5 Tips For A Career in Biotech
Panelists at MBP's annual Biotech Nexus event shared life lessons they wished they could tell their younger selves.
If you could go back in time and give advice to your younger self, what would you say?
That was the question posed to panelists at Biotech Nexus, an annual event hosted by Northwestern Engineering's Master of Biotechnology Program (MBP). The answers varied, but collectively they served as a valuable guide to students and anyone interested in pursuing a career in biotechnology.
- Never Stop Learning
“Gain as many technical skills as you can,” said Phillip Freeman (MBP '21), process development manager for startup Clever Carnivore. “Make yourself useful in as many different disciplines as possible.”
That was echoed by other panelists, each of whom suggested students turn themselves into masters of as many different talents in the biotech field as possible.
Asha Varghese (MBP '18), clinical research manager for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, said students can own this trait by always being uncomfortable with their current level of knowledge.
“Never be content with your learning. Always push yourself,” she said. “In my role right now as a clinical project manager, I am not content with what I know. Keep learning. It should never stop.”
- Be Patient
In an age of increased job-hopping, panelists recommended taking a deep breath and settling into a job experience to extract as much as possible from it before thinking about moving on.
“Allow yourself the time and space to be immersed in the experiences and opportunities that you have,” said Susan Schofer, partner at SOSV and HAX and chief science officer at HAX. “Having those longer experiences, giving yourself the time to really enjoy and experience an opportunity and learn from it can really lay interesting foundations.”
- Stay Flexible
While it is important to be patient, the panelists also said students shouldn’t feel pinned down in any one job situation.
“The first job you get might not be the job you're going to have forever,” said Paul Marks (MBP '17), product specialist of tangential flow filtration systems for Sartorius. “Be prepared to pivot, learn what you like, and what you don't like.”
Marks said being flexible has helped him amass a diverse skill set that, in his eyes, makes him more valuable to companies he works with.
- Build Your Network
In talking about their careers, the panelists made numerous references to the people they know who helped them move forward. Those people might not always be the ones you’d expect, Varghese said.
“I used to network only with the people who shared the same interests,” she said, comparing that mindset to the diverse networking she does today. “I really encourage everyone to network both horizontally and vertically.”
That means developing relationships with those in other parts of a company. Varghese talked about learning about a project management tool she uses today only because of a relationship she had with a person in information technology.
“If I didn't know that IT person, I would have not known this tool and how to best manage projects,” she said.
- Know You Belong
The panelists talked about imposter syndrome, the insecurity that you don’t truly belong in a position you’ve reached. Matt Barnes, client partner and senior director at IQVIA, encouraged students to scoff at that belief.
“Remind yourself that you're very qualified to be there,” Barnes said. “Just get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Schofer agreed.
“You have the skills. You have the smarts. You have the network," she said. "Don't be afraid. This is your life, and you should feel confident owning it.”
