Any biotech workers here? How do you get an entry level job with a BS in BMB? - (Jun/17/2012 )

tfitzwater on Mon Jun 18 18:11:48 2012 said:

I couldn't get an internship in college, but if I wanted to volunteer my services to a university (either in their biochem labs or if they have a hospital) who would I have to talk to about that? When you apply for a job, you usually have to go through the organization's Human Resources department.

If I wanted to volunteer, would I have to contact these universities' HR departments or their individual professors? Or perhaps their Biochem/Mol Bio department chairmen?

How about for non-profit research institutes?

hobglobin on Tue Jun 19 15:37:49 2012 said:

Are you talking about those events that cost hundreds of dollars per person to attend?

tfitzwater on Thu Jun 21 14:15:49 2012 said:

I looked at Biospace, but all the articles I can find tend to be catered to older people with years of experience and industry connections to reference them; couldn't find anything for new grads without experience or references (outside of retail).

Would you suggest putting something like "will relocate at no cost to you" on my cover letter? Or to offer to work for way below the average wage? The average biology technician salary is about $19 an hour; would it be a good idea to offer to work for something like $13 or $14 an hour to make myself more "affordable" for them?

Cyp450 on Tue Jun 26 05:26:18 2012 said:

I don't think that is a good idea. I think if you undersell yourself in an application, you will only make yourself look less attractive as an applicant. That's just my opinion though.

If you want to volunteer for work experience, here in Aus you would usually approach the lab you were interested in working for and take it from there. Most labs (at least in my department) aren't too keen to take people on for experience though, as it takes up a lot of time and resources.

And you'll spoil the prices or better the wages, and the other staff will hate you for this....anyway to avoid this labour unions, "personnel boards", minimum wages and similar stuff exists...Perhaps not everywhere but in many companies, universities and governmental institutions they exist and will prohibit this surely.

I worry that sending out 130 applications means that you are not carefully researching the projects and research goals of each lab so that you can tailor each application and cover letter to the position you desire. Lab work requires attention to detail. Right now, that detail is all about what each lab is working on. If you are applying to a university lab, read their most recent publications before writing your cover letter.
To paraphrase, "It's not what the lab can do for you, it's what you can do for the lab."
We all know that you will gain experience and skills if you get the job. Your application should concentrate on why someone should hire you. Your application must persuade the person screening a flood of applications that you have something to contribute. It takes a lot of time to train an intern or entry level person.

Here is an article from the biospace website.
Where the Jobs are: Siemens (SI) is Hiring College-Level Students Interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math to Fill Over 400 Internship Positions Across the Country


4/6/2012 10:13:50 AM



WASHIGNTON, April 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Siemens is hiring over 400 college-level students to join its Summer Intern Program across the Energy, Infrastructure and Cities, Industry and Healthcare sectors. At the end of each summer, Siemens recruits top performing interns from its program to become full-time employees.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20070904/SIEMENSLOGO )
The Siemens Summer Intern Program lasts three months and offers college-level students the opportunity to learn about Siemens businesses first-hand and cultivate essential career development tools through mentorship and networking opportunities.
"Siemens is committed to developing talent, both for our existing employees and by identifying and nurturing new entry level talent. We offer multiple internship programs across our businesses with a goal of converting the best candidates to full-time employees once they graduate," said Mike Panigel, Chief Human Resources Officer for Siemens in the Americas. "Through this program we have an opportunity to get to know the candidates and they get to know Siemens it enables all of us to make informed hiring decisions. The fresh ideas and enthusiasm of these new recruits are critical to the sustainability of the organization."
Internship positions primarily focus on the following areas: Engineering, Finance, IT, Marketing, Operations, Procurements and Sales. Siemens is specifically looking for students with education or experience in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to match well with its portfolio of high-tech products and solutions, including green building design, renewable energy, healthcare and mobility.
Each year, Siemens holds recruiting events at college and university campuses across the country. Interested students are encouraged to find more information on internship programs and apply online at: usa.siemens.com/careers/students
About Siemens
Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, operating in the industry, energy, healthcare, infrastructure and cities sectors. For more than 160 years, Siemens has built a reputation for leading-edge innovation and the quality of its products, services and solutions. Siemens in the USA reported revenue of around $20 billion and employs approximately 60,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico. For more information on Siemens in the United States, visit www.usa.siemens.com.
SOURCE Siemens Corporation



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