My Lab Connection

Preparation = Confidence = Success

2011-08-25T18:20:00.000-07:00

- edited by Ben Mudrak

Many have said that confidence is the key to success. Well, preparation is the key to confidence; when you are prepared, you can be confident of your actions and your words. Therefore, the key to a successful face-to-face interview is preparation.

The Face-to-Face Interview

If you have received a request for a face-to-face interview, congratulations! This is an important step and is almost always the last step before an offer. The face-to-face interview will be your chance to show your potential new employer that everything they see on your resume is there, and more. This is also another chance for you to find out whether or not the position will be a right fit for you. So, don’t forget to interview your potential employer as well.

Preparing for the Interview

Just as you prepared for phone interview, do your research. Find out as much as you can about the company and the hiring manager. If you can get in touch with past or current employees with similar roles, this might help you better understand the company’s expectations as well as those of your hiring manager.

You should also look over your resume and be prepared to explain any gap in employment history, your job experience, or the reasons that you left previous positions. Remember that you only have, at most, one hour to impress and address any concerns. One trick is to write down all potential questions and your answers to them. Try not to memorize the answers, but have a general idea of what you will say so it will flow better in conversation.

Employers are simply trying to understand if you would be a good fit for their company, their culture and their mission, aside from determining your skill set, so don’t take offense if it feels like the Spanish Inquisition. One of the most common questions I have heard is “Why do you want this position?” Of course, the pay is the reason why everyone wants a job, so that’s a given. What they are really asking is “Besides the salary/money, what would motivate you to come to work every day and do an excellent job for us?” Understanding the company’s mission statement and the direction they are heading by perusing news articles can help you formulate a better answer. So, again, do your research.

If it is a technical position, be prepared to talk technical, so brush up on your lingo. You should be able to understand specific terminology, especially if you have mentioned familiarity with the field on your resume.

Most people enjoy a good story, so think of a couple of stories that would highlight some of your skill sets and keep them in mind as answers for those ‘how’ questions (like “How do you handle…?” or “How do you do…?”). If it is a position involving customer interaction, an example question might be “How have you handled irate customers?” If it’s an engineering position, you might be asked something like “How do you start new projects?” The company is simply trying to understand how you would handle certain situations. What better way to answer these questions than to provide real scenarios that you have experienced? Not only will these stories better highlight your skill set, but good stories stay in the interviewer’s memory longer after you leave the interview.

During the Interview

Having done all the preparation, you should walk into that interview room with confidence that you are ready for the interview. Of course, if you are like me, you will still be a little nervous. That’s alright. However, do not do the “show up and throw up” routine (that is, telling them everything about yourself and why you would be a good fit for the position before they even ask you one question). Stay calm. Always let them start first. They have certain objectives in mind before coming into the interview, so let them tell you what those are. You may find some interesting things that help you sell yourself. If you happen to run into one of these people who start off saying, “So, tell me about yourself,” give a brief introduction and why you would like to join their company. Then, turn the question around and ask him/her when he/she joined the company and why. This should help get the dialogue going and give you more insight about where he/she is coming from. More often than not, the interviewer will start asking you more specific questions after that.

Often, the interviewer will give you a chance to ask questions by asking if you have any questions for them. Take that chance, and ask questions that you have formulated during your preparation. Once you start asking the questions, you can continue the momentum and take control of the interview, leading it where you want it to go. Try to have more of a conversation than a question-and-answer session. Pause some between each topic to give yourself a chance to take in what they have just said.

The next-to-last question you should ask so you can better understand your potential employer’s expectations is to ask your interviewer who the ideal candidate for the position would be. Their answer will also help you formulate how you present yourself. Once you understand the criteria, you can talk about yourself and, specifically, how your capabilities fit the description of their ideal candidate.

I called that the next-to-last question because the final question should be to ask for the job. Ask whether the interviewer thinks you would be the right fit for the job now that you have presented your case. If any objection is going to be raised, this would be the time, but at least you will be able to address it. If you leave without asking this critical question, you will be left wondering if there was a concern that you didn’t address during the interview.

After the Interview

A thank-you note is customary for after the interview. Nowadays, most people send a thank-you note by e-mail. There is nothing wrong with that, but I prefer a thank-you card. There is much to be said about a nicely written thank-you note. Instead of mailing the card, however, I would deliver it to the receptionist or someone within the company who can drop it off with the recipient for you. Stop off at a nearby coffee shop, take out your notes and jot down key things mentioned during the interview. Emphasize that you are interested in the position and want to be a part of their company. Of course, this plan will only work if you were being interviewed on site, which happens with most formal and final interviews. Sometimes, if you are being rushed to the airport, this may be difficult to do. However, a thank-you note should be brief. I only put down about 2 to 3 sentences, so you might be able to write the note in five minutes while waiting for the cab. If all else fails, send an e-mail. I don’t suggest using e-cards, as some companies have firewalls that block those sites, possibly preventing your message from going through.

Now, you just have to wait. At this point, you did the best you could, and it is now up to them. If you addressed all of their concerns, you should be in a good position. I know everyone will tell you to relax and not think about, but I honestly have never been able to do that. One of my former bosses told me once that the best thing to do is to apply for another job. That makes sense. Taking on another task will keep your mind off of that last interview and keep you from second-guessing yourself.

I wish all of you luck in your job hunts. We all need a little of luck on our side. In the meantime, please feel free to e-mail me with questions. If I can help in any way, I will.

Wages Survey on Medical Laboratory Technicians and Medical Technologists

2011-08-21T23:34:00.001-07:00

I have received a number of questions regarding the wages that an MT or MLT would make. I would like to offer some concrete data for you to examine. A recent survey by the ASCP offers very specific numbers:

MT/MLS/CLS                       Average Wage                           Average Experience
Staff Level                            $26.16/hr ($54,412/yr)                     16.53 years
Supervisory Level                  $31.68/hr ($65,478/yr)                     17.36 years

MLT/CLT                              Average Wage                           Average Experience
Staff Level                            $19.78/hr ($40,768/yr)                     14.43 years
Supervisory Level                  $23.72/hr ($49,338/yr)                     15.68 years

The survey also shows that those certified through ASCP get paid more on average. It also listed the highest paying states for MT to be California with $36.10/hr, Maryland with $32.40 versus Nebraska with $24.66 and North Dakota with $23.78.

If you are interested to know about the compensation and which states to head to with the highest salary, this would be a good read for you. The link for the PDF file is below:

http://www.labsarevital.com/media/Garcia%20E.%20ASCP's%202010%20wage%20survey%20for%20US%20clinical%20laboratories.%20LabMed%202011;42()141-146.pdf

Medical Technologists in Demand

2011-08-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

- edited by Ben Mudrak

I want to break away from my series on resumes and the interview process to highlight this topic because I would hate for any research technicians out there looking for employment to miss this opportunity.

I have written about this topic in an earlier post, but the number of medical technologist positions open right now with no qualified candidates is overwhelming. The main reason for this shortage is the ASCP (American Society of Clinical Pathology) certification requirement. However, if you have a bachelor’s degree in science, most places are willing to train you and give you time to take the test for your ASCP certification.

At the Veteran’s Administration, you have a year after being hired to take the exam. At Indian Health Services, they will provide training, but it is not clear how long you will have before you need to get your certification.

In Arizona, SonoraQuest is willing to train the right candidates. The one interesting thing to note about SonoraQuest is that MD Anderson is partnering with Banner Health (SonoraQuest’s parent company) to open a new cancer center in Gilbert next month (September 26^th). This new center means genomic testing, and who would be better skilled to perform genomic testing than molecular biology research technicians?

In addition, despite the downturn in the market, clinical diagnostics is on the rise. Every life sciences company is looking to expand their footprint into the area.

There is also the potential to move up quickly. With the current shortage, the average medical technologist is well into his or her 40s. Many of those technologists will retire and make way for new technicians to move into their place, including filling lab supervisor positions. So, if you have been searching for a technician position and not finding much luck in the research area, consider these positions and don't pass them by even if the requirements state ASCP certification requirement.

If you are in Arizona, you can email me. I can direct you to a few places that are hiring and would be interested in speaking with you.

Improving your chance of getting interviewed and hired - part 2

2011-08-03T11:41:00.001-07:00

- Edited by Ben Mudrak

Now that you have submitted your resume and done your research on the company that interests you, what’s next? You still haven’t heard back from the recruiter or the HR department, except perhaps in an automated email telling you the reference number for your application. For many companies, the HR person is probably overwhelmed with resume after resume. This is sometimes the reason that companies are willing to pay recruiters to find top candidates. Usually, the fee paid to recruiters is a percentage of your pay, so most recruiters prefer to focus on high-paying positions. If you have experience, you may have a better chance of getting in front of a hiring manager through a recruiter. However, if you are just starting out and have only a little bit of experience, it can seem like you are on your own. My take on this is: why not be your own recruiter? Who is better than you to promote you? Who knows you better than yourself? So, do what the recruiters do.

Get the word out

First, I would suggest getting the word out that you are seeking employment. People will always ask, “What are you doing these days?” This is the perfect opportunity to say, “I am looking for a job or new opportunity. Let me know if you hear of any in your company or industry,” etc. You never know where your next opportunity will come from, but unless other people know that you are looking, they won’t be telling you about it.

Follow up

Second, follow up on every prospect that you hear of. Sometimes people tell you that they heard about a position opening, but can’t quite remember. They’ll say that they’ll try to find out and will let you know. Unfortunately, most people have a short memory span when it comes to tasks outside of their daily routine and job duties. Follow up on that conversation and ask them to send you information about that position. Following up also signals to them that you are serious about seeking employment. Most people don’t like to disappoint, so when you follow up with them and the prospect doesn’t materialize, they will try harder to find out about another job opening for you. Now, you have just recruited some help in your job search.

Volunteer/Part time work

Third, if you are currently unemployed, consider volunteer work or a part-time position. Volunteer work can be very rewarding and can also provide you with another avenue for contacts. Many large corporations have programs to encourage volunteer work by their employees. If you work shoulder to shoulder with an employee at the soup kitchen, it’s easy to start up a conversation and ask for help in your search. For one thing, you already know that the individual is someone who likes helping others. Moreover, this individual can appreciate your work ethic from your work at the shelter. I am not saying to go out and stalk someone at the place where they volunteer or to volunteer just for the sake of contacts. The main reason to enter into volunteer work or part-time employment during your job search is really more about your confidence.

Despite what everyone else might think, what you do does define you. (Well, that’s my opinion, anyway!) If you are not a researcher, a lecturer, or a technician, it’s tough to define yourself in today’s society. When the job that we have keeps us at our workplace at least eight hours out of the day, our coworkers sometimes know more about us than our family members. When you no longer have a job to go to, you lose that social network, and it isn’t easy. I spoke to a number of my friends who experienced some hard times adjusting to this isolation. Every time a job slips away from you, you lose a little more self-confidence. So, although volunteer work can help you gain some connections, its biggest role is to help you retain that confidence in your abilities to reason, to be productive and to socialize.

Volunteer work and part-time employment also help explain any gaps in your work history. Although many employers are more understanding nowadays with regard to unemployment, it always helps to show that you have remained active. Employers may only be able to guess what you have been doing for the past six months in between jobs, but if you show that you have taken the opportunity to do some meaningful work that benefits society and your community at large, you will look more like the guy who is given lemons and makes lemonade. That’s an appealing quality for any company.

The Phone Interview

Let’s say you receive a call or e-mail asking for a time to schedule your first phone interview. Having done all that research on the company, you are prepared. Just in case, do a search for “the company’s name + news” for any developments within the last few days that you might not be aware of. Then, prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer. Good questions are those about the job, your manager/supervisor, your co-workers, the job expectations, and the company’s future directions. Bad questions are those about money and compensation. Most interviewers will ask you for your salary expectations during the phone interview. I would suggest giving them your current salary as a basis to start from, especially if you know that you would not be willing to work for less. However, if possible, wait until you have gone through the entire interview process and had ample time to convince them that you are the right candidate for the position before discussing salary. You could simply say that you are looking for the right position with the right company and compensation isn’t your focus right now.

On the day of the call, be prepared to have multiple phone lines – a landline and cell phone – as well as your e-mail open. If the interviewer cannot reach you by phone, the last resort will be e-mail. Have a copy of your resume, a notepad, and your list of questions in hand. You know that your interviewer will have your resume in his/her hands, so having a copy in yours can help you see where the line of questioning is going. It will also help jog your memory if he/she happens to ask you about a job that you had a long, long time ago that you still put on your resume. Use the notepad to write down answers to your questions and also questions that you can ask the interviewer later. Almost always, the interviewer will ask you if you have any further questions. Use this opportunity to ask your remaining questions. This will also demonstrate to the interviewer that you have been paying attention to what he/she has been saying. Before you end the conversation, always ask the interviewer what the next step in the process will be. Most often, it will be a face-to-face interview. At this point, it is critical that you ask if the interviewer will recommend you for this next step. If there is an objection, this will be your chance to convince him/her otherwise. Unless you ask the question, however, you will never know. You may leave the interview thinking that it went well and that you will be moving on to the next stage, but you may be wrong.

As it is getting to be another late night for me, I will end this second part here and resume the discussion another day to talk about the face-to-face interview and salary negotiations. Thanks again for following my blog! Again, I welcome any feedback and comments.

Improving your chance of getting interviewed and hired

2011-08-03T01:46:00.000-07:00

– edited by Ben Mudrak

I have spoken with many friends and colleagues during their job search, and I hear a lot of the word “wait” -- “I am waiting to hear back.” “I haven’t heard back from the recruiter/hiring manager/HR.” I, myself, have experienced the ‘wait.’ I think we all have. As recently as today, Ed Greene, the owner of edsjoblist.com, forwarded me an email he received from a job seeker talking about the “proverbial black hole that resumes are shoved into” and the lack of “acknowledgement that one was received or even a rejection.” So, how do you keep your resume from going into that black hole and improve your chance of getting interviewed and eventually hired? I would like to offer a few suggestions below. Please feel free to comment and let me know if I am absolutely wrong about something or make a suggestion of your own about what has worked for you.

Let’s start at the beginning, when you first spot that enticing job posting on a company’s website. Instead of just submitting your resume, I would suggest spending a little time to write the cover letter. A cover letter is an excellent way to get the attention of the hiring manager or the HR person and to highlight how your experiences fit with that particular position. If you are new to this role, the cover letter would give you a chance to explain why a hiring manager should take a chance on you. It gives you a chance to list your strengths and the key attributes that make you stand out from the crowd.

On a similar note, you should include a cover letter for a recruiter as well if the posting comes from a recruiter; the cover letter will sell you to the recruiter, so that they, in turn, can do a better job of selling you to the hiring manager. This is one of Ed Greene’s “2 tips.” If you join edsjoblist.com, you will see this tip and his second tip in his welcome letter.

Now, what can you do next? The resume has been submitted -- all there is to do is to wait, right? I have always been a strong believer in making things happen. This is not to say that I don’t have patience, but when you wait, your mind starts to wander; you start getting paranoid and losing more and more of your confidence as the days pass. I usually take this waiting period to research the company and the position. Below, I have listed several sites that I use when researching companies:

The company’s website: More information than you think is available on the company’s own website. Look at their management team and at the news that they have posted on their site. Look up the technology that they use. What are they known for? What do they believe in? Would your own values and goals fit with their mission statement?

Google: Of course, everyone Google these days, but if you filter your search with keywords like “company name + review”, “company name + news”, etc., you can find out if there is any big news about the company’s innovative products or any setbacks the company has had. You might find an article talking about the company’s culture and how they treat their employees.

Glassdoor.com: This is a site that tries to give you an insider’s look at company salaries, reviews and interviews. You can read reviews from current and former employees. The salary range listing is also nice, as it will help you during your negotiations.

Linkedin.com: Of course, almost everyone here is on LinkedIn. I would suggest connecting with people at the company that you are interested in. You can use your connections to reach others outside of your network. You can also look into connecting through your groups as well. I am usually pretty straightforward about it. I would let the person know that I am looking at a particular position at their company and ask if he/she would be willing to talk to me about the company. Some people won’t want to talk, but most people are open to discussion. Once connected, even if that position doesn’t pan out, at least you have made a connection. Most companies pay for employee referrals, so if you are a good candidate for another position, many people would not hesitate to refer you. Plus, everyone would like to bring in good employees to their company. In the end, a company is only as good as its employees.

Cafepharma.com: I have to warn you first that this is a site that must be taken with a grain of salt. Perhaps a lot of salt, as there are a lot of wounds here. This site is a forum board for medical sales and pharmaceutical sales professionals. There is also a lot of foul language on the forum board. I do visit it once in a while to see if anything is said about a particular company. The posts are mostly from sales individuals, but it is interesting to hear what they have to say about the company, the management teams and the products that they are being asked to sell. If you are applying for a scientist position, it’s good to know that the division that you are entering is producing quality, sellable products. Let me know what you think of it. I am very hesitant about posting this link here, but it does give you a better picture of certain companies.

Not only will all of this research prepare you for the interview, but it will also keep you active in your job search. I will end this posting here, as it is getting long and I need to end the day. Please stay tuned for a continuation of this topic in the next blog.

Resumes: What are hiring managers looking for when they review resumes?

2011-07-28T23:04:00.000-07:00

Each time I start my job search, I would update my resume. I would read all the different advices on resume writing, but I never really knew what hiring managers look for when they review resumes. So, I decided to ask. If you know me, you know that's my motto: just ask 'cause the worst answer is a "no".

Below are the few responses I got from two hiring managers who each have over 20 years of experience hiring employees that I thought could help those are in the same boat as I am.

Q: What attract you first about a resume?

A: Brevity! One or two pages at most as I have a lot to go through. A resume that is concise and easy to read attracts me. I also like to look at the experience section and note the relevant experiences.

A: Longevity! I look at how long someone has been in their past positions. If they change jobs every one or two years, this may not be the right person to hire.

Q: What don’t you like about a resume?

A: Objective. It’s a given that everyone is looking for a good job. There is no need to state that. This is a dated section and isn’t necessary in today’s world. I would rather see a summary of their skill sets.

A: Reference available upon request. This is a given. If you get a face-to-face interview, then that’s when you bring your references.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who is looking to start a new career?

A: That is the hardest thing: getting that first job. I would say to apply for entry level jobs. Once you get in, you gain experience and you can move into higher paying jobs.

A: Look at the job description and tailor your resume to reflect the skill sets required for the job. Make an emphasis in your job history to describe some of the functions you did that would make you better suited for this job.

Q: Any other advice you can give to job hunters out there?

A: Be prepared at your interview. If you bring a 90-day plan on how you will approach the new position, it will show initiative as well as how serious you are about the position. This would win me over every time.

A: Smile once in a while during your interview. It goes a long way of brighten up my mood and help your case a little more.

A Few Alternatives to Bench Work

2011-07-28T21:59:00.000-07:00

It seems like the path that everyone knows and is told when considering graduate school: get your Ph.D., apply for a fellowship and try to get a professorship. If you don't get your professorship before the fellowship is over, then get another fellowship. I have a number of friends who have gone through their 2nd and even their 3rd fellowship before they get a position as an associate professor somewhere. I also have friends who managed to change career paths, industries, and were successful in making that transition. I would like to offer the alternatives that I have seen beside field work. Please let me know if there are other alternatives that you have heard of or experienced yourself so I can add to this short list. This is not to say that the traditional route is not a viable option. However, in this high unemployment environment, I think it’s worthwhile to consider all the alternatives.

1. Education

You can consider a position as a lecturer at a small liberal arts school, or a community college. This can also open doors for administrative positions within educational institute.

I have known a successful scientist who teaches on the side for extra income. He said the hardest thing was to set up the teaching materials for that first semester. After that, he said the courses were similar with the exception of him changing the quiz materials around and updating the information once in a while.

Keep in mind that the pay is low. However, a friend of mine told me that she knew people who would go from school to school teaching and generated a fair amount of income. Another avenue is to look at teaching jobs for private tutoring firms, like Kaplan or private trade schools. For Kaplan, they do like candidates with high test scores, so be prepared to show them your SAT/GRE results.

Everyone has to TA at least a short period of time during their post-doctorate trainings. You can use this as teaching experience on your CV. If you don’t have the experience, considering apply for another TA position. This can move you into an adjunct professor position, where you would design a whole course: compiling the teaching material, creating the quizzes and tests, and teaches the students, manages the TAs if you have any, etc. This is also a low paying position, but will gain you valuable experience if education is in your path.

I have a number of friends who move from high profile schools to state or community college and are much happier. The focus of these schools is less about research, but more about teaching. Therefore, you can expect to teach more and the scope of your research may be limited by the department funding. So, don’t expect to be able to do research of monkey or anything expensive.

Lastly, the key to this is for you to like teaching and are good at presenting a new concept or idea. If you think back to your thesis defense or the number of times you presented your data at lab meetings, what were the feedbacks?

2. Government

Beside government research facilities, consider positions in places like the state, county and district labs, the VA, the EPA, the USDA and even police department ‘s crime labs.

Many state labs are moving into the molecular biology space now that CDC and the FDA are allowing techniques like qPCRs, sequencings, LC/MS and the likes to be used in the clinical diagnostic domain for monitoring and detecting of viruses and bacteria in the interest of protecting human lives. Crime labs have long used sequencing to do DNA-fingerprinting for human identification as well as LC/MS or GC to test toxicology levels for forensic results.

When applying for government positions, it is important to note the grade level for the position. Some of these positions can be positions that require you to have already experience in a grade level below; hence they are more for promotion purpose. For example, a G-13 level might require experience at a G-12 level position.

Applying for these jobs could require some patience and some luck. I have heard of those who apply the first time and got in right away. Some, however, have the opposite experience requiring applications to as many as 50 positions before gaining success in obtaining employment.

Some government positions require a written exam or an oral exam. Some require both. The oral exam is the face-to-face interview. The process can be long, taking up to 3 months sometimes. You have to have perseverance as well as be persistence with government jobs. If you read the job description, the requirements are there. There maybe certain course requirements or certifications or exams you needed to take. All are written down in the job requirement section.

PS. Please excuse any typos or grammatical errors. I am without editor at the moment, so please let me know of any error you see so I can fix it. In other words, please be my editor, but be kind when you write. Thanks!

Moving into the field

2011-07-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

Despite all that you have read or heard about field work, it is still a good career path. I would like to elaborate that field work doesn't necessarily mean sales. There are a number of career paths that you can take on that maybe related to sales, but not sales. Consider the field application specialists that helped you trouble-shoot when your instrument is down or you need help with a particularly difficult experiment. These are road-warriors as well, traveling most of the week to customers’ sites to present technical data or help with trouble-shooting. Below are a few titles that you could consider when searching for a path into field work, not sales:

FAS – Field Application Specialist/Scientist – most life sciences companies would like someone with a technical background, so either a master’s degree or a Ph.D. – main function is to support sales in pre-sales and post-sales situation, such as presenting technical data, training and trouble-shooting. Usually, it’s helpful if your degree is in the discipline that the company sells into. For example, if you are molecular biologist, it would be more difficult for you to obtain a job with a company selling into the chemistry space. Sometimes you can also see this listed under Product Specialist.

FE – Field Engineer – most companies, whether it is a medical device company or a life sciences company requires an electrical or mechanical engineering degree as you would need to know to get into the hardware and trouble-shoot. Most companies provide training as each instrument is unique to the company.

If you want to try sales, consider the following positions that could help you get some experiences (your foot in the door, sort to speak):

Associate Sales Representative – these positions tend to be a little narrower in geography if you live in the bio-hubs, with specific accounts you call on and/or specific products to focus on.

Territory Manager – Most often, these positions denote large geography, but don’t rule these off until you read the job description.

Technical Sales Specialist/Representative/Consultant – you would use your expertise to introduce technical products to customers. Needless to say, companies would like individuals who have dealings with their products or products similar to theirs. For example, if you have experience running the chromatography systems in your lab, you might consider talking to companies that sell chromatography systems or columns as accessories to chromatography systems.

If you are not sure if you are ready for field work, you could apply for an inside-sales position. These positions do require that you live near the company’s headquarter as you would travel daily to work in an office. Your interaction with customers would mainly be through emails and phones. However, it still offers you the ability to be paid by merit, in other words, by commission. Plus, it would give you an idea of whether or not you would enjoy sales or not. Inside sales can also be a way to gain entrance into a company. Once inside, you can apply for outside sales positions.

A great resource for you when looking for a field position is Edsjoblist. This is a job listing, run by Ed Greene, and is a referral only listing. The job list would be emailed to you whenever a job with the criteria you imposed becomes available. Ed does get the majority of job listings from recruiters in the biotech industries. He also gets some for the Clinical Diagnostics market as well, but I do notice that the listing is predominantly for biotech positions. You can select the geography you would like to see job postings for as well as what type of positions. When you sign up, use an email address that you check frequently as Ed does receive over 500 jobs each month from recruiters across the U.S. Most recruiters I check with use Edsjoblist. As I mentioned previously, this is a referral only listing. I did speak with Ed and got his permission to post his site on here. You can use my full name (Mindy Luce) to sign up. Please only sign up if you have a science degree or a MedTech certification. Ed would like to keep his listings purely for the science folks. The link to Edsjoblist is simply: http://www.edsjoblist.com/.

Another good resource is through job search engines at these sites. Use the keyword “field” or “sales” to narrow down the search.

http://www.sciencejobs.org/jobseekers/

http://www.biospace.com/jobs/homepage/ -

http://scjobs.sciencemag.org/JobSeekerX/SearchJobsForm.asp - I like this better than going through jobseeker.com because it has already been narrowed down to science jobs. The site also has specific categories that you can check off to limit your search.

Of course, recruiters are also a good resource when it comes to job hunting. If you don’t know any recruiter, you can start by talking with the reps that come into your lab. If you would rather not do that, MRI Network is a large recruiting firm that has listings of recruiters as well as job postings.

http://www.mrinetwork.com

On the left column, you can choose to find a recruiter or a job. You can also post your resume on their site as well.

I am always open to suggestions, so please let me know if you know of any other great resources to add to this short list. Thanks for reading!

Sales vs. Bench position

2011-07-19T00:36:00.000-07:00

Every time I talked to people about jobs; whether it be recruiters, hiring managers, human resources personnel or customers or any curious about my job, they would all ask the question: why sales? (i.e., why didn't I stay at the bench?) This begs the question of what is the difference between the two. Would one enjoy sales as much as bench work? I guess it really comes down to personality for me. My journey into sales is not representative of other sales professionals, but a sales job does fit my personality better. Not that I would not get along with people in a laboratory. It’s quite the opposite. However, I have always been one to learn about new things, to gain knowledge and insights about many different things. During my undergraduate study, I was an unpaid intern, starting with my freshman year, at many different labs with many disciplines. My reasoning was for me to learn what would interest me and attend graduate schools in that area. Of course, I ended up liking everything. In sales, I am given the opportunity to learn about all sorts of research studies. That's what excited me. I am straying from the topic at hand, however, so let's get back to it. Which to consider: sales or bench work? Let me specify it further to field sales versus bench work, as I never had an inside sales position. It has been a while since I worked in a lab, so I am just going by my old experiences. If I am incorrect, please correct me.

First, I should say that science is exciting and lab work is exciting in its own right. I remember how great it felt when my friend, Sean, then a graduate student in the lab where I did my 199A course (independent research study), helped me recognized my first discovery of a potential genetic marker through analysis of my Northern blot result. This was after six months of mouse bleeding, tails grinding, RNA extraction, and Northern blotting. Yes, this was before qPCR was the norm in every lab. My PI just negotiated with Cepheid for a Smartcycler. In academia, it seemed like you live and breathe science. I remember working until 1 or 2 AM in the morning. I would work until dinner time; have dinner, then go back to the lab to work, then head to the gym at 9PM, then coming back to the lab. My husband, then boyfriend, would try to page me (yes, to my pager, didn't everyone have one of those?) and not be able to connect with me because I was down in the mouse room and there was no signal in the basement of the building. All that seemed so worth it with the discovery I made. For a lot of scientists out there, I believe this ring true for you.

When I was working industry bench jobs, the hours got more regular, but so were the work. Yes, the discovery could happen here as well. Which drug formulation will gain entry into the mouse’s bloodstream and allow the drug to do its magic? Which rabbits will create the right antibodies that can be used to bind to that protein that would stop that gene from being over expressed? There are millions of questions and millions of possible answers. Of course, as a lab technician, I didn't make the decision on which question to try to answer. The activities I was tasked with seemed routine and I lost that excitement. Of course, lab work afforded a lot of stability and consistency. You know what would be expected of you and you would work from 8 to 5. There would be no last minute flight to make a meeting with a customer.

Another thing that lab work would afford you is the ability to leave work at work. When you are in field sales, if you travel the day before, you can expect some late nights doing follow-ups. Sometimes, before bed, you would end up on the computer sending responses to customers. If you have a blackberry, then it could be a constant thing. Sometimes you would be lying in bed and it would come to you that you forgot to email a customer something that you promised the day before. If you decided to stay in bed, you might toss and turn about that one thing and ended up getting up and sending that email. Or, you might be thinking about a customer and the problems he has that you would like to address tomorrow. So many things could be racing through your mind just before you nodded off.

The one thing I miss a lot about lab work is the coworkers. Strange as it seems, but in field sales, you are on your own. You don't have colleagues that you can hang out by the water cooler or the cubicles to talk about life and daily things. No, there isn't anyone to chat with you about that. Everyone got their own things to worry about. When you are on the phone, it should be something important as the day is short and there are many things to attend to. Once in a while, you can get together for lunch to talk about work and a little bit about personal things, but it is quite lonely out there. Yes, sales people know a lot of customers, but most of the times, it's not appropriate for you to talk about personal things with your customers. When you work in an environment where you interact with the same people day in day out, you would end up learning about their quirks and idiosyncrasies and vice versa. In other words, you bond. In field sales, if you find a "friend" to talk to, you are lucky.

What's about all the perks you hear about sales? Yes, you would work from home, but it would not mean you get to do whatever you wanted during those hours. Most of the time, I would be locked in the room until it was time to break for dinner. Sometimes I'd forget to eat if it wasn't for my husband who would occasionally knocked on the door and slipped in a lunch plate. Those would be the non-travelling days. If you need to travel for work that day, then consider a five o'clock wake-up call to get you to the airport for the first flight out. You got to pack your bags the night before, too, so forget that movie you've wanted to watch and been eyeing it on the shelf from Netflix for the past couple of days.

What's about being able to travel to different cities and different cuisines? I have to tell you, travel is over-rated. If you live in big bio-hubs or work as a distributor rep for VWR or Thermo Fisher Scientific, then you might be able to avoid traveling further than a few hours and you would drive for those hours. Otherwise, you can expect to travel. My first life sciences sales position, I covered the Western states. When I worked for GE in Los Angeles, I covered LA and Orange County. Once I moved to Arizona, the territory got bigger and no smaller than two states (Arizona and New Mexico, mostly). When you travel for work, you have meetings to attend and by the time you are done, you are too tired from the travel and the meetings to really do anything else. I know people who would go out and have a great time at clubs, etc... I am usually more of a hotel person. I would go back to the hotel and work on my follow-ups to reduce the work I would have to do when I am back to my office. I would end up going to the same restaurant and book the same hotel. I have done enough experimenting to know what was good in that area and when the restaurants were closed and where the late night ones were. Once in a while, I would attend dinner with a colleague who would be traveling with me or a customer if his/her schedule would permit. It is worse is when you dine alone. I would like a table for one, please. How lonely is that! Most of the times, I would do take-outs and bring it back to the hotel to eat. At least I would have the TV to accompany me and the computer to get some work done. If it's a one-nighter, then you would have to pack again for tomorrow, keeping in mind that you would need certain things out for your meetings the next day, so you would not be able to cramp everything into the suitcase. Of course, the perk for traveling for work is that most companies you would work for would allow you to accumulate points on your airline frequent flier membership, so the next vacation's flight could be free.

The biggest thing in sales, of course, is the unpredictability of it all. Most companies would require you to forecast, which is to predetermine when your sales would be coming through. Of course, no one could predict the future, but sales people learned to recognize the signs and understand the cycles. However, if the grant money isn't coming through, you are out of luck. Your customer told you they would be able to purchase this month, but it could drag out to next year. Unfortunately, forecasting is huge in the sales profession and it escalates up to the companies themselves making predictions on their revenue. If you watch the stock market, you know what I mean. Company stocks rise and fall based on their ability to make their predictions. If they have to lower their forecast, stocks would fall. If they make and exceed their prediction, stocks would rise. Some companies would have incentives for employees to meet their forecast or to stay within 95% of their forecast. Other would penalize employees for missed forecast, in terms of commission or bonus.

This would lead the next topic of commission and salary. Yes, the compensation is good, but only if you make your number. And, there is a number for sure. If you make and exceed your number, you are rewarded. What if you don't make your number? That's why I never lived on my commission checks. I based my family's budget on my salary and use the commission checks to pay for things like vacation or to pay off the car. In sales, there would always be ebbs and flows, but sometimes the valleys could be wide and you don’t make much commission years after years. The potential is there and perhaps that was my main reason for staying in sales. Whatever effort I put in, I could see the rewards at the other end in form of a pay-check. For researchers, it could be years before they see that. I read a recent article regarding the scientists who came up with one of the essential ideas behind Ion Torrent’s Personal Genome Machines (PGM) receiving a royal check for $2000. Ouch!

I am sure there are more pros and cons to list for either side, however, this blog is getting long and my eyes are getting tired, so I will end it here. This is, again, my personal take on sales job versus lab bench work. I don't mean to offend anyone here. Like I said before, this was drawn from my own experience. If you would like to share yours, you are welcome to comment below. Tell me what your thoughts on sales versus lab work. Thanks!

ASU's Resource for Teachers

2011-07-07T01:27:00.000-07:00

The ASU's Human Resource page has a list of links to other educational institutes that can be helpful to a teacher looking for information. I like that it is all in one area.

http://cfo.asu.edu/hr-azresourcces

A friend of mine once told me that he taught on-line courses and got a lot of money for it. He said it was an easy job for him and really enjoyed it since he didn't have to physically be at the college. He said most of his interaction with his students are online so he could do it in his office or at his home. The first year is the hardest because he had to build up the curriculum, but after that, everything was a breeze. If you have a higher degree and have extra time, you might consider teaching for additional income.

If you are looking for a teaching job, perhaps the link above can help you.

Lab jobs in Phoenix

2011-06-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

I know a number of folks looking for lab jobs around Phoenix area. Below are links to a few employers' job listings where you can apply directly.

ASU: Searchable by keywords. There are a few research specialists positions available. The salaries are listed.

Caris Diagnostics: Search by Lab category

Midwestern University: Search by Arizona location - look for research technician positions.

TGen: Searchable by locations: Phoenix, Scottsdale and Flagstaff

Government jobs: USAJOBS listing narrowed down to biological sciences category in Arizona

One trick for getting the attention of the hiring PI or manager is to search the local directory for the names and numbers of someone in that lab, contact them and ask for their recommendations to the hiring manager or PI for that position. Some employers offer referral money to their employees for recommending someone good for the position. In addition, most everyone would like to help someone in search of a job, especially if you have a stellar resume. Sometimes you can learn about the position from that insider, whether it would be a good fit for you or perhaps if you are competing against an internal candidate or even if that position has already been filled. It's always good to have that inside connection.

Can Arizona become a powerhouse of biofuels?

2011-06-22T02:09:00.000-07:00

An article by the Arizona Republic published in February of this year indicated that Arizona could become a leader in biofuels due to its sunny and dry weather, which is perfect for algae farming.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2011/02/07/20110207arizona-biofuel-industry.html

Though Arizona has a number of biofuel companies, most of these companies are using corn or non-feed stock (used oil from restaurants). So far, I have only found a handful of companies actually growing algae as a fuel alternative. I have listed the few algae farms below. If I miss any, please let me. Thanks!

Phyco Biosciences	1490 S. Price Road, Suite 302, Chandler, AZ 85286	480-522-1002
Diversified Energy	2020 W. Guadalupe Road, Suite 5, Gilbert, AZ 85233-2804	480-507-0780
Eco-Sol Group	2509 N. Campbell Ave #120, Tucson, AZ 85719	520-250-6649
Algae Biosciences Corp.	2225 N. Gemini Dr., Suite 7B-E, Flagstaff, AZ	928-240-1060
Arizona State University - Algal-based biofuels & biomaterials division of BioEnergy Dept.	BioDesign, Tempe, Arizona	480-965-2975

Break through in BioFuels

2011-06-07T23:14:00.000-07:00

My husband, Alex, said that economy needs a revolutionary technology, like automobiles, computers, internet, or mobile phones, to jolt us out of this depression. I am hopeful that something will come along soon.

Last week, ASU made an announcement regarding a major breakthrough at Dr. Roy Curtiss' lab at the BioDesign at ASU. Along with his post-doc, Xinyao Liu, Dr. Curtiss has been able to genetically modify cyanobacteria to release fatty acids into the water when CO2 is removed from their environment. This would mean less cost in processing the bacteria for the fats that will be used as fuel.

http://asunews.asu.edu/20110526_biofuelprocess

Though it might be a while before this particular technology becomes commercially viable, I am holding out hope that biofuels may be the technology that will revolutionize the way we live and will be what Arizona needs to grow our economy.

ScienceCare

2011-06-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

My friend, Cathie, sent me this link that profiles ScienceCare as a job resource for those in healthcare, including laboratory technician positions.

http://phoenix.jobing.com/company_profile.asp?ViewMode=c&i=44019

Thanks, Cathie.

Celgene - company to watch

2011-06-05T04:35:00.000-07:00

At the end of June 2010, Celgene bought Abraxis Bioscience located here in Phoenix, Arizona for $2.9 billion. This was a huge deal for biotech/pharma industry in Arizona. Yesterday, Celgene announced the final results from a phase III study of ABRAXANE (acquired through Abaxis' aquisition), a drug in combination with carboplatin for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at the 2011's American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting. Though Abraxane doesn't significantly improve progession-free survival, Celgene still plans to submit a sNDA (supplemental New Drug Application) for first-line treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC.

So, why watch Celgene? For one thing, Celgene has 25 other drugs in late phase clinical trials. Most importantly, the purchase of Abraxis also gave Celgene the technology behind Abraxane, nab-driven chemotherapy. Added to this, Celgene's Phoenix location is hiring.

http://www.celgene.com/careers/pharmaceutical-us-job-openings.aspx

There are twelve positions listed since mid April, including a director of plant engineering.

The only question is: would there be skilled workers to fill these positions and support Celgene's clean lab and tight QC environment?

MedTech Needed

2011-06-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

There is a shortage of Medical Technologists everywhere in the nation, but it is especially true in Arizona. This is due to the fact that both U of A and ASU have recently shut down their Med Tech programs. This adds to the rising demand for Med Tech in the area. Sonora Quest, the biggest reference lab in the state, has 22 openings for Medical Lab Technicians I. They are willing to accept students. If you are looking for a new career, this may be a hot one to be in.

How much would a Medical Technologist make a year? According to Salary.com, an average Med Tech in Phoenix, AZ, makes about $58,285. The low 10% averages $49,292 while the top 10% make about $67,678.

http://swz.salary.com/SalaryWizard/medical-technologist-Salary-Details-Phoenix-AZ.aspx

What does it take to be a Med Tech? This is usually a Bachelor of Applied Science degree and passing an exam to receive certifications from accrediting agencies such as ASCP, AMT and NCA.

2 New Job Postings at Ventana Roche for Senior Scientists Today

2011-06-03T22:56:00.000-07:00

http://careers.roche.com/en/Global-Job-Search.html

Ventana Roche is located in Oro Valley, Arizona, just north of Tucson. The company makes automated histology instrument that is used in clinical labs to stain patient's tissue sample.

Online resources for biotech employment in Arizona and New Mexico

2011-05-31T16:55:00.000-07:00

I would like to offer a couple of online resources I have found over the years.

1. Arizona Virtual One Stop - https://www.arizonavirtualonestop.com/

- Arizona VOS has listings of both private and public domain jobs. The site is very easy to use and allow you to filter by keywords or salary range or location.

2. Arizona Bio Industry's Bio Maps - http://www.azbio.org/biomaps.asp

- This is an interactive site that has listings of all bio-related companies in Arizona, separated by region (Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson). While you are there, check out the azbio frontpage for information regarding the biotech industry in Arizona.

3. New Mexico Work Force Connection - http://www.jobs.state.nm.us/jobbanks/default.asp?p=&session=jobsearch&geo=&areatype=90

- This is similar to Arizona Virtual One Stop.

4. Northern New Mexico Job Boards - http://www.onestopnnm.org/jobs.html
- This board is specific for jobs in Northern New Mexico, separated by city.

5. Linked-in - http://www.linkedin.com/

- A great networking site, it also has job listings that can also be narrowed down by keywords. You are welcome to find me and link-in with me.

6. USAJobs - http://www.usajobs.gov/

- Listing of government jobs. This is also easy to navigate, filter by keywords and sort by state and locations.

If you send me your resume, I will try to help you find a position. Just send me an email to mindy@mylabconnection.com.

My Lab Connection - a simple idea

2011-05-27T01:58:00.000-07:00

Having been a sales representative for many years covering Arizona and New Mexico, I have noticed that there are not a lot of local resources available to lab personnel. Whether the information be available jobs in the area or which doctors to go to or where to live, it takes many individuals months to discover the right job or the right doctor or the right school for our kids. A lot of this information tends to come from our connections – people in the same lab or our neighbors. What if there is a place where you could visit to pull useful information quickly? What if we could all benefit from each other’s lab connections and everyone could provide feedback to help each other find that job or the apartment near campus?

This is the idea behind mylabconnection (MyLC). What I hope to accomplish is to build a web-based resource to help everyone who are involved in laboratory work, whether you are the lab technician or a PI and even the vendor reps coming into town for a day or two. The site would only work if you provide the feedback, so please comment and make suggestions to help me build and improve our resources.

Thank you for visiting and please follow my blog to help me build the site.

Mindy =D