AndreaKay.com: Getting into biotechnology

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From my new book, Life’s a Bitch and Then You Change Careers, discover how to change careers at any age. Plus interview questions to be prepared for, how others made successful career changes, if you have what it takes to make a change, how to get an offer in a new career when you have no experience and how to stay focused and motivated.

For help on negotiating alternative work schedules, researching companies that have family friendly policies, defining the environment and job you want that gives you the balance you seek, then positioning yourself on your resume for this job, see Resumes That Will Get You the Job You Want, Greener Pastures: How to Find a Job in Another Place and Interview Strategies That Will Get You the Job You Want.

Changing Careers

"Getting into biotechnology"

Dear Andrea:

--L. P.

Dear L. P.:

The place to be is in bioinformatics, which is a merging of biology and computer sciences. This cutting-edge field is where computers- not scientists--test models of genes and drugs to develop new drugs, according to an article in Employment Review Online.

You need a background in structural biology, computational chemistry and mathematics, which probably doesn't fit a lot of people. But as hot as this field is, jobs have decreased a bit due to mergers and acquisitions during the mid- to late-1990s. Don't let that stop you if you're interested because there are still more than a quarter of a million people in the field, according to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

The firms that have grown into pharmaceutical companies and are profitable include Biogen, Centocor, Genentech and Genzyme. There are many start-ups emerging.

These kinds of companies also have positions in research and development including chemists, clinical researchers, data management personnel, SAS programmers, biostatisticians and medical writers. Also in demand are engineers who create and maintain equipment used to research drugs and computer programmers who create databases, maintain systems and develop computer models. This is also a need for sales people and healthcare professionals since these companies work with hospitals and government agencies.

You'll find more jobs in San Francisco, Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, San Diego, Texas, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Princeton, New Jersey and its surrounding area and Richmond, Virginia.

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