
experience in the biotech field would be considered a more attractive candidate
for a job." This doesn't mean students should spend all their time toiling in a
lab though--biotechnology companies look for well-rounded applicants, with
extracurricular activities and interests, says Cardenas.
To prepare for work in the biotechnology
field, high school students should take as many math and science courses as
possible. Completing an Advanced Placement (AP) course and passing the AP test
are also recommended. While in college, students should take many
laboratory-oriented classes, and work in laboratories outside of class to gain
experience in the experiment-conducting techniques these jobs require. This
will also allow students the opportunity to get to know their professors
better, and obtain valuable letters of reference from them.
The growth of biotechnology-related jobs is
expected to increase through 2005, along with the continued growth of the
science and medical fields. The best areas for finding biotechnology jobs are
the San Francisco Bay area, Southern California, and the East Coast. Earnings
for entry-level laboratory technicians ranged from $14,700 to $46,800 in 1994,
according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
It should be noted that overtime is
commonly worked in this field, due to the time constraints under which most
companies work. Although most of the work is done between the hours of 8 am and
6 p.m., facilities that house animals must have them taken care of and
monitored daily, calling for at least some weekend and holiday work. Other
companies, such as Genentech, have production facilities that are open
round-the-clock, which means that many entry-level positions are found on the
night shift.
If you have enthusiasm, entrepreneurial
spirit, and the itch for doing research, working for a biotechnology company
can be one of the most rewarding jobs you could ask for. After all, there's not
much that could be more rewarding than knowing that every day, as you go to
work, you are helping bring the world one step closer to a future without
cancer, AIDS, or the common cold.
To get your career in biotechnology
started, contact the following organizations:
The Biotechnology Industry Organization
(BIO)
1625 K Street, N.W.
Suite 1100
Washington, D.C.
20006-1604
Bio-Rad
Corporate Human Resources
1000 Alfred Nobel Dr.
Hercules, CA 94547
http://www.bio-rad.com/
Genentech, Inc.
Human Resources
Dept. XRC
460 Point San Bruno Blvd.
South San Francisco, CA 94080
http://www.gene.com/
On the World Wide Web, visit the following
biotechnology and pharmaceutical career sites:
Biotechnology Resumes: Words to
Watch
Vickie Cardenas of Bio-Rad provided us with
the following keywords that all aspiring biotechnology workers should have in
their resumes. (These are also the words for which those computerized programs
scan.) No, we don't suggest you just sprinkle these into your resume-rather
these are the types of procedures you should gain experience in before you
start your job hunt in the biotech field.
- analytical
- antibodies
- bacterial
- biological sciences
- biotechnology
- BS
- BA
- calibration
- capillary electrophoresis
- chemical
- clinical
- cytometry
- diagnostics
- DNA
- electroporation
- extraction
- flow
- forensic
- GC/FTIR
- gel
- HPLC
- HPLC Instrumentation
- ISO 9000/9001
- MBA
- microbiology
- molecular
- protein
- purification
- reagent
- research
- separation
- UV scanning
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