Life After Graduate School: Career Topics for Graduate Students and Postdocs: Biotech/Industry or Academia? Searching for Jobs Applications Interviews Negotiations

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Life After Graduate School Career Topics for
Graduate Students and Postdocs
Biotech/Industry or Academia? Searching for
JobsApplicationsInterviewsNegotiations
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Whats the Future?

• Note that unemployment rate among Ph.D.s is very
  low- 1.6 in 1997
• 1/3 of all Ph.D.s now work in industry
• Broad training is increasingly required
• Other skills you learn in grad school are
  increasingly important to your future
• Communication skills- esp. writing
• Ability to work in a team
• Use of information technology
• Systems Biology

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Postdoctoral Jobs
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Factors To Consider When Choosing a Postdoc

• You are choosing the field you will be starting
  your own lab in- make sure there is growth
  opportunity (ie a niche for you)
• Small labs vs big labs- each have advantages and
  disadvantages- visit both
• Designated job or freedom to explore?
• Industry or academia?
• Aim high!

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Searching for Postdocs

• You should leave your institution in order to
  grow
• Identify three to six labs, in geographic areas
  you would consider, who work on topics of
  interest to you
• Funded investigators (check CRISP)
• Productive investigators (check Pub-Med)
• Dont just respond to ads!

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Searching for Postdocs

• Send a CV and a cover letter to these labs with
  an approximate time frame for Ph.D.
• Start a year ahead
• Remember that few actually graduate on time
• Aim high- very good labs, not just a job
• You will most likely be asked to interview
• If you cannot interview, arrange to meet the PI
  or members of his lab at a meeting
• Be persistent!

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Choosing a Postdoc

• Staying in the same field as your grad work
  provides continuity you already know the field
  as well as some of your future reviewers
• Choose a change in technique or system/organism
  but not both
• Get broad training but also specialize in
  something specific

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START EARLY!!!!
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Postdoc at NIH?

• Advantages
• Good financial resources and state-of the art
  equipment
• Good intellectual resources synergy
• Stimulating metropolitan area
• Salaries higher than elsewhere
• No grant writing
• Disadvantages
• Physical crowding
• No grant writing- difficult to prepare for
  academia!
• Guide to find mentors http//www1.od.nih.gov/oir/
  sourcebook/ethic-conduct/mentor-guide.htm

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The Postdoc Cover Letter

• No more than ½ to 1 page
• Describe your current area of research in a few
  sentences
• Describe what you would like to learn
• Ask to be considered for a position
• Say when you will be ready
• Remember the postdoc market is excellent you
  will most likely have many offers!
• Having 1-2 publications will increase the number

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The Curriculum Vitae

• Provides a clear record of your educational and
  research accomplishments
• Standard format includes
• Your name and the DATE!
• Personal information (contact address and info)
• Educational history
• Honors and Fellowships
• Teaching Experience (if appropriate)
• Grant and research support (if appropriate)

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The Curriculum Vitae, II

• Membership in professional societies
• Invited lectures (if appropriate)
• Research and Publications
• Some formats list only the publications followed
  by the abstracts
• Others intersperse this information with a
  concise summary of what the work showed
• Optional
• Personal interests (biking, fishing) (no)
• Techniques mastered (PCR, immunocytochemistry)
  (yes)
• References (at least three, up to five)
• NO TYPOS!

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Letters of Recommendation

• Thesis advisor - mandatory
• Prominent faculty member in Dept?
• Any faculty you have interacted with-?
• Collaborators?
• Ask referees if they can write a positive letter
  if you have any doubts, then do not use the
  referee (some fellowships require top scoring)

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Interviewing for a Postdoc

• You may be asked to give a talk (50)
• Ask other lab members what the PIs style is
• Know your own style- hands-off? Interactive?
• Find out where former lab members are now
• Dont ask about salary it will be in your offer

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After the Interview

• Send thank-you with a time frame for your
  decision if you already have an offer
• Make your decision involve your committee
  members if you have questions
• Let the other places know RIGHT AWAY (you are
  taking a spot away from someone else!)
• Plan to write an NIH postdoc grant 9 months ahead
  if you are a US citizen or have a green card

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Negotiating a Postdoc Position

• If there is a job you want and you have not heard
  yet, but you do have other offers, tactfully
  contact the PI/institution and explain that you
  need to make a decision
• Most likely you will then receive an offer
• It is unusual to request more money for a
  postdoc generally the PI pays what he/she can
  afford/thinks is competitive with the others in
  the lab

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Postdoc Salaries

• Formerly 28,260 for entry-level postdocs,
  rising to 44,412 for those with at least seven
  years' experience.
• New NIH guidelines Mar 1 2004 start at 35,568
  3 yrs is 43,428 7 years experience is now
  51,036 (it will take up to 5 years for source
  grants to catch up!)
• Note that at NIH staff fellowships often pay
  more there is a big range depending on source!
• Equipment, technical assistance, professional
  travel, or any other activity directly related
  to the Fellow's research may also be supported
  by some sources

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Postdoctoral Training Grants

• You need to show you will experience professional
  growth
• Go to another institution
• Learn other techniques or a new field

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Postdoctoral Training Grants

• Identify a postdoctoral mentor
• One year or more before anticipated graduation
• Be proactive- most people are looking for fellows
• Submit your proposal well before moving
• Success elements - in order of priority
• Your mentors reputation (pubs, grants,status)
• Your own accomplishments (grades, pubs)
• Training plan (courses, techniques to be learned)
• Research plan (clear, doable)
• There are 3 deadlines a year-Jan 10, May 10 and
  Sept 10 for Kirschstein 416-1 awards

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Postdoctoral Training Grants

• Project
• Should be doable and limited
• Should provide training expertise
• Need not be extensive
• Your qualifications
• Recommendations extremely important
• Top 5-10
• Grad school GPA 3.0 and above
• Publications (1-2) and presentations (2)

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How Long Should It Take To Write?

• Its only 10 pages- give yourself one month
  maximum!
• Get forms from NIH.gov
• Discuss ideas with future mentor and read papers
• Write!
• Make sure PI will be in the office to do his/her
  part
• In the last week, focus full-time on proofing
  etc.
• Remember institutional deadlines (mentors)
  precede NIHs

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Writing a Successful Proposal

• Background and Specific Aims
• Must persuade reviewer of need for work
• Experimental Design
• Must persuade reviewer of your ability to think,
  anticipate problems, design experiments
• Less is more- do not propose 5 years of work!
• Have 3 people read and critique your proposal

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Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities

• grantsnet_at_aaas.org
• NIH individual grant
• NIH training grant
• Many, many other sources- disease-related
• AHA and ACS are the largest
• NIH research training opportunities
  http//grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm
• National Academies' report http//www.nationalac
  ademies.org/postdocs
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  http//www.hhmi.org
• Alfred P. Sloan Foundation http//www.sloan.org
• Burroughs Wellcome Fund http//www.bwfund.org
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  http//www.rwjf.org

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Other Postdoc Resources

• See COSEPUP document
• http//www7.nationalacademies.org/postdoc/
• National Organization of Postdocs website
• There are currently 40,000 postdocs!

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START EARLY!!!!
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Biotechnologyand Industry
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What are the salaries? Note different scales
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Biotech

• Advantages
• Higher salaries-perhaps twice if postdoc
  (60-70k) also many other perks- stock options,
  bonuses etc
• Well-equipped facilities
• Focused work environment
• Disadvantages
• You may find an interesting phenomenon and not be
  permitted to explore it, if it is not relevant to
  company goals
• You must put your groups interests ahead of your
  personal interests teamwork effort

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Hiring Trends in Industry

• Multidisciplinary training very useful
• Molecular biology and business
• Chemistry and law
• Life sciences and programming
• Conversely some specialized areas are hot
• Proteomics, genomics, drug discovery, medicinal
  chemists
• Industrial specializations such as formulations,
  product development and process scientists,
  clinical project managers, regulatory affairs
• Systems biology

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Biotech or Industry?

• Note that some industrial companies are giant
  pharmaceutical or chemical companies and others
  are startups with 20-60 employees
• How will you fit into existing culture?
• Can you live with insecurity of small company?
• Biotech companies are smaller but risk is higher

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Biotech

• 3,000 firms were polled in 2003
• Increase of 12 in hiring
• 90 have 500 or fewer employees
• Most located in six states
• See US Dept of Commerce Report
• www.technology.gov/reports/Biotechnology/CD120a_03
  10.pdf

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Biotech Jobs

• Market is tough in years when venture capital is
  low
• Use every resource to locate positions
• Networking meetings online sites journal ads
  headhunters
• Make sure you are a match for the job before
  applying
• There is no substitute for the personal contact
• Many companies create positions in December to
  hire in January

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Applying to Biotech, II

• Do a postdoc in biotech if you think you want to
  work in biotech- it makes you more competitive to
  have industry experience (ask about advancement)
• Make contacts within the company at meetings if
  possible- ask people who come to your poster (and
  go to theirs!) about opportunities at their
  company
• Finding a good biotech job at the Ph.D. level is
  equally difficult as finding an academic position!

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The Biotech Resume

• Is different than the academic CV 2-3 pages, not
  5-6 -even for mature scientist
• Use key words- technologies you have used
• Relate your accomplishments, not your skills- use
  brief, 25-word descriptions of how you put the
  key word items into practice
• Must persuade that you have the abilities that
  will help achieve corporate goals SALES JOB
• Short and snappy! No publications, posters,
  abstracts, no personal interests

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What is an Accomplishment?

• A way you helped your previous organization make
  money
• Or save money- increased efficiency, cost
  reduction
• Developing something new or different
• Advanced a research program, a breakthrough, a
  new product, a new line of research or technique

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Improving the Resume

• Use action-oriented verbs such as established,
  directed, managed, increased, created, launched,
  trained, instituted, designed
• Forget assisted, helped, served-and
  responsible for
• Use specific numbers when possible- dollars,
  number of people supervised, papers etc
• See Science jobs website for other tips

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The Biotech Cover Letter

• Customized for each job
• 3-4 paragraphs
• First one specifically states how your
  experience fits the particular position
• Second one lists your accomplishments
• Third thanks the addressee and says that you will
  either call or wait to hear.

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DIRECTOR, INDUSTRIAL ENZYME APPLICATIONSMy
client is a recognized leader in the development
of novel enzyme products for a multitude of
industrial applications. With 50/50 support from
two of the largest, most respected biotech
pharma companies, this Joint-Venture is sure to
continue its growth and client base. Located in
the beautiful southern California coast, this
opportunity will not be around long!You will be
responsible for the design, implementation, and
management of all research in the arena of enzyme
application. Focus will be on products and
services for identified industries, and you will
oversee said research milestones and delivery in
contracted 3rd-party laboratories. Accurate and
timely documentation of results, monitoring
activities, and setting project guidelines and
goals will be required. The researching and
assembling of all relevant information for
development of new product and service concepts
in a variety of industries will also be
performed.PhD in biochemistry (or related
field) with 6-8 years of industry experience.
Proven experience with applicable, related
research is a must! Familiarity with and
knowledge of enzymes, biocatalysts, and process
optimization as they apply to industrial fields
is a plus.Now is the best time to join this
proven leader in industrial enzymes -- if this
sounds like you, please send you resume/CV (as an
MS Word document) to (Please use the application
form below) and let's talk!
Example Industry Experience Required!
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Interviewing for Biotech

• Prepare read everything you can about the
  company you are visiting/ do mock interview
• Review the annual report, pubs of people you will
  meet
• Be guided by the ad be prepared to say how you
  fit their qualifications
• Show enthusiasm for the work
• Give seminar, meet people all day long
• No second interviews (usually)

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Biotechnology Career Websites

• http//www.accessexcellence.org/AB/CC/
• http//recruit.sciencemag.org/feature/cperspec/cor
  ner.shl
• Many job sites connect to companies-big pharma
• Pfizer site has a lot of tips

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Academia
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Academia Has Many Advantages

• The scientific questions you answer are your own
  and are not related to company goals
• You can grow at your own pace
• 1 grant or 3 grants 1 technician or 10 postdocs
• You are your own boss in many ways- you decide
  hiring, travel, reviewing responsibilities etc
• Opportunity for subsidized travel

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Academia Has Disadvantages

• You must be self-supporting in terms of dollars
  and ideas
• You are essentially running a small company
  without having been fully prepared for some of
  the skills involved (human resources, financial
  management, lecture preparation)
• You must be good at multi-tasking teaching,
  research, administration, reviewing -so that all
  demands are balanced

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Finding Academic Jobs

• Science magazine
• Contacts from meetings, colleagues, your mentor
• Bulletin boards
• University
• Organization websites (ASCB)
• Job bureaus at meetings

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Cover Letters and CVs for Academic Appointments

• The CV is similar to the postdoc CV but includes
  talks teaching experience and any grants
  obtained. Should be detailed!
• The cover letter is more generic than for
  biotech- states your intent to apply your
  accomplishments and a few sentences about your
  area of work
• Unique 1-3 pages of your planned research
  program (or teaching philosophy for teaching
  positions) is attached to CV

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Interviewing for a Faculty Position, I

• Be prepared- know interests of faculty who will
  interview you find potential areas of mutual
  interest to talk about
• Give a good seminar (introduction! Future plans!)
• You will meet with 10-20 people in 2 days
• If not science talk about shared equipment,
  quality of life issues
• Meet with other newly hired faculty
• Be extremely tactful with everyone no complaints!

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Interviewing, II

• If you are in the top few you will be invited
  back for second interview
• You should have list of needed equipment
  /resources ready (core facilities?)
• You will meet more people outside the Department
  as well as inside
• Informal offer may be made that day or more
  likely afterwards in writing

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Negotiating a Faculty Position, I

• Negotiations for permanent positions will include
  many different aspects
• Salary (median salary for Assistant Prof is
  currently is 70K) med schools pay more than
  undergrad institutions
• Space (800-1200 sq feet)
• Startup (ranges from 150K to 300K)
• Equipment (shared or all yours?)
• Teaching ( contact hours per year- 15-20
  eventually at a medical school more at an
  undergrad institution)
• Committee/administrative responsibilities

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Negotiating a Faculty Position, II

• Salary is not everything- benefits can vary
  greatly
• Subsidized home purchase/loan rate
• Subsidized health insurance
• Retirement benefits
• Soft vs hard money guarantees- what of your
  salary do you have to provide? (0 to 100)

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Research Assistant Professor

• Not tenured
• Can be lab lieutenant
• Advantages
• Someone else writes the grants and has the
  pressure
• You can do independent science
• Disadvantages
• Pay Recognition Security

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Clinical Appointments

• More common these days
• Can be tenured
• Advantage clinical departments can generate
  revenue for your research pay better
• Disadvantage do not want to be isolated from
  other researchers/colleagues

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What Does Your Ph.D. Mean?

• You have a broad knowledge of current scientific
  knowledge with a specialization in one area
• You can research a problem and design and
  implement a solution independently
• You are a motivated worker
• You have developed communication skills
• You have developed organizational skills
• Therefore, you are competent to perform a wide
  variety of jobs besides research.

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Alternative Careers for Science Ph.D.s (besides
research)

• Law- patent, tech transfer
• Finance- business experience helps
• Sales and Tech Support-most companies hire Ph.D.s
  
• Journalism -freelance or staff
• Teaching -small colleges
• Public policy (science)
• AAAS, other organizations
• Administration (NIH, NSF, many other private and
  public organizations)

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Acknowledgments

• ASCB Life Sciences Job Hunt Booklet
• (order free from ASCB site!)
• Science Jobs website http//recruit.sciencemag.or
  g/feature/cperspec/corner.shl

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Good Luck!