Biotech Boom

The biotech field may have the cure for your career search – a promising job in a profession that’s expanding faster than you can spell biotherapeutics. There are over 1400 biotech companies in the United States and the Bay Area is home to the lion’s share. The state recognized the region’s preeminence in biotech when officials named San Francisco home to the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (stem cell research), which will eventually pump $3 billion into biotech grants. But the industry isn’t waiting for those public funds to expand dramatically. BioSpace BioSpace.com is a San Francisco website that produces information, latest trends and coming events for the biotech industry. Employers can post job listings and view resumes from prospective candidates. "There is huge growth in the Northern California biotech field, and healthcare especially," reports BioSpace spokesperson Rosemary Do. "We do online postings and new companies are always being added – plus Genentech just leased a new building in South San Francisco and new jobs will be available there." Do graduated with a degree in biology, but laments the fact she didn’t know more about the potential to cash in on the field by picking a company with a promising portfolio. "There are so many career paths in the biotech field, from laboratory research to conducting clinical trials," she states. "But, I would first advise recent graduates and re-entry jobseekers to talk with an [investment analyst or stock expert] to get a bigger picture of the industry. He or she could recommend the hottest companies and when they are hiring." is a San Francisco website that produces information, latest trends and coming events for the biotech industry. Employers can post job listings and view resumes from prospective candidates. Genentech Genentech spokesperson Tricia Cosaro boasts that the South San Francisco firm is considered the founder of the biotechnology industry. "Genentech has been delivering on the promise of biotechnology for 30 years," she points out. "We are using human genetic information to discover, develop, commercialize and manufacture biotherapeutics that address significant unmet medical needs." The pioneering company has multiple products on the market for serious or life-threatening medical conditions, and countless more in the works. It is the leading provider of antitumor therapeutics in the United States. With its strength in all areas of the drug development process – from research and development to manufacturing and commercialization – Genentech continues to transform innovative science into breakthrough patient therapies. Last year, Genentech, one of the biggest firms in the biotechnology industry, added 1850 new employees. This year, they are hiring across all areas of the company. Cosaro expects Genentech will offer jobs to approximately 1500 people, a 15-percent increase over current staffing. "We anticipate continuing recruitment at an aggressive pace as necessary to support our growth for the next four to five years." Cosaro offers some tips on how to stand out amidst the sea of applicants. "Genentech’s culture is key to its success and has changed very little over time," she confides. "We take pride in employees who are highly intelligent, entrepreneurial, and motivated by a desire to develop novel therapeutics that help patients." She says hiring personnel look for employees who thrive in an environment that supports both teamwork and individual initiative to achieve the company’s mission of addressing therapies that have been overlooked by others. For college students anticipating a career in biotechnology, Genentech has a 10 to 12-week summer intern program where students work alongside those on the cutting edge of this hot industry. Eligibility requires completion of a sophomore year at an accredited college or university. The Temp Tactic Deana Drenik, branch manager of temporary staffing agency Robert Half International in Palo Alto, believes there is more to biotech careers than looking through a microscope. "My company places financial, IT, legal and administrative candidates," she reports. "Biotech companies are hiring in all departments and most recently because of new industry regulations, firms are requiring more financial reporting." An increase in research and development has resulted in the need for more salespeople. And in another example of trickle-down growth, the more funding a company has, the more jobs are needed in the help-desk arena to provide additional support for the organization. Drenik thinks that’s a great way for someone with technical expertise to get into the biotech field. "In the legal field, our clients are seeking people like patent attorneys and those with special advanced degrees in chemistry, biology and engineering," she notes. "As administrative and other departments continue to grow, more employees are needed to expand support staff." Seed Money In the world of venture capital, firms are investing heavily in biotech and in the future of California, which provides the capital for businesses to expand and hire additional staff. Across the board, biotech firms in the Bay Area are continuing to grow. Drenik reveals she is currently working to staff several booming medical-device companies on the Peninsula. "I’ve been hearing the biotech areas of South San Jose and Coyote Valley have begun to explode," Drenik reports. "Many, whose main focus was research and development in the past, are moving into the next phase and are working to commercialize their products. This shift creates more sales jobs and, in turn, more revenue." "I don’t see the boom in the biotech industry going away," she adds. "Hopefully, Proposition 71 (stem-cell research funding) will funnel more jobs into research and development, and the pipelines of growth will stay full for a long while." If you are in college and want to get into biotech, Drenik suggests you "focus on course work that is precise to that industry. The competition is going to be very tough over the next few years. The unemployed pool is small, so more education in any specialized field will help. "After graduation, jobseekers should explore temp work or internships," Drenik concludes. "Every prospective employer wants experience and education." Formulas Vary for Chemist Careers Think you’d like to spend your career in a laboratory, with a wardrobe of white coats? Perhaps a career as a chemist might be to your liking. Here are some key points to know about the field, courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics: A bachelor’s degree in chemistry or a related discipline is the minimum educational requirement; however, many research jobs require a master’s degree or, more often, a PhD. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree will have opportunities at smaller research organizations; Those with a master’s degree or PhD will enjoy better opportunities at larger pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms. Job growth will be concentrated in pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing companies and in professional, scientific, and technical services firms. Slower-than-average growth in employment is projected through 2014. Most chemists specialize in a particular niche of their industry. Analytical chemists determine the structure, composition and nature of substances by identifying the various elements or compounds in their makeup. They study the interactions between substances and develop analytical techniques. They are key players in identifying the presence and concentration of chemical pollutants in air, water and soil. Organic chemists specialize in the vast number of carbon-based compounds that make up all living things. Some organic chemists synthesize elements or simple compounds used to develop many commercial products, from drugs and food products to polymers, plastics, and space-age composites. Inorganic chemists study inert compounds consisting mainly of elements other than carbon, such as those in electronic components. Physical and theoretical chemists study the physical characteristics of atoms and molecules, the theoretical properties of matter, and the nature of chemical reactions – leading to advances like new and better energy sources. Medicinal chemists study the structural properties of compounds used in pharmaceuticals. Materials chemists study and develop new materials to improve existing products or make new ones. In fact, virtually all chemists are involved in this quest in one way or another. Developments in the field of chemistry that involve life sciences will expand, resulting in more interaction among biologists, engineers, computer specialists and chemists. For more detailed information, go to BLS.gov and click on ‘Occupational Outlook.’ Type in the name of the profession you want to research in the upper right-hand corner. "Source":[ http://www.jobjournal.com/article_full_text.asp?artid=1756]

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