Overview
Biotechnology is a growing industry with a number of interesting career opportunities. These companies are always looking to hire workers to help in their overall research as well as perfecting their techniques. Positions within these firms range from jobs that last for only a year to those that continue indefinitely. Because these jobs require a high level of expertise in biochemistry and science procedures, these firms are frequently looking to hire people with graduate degrees in biochemistry and in related fields (such as chemical synthesis and biophysics).
Step 1
Look for internships. Many top biotechnology companies, including Amgen and Genentech, hire recent graduates as interns. Internships are generally shorter term (approximately one year) and allow you to get experience in the biotechnology industry. They can lead to more permanent positions.
Step 2
Get a postdoctoral fellowship. Students with a PhD often choose to take a fellowship as a post-doc. Many biotechnology companies (including Genentech and Genzyme) allow doctorate students to continue their education, so they learn more about research and gain experience in planning and conducting experiments.
Step 3
Work as a research associate. Serono and Biogen Idec, among other biotechnology companies, look for students with graduate degrees in biochemistry to work as research associates. This position involves mastering a few techniques and then applying them to help develop new compounds and chemicals.
Step 4
Work in process development. Biotech companies often need employees to help perfect the process by which they create new compounds. This involves optimizing chemical reactions to produce high yields and purity, as well as making the results consistent from one reaction to the next.
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