Robbins-Roth Alternative Careers in Science

Leaving the Ivory Tower
2. Auflage 2011
ISBN: 978-0-08-045498-6
Verlag: Elsevier Science & Techn.
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 320 Seiten

Many science students find themselves in the midst of graduate school or sitting at a lab bench, and realize that they hate lab work! Even worse is realizing that they may love science, but science (at least academic science) is not providing many job opportunities these days. What's a poor researcher to do !?
This book gives first-hand descriptions of the evolution of a band of hardy scientists out of the lab and into just about every career you can imagine. Researchers from every branch of science found their way into finance, public relations, consulting, business development, journalism, and more - and thrived there! Each author tells their personal story, including descriptions of their career path, a typical day, where to find information on their job, opportunities to career growth, and more. This is a must-read for every science major, and everyone who is looking for a way to break out of their career rut.
* An insider's look at the wide range of job opportunities for scientists yearning to leave the lab
* First-person stories from researchers who successfully made the leap from science into finance, journalism, law, public policy, and more.
* Tips on how to track down and get that job in a new industry
* Typical day scenarios for each career track
* List of resources (websites, associations, etc.) to help you in your search
* Completely revised, this latest edition includes six entirely new chapters

Autoren/Hrsg.

Robbins-Roth, Cynthia

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;front cover;1
2;copyright;5
3;table of contents;6
4;front matter;10
5;Contributors;10
6;Preface;12
7;body;14
8;1 A SCIENTIST GONE BAD: How I Went from the Bench to the Board Room;14
8.1;SO HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?;16
8.2;HEADING OUT OF THE LAB;18
8.3;COMMUNICATION SKILLS BECOME IMPORTANT;19
8.4;ONCE MORE INTO THE FRAY—GOING INDEPENDENT;20
8.5;PUBLISHING GETS ADDED TO THE MIX;21
8.6;ALTERNATIVE CAREERS;23
9;SCIENCE AND INFORMATION;26
9.1;2 TECHNICAL WRITING: Making Sense Out of Manuals;28
9.1.1;WHAT IS A TECHNICAL WRITER?;28
9.1.2;WHY TECH WRITING IS A GREAT MOVE;29
9.1.3;COMMON PERSONALITY TRAITS OF TECH WRITERS;30
9.1.4;A TYPICAL DAY AT WORK;31
9.1.5;COMPARISONS WITH THE ACADEMIC WORLD;34
9.1.6;HOW TO BECOME A TECH WRITER;35
9.1.7;WHERE TO FIND TECH WRITING JOBS;37
9.1.8;WHERE CAN YOU GO AFTER TECH WRITING?;37
9.1.9;RESOURCES;38
9.2;3 SCIENCE WRITING: Communicating with the Masses;40
9.2.1;SHOULD YOU BECOME A SCIENCE WRITER?;40
9.2.2;A CHALLENGING FIELD;41
9.2.3;WHO NEEDS SCIENCE WRITERS?;42
9.2.4;HOW DO I BECOME A SCIENCE WRITER?;43
9.2.5;WHAT IS A TYPICAL WORK DAY LIKE?;44
9.2.6;IT IS SCIENCE, BUT IS IT NEWS?;44
9.2.7;HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN DNA IN THREE SENTENCES?;45
9.2.8;DO SCIENTISTS LIKE REPORTERS?;45
9.2.9;WILL ANYONE READ WHAT YOU WRITE?;46
9.2.10;THE LOGISTICS;46
9.2.11;WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?;49
9.2.12;SOME INSPIRATION;50
9.3;4 CREATING A PUBLISHING EMPIRE: How I Gave up Academia and Became an Entrepreneurial Editor;52
9.3.1;HOW IT ALL STARTED;52
9.3.2;ON OUR OWN;54
9.3.3;SO HOW DO YOU GET THIS JOB?;57
9.3.4;WHAT DOES PUBLISHING PAY?;57
9.3.5;WHAT IS NEXT IN MY CAREER PATH?;58
9.4;5 BUSINESS INFORMATION SERVICES: Providing the Data for Industry;60
9.4.1;HOW MY PATH CHANGED DIRECTION;60
9.4.2;ENTREPRENEURSHIP;65
9.4.3;WHERE THE TIME GOES;68
9.4.4;WHERE BIOABILITY IS GOING;69
9.4.5;CONCLUDING THOUGHTS;70
10;THE FINANCIAL WORLD;72
10.1;6 BECOMING A VENTURE CAPITALIST;74
10.1.1;STARTING IN THE LAB;74
10.1.2;GETTING A TASTE FOR BUSINESS AND FINANCE;75
10.1.3;EVOLVING INTO A BANKER;78
10.1.4;DAILY TRANSACTIONS;79
10.1.5;FINALLY, VENTURE CAPITAL CALLS;80
10.1.6;WHAT THE JOB IS LIKE;81
10.2;7 INVESTMENT BANKING: Dreams and Reality;84
10.2.1;THE PLAN;85
10.2.2;THE MENTORS;86
10.2.3;THE FIRST BREAK;87
10.2.4;THE SKILL SET REQUIRED BY AN ANALYST;88
10.2.5;A TYPICAL DAY AS AN ANALYST;89
10.2.6;WHERE I HOPE TO GO FROM HERE;90
10.3;8 HOW I BECAME AN ANALYST: Science-Based Investment Advising;92
10.3.1;THE EARLY YEARS;92
10.3.2;BEGINNING A CAREER;93
10.3.3;THE BUSINESS OF SCIENCE;94
10.3.4;THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME;95
10.3.5;WHAT DOES A BIOTECHNOLOGY ANALYST DO?;97
10.3.6;POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES;102
10.3.7;HOW TO BECOME AN ANALYST;104
10.3.8;MY CAREER SINCE SBC WARBURG DILLON READ: MOVING TO THE BUY-SIDE;105
11;THE CORPORATE WORLD;108
11.1;9 ENTREPRENEUR AND COMPANY FOUNDER: Starting Your Own Company and Surviving;110
11.1.1;HOW DID I GET HERE?;110
11.1.2;A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CEO;111
11.1.3;A TYPICAL WORK WEEK;112
11.1.4;WHAT IT TAKES TO RUN THE SHOW;113
11.1.5;THE PROS AND CONS OF BEING THE BOSS;116
11.1.6;HOW CAN YOU GET THIS JOB?;116
11.1.7;THE CURRENT SITUATION;118
11.2;10 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Making Deals with Science;120
11.2.1;MY EVOLUTION;120
11.2.2;WHAT IS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT?;121
11.2.3;SOME OF THE CHALLENGES;125
11.2.4;WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT;126
11.2.5;HOW DO YOU GET HERE?;127
11.3;11 THE GROWTH OF A MANAGER: From Pure Research to Policy Administration;130
11.3.1;WHAT IS ORGANIZATION MANAGEMENT?;131
11.3.2;HOW DID THIS HAPPEN TO ME?;131
11.3.3;WHAT DOES A POLICY ADMINISTRATOR DO ALL DAY?;133
11.3.4;COMPARING THE WORK;134
11.3.5;WHAT’S NEXT?;135
11.3.6;UPDATE: 7 YEARS LATER;135
11.4;12 REGULATORY AFFAIRS: Keeping Product Development on Track;138
11.4.1;WHAT IS REGULATORY AFFAIRS?;139
11.4.2;REGULATORY AFFAIRS IN A BIOPHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY;140
11.4.3;WHAT JOBS ARE AVAILABLE IN REGULATORY AFFAIRS?;143
11.4.4;HOW DO YOU GET INTO REGULATORY AFFAIRS?;148
11.5;13 PATENT LAW CAREERS: Protecting the Intellectual Property of Science;152
11.5.1;PATENTS AND PRACTITIONERS;152
11.5.2;MY (CONVOLUTED) CAREER PATH;153
11.5.3;A TYPICAL DAY;156
11.5.4;ATTORNEY VERSUS AGENT;157
11.5.5;JOB RESOURCES;160
11.6;14 ENTERING BIOMEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC CONSULTING;162
11.6.1;LEAVING THE COMFORT ZONE OF ACADEMIA;162
11.6.2;WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO;165
11.6.3;A FOCUS ON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT;170
11.6.4;WOULD YOU MAKE A GOOD BIOMEDICAL CONSULTANT?;171
11.6.5;ADVICE ON BECOMING A BIOMEDICAL CONSULTANT;172
11.7;15 SALES AND MARKETING: So You Want to Sell?;174
11.7.1;HOW DID I GET HERE?;174
11.7.2;WHAT DO I DO?;177
11.7.3;HOW MUCH DO I MAKE?;178
11.7.4;HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR THIS SORT OF CAREER?;180
11.7.5;CAREER MOBILITY;182
11.7.6;WHAT ABOUT TRAVEL?;182
11.7.7;WHAT COMPANIES HAVE SALESPEOPLE?;183
11.7.8;WHAT SKILLS ARE NECESSARY?;184
11.7.9;WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE?;186
11.7.10;WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF THE JOB?;186
11.7.11;HOW OFTEN DO I HAVE A HAIR-ON-FIRE DAY?;187
11.7.12;WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING FOR 7 YEARS;188
11.8;16 FROM DOING RESEARCH TO MOVING RESEARCH: My Life in Tech Transfer;190
11.8.1;OFF TO THE CORPORATE WORLD;191
11.8.2;THE NEXT STEP: FINANCIAL CONSULTING;192
11.8.3;BACK TO ACADEMIA BUT NOT TO THE LAB!;194
11.8.4;THE LIFE OF A LICENSING OFFICER;194
11.8.5;DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER: THE BUSINESS OF IP;195
12;PROVIDING SERVICES TO COMPANIES;202
12.1;17 CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS: Helping Companies Sell Their Stories;204
12.1.1;MAKING THE MOVE;207
12.1.2;HOW DO I BREAK INTO THE PROFESSION IF I DON’T HAVE THESE SKILLS?;210
12.1.3;YOU HAVE THE JOB! NOW WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?;210
12.1.4;WHERE DO I GO TO FIND OUT ABOUT PR?;214
12.1.5;HOW DO I PREPARE FOR A JOB INTERVIEW?;215
12.1.6;THE PERSONALITY PROFILE;215
12.1.7;DIFFICULTIES AND PLEASURES;216
12.1.8;WHERE CAN I FIND A PR JOB?;217
12.2;18 EXECUTIVE SEARCH: The Hunt for Exceptional Talent;218
12.2.1;BECOMING A RECRUITER;219
12.2.2;RESPONSIBILITIES AND ATTRIBUTES;219
12.2.3;A TYPICAL DAY;222
12.2.4;DAILY FRUSTRATION LEVEL;223
12.2.5;COMPENSATION, EXPERIENCE, AND ADVANCEMENT;225
12.2.6;THE REWARDS OF BEING IN THE EXECUTIVE SEARCH BUSINESS;226
12.2.7;WHY THIS INDUSTRY?;227
12.2.8;HOW TO ENTER THIS INDUSTRY;228
12.2.9;PERSONAL COMMENTS;229
12.3;19 CONSULTANT TO THE STARS: Advising CEOs for Fun and Profit;230
12.3.1;MY PATH INTO FINANCE;231
12.3.2;BECOMING A CONSULTANT;232
12.3.3;IT’S ALL ABOUT REPUTATION;237
12.4;20 BIOMEDICAL CONSULTANT: Specializing in Technology Assessment, Strategic Planning, and Grant Writing;240
12.4.1;HOW I GOT THERE;241
12.4.2;MOVE TO INDUSTRY;243
12.4.3;BECOMING A CONSULTANT OVERNIGHT;244
12.4.4;WHAT DOES CONSULTING PAY?;248
12.4.5;PROS AND CONS OF THE JOB;249
12.4.6;SKILLS FOR SUCCESS;250
12.4.7;MENTORING;252
12.4.8;BLURRING THE BOUNDARIES;253
12.4.9;WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES, ANOTHER OPENS;254
13;SCIENCE CAREERS IN GOVERNMENT;256
13.1;21 SCIENCE AND PUBLIC POLICY: Translating Between Two Worlds;258
13.1.1;THE NEED FOR SCIENCE IN POLITICS;259
13.1.2;MAKING THE SHIFT;260
13.1.3;MY OWN PATH: TURNING A CONGRESSIONAL FELLOWSHIP INTO A CAREER;261
13.1.4;GETTING STARTED: WHAT SKILLS DO YOU NEED AND WHERE DO YOU GET THEM?;264
13.1.5;POINTS OF ENTRY INTO A SCIENCE POLICY CAREER;268
13.1.6;WHERE DOES A CAREER IN SCIENCE POLICY LEAD?;272
13.1.7;EARNING POTENTIAL;273
13.1.8;CONCLUSIONS;274
13.1.9;ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION;274
13.2;22 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR: Building a Biotech Industry for an Entire Country;276
13.2.1;A JOB I COULD NOT HAVE PREDICTED;276
13.2.2;HOW I GOT HERE;277
13.2.3;OFF TO NEW ZEALAND;278
13.2.4;WHALES LEAD ME INTO A POST-DOC;279
13.2.5;INTO GOVERNMENT SERVICE;280
13.2.6;I ENTER THE ENTREPRENEURIAL WORLD;281
13.2.7;LURED BACK TO GOVERNMENT;282
13.2.8;WHAT DOES AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR DO?;283
13.2.9;WHERE TO FROM HERE?;285
13.2.10;WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO DO THIS JOB: HAVE YOU KISSED THE BLARNEY STONE?;287
13.2.11;A DAY IN THE LIFE...;288
13.2.12;HOW DID SCIENCE TRAINING HELP?;288
13.3;23 GOVERNMENT AGENCIES: Directing Science in the Military;290
13.3.1;HOW I GOT HERE;291
13.3.2;A TYPICAL DAY;293
13.3.3;WHERE CAN YOU GO FROM PROGRAM MANAGER?;298
13.3.4;WHAT OPPORTUNITIES EXIST IN THE MILITARY?;298
13.3.5;SKILLS NEEDED TO SUCCEED AS PROGRAM MANAGER;299
13.3.6;THE PROS AND CONS;300
13.3.7;HOW TO GET THIS JOB;301
14;back matter;304
15;APPENDIX: Information Resources About Alternative Careers for Scientists;304
16;index;306

Leseproben

Chapter 1 A SCIENTIST GONE BAD: How I Went from the Bench to the Board Room Cynthia Robbins-Roth, Ph.D. Principal, BioVenture Consultants It all began so innocently—back in 1984, I was happily running gels and killing tumors in mice. One year later, I was wearing grown-up clothes and hanging out with vice presidents and chief executive officers. After that first move out of the lab, I founded BioVenture View, a monthly biotech industry newsletter, and BioPeople Magazine, the first biotech industry magazine about the movers and shakers building the sector; I became founding editor of BioWorld Today, the first daily online/faxed biotech newsletter; I started BioVenture Consultants, which still provides business, technology, and financial consulting services to start-up businesses and established biopharmaceutical (“biopharma”) companies around the globe; I started writing a regular biotech industry column for Forbes Magazine and Forbes ASAP, along with two books (this book and From Alchemy to IPO: The Business of Biotechnology). You probably noticed that bio is part of all of these endeavors. That early scientific bent remained a big part of all that I do. I have traveled throughout North America, Europe, and the Pacific Rim, giving invited talks and working with governments and young companies. And yet, I haven’t done a hands-on experiment since 1984. And I couldn’t be happier. This completely unplanned-for transition has led me into a universe of opportunities to earn my living by spending time with world-class researchers pushing back the frontier of science and by communicating the excitement and promise of that technology to the rest of the world. And what other biochemist can claim to have been quoted in that respected scientific journal Town & Country? When I crossed that line from scientist to “suit,” there were very few examples for me to study. Researchers in the biological sciences were just starting to believe that it might be okay to leave academia and go into the newly emerging biotech industry—but only as a scientist! I had no idea what a scientist could do outside of the lab. I had spent my entire career immersed in a very rarefied environment, surrounded by other biomedical researchers who saw the simple move from university to company lab as the most radical career move ever! These days, with government funding for academic research still very much under pressure, with a dearth of academic jobs (with or without tenure!), and with a growing sense that there must be more possibilities out there, graduate students and other members of the academic community are beginning their search for life after lab much earlier. I find that many universities have active career seminar series that bring students and faculty into contact with former scientists who have entered a diverse range of careers. Many corporate scientists are looking for ways to grow beyond the lab. This book gives you the insider’s story on 24 different ways to put that scientific training to good use away from the lab bench and away from academia. Each of our authors took an unexpected detour into worlds that were previously unimagined during their early training. And while each of these jobs took the authors far from their original paths, the key to their success and enjoyment of new careers was the critical role science continued to play. Right now, it might be tough to see how a scientific background could be valuable to a stock analyst, publisher, or government policy expert. But, as you will learn from these personal stories, it’s the science that taught them all to think analytically, to structure an approach to new areas, and to forge ahead into new territory without fear (or at least not much fear). The world is full of those with M.B.A.s who long to enter the growing biotech sector but who just can’t master the intricacies of the technology sufficiently to be useful to the companies or investors; of patent lawyers who struggle with applications because they can’t fully grasp the prior art in the scientific literature; and of information providers who don’t understand the information they sell and thus can’t always tell the difference between crucial and just interesting data. Don’t let anyone tell you that science is a dead end, now that becoming a full-tenured professor seems out of reach. And don’t believe anyone who tells you that it is a waste of time to pursue a science education unless you plan to stay in the lab. There is a wide universe out there, just waiting for you to explore! “And do not believe anyone who tells you that it is a waste of time to pursue a science education unless you plan to stay in the lab.” SO HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
I was first bitten by the science bug in seventh grade. The teacher was showing us how dripping acid on a rock could determine if it was limestone. This simple-minded experiment had a huge impact on me. I loved the idea that you could do experiments to figure out something that you didn’t already know, that you could query the universe! This appealed to me immensely, in part because I already had a serious problem with authority figures and loved the idea that you could find answers independently. While the specific field of interest evolved for me over time, the basic drive toward lab work never changed. At Bates College, my biochemistry focus shifted a bit when I took my first immunology course, taught by a young scientist fresh out of his post-doctoral position (“post-doc”) at Yale. Immunology was just on the verge of converting from phenomenology (okay, stick this stuff into a bunny and see what happens!) into a realm where a protein biochemist could have some fun and learn cool new stuff about how the immune system actually worked. That teacher was the first to let me into the wonderful world of hands-on science—I was in love. I moved to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston for my Ph.D. work with Dr. Benjamin Papermaster, whose lab was focused on applying the tools of biochemistry to purify and characterize the proteins that carry messages (Kill that tumor! Wipe out the virally infected cell!) for the immune system. I was intrigued with the idea that we could use our work to find a way to provide cancer patients with the immune factors their own systems were not making, moving away from the incredibly toxic chemotherapy drugs that were the only treatment available at the time. By 1980, it became increasingly clear that, while I loved the lab work, academia was not for me. If I had to listen to one more medical student whine about the lab work I had to teach them, I would be forced to throw them through a window—which would probably be detrimental to my academic career. I started interviewing for jobs at pharmaceutical companies, but I was discouraged by their overpopulation of middle-aged white guys in clean lab coats and ties who all went home at 4:30 in the afternoon. These companies seemed too conservative for me, and my little problem with authority figures had not gone away. In 1980, while I was in the midst of a post-doc in the interferon lab of Dr. Howard Johnson, I got a phone call from a scientist at a newly formed company—Genentech, Inc., in southern San Francisco, California. While I had no idea what this “biotech” industry was, my ears perked up when he said the company was only 2 years old and had chosen cytokines—my area of interest—as an initial research focus. We agreed to meet in Paris at the week-long International Immunology Congress (really, ALL job interviews should take place in Paris, don’t you think?). To this day, I am convinced it was my ability to order him his first full meal in French that got me the job. In spite of howls of “traitor” from my academic colleagues, Genentech turned out to be exactly what I was looking for, in many ways. The labs were packed with young ex-post-docs and those with recently received Ph.D. titles who had no commercial experience, along with just about every piece of equipment you could want. The company environment was very entrepreneurial—Genentech was one of the first biotech companies formed, and it changed the ground rules for doing science in a corporate setting. Dress codes were nonexistent, scientists kept whatever schedules they wanted (being ex-post-docs, we all worked 18-hour days, at least 6 days a week), and we didn’t have to write grants or teach medical students! I was working with some of the best scientists in a broad range of disciplines—protein chemistry, immunology, tumor biology, molecular biology, X-ray crystallography, assay development, and so on. I was in heaven. At Genentech, my “jack-of-all-trades, master of none” personality, first nurtured in Johnson’s lab, really came into play. While I was supposed to be focused exclusively on assay design and purification schemes, I spent a lot of time wandering the halls and learning how to do amino acid composition and sequencing, RNA purification (and why you really don’t want phenol on your hands), and some really hard-core protein biochemistry. I learned about the problems in designing productive animal studies and the challenges a young entrepreneurial company faced when starting with 75 folks, who knew each other pretty well, and...