Job Seekers Vouch BioSpace Hotbed Maps Are a Useful Way of Putting Companies on the Map
By Suvarna Sheth
The BioSpace Hotbed Maps are colorful, creative works of art that have served as a true "map" for the course of biotech history for industry hubs around the country.
As a testament of the hotbed map's historical significance, the original 1989 Biotech Bay™ Map hangs on display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington D.C.
Not only have the hotbed maps been historical indicators of the growth and expansion of the biotech, pharma and medical device industries, they have been useful ways for companies to get their names out and for attracting new job seeker candidates.
“There is no doubt – the hotbed map caught my eyes the first time I saw it,” says Carmen K. Ip, a senior research associate at Gilead Sciences in Foster City, Calif. “I thought it was colorful, informative, and just something DIFFERENT compared to the normal scientific posters.” The first thing she did when she saw the map was look for the company she formerly worked for at the time.
Ip, located in the Biotech Bay™ region, says she has noticed the Hotbed map posters numerous times at work, conferences, local workshops, and career fairs.
“It is very smartly designed,” she says, “not only does it display most of the major bio-pharma companies in the Bay Area, but it also maps their location in the area.”
Ip says the maps are “definitely” a good way for companies in the area to be recognized. “It allows job seekers and investors to spot the major companies in the area more easily,” she says, “One click on the [online] map leads into the company profile, where people can find more information on company news, stock price, job vacancies, etc.”
Nowadays, Ip uses the map mostly to learn about other companies in the area. “I wouldn’t think to use it that much for lead generation, but more for stock prices and company press releases to update and familiarize myself in the field as a researcher and a stockholder,” she says.
Ip hasn’t been surprised to see any of the companies on the map since she says most companies listed are established biotech firms. She says it may be a good idea for the hotbed maps to also list local organizations and societies so more people can take advantage of them.
One biotech/pharma professional, who wishes to remain anonymous, says he has searched and applied for jobs through Biospace in the past. “It's a great tool for industry news and finding out what the industry's needs are,” he says.
The scientist first saw the hotbed map a few years ago, hanging in the main lobby of companies and at Biospace's Biotech Bay job fair.
“The map is useful for getting a good idea of what the big and medium players are in the area,” he says, “it's also a great way for companies to get exposure.”
He says the hotbed map is interesting and learned that some East Coast or European companies had sites in other parts of the country as well.
“I think it's very helpful for people who are thinking about job-hunting in another location or have just moved to get a sense of where companies are located and perhaps they can look into some job opportunities with these employers,” he says.
Jaya Sharma, a researcher in the biotech bay region says Biospace is the most popular site in the biotech industry for professionals. “BioSpace is really geared towards the biotech and pharmaceutical industry unlike other job sites,” she says. Sharma landed her second job at Codexis through one of the hotbed career fairs.
Sharma also finds the hotbed maps to be very helpful. “In a snapshot, you can see the spread of biotech companies in and around the area,” she points out, “The geographical representation makes it easier for the job seeker to decide which companies and what locations to target the job search thus narrowing down the list based on preference such as commute.”
The researcher says it helps to see a graphical representation of various companies because you can get a good understanding of how large or how small a company is. The maps were also a useful tool for job searches when she immigrated to the U.S.
Sharma certainly says maps are a good way of companies to be recognized and as a form of advertisement. “The only downside I can foresee is with new companies coming up and new mergers and acquisitions taking place, the map might need to be revisited couple of times!”
BioSpace produces 9 Hotbed Campaigns each year, illustrating different biotech clusters across the U.S. and Canada. These hubs are portals where industry professionals can learn more about the life science community that supports the region from news, events, job opportunities and much more. BioSpace also produces career fairs annually to support job seekers in their specific hotbed region.
Whether you see the iconic BioSpace Hotbed map at a career fair or prominently displayed in the lobbies and executive offices of participating companies in the industry, what is for sure is that you are looking at well established, branded biotech, pharma and medical device companies that have truly made it.
Check out the latest Hotbed Headliner eNewsletter - July 29, 2010.