Two-body problem

When my spouse got an offer in January to teach at a small college, the biggest advantage had to be the location. Ninety minutes from Princeton, Philadelphia and New York, the number of biotech companies in the area was staggering — key for me because I am opting for industry. So, after she accepted the position in January, all we had to worry about was finding me a job.

Several months, one phone interview and one pseudo-offer later, I am still networking away. Making phone calls, sending e-mails, calling in favours and blanketing the area with my resumé has so far landed me little more than compliments on my CV. And puzzlement from academic colleagues. “You would be a great asset to any biotech company,” they say. “Why don't you have a job yet?”

This reaction shows how little academics know about how to get into a career in biotech. Luckily, my institution has a great careers centre. And my experience with the Washington University Postdoc Association has exposed me to industry contacts and career advice. So over the past few months, I've been educating myself.

I soon realized that a biotech company is first and foremost a business. My contacts at the bigger companies tell me that interviewing and hiring moves slowly. And it's influenced by many factors — often nothing to do with science. For all I know, I may be in consideration for a job I applied for three months ago. Because of the number of applicants, you rarely hear back from a company unless they are interested in you.

Also, companies hire to fill very specific needs. If you are working in an area that pharma is interested in at the moment, you are more likely to get noticed. Throughout my career I have made an effort to diversify my training. So I learned X-ray crystallography in graduate school, NMR spectroscopy at my first postdoc, and am currently working in a microbiology department. But most industry PhD positions want individuals with deep training in one area. For those jobs, my broad range of expertise could be seen as unfocused.

So the move date is approaching, and my spouse and I are now considering living in different cities until I find something. My advice to postdocs looking for a real job? Start looking at least a year before you have to leave.