Martijn Bijker, an immuno-oncologist, decided to transition from academia to industry, so he asked a friend to look over his resume. His friend, who had spent 20 years working in the pharmaceutical industry, advised him to move his lists of publications, posters, and presentations to the document’s back. According to him, the emphasis should be on teamwork abilities and the capacity to fulfill job requirements.
Positions in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are appealing to many recent PhD graduates, making them extremely competitive. In Nature’s 2017 Graduate Student Survey, more than 50% of respondents indicated that they would like to work in industry, and nearly 25% said that an industrial position was what they most desired.
Alaa Abdine, a PhD-trained biophysicist who is now an executive recruiter for Crossover Search in New York City, which specializes in biotechnology companies, advises junior researchers who are considering industry to aim as soon as possible to develop the skills and expertise that will be appealing to hiring managers. Only 20% of respondents to the graduate student survey from last year had consulted a researcher who was in the position they desired for advice, and only one-third had received advice on non-academic careers from their advisers. Abdine advises against waiting until your eighth year of a postdoc to approach recruiters about jobs.
Before beginning a job search, those who have transitioned to the business world advise researchers to determine their objectives and areas of interest. Forum Raval, who has a PhD in immunology and virology, realized that she really wanted to do translational research, creating products or procedures that would help people, after applying for a few different types of jobs.
She was discussing a friend’s job in genetic testing when she realized that, despite not exactly matching her academic background, it matched her vision of translational research. Despite having weak genetics credentials on her resume, she was able to land an interview with Marlborough, Massachusetts-based Quest Diagnostics. She hoped to sell the abilities she had developed while working on her PhD, which required her to switch between difficult tasks, during the interview. “I was sweating the whole time,” she recalls.
Researchers who are contemplating moving into industry should also think about whether their motivation is the exclusive pursuit of their own ideas. A biomaterials scientist at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in Bangalore, India, Praveen Kumar Vemula, claims that “this is more difficult to do in industry, where research goals are typically set more narrowly.” He has deep ties to India’s biotechnology industry and has spun off several companies and licensed his technologies to others, despite remaining in academic research where he is free to develop his own ideas. To excel in industry, he says, means collaborating with others.
Job applicants must demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the company they are interested in, including its products, workplace culture, history, rivals, business development plans, regulatory challenges, and how it fits into the market. They must also be extremely knowledgeable about the position they desire. A couple of years ago, Martin Rees, who is currently a regional medical director in the Sydney office of the biopharmaceutical company Stallergenes Greer, gave himself six months to learn everything he could about turning into a medical science liaison (MSL). A scientific expert known as an MSL serves as a liaison between a pharmaceutical or biotech company and the medical and scientific professionals who use its products.
To learn about the cultures, products, and competition of the employers, he casually met over coffee with MSLs from various businesses as well as with marketing and sales representatives from those companies (see P Fiske Nature 538, 417–418; 2016). “You have to do your homework. That will primarily get you a job interview, according to Rees.
Additionally, job seekers should make clear to hiring managers and other interviewers how they will fit into the goals and portfolio of a potential employer. A 2017 survey of Indian companies in the life and chemical sciences by the scientific recruitment firm C-Drive in Bangalore revealed that employers looking to hire PhDs and postdocs are particularly frustrated by the candidates’ lack of knowledge about the company and its scientific context. For instance, if a cell biologist is applying for a position at a biotech company or drug manufacturer that focuses on cancer treatments, they should demonstrate in their application how their background aligns with the company’s drug or molecular pipeline. Shyam Suryanarayanan, the chief executive of C-Drive and the founder of a joint venture that offers training for industry readiness, asserts that “many times there is a connection.” But the onus of figuring it out does not lie with the employer. ”.
Getting a foot in the door in the fiercely competitive industrial environment frequently depends on a researcher’s connections in a particular industry or business. Researchers should use LinkedIn to connect with scientists who share their research interests, backgrounds, or even hobbies in order to expand their networks, advises Barbara Preston, co-founder of the San Diego-based recruiting firm PharmaScouts. It’s best to get in touch beforehand and propose a coffee date if the junior researcher will be attending a conference that the company scientist is also likely to attend. Preston advises using your status as a graduate student or postdoc as a plus rather than a disadvantage, adding that it’s crucial to be honest and direct without specifically asking for a job. “Say, “I’m approaching a career decision point and I want to make an informed decision,'” Can you answer a few questions about your professional experience?
Graduate students and postdocs should look for a professor who has connections to regional businesses, like Vemula does. Getting to know lab directors in the student’s or postdoc’s field of study who have launched their own companies can also be beneficial because they are likely to have connections in the industry. Vemula, for instance, invites his lab members with an interest in business to assist in planning and attend the biweekly or monthly meetings with his business partners to talk about the development and timelines of a project. “Working on projects with industry partners is very different, and the lab members get first-hand exposure to what working in industry will be like,” says Vemula.
Other, more formal initiatives facilitate connections between junior researchers and business leaders. In order to encourage doctoral students in the sciences to collaborate with industry mentors over the course of a year, Australia introduced a program in 2017. The Industry Mentoring Network in STEM (IMNIS) program, which pairs 200 science students with mentors, is offered by 14 of the country’s 40 universities. Students may receive invitations to industry networking events or workplace tours as a result of the monthly meetings between the pairs. According to Marguerite Evans-Galea, executive director of IMNIS, “it’s a great opportunity for open conversation at a early stage of the student’s career and gives students a chance to expand their networks.”
Industry science vs. academia
Here are some distinctions between working as an industry scientist and an academic scientist, despite the fact that each sector requires similar scientific abilities and credentials:
Demand
One of the most significant distinctions between these two types of research positions is that in an industrial setting, the scope and timing of research may depend on market demand. For instance, if the general public has a high demand for a vaccine, industry researchers may concentrate on creating the vaccine to meet the demand and assist the business in expanding its offerings. While academic research can also reflect the relevance and popularity of current issues, this line of work might not be as heavily influenced by market demands.
Collaboration
When working in a corporate environment, scientists frequently collaborate with a variety of other departments to ensure the effective production of safe and useful products. For instance, they might collaborate with quality control teams to ensure that products function properly or labeling teams to ensure that packaging accurately reflects the contents of the product. Together, each division contributes something significant but different to the final product.
Even though academic scientists can complete projects based on their own ideas and areas of expertise, collaboration with researchers from other departments may be less common. In both situations, scientists can collaborate with other experts, such as lab assistants, but industry scientists frequently play a larger role in collaboration. A job as an industry scientist might be more rewarding if you enjoy brainstorming with others.
Work pace
Work in this field can move quickly due to the collaborative nature of industry science and the high demand for products. The work of each individual scientist may be a crucial factor in the timeline of creating a product because large teams may work to create products that meet immediate demand. For instance, until you finish your research, other scientists cannot assemble the product while you are studying the safety of individual ingredients. You might work quickly and under tight deadlines to help the company launch a new product onto the market as soon as possible.
While deadlines may occasionally affect academic researchers as well, their work is frequently less dependent on strict market timelines. Some academic researchers may spend years working on a project. Industry researchers frequently try to work as quickly as possible to keep their work relevant and timely, even though the lengths of individual projects may vary depending on the field and its requirements.
Project volume
In a similar vein, industry researchers frequently finish more tasks simultaneously than academic researchers. While both kinds of scientists can work on multiple projects at once, academic scientists are only allowed to finish one or two at a time. Industry scientists may manage as many projects as the market demands because they have access to larger teams and more sophisticated resources in a corporate laboratory setting.
Funding
The methods by which industry and academic researchers obtain funding for their work represent another significant distinction. Industry scientists typically always have access to the resources they require to complete their work as employees of a company that manufactures products. Academic scientists may concentrate on completing applications and writing requests for research grants in order to support their work. An industry scientist position might be a better fit if you’d like to get enough funding without applying for grants.
Feedback
Any employee may get feedback from their employer, but scientists working in industrial settings might get it based on how well they can finish their research. Industry scientists may receive a yearly performance review because they hold a corporate position, and if their work is successful, they may be promoted. Academic scientists may also receive performance evaluations, but it’s possible that the quality of their research won’t have as much of an impact on potential promotions.
Academic scientists may still be praised for their contributions to a scientific discussion or their success in obtaining funding even if their work doesn’t produce the desired results. An industry scientist might be praised for their work’s efficiency or effectiveness. Industry and employer can influence the feedback process, but a corporate employee review process might be longer and more thorough than an academic one.
Application of research
The goal of the research is another significant distinction between these two branches of science. With industry science, the goal can be to develop products that are both safe and useful and can satisfy consumer demand. As a result, industry scientists complete their work with an eye toward its immediate application.
Academic researchers are also capable of completing this kind of work, but frequently, they may seek to advance general knowledge rather than a specific application. For instance, an academic scientist may develop a theory, test it, and find it to be false. This information is significant because it may have an impact on the field’s scholarly discourse and encourage additional investigation by other researchers. Researchers may view an incorrect theory as less successful in industry science because it can’t immediately affect how products are made.
What is an industry scientist?
An industry scientist is a specialist who applies their scientific knowledge to help develop well-liked products and solutions for wide distribution to consumers. Industry scientists may conduct research while working in an industrial setting that results in the development of significant scientific breakthroughs like drugs or vaccines.
These scientists frequently conduct research on subjects pertinent to the company because they may work for large corporations that use scientific methods to design, manufacture, and test products. Industry scientists frequently employ the same scientific expertise and training to complete their work, despite the fact that this work may differ from research in a traditional academic setting.
Tips for choosing between industry science and academia
Before choosing the appropriate scientist role for you, take into account the following advice:
Examine your skills
Consider the abilities and experiences that can help you prepare for each role when choosing between a position in industry or academic science. Even though both jobs might need similar research abilities, there are other factors that could affect your choice. For instance, a job in the industry might require you to comprehend elements of the company’s operations, such as its finances, objectives, or timetable. You may also use crucial collaboration and workflow management skills. If you have additional training or experience working in a corporate environment, those abilities could be useful to you as an industry scientist.
Although you might not pay as much attention to these corporate aspects as an academic scientist, there are still requirements to take into account. For instance, academic researchers frequently impart courses to university students in their areas of expertise. This position might be more suitable for you if you have experience in education or a love of imparting knowledge to students and other researchers.
Consider the setting
When choosing a scientist role, you can also think about where you’d like to work. Industry scientists might work in sizable, corporately-funded labs where numerous projects are ongoing at once. Academic scientists may work in smaller university labs. Determine whether you’d prefer to be during the workday as you may spend the majority of your time finishing your projects in the lab as you consider your role.
You can consider which area you might like to work in if you want to work in industry science. Depending on your knowledge base, there may or may not be opportunities for skilled scientists in a variety of fields. For instance, if you have a background in chemistry, you could work for a company that creates medicines or one that creates flavorings for food. There may be fewer opportunities to test your skills in new fields, even though you may have some freedom in choosing the university where you want to work in an academic capacity.
Gauge the academic freedom you want
Think about how much freedom you want to choose your ideal research projects and ideas as you choose a research position. You might complete projects in an industry scientist position based on the objectives of the company and the market. While this may give you some flexibility in how you conduct your studies, the scope and objectives of each project may be more constrained.
You might have more freedom to carry out research that interests you in academia. Your projects might fall into the categories where you can find the most support because you might need funding to finish your work. But if you can effectively articulate the potential effects of your work, you might find it easier to secure funding for the projects you select. If having more freedom is important to you, look into positions as an academic scientist.
Reflect on your desired impact
Finally, contemplating the impact you want your work to have can help you choose your ideal scientist role. You might complete timely and pertinent real-world projects as an industry scientist that have an immediate impact. For instance, you might develop a vaccine that effectively stops the spread of a fatal illness.
You might not immediately see the applications of your work if you work in academia. However, you can contribute to the debates and scholarly work surrounding your area. This can deepen our understanding of a subject and motivate new research to develop valuable solutions. Your work can have a long-lasting effect on a field, even though it might take more time. Think about the impact you want to have with your work when selecting a role, as well as how quickly you want to see this impact materialize.
Week in the Life of a Research Scientist | Pandemic Edition | Biopharma Industry | VLOG
FAQ
What is an industry scientist?
Industry research scientists still actively work at the bench. They are responsible for many different experiments and projects. Do NOT move into a research scientist role if you want to leave the bench. Change to one of these other top 20 industry positions instead.
What industries do scientists work in?
You can certainly advance without the degree, but it will take perseverance, strong networking skills, and a willingness to advocate for yourself with your managers. PhD-bias is a palpable force in the workplace, even if your research field is irrelevant to the current position.
Do I need a PhD for industry research?
You can certainly advance without the degree, but it will take perseverance, strong networking skills, and a willingness to advocate for yourself with your managers. PhD-bias is a palpable force in the workplace, even if your research field is irrelevant to the current position.
Is industry better than academia?
You can certainly advance without the degree, but it will take perseverance, strong networking skills, and a willingness to advocate for yourself with your managers. PhD-bias is a palpable force in the workplace, even if your research field is irrelevant to the current position.
